Reply to: British Teeth

[PCTNN]

I've got no trust in NHS dentists whatsoever.

Went to a NHS dentist 3-4 years ago as I cracked my tooth eating salt and chilli ribs. Since I was there I got a check up (hadn't had one in 3 years) and turned out I had 4 cavities.

The dentist said that, given the difficult position of such cavities, she would have to do silver fillings; much easier to do and they'd have much better success in staying up, she said.

The repair to the cracked tooth (in enamel) came off less than 2 weeks later.

The silver fillings...I never went for them. The first time I went back to my home country I went to my trusted dentist; when I told him the story he couldn't stop laughing and said the last silver filling he did was in 1989. Then he started calling other dentists in the room to tell them the story and laugh and laugh and laugh, and last but not least he started to jokingly threaten his young assistants he'd fire them and send them to work in this 3rd world country called uk.

All the 4 fillings and the cracked tooth repair are still up.

[ladymuck]

Well, i have no problems with my local NHS dentist.
I i certainly don't <or would, ever> live in the North of England.

It's grim up north!

[BR14]

To show how different the north and south is.

All the family use Oasis (now Bupa) dentists.

We've just organised a set of NHS appointments while down South it's definitely private practice only.

Well, i have no problems with my local NHS dentist.
I i certainly don't <or would, ever> live in the North of England.

[NigelJK]

Just had my 2019 annual checkup. My normal dentist has retired in the interim. Price of the checkup appears to have gone from £16 to £24 in the mean time.

[eek]

To show how different the north and south is.

All the family use Oasis (now Bupa) dentists.

We've just organised a set of NHS appointments while down South it's definitely private practice only.

[NotAllThere]

In USA it's normal to get your teeth cleaned for 45 minutes by a hygienist twice a year

I suppose if you don't know how to use a toothbrush, it would be necessary. My teeth are in such good nick that my dentist recommends a professional clean once a year. It takes about 30 minutes usually. I use an electric toothbrush and interstitial brushes (which were recommended to stop my gums from bleeding - and they worked).

[cojak]

I'm with a national private practice that also sees NHS patients.

Because they can only see a reduced number of patients at the moment, they are sucking the money out their private patients wallets and ignoring NHS patients to stay afloat.

I had arranged for a hygienist appointment for a NHS+ clean and polish in March, so I was on their books. They booked me in for a rearranged appointment in November. They must have missed the bit where I was an NHS patient because after my November appointment they booked me in for another hygienist appointment in January - just 2 months after my first!

When I called them to cancel this (after they sent out a few texts telling me to make another appointment!), they couldn't find me until I said "honestly - I went to my appointment - my £39 payment went out of my account!"

"But we don't have any dental prices for £39, oh..." She sounded quite irritated to realise that I had slipped under the net and that they had wasted an appointment on an NHS patient, so she cancelled my January appointment and put the phone down.

So no more dental appointments for me this year!

[jayn200]

Then I'm a lucky one.

My dentist does a mixture of NHS and private. So if it's something she can't do on the NHS I will pay it. Since I've done that I notice she has no problem giving me a scale and polish. Some years I've not been charged for it, while other years I have.

To be fair I've been here around 5 years so not like I have decades of experience with this but I have been to probably 3 dentists that accept NHS patients and they've all done the general exam/x-rays under NHS but they've all refused to do any scaling/polishing under NHS and say they only scale/polish privately. I've also emailed probably 20-30 and asked and I've never had a single one say they will scale/polish under NHS, they all only offered it privately. I don't understand why since they are supposed to offer it but in practice I just haven't found one who does.

I needed 1 filling had to get that done privately because they wouldn't do composite filling under NHS.

But the quality of the filling was good. The cleanings I've had done were all good, no complaints but yeah if I had to just do NHS and wasn't willing to pay privately then my teeth would be in rough shape right now. Even with twice a year cleanings I build up quite a bit of plaque/tartar.

[SueEllen]

I have had a really hard time booking for the wife and myself over last year. Most dentists are closed for routine care.

As far as UK for US dentistry. NHS dentistry is very very poor standard of care. Private care is probably on par with what's available in USA. There obviously is a much much bigger focus on cosmetic dentistry in USA vs UK, anyone who says otherwise is just lying.

In USA it's normal to get your teeth cleaned for 45 minutes by a hygienist twice a year, Composite fillings are standard, etc. Almost all middle class kids get braces(if they need them) and have straight teeth. Lot's of people get veneers, etc.

You're really lucky if you can get your dentist to spend 5 minutes scrapping off a bit of tartar once a year under NHS.

Then I'm a lucky one.

My dentist does a mixture of NHS and private. So if it's something she can't do on the NHS I will pay it. Since I've done that I notice she has no problem giving me a scale and polish. Some years I've not been charged for it, while other years I have.

[jayn200]

I have had a really hard time booking for the wife and myself over last year. Most dentists are closed for routine care.

As far as UK for US dentistry. NHS dentistry is very very poor standard of care. Private care is probably on par with what's available in USA. There obviously is a much much bigger focus on cosmetic dentistry in USA vs UK, anyone who says otherwise is just lying.

In USA it's normal to get your teeth cleaned for 45 minutes by a hygienist twice a year, Composite fillings are standard, etc. Almost all middle class kids get braces(if they need them) and have straight teeth. Lot's of people get veneers, etc.

You're really lucky if you can get your dentist to spend 5 minutes scrapping off a bit of tartar once a year under NHS.

[Lance]

Might be worth a try, but if you pretended to be a new born child wouldn't the dentist get a bit suspicious you were able to use a phone and talk?

can't I identify as a new born child? This is the 2020s.


My pronouns are it/its

[OwlHoot]

The other is a new born child and ask if you can be registered at the same place.

Might be worth a try, but if you pretended to be a new born child wouldn't the dentist get a bit suspicious you were able to use a phone and talk?

[Lance]

NHS dentist? Does such a thing exist. Not been able to get one since mid 90's so always gone private.

But, to be fair, the private dentists I've used have charged pretty much the same as NHS anyway so it's made no difference (and less screaming kids around the place!)

they do exist. Getting registered is the challenge.
One method is to contact the local primary trust as they have a duty to find you one.
The other is a new born child and ask if you can be registered at the same place.

[OwlHoot]

On average Brits, before the pandemic, actually had better teeth than people from the US.

Exactly, a few grinning actors and celebs may have pearly white perfect teeth, but there are hordes of snaggle toothed rednecks we never see!

Must say, I dread going to the dentist, not because of the needles and drills but on account of my dentist's interminable lecturing. I wish he'd just shut up and get on with his job!

[ladymuck]

I've had the opposite experience. Was paying a fortune for private and had various problems. The NHS dentist I switched to has been brill so far. Depends on the individual skills.

And that is absolutely the salient point.

My GP experience of the NHS and outpatient stuff, especially recently, has been brilliant so I would never consider a private option for that. I was disappointed by the NHS dental provision but I did only try one local practice. Maybe if I had tried another one, I might have had a better experience.

My NHS dentist back in Sussex was good but basic, which is fine for 90% of work.