American or Austrailian Dentist recommendations

In the US I had really good dentists, most were American, one was Polish.  I'd say all of them were a more aggressive about going right in and getting rid of old fillings and replacing them with new white ones or crowns where needed.  I think  maybe that was because I had private dental health insurance at the time.

Here it seems they take things slower since most people don't have the money to go private.  But the levels of work and the standards are just as high as in the US in my experience.  My first dentist here was Greek and she was fabulous.  My new dentist is British born and only in her 20s but she is extremely detail orientated and very good.  She also has a portfolio of all of the cosmetic work she's done and it's fantastic.

I think the fear of the unknown is the scariest of all.  Once you're in the dentist chair and getting done what you need to get done all the fear goes away.  It also never hurts as much as it does in your imagination.  In fact, for me it hardly hurts at all and I've had lots of stuff done including root canals.

Bad teeth are due to lack of dentistry, not bad dentists mangling people's mouths.

I hear what you are saying, but why do people not go to the dentist?   And when they go why is the standard NHS cleaning brief and not as good as a US cleaning or maybe a private practice cleaning in the UK? 

In the US I had really good dentists, most were American, one was Polish.  I'd say all of them were a more aggressive about going right in and getting rid of old fillings and replacing them with new white ones or crowns where needed.  I think  maybe that was because I had private dental health insurance at the time.

Here it seems they take things slower since most people don't have the money to go private.  But the levels of work and the standards are just as high as in the US in my experience.  My first dentist here was Greek and she was fabulous.  My new dentist is British born and only in her 20s but she is extremely detail orientated and very good.  She also has a portfolio of all of the cosmetic work she's done and it's fantastic.

I think the fear of the unknown is the scariest of all.  Once you're in the dentist chair and getting done what you need to get done all the fear goes away.  It also never hurts as much as it does in your imagination.  In fact, for me it hardly hurts at all and I've had lots of stuff done including root canals.

Good to hear!  I think I am most afraid that I won't get a good dental cleaning or will need to do something but won't do a good job, which could require more dental work down the road. 

Chary,  would love to know who your dentist is as I am very close to Cornwall.  You can PM me.  Thanks!

I'm happy to share, but even if you're 'very close to Cornwall,' I doubt if you're very close to where I live. I'm in the far far far west tippy-tip of Cornwall, so you're talking about at least a 2-hour drive. I don't think I'd drive that far for a dentist! Are you near Exeter? I feel sure that you'll be able to find someone good there.

My dentist is Carbis Bay Dental Care and I see Charlie Holden.

If you find a private dentist you like (wherever it is), if you have Denplan insurance you'll always get two check-ups and two hygienist appointments a year. Just like in the US. Hygiene, flossing, etc. are incredibly strongly stressed here. Don't worry about not getting a good cleaning - they're extremely thorough.

I hear what you are saying, but why do people not go to the dentist?

Fear.

I'm registered with a NHS dentist. There is a private hygienist in the office who the dentist recommends I see twice a year (I only see him once a year). I know technically you are supposed to get a cleaning included with your NHS fee, but I just pay to see the private hygienist because she is extremely good and gives a really thorough cleaning (better than I've ever had in the US), and it's only £30, so not exactly a fortune.

She was born and trained in Ecuador.

I hear what you are saying, but why do people not go to the dentist?   And when they go why is the standard NHS cleaning brief and not as good as a US cleaning or maybe a private practice cleaning in the UK? 

People don't go to the dentist here because they simply don't like going to the dentist - not because anything is necessarily wrong with the dentists themselves, but because they have a fear of dentist work in general (anaesthetic, drilling, toot extraction etc.) - they would rather live with their bad teeth than suffer through the perceived pain of having dental work done.

I have friends who have not been to see a dentist in 10 years!

Actually, I don't think I've seen a dentist in the last 2 years... mostly because my dentist is 200 miles from where I live and only works on Tuesdays and Fridays and I work shifts... so I haven't had much time to go back and see her (you have to book appointments several weeks/months in advance and I never know when I will be available)... I just keep putting it off.

