NHS Dentists

[Pyrrhic]

How do they work? I'm on a waiting list, but I remembering hearing something about being able to use one up until your baby is a year old.

Does this give you preference or something on the waiting list? Because as far as I knew, everyone and anyone can use an NHS dentist.

Have been on the waiting list for ages, but apparently in my area some people have been on the list for 5+ years

Also, what constitutes emergency care? I've never had a problem with my teeth until recently, where the back molars hurt almost daily. But I can't see any reason for it. I've never had any problems, not even a filling before now.

 

[xJG30]

I recently joined an NHS Dentist and had to go down and register, they said I wouldn't need an appointment for 6 months as I'd had a filling the day before but other than that, don't really know, so this probs isn't much help

 

[Blah11]

I think you need to already be registered with a NHS dentist to get free treatment so no, don't think you'd get any preference I'm afraid. That's terrible that the list is so long though We need more NHS dentists obviously.

 

[asacia]

Anyone can register with an NHS dentist (if they can find one). People have rto pay for NHS dental treatment (three possible charges, depending on treatment £16.50, £45.60 or £198). Some people are exempt (low income reasons etc) and you are exempt from charges while pregnant and for a year after birth. I don't think anything affects your place on the list.

 

[asacia]

Also:

"Contact your local PCT to find out about how to access urgent or out-of-hours services in your area. PCT contact details can be found in your local phone book. The NHS Choices website also contains details about the dentists in your area that provide out-of-hours services, see Further information below."

 

[ChloesMummy]

Have been on the waiting list for ages, but apparently in my area some people have been on the list for 5+ years

[

For months and months I searched for a dentist for Chloe, in the end I gave up and registered her back home at my Mums which isnt ideal. I still have her on one waiting list and its been 2yrs now, its shocking!

 

[Pyrrhic]

So apparently a new NHS dentist opened this week so I rang them. Was 12th in the queue. Held for 25mins, finally got through.....pressed the button for new patients and now the phone has been ringing out for over 5mins Really don't want to hang up, but is obvious no one is going to answer!

 

[helen1234]

kateqpr is a dentist bet she knows

dentists are everywhere so never had a problem.

x

 

[helen1234]

or is it poppeteer lol i forgot lol

 

[Panda_Ally]

It might b worth ringing round some private denists cos some take on exempt NHS patients... thats what i did and nowi got me and holly on there books!!

 

[Erised]

After our previous dentist had to pack up his business due to not meeting the NHS quota, we were put on a waiting list. It took over a year before we heard back and got assigned an NHS dentist, by which time we'd already found our own.

We called around just after we found out our old dentist had to close and found dentist who no longer took on NHS patients, so we just got written down as 'private'. Now that I'm pregnant my dentist care is free anyway ... so maybe with the maternity exempt you can just go to a private dentist?

 

[Pyrrhic]

So I could go to a private dentist, and still get free care?

 

[Erised]

I'd call just to make sure, but my dentist doesn't make a fuzz over it.

 

[Mamafy]

Very few private dentists will take on NHS patients so you may have bother In my area I found one through the main county hall, they told me which dentists were taking on new patients. I had to spend a day on the phone trying to get one sorted.

 

[Pyrrhic]

None of the private dentists round here will take an NHS patient I did wonder if they might take exempt ones though.

 

[redpoppy]

I'm SUPER lucky in that we have an NHS dentist in walking distance and he is still taking on patients (east London).

It bothers me NO end that dentists have just refused to do NHS patients. they are scum. But I suppose the difference is, when kids want to be doctors, a lot of the time its because they want to help people and save lives etc. no kid says "I want to grow up to be a dentist so I can help people"

Hope you find someone close by!

 

[Erised]

To be honest, I think one of the main reasons they don't like on taking NHS patients is because of the stupid rules the NHS sets them. If they take on NHS patients they need to treat at least x amount per year, and if they don't meet that quota (for example, because they do private work or actually take their time) they can lose their license to do NHS work. It's why our old dentist lost his job, because he didn't meet their quota ... which was something stupid that only left him with about 10 minutes per patient

 

[asacia]

I'm SUPER lucky in that we have an NHS dentist in walking distance and he is still taking on patients (east London).

It bothers me NO end that dentists have just refused to do NHS patients. they are scum. But I suppose the difference is, when kids want to be doctors, a lot of the time its because they want to help people and save lives etc. no kid says "I want to grow up to be a dentist so I can help people"

Hope you find someone close by!

I don't think it is a case of that. The problem is that the amount given to dentists for NHS work done, often isn't enough to cover the huge costs of running a surgery. My usual Dentist is private because he couldn't afford to spend the time he wanted with a patient on the payment system the NHS employs. My local dentist is NHS, and spends less than 1/4 of the time my private dentist does, on the same work. He couldn't afford to do NHS dentisty otherwise. I think it is a fault of the system, not the individual dentists.

 

[redpoppy]

Thanks for the info girls. I didn't know that. Back to blaming our sh*tty government and not the dentists.

My dentists great! I'm SOOOO lucky though. I think a lot fo the dentists who do NHS round here make a living by doing a day in Harley street. I even know someone in Lancs who does the same! But that's not available to all.

Stooooooopid government!

 

[PeanutBean]

Thanks for the info girls. I didn't know that. Back to blaming our sh*tty government and not the dentists.

My dentists great! I'm SOOOO lucky though. I think a lot fo the dentists who do NHS round here make a living by doing a day in Harley street. I even know someone in Lancs who does the same! But that's not available to all.

Stooooooopid government!

Hang on, hang on! Not stupid dentists and not stupid THIS government, Thatcher was the undoing of NHS dentistry!

I had to wait about 6 months to get on the register here (Cheshire). Our PCT handle it. Just ring a number and they put you on a list and add you when the next dentist is taking on. It was the same where I lived before in Northumberland. It was annoying to wait but we got on the list and were able to save a place for Byron even though he wasn't born yet. She's a lovely dentist too!