dentist

Hello,

I am moving over this spring.  I have heard terrible things about dentists in the UK--that they are inexperienced, that there aren't enough around to treat emergencies, etc.

Can any of you please fill me in on your experiences?  I expect I will need to replace a crown in a couple of years-- this crown replaces two of my front teeth and has a cosmetic aspect because of that.  Should I be worried??

It depends. It can be tricky to find an NHS dentist. But if you go Private, you shouldn't have a problem. NHS dentistry is a bit behind private dentistry in terms of technology and procedures, but is cheaper. If you get working tax credits, your NHS dentist treatment is free.

As far as the dentists on the NHS. My wife had to go for an emergency root canal. Ended up getting an infection in her mouth from it. But we went to another NHS dentist and she sorted the problem out. So there's good and bad.

If you don't have a dentist, usually the doctor's surgeries have an emergency dentist come in every week. So we have found that if theres a dental emergency, you should be able to get in to see an emergency dentist.

So if you can't afford private, then go with NHS, hopefully you find a dentist. It took us almost a year to find an available dentist on the NHS. We're well pleased about it though. Good luck.

I have no choice but to go private; the NHS dentist (there are no others remotely close who are taking new patients) refused to treat me, because I am deaf.  I am asking how this is legal.

Good news for me: a dentist in the same office heard about what happened with me, and offered to take me on as an NHS patient.  I saw him today, and was more pleased with his care than I have been with a dentist in years.  Even with my translator (read: husband) in the room, he spoke clearly to *me* and was completely understanding about my anxieties.

I still want to see changes in how hearing impared (or otherwise different) patients are cared for.  A referral to another dentist more qualified is fine, but it should never mean waiting longer or getting lesser care than if you were without a disability.

I always wondered, why is NHS dental care treated differently from NHS medical care financially?  I mean it's all the NHS right?  At what point does a dental issue become a medical issue, ie a serious teeth gum problem maybe turns into an infection that doesn't just affect your mouth - does your treatment then become free?

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it true 15-20 years back that NHS dentists were the rule rather than the exception?  And the government decided to cut back on what it would pay the dentists so most of them had to go private in order to earn a living.
I don't know why that affected the dental care and not the medical care.  There must be separate budgets.

My dentist is a private dentist who does some NHS work.  We paid NHS fees for extraction, but we had to pay a lot of money for cleanings (I needed more than the standard NHS cleaning).  We call him Fabio, and we love him.

I think I just lucked out with finding a decent dentist who does both.

I have been putting off looking at this thread because I was afraid to read horror stories about NHS dentitsts.  I'm glad that pretty much isn't the case (except for Schiann being refused treatment because she is deaf--that is outrageous!  )

Anyway, I was pretty sure I had a cavity for several months, but *ugh* at the end of November I bit down on something and *ouch!*!  So I called NHS direct and they referred me to the special dental line.  I then called them and they asked me my info and said in about 4 weeks I'd get a letter in the post assigning me an NHS dentist is my area.

The letter came in about 7 weeks (my tooth is OK-ish--I've been avoiding biting down / chewing on that side) and I called immediately and got an appointment for the next week!  So far so good!

I am so relieved!  Also, my dentist treats both NHS and private patients, so maybe that makes him (or her) a bit more advanced than a strictly NHS dentist?  Here's hoping my dentist is on to of his / her game!

I don't know for sure (maybe someone else here does), but I would hazard a guess that maybe any work that can be and is done by a dentist comes under the dental treatment costs, and anything that needs referral to a doctor or hospital comes under 'free' NHS treatment.

But you see, this is my question, why are these dental treatment costs not covered by NHS in the same way the "medical" arm is?  I suppose it could do with pay deals and budgets but I would have thought that dental work is essentially medical practice -  maintain health, preventing disease, ie gum disease, taking care of your body, of which the teeth and gums are a part last time I checked!

But you see, this is my question, why are these dental treatment costs not covered by NHS in the same way the "medical" arm is?  I suppose it could do with pay deals and budgets but I would have thought that dental work is essentially medical practice -  maintain health, preventing disease, ie gum disease, taking care of your body, of which the teeth and gums are a part last time I checked!

Also, since when is a dentist not a doctor?  My husband said in the UK dentists do not use the "Dr." title in front of their names.  In the US they do.  As far as I'm concerned dentistry is just another branch of medicine.  Just as an opthomologist is.  Or an ear, nose and throat specialist, etc.

People seldom die or have long term illness, or even miss work, through having bad teeth.  Therefore, seeing a dentist is not something which the state feels it needs to pay for.

Vicky

I would guess that US dentists are considered doctors because they have doctorates.

People seldom die or have long term illness, or even miss work, through having bad teeth.  Therefore, seeing a dentist is not something which the state feels it needs to pay for.

And isn't this a shame, because all major medical organisations acknowledge that bad teeth interfere with productivity and can cause --or denote-- other illness.  There is a vast amount of research that's been done showing the effect of oral health on the rest of the body.

http://www.who.int/oral_health/publications/en/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dental/DE00001

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/88652.php

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1142644.stm

IMO, it is WAY past time for dental care to be integrated with standard medical care.

Also, since when is a dentist not a doctor?  My husband said in the UK dentists do not use the "Dr." title in front of their names.  In the US they do.  As far as I'm concerned dentistry is just another branch of medicine.  Just as an opthomologist is.  Or an ear, nose and throat specialist, etc.

Many dentists in the UK are NOT doctors.

so if you just want to go to a dentist and pay for the infamous routine mouth clean up you should do every six months... how much would that cost in London?

In NYC it's around or a bit less than $100 I think...  should I do that before I leave or when I get there?

or you cant just go and pay for the service, do you have to pay monthly stuff?

Many dentists in the UK are NOT doctors.

Somehow, I don't like the sound of that....

Most doctors in the UK don't have doctorates, either, if I recall correctly.  Aren't medicine and dentistry both undergraduate (or masters?) degrees in the UK?  It actually makes sense, since medicals schools in the US only require a couple of classes from undergraduate study and UK students probably take Chemistry (and other basic sciences) for A-levels and then do Orgo (or the equivalent) in the first year of study while doing other basics like anatomy . . .

Or, that's my guess.

But name me a health insurance plan in the states that covers dentistry work as well.  I can't think of one. That's why there is seperate dental insurance or you pay out of pocket.  So I don't see this as any different than the NHS.
Doesn't mean I agree, just trying to compare the two.