Wilmslowesq post coming up...
I thought I'd give a new dentist a go, as my last one seems to leave my teeth in a worse state than they were before, so a month or so ago I went on to the NHS website looking for local NHS dentists. Of the 3 available, two weren't taking new patients, despite what the website says, so I booked with the third, which as it happens is within walking distance, so all good.
I went there today and was greeted by an eastern European girl, whom I could just about understand, apart from the odd word. She gave me a form to sign, and as I went to read what I was to sign, she says I need to sign it. I say I would prefer to read what I sign and also point out that my address and name are spelled incorrectly. She didn't want me to enter any form details myself either. Do you guys sign stuff unread and with lots of blank fields missing, even if it is at the dentist? Anyway as she was getting a new form I see that it is a harmless consent form.
She also needs a formed signed to say that I appreciate that they will not do major work in the NHS, only checks-up and small fillings
So I go in to see the dentist and his assistant, both also eastern European by the sound of it, and likewise just about comprehensible. I tell him I get a sharp pain occasionally on the RHS when chewing hard stuff, subsequent to a filling I had with my last dentist. He looks at it, discovers nothing, but says he can redo it as long as it's not a big job, and also finds a chipped tooth which he says can only do privately.
After telling me about the things he can do, one possibly on the NHS and the other not, I'm a little surprised to discover that the session has ended. I thought he was going to do a filling on the spot, but there is not even a scale or polish to be done. I'm getting a little concerned about what they are going to charge me for this 5 minutes estimate.
So back to reception and the receptionist who wants me to sign forms that I'm not to read has another form for me to sign, this one with a bill of over £100 on it. I say the fact that the dentist says I need to go private for one filling suggests to me that that one isn't urgent and that I would leave it for now. But no, the receptionist tells me that it is important and that I should sign the bill, and also something about they only do front teeth on the NHS. I say I will pay for today's 'treatment' and would think about the rest. Thankfully that is only £16.50, though when I get out my debit card the price is upped to £17. She says I have 3 days to sign the form which she was reluctant to give me a copy of. For a minute I thought her just used printer had broken because getting a duplicate for me to take away was turning out to be a big job.
It turns out that if I want a scale and polish I have to book with the hygienist, which I think is £25.
So I'm £17 lighter and have had no scale or polish, but at least my teeth aren't worse than before treatment, so a kind of result.
Nevertheless I think I'll give that outfit a miss.
I thought I'd give a new dentist a go, as my last one seems to leave my teeth in a worse state than they were before, so a month or so ago I went on to the NHS website looking for local NHS dentists. Of the 3 available, two weren't taking new patients, despite what the website says, so I booked with the third, which as it happens is within walking distance, so all good.
I went there today and was greeted by an eastern European girl, whom I could just about understand, apart from the odd word. She gave me a form to sign, and as I went to read what I was to sign, she says I need to sign it. I say I would prefer to read what I sign and also point out that my address and name are spelled incorrectly. She didn't want me to enter any form details myself either. Do you guys sign stuff unread and with lots of blank fields missing, even if it is at the dentist? Anyway as she was getting a new form I see that it is a harmless consent form.
She also needs a formed signed to say that I appreciate that they will not do major work in the NHS, only checks-up and small fillings
So I go in to see the dentist and his assistant, both also eastern European by the sound of it, and likewise just about comprehensible. I tell him I get a sharp pain occasionally on the RHS when chewing hard stuff, subsequent to a filling I had with my last dentist. He looks at it, discovers nothing, but says he can redo it as long as it's not a big job, and also finds a chipped tooth which he says can only do privately.
After telling me about the things he can do, one possibly on the NHS and the other not, I'm a little surprised to discover that the session has ended. I thought he was going to do a filling on the spot, but there is not even a scale or polish to be done. I'm getting a little concerned about what they are going to charge me for this 5 minutes estimate.
So back to reception and the receptionist who wants me to sign forms that I'm not to read has another form for me to sign, this one with a bill of over £100 on it. I say the fact that the dentist says I need to go private for one filling suggests to me that that one isn't urgent and that I would leave it for now. But no, the receptionist tells me that it is important and that I should sign the bill, and also something about they only do front teeth on the NHS. I say I will pay for today's 'treatment' and would think about the rest. Thankfully that is only £16.50, though when I get out my debit card the price is upped to £17. She says I have 3 days to sign the form which she was reluctant to give me a copy of. For a minute I thought her just used printer had broken because getting a duplicate for me to take away was turning out to be a big job.
It turns out that if I want a scale and polish I have to book with the hygienist, which I think is £25.
So I'm £17 lighter and have had no scale or polish, but at least my teeth aren't worse than before treatment, so a kind of result.
Nevertheless I think I'll give that outfit a miss.
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