Yearly physicals and dentist

My husband is the type that only goes to the Dr if he doesn’t feel well so I need some guidance.  Back home I would go to the Dr. Once a year for a physical and the dentist twice a year.  Is that the same here? If so, do I just call the GP and ask for a physical or is it called something else?  For dentist I think you must pay for cleanings, do they do X-ray’s every other year?

Register at your local GP and ask.  Physicals aren't usually done but some trusts do.

Register with a dentist.  I go twice a year (you do have to pay for the dentist).

I'm afraid I have no idea regarding physicals...generally, people in the UK only go to the doctor when they're sick, or they need a repeat prescription... that's pretty much it.

I'm British, and in my 30s and I've never had a physical in my life - okay, well, I've had one, but that wasn't by choice... it was a requirement before I went to Antarctica and it cost me £100. It was a bit awkward because the doctor didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do - I guess he never really has to do them. He just went down the checksheet, asked a couple of questions, weighed me, took my blood pressure, listened to my chest and asked for a urine sample.

With the dentist, you do have to pay. You can go NHS or private, though there can be long waiting lists for NHS dentists - just depends on the area (I'm still with my childhood dental practice, which is 180 miles from where I live, because I can't be bothered to find a new one closer). A standard dental check-up on the NHS is about £20, but that's just a quick check of your teeth and oral health - if you want a cleaning or anything cosmetic, you have to pay extra.

I've only had 2 dental x-rays in my whole life (that I remember) and I've never had a cleaning (that I'm aware of). I have a 5-10-minute appointment to check my teeth and oral health maybe once a year. I have pretty good teeth though, and my dentist said my oral health was excellent (in case you were thinking I had terrible teeth or something given the lack of cleanings etc ). I've had a couple of fillings before (and I probably should get my wisdom teeth taken out at some point), but that's it.

I agree... we only go to the doctor if we're ill.

Dentists, though... if you go to an NHS dentist, the annual check-up is free.  But if you want a 'cleaning' (we call it a 'scale and polish'), you book in with the hygienist, not the dentist, and it costs around £27.

In Scotland, the dental checkup is free and I only paid £4 for my x-rays. It would have been  £10 for a scale and Polish.

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Down here in the sucky southeast it's £49 for a scale and polish.   

Down here in the sucky southeast it's £49 for a scale and polish.   

Really? I thought it should be closer to £20 for the NHS cleaning. It's more for private (if the dentist offers both private and NHS).

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74

and it costs around £27.

urghh... I must be remembering that wrong, cos it will be the same all over Scotland. 
My memory will be refreshed soon, as I've got an appointment in 2 weeks time!

Really? I thought it should be closer to £20 for the NHS cleaning. It's more for private (if the dentist offers both private and NHS).

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74

Hmmm.  I just had them cleaned last week.  It must have been private (dentist does both NHS and private) as I currently have maternity exemption.  So any NHS dental work is “free”.  They must not have been bad enough for an NHS clean.

And for us in Scotland.

https://www.scottishdental.org/public/treatment-charges/

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I'm afraid I have no idea regarding physicals...generally, people in the UK only go to the doctor when they're sick, or they need a repeat prescription... that's pretty much it.

I'm British, and in my 30s and I've never had a physical in my life - okay, well, I've had one, but that wasn't by choice... it was a requirement before I went to Antarctica and it cost me £100. It was a bit awkward because the doctor didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do - I guess he never really has to do them. He just went down the checksheet, asked a couple of questions, weighed me, took my blood pressure, listened to my chest and asked for a urine sample.

With the dentist, you do have to pay. You can go NHS or private, though there can be long waiting lists for NHS dentists - just depends on the area (I'm still with my childhood dental practice, which is 180 miles from where I live, because I can't be bothered to find a new one closer). A standard dental check-up on the NHS is about £20, but that's just a quick check of your teeth and oral health - if you want a cleaning or anything cosmetic, you have to pay extra.