I don't think they don't do cleanings in the UK like they do in the US - I don't think I've ever had a proper cleaning in the UK and I've been going to the dentist here since I was a child... it's just not really part of the appointment.

Usually it's just a quick 3-minute appointment to have a look at my teeth and check they're okay. If I need a filling done I have to book another appointment for it, and when that appointment comes around, they just do the filling and nothing more. I don't think I've ever spent more than about 10-15 minutes in the dentist's chair at any appointment.

No, they do cleanings in the UK just like they do in the US -- I just don't think people take advantage of it. I just had mine done about a week ago and it was identical to having a cleaning done in the US, even though I used to pay out-of-pocket to go to a boutique dental service in the US. The only difference was the office surroundings; I still came out with clean teeth.

I will start off with the fact that I'm a extreme dental phobe .. lol.

I was with the same dentist in the states from the age of about ten till I came here 14 years ago at the age of 37..
I am very lucky I have a fantastic dentist. Started off in a practice of 4 NHS dentists then she and one of the other dentists went private.  She knows i'm a dental phobe and always ensures i have enough novacaine on board and to be honest probably gives me more than she would other patients to keep me comfy. lol I pay a set amount each month(dental insurance) to cover any dental needs which for me are frequent. It covers most things other than the actual crowns or implants. I just have really soft teeth and according to my dentist have one of the highest bacterial mouth flora she has ever seen. No matter what i do I always have a few fillings needing sorted if nothing else.. sigggh.
She was trained in Germany and has been in the UK for many years now.
Guess what im trying to say is that its a matter of finding a dentist that works WITH  and FOR you ... Not where they are trained. .. Just my opinion... others may vary .

Thanks everyone. 

I saw the dentist and it was OK.  Of course he didn't do anything as it was the first appt but he seemed to know what he was doing.  Will see about the cleaning in April.  They only do 20 minute cleanings (extended ones if you need it) and this seems to be pretty standard length from what I have read.  I always spent 30-45 minutes in the US so we will see how that goes and how clean my teeth get. 

20 minutes should be more than sufficient, shouldn't it?
I mean, if you brush and floss properly, you shouldn't need much more.

(and of course, by 'you' I mean 'we'!)

I saw the dentist and it was OK.  Of course he didn't do anything as it was the first appt but he seemed to know what he was doing.  Will see about the cleaning in April.  They only do 20 minute cleanings (extended ones if you need it) and this seems to be pretty standard length from what I have read.  I always spent 30-45 minutes in the US so we will see how that goes and how clean my teeth get. 

A 20 minute cleaning sounds like a long time actually! I'm lucky to get maybe 3-5 minutes cleaning when I'm in the dentist chair, in what more often than not amounts to about a 10 minute appointment. She says I do a good job cleaning my teeth myself, and unless I'm due for Xrays or there is a problem (cavity, pain, etc) - then I'm on my way in what seems like no time flat.

I do compare this to the US - when the cleaning alone seemed to last forever, a lot longer. And they were always finding things wrong with my teeth - mostly which I suspect were cosmetic issues... 

A 20 minute cleaning sounds like a long time actually! I'm lucky to get maybe 3-5 minutes cleaning when I'm in the dentist chair, in what more often than not amounts to about a 10 minute appointment. She says I do a good job cleaning my teeth myself, and unless I'm due for Xrays or there is a problem (cavity, pain, etc) - then I'm on my way in what seems like no time flat.

Same here - that pretty much describes every dentist appointment I've ever had .

I spend at least 30 minutes with the hygienist when I get my cleanings! There's a bit more to it than brushing and flossing, though those obviously help. But she always does a proper scaling, cleaning and polishing.

Any reparative work I've had done - a crown, filling, etc - it's all been very comparable to the US, and the dentist is very professional, office immaculate, etc. But the routine checkup & cleaning (bit of scaling) is much shorter in duration here than what I ever experienced in the US. I just figured that's the NHS way... People do pay privately where I go to spend more time with a dental hygienist, which is where I expect they receive more time spent cleaning their teeth.

And so I say if rubydamselfly is getting a 20 minute cleaning - that's pretty good!

I got about five minutes and so I went private and now get about 30.