So.... How are the dentists here?

I have yet to sign up with an NHS dentist but as I think I may have a cavity and need some other work done, I need to try to get in somewhere. I am very nervous because my whole entire life I've been lucky to have an excellent dentist who is a family friend and who is amazing at what he does. I have heard from someone that the NHS dentists aren't very good and have heard some horror stories!?!! Yikes! I'm just really nervous and I wanted to hear what you think of your experience here with dentists.

Honestly, I think they get a bad rap!  I  have a great dentist here, she's NHS, so the pricing is along those lines and was quite affordable.  I thought she did a great job.  The difference is here is that for the cleaning (what we'd usually get back home before the x-rays to check up on everything else), you would have that done as a different appointment and pay for it then. 

My only problem is that the appointments are usually scheduled for a half hour, so it's whatever can be done in that half hour and if you need a lot of work (as I did) you have to schedule a lot of appointments.    Is it no frills?  Yes.  It's not as nice as my dentist's office back home, but the treatment was the same, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

Ok, so, if I *think* I may have a cavity should I just schedule an appointment and have them check? Would they charge me just for the appointment? If so, about how much are the appointments? Otherwise, if I just want a cleaning I have to specifically request and schedule that? As long as they painlessly get the job done and do it well- I don't care!

I've had good experiences with dentists here, and they were very nice and understanding - something that I haven't always experienced back in the US. I also had to get a tooth pulled, and they were much better at numbing me up than my US dentist was. Just don't expect to be prescribed any pain meds, you'll have to make due on ibuprofen! 

Well, she took a look at my mouth and realized I needed a lot of work, so we worked out a treatment plan which fell within certain bands of payment?  So it depends on how much you need done.  I think I paid maybe...£15 that first day?  And then would just pay as I went.  In the end, it was 2 root canals, 2 replaced fillings, and a crown, and I think it was all £200?

I think I just have one cavity and have receding gums and it's really bad on one tooth. I don't know what would need to be done for that but probably nothing too major overall. I just don't know prices on anything really and wonder how much just an appointment to have a check up and/or a cleaning is?

Under 50, I would say?  But the cleaning would be a different appointment with a hygienist.

I just don't know prices on anything really and wonder how much just an appointment to have a check up and/or a cleaning is?

http://www.whatprice.co.uk/dentist/nhs-prices.html

That ought to give you an idea of what to expect, price-wise.

Thank you for that info!

I have no chance of getting an NHS dentist- but I find dentistry all a bit amusing here.

A check up for me consists of poking around with the stick for 5 minutes- good to go -no x-rays or anything- on one hand that's nice because they cost me £130 a pop! but on the other hand, I have a history of strange things going on between my teeth where you can't see...

Off to a hygenist cleaning later today to keep my "perfect looking american teeth perfect" 

But the thing I loved is that a dental mouth guard for teeth grinding only cost me £60 (private)- when in the US I was getting the cheapest quotes at $500.   

I think I grind (at night) too which is why on one side I have receding gums. I think they will have to put some kind of filling into that area because it is painful especially on one tooth- I think something is exposed that is not supposed to be. I'm nervous... I just hope I trust my dentist here and feel they know what they are doing. I don't mean for that to sound snobby it's just that I'm so used to having such an incredible dentist who is on top of all of the modern treatments, etc.

A check up for me consists of poking around with the stick for 5 minutes- good to go -no x-rays or anything- on one hand that's nice because they cost me £130 a pop! but on the other hand, I have a history of strange things going on between my teeth where you can't see...

Off to a hygenist cleaning later today to keep my "perfect looking american teeth perfect" 

Haha!  Yeah, the only difference between your experience and mine is I get x-rays.  Otherwise, they poke around for a minute or two and proclaim all is well.  I KNOW - because I look - that there is plaque on the back side of my bottom teeth. 

When I asked the dentist about scraping and polishing, he said they don't do anything unless it's really bad.  He offered to do it anyway, but to charge me for it.  I declined, and have looked into buying one of those scraper things they use (how hard could it be?). 

My NHS dentist here is great!  Same modernity of care, etc as what I had in the US.  Only difference is it costs a heck of a lot less!

My NHS dentist here is great!  Same modernity of care, etc as what I had in the US.  Only difference is it costs a heck of a lot less!

Stilll jealous! Any spaces available?   

Stilll jealous! Any spaces available?   

Ring them up & see!