I've only had 2 dental x-rays in my whole life (that I remember) and I've never had a cleaning (that I'm aware of). I have a 5-10-minute appointment to check my teeth and oral health maybe once a year. I have pretty good teeth though, and my dentist said my oral health was excellent (in case you were thinking I had terrible teeth or something given the lack of cleanings etc ). I've had a couple of fillings before (and I probably should get my wisdom teeth taken out at some point), but that's it.

Yeah it just seemed so strange to me that my niece here has never done like annual checks with the Dr...when most kids back home are doing them yearly and they are required for school sports. 

My husband told me I would have to pay for dental but I didn't know there are NHS options...I am scared though because before I left the hygienist told me she has a patient that lives in England but pays out if pocket when she visits US to get her cleaning bc her dentist's didn't use the same tools they do in the US and it was really painful o-o

I am so used to dentists taking xrays to look for cavities and catch them before you need like a big filing or worse...so I am like...do I ask for xrays if it's not common or just wait for pain, I've never had a painful tooth that has needed a filing, my first filings were at 30 and the tooth never hurt, apparently they were small cavities.  My parents do not have the best teeth and I want to make sure my pearly whites stay safe bc I love my teeth :p

I will ask the nurse about physicals when I go in for my next appointment for birth control, that would be in like 3 months.  I am due for a woman's wellness exam and I am terrified about doing that here too...doesnt help that my husband mocks my fears and tells me they will use a rusty spoon bc he feels I am being irrational about the healthcare here. In my defense, he went in for the Dr. to take a cyst out and I felt they told him a bunch of bs to not do it..back home if the Dr. Was unsure of what a lump was they would have biopsied it, here the Dr was like...oh that might be a cyst, it could be this...does it hurt?
No, ok good luck bye...if he had taken me in the room with him, that's not how it would have ended...Prob would have ended with me deported :p

Yeah it just seemed so strange to me that my niece here has never done like annual checks with the Dr...when most kids back home are doing them yearly and they are required for school sports. 

Healthcare in the UK is generally considered to be just something you seek out when you’re sick. It’s not as focused on preventative care as in the US... because the NHS just can’t afford to carry out expensive tests and scans for any little thing - so they try other options first to rule other things out before they will look more seriously. So, unless you specifically tell the doctor that something is wrong, it’s generally assumed that you’re healthy and don’t need to have any regular checks or physicals.

In regards to dental work, you should find out what services are available in your village (NHS vs. Private) and decide from there (you don’t have to be registered with a dentist where you live, you can be registered anywhere). It may even be the same dentist seeing both NHS and private patients - it just depends whether you sign up as an NHS patient or a private patient and therefore what treatment they will give you and how much you pay. If you do go private you might want to take out dental insurance to cover your treatment.

The NHS in England has the following payment bands for dental treatments:

Band 1: £20.60 covers an examination, diagnosis and advice. If necessary, it also includes X-rays, a scale and polish and planning for further treatment.

Band 2: £56.30 covers all treatment covered by Band 1, plus additional treatment, such as fillings, root canal treatment and removing teeth (extractions).

Band 3: £244.30 covers all treatment covered by Bands 1 and 2, plus more complex procedures, such as crowns, dentures and bridges.

See: https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74

My husband told me I would have to pay for dental but I didn't know there are NHS options, but private sounds pretty cheap up here in the village...I am scared though because before I left the hygienist told me she has a patient that lives in England but pays out if pocket when she visits US to get her cleaning bc her dentist's didn't use the same tools they do in the US and it was really painful o-o

I think there are some people on the forum who do get their dental cleanings when they go back to the US ... not sure if their reasons are the same though!

am so used to dentist's taking xrays to look for cavities and catch them before you need like a big filing or worse...so I am like...do I ask for xrays if it's not common or just wait for pain, I've never had a painful tooth that has needed a filing, my first filings were at 30 and the tooth never hurt, apparently they were small cavities.  My parents do not have the best teeth and I want to make sure my pearly whites stay safe bc I love my teeth :p

My dentist just takes an x-ray every few years... I’ve been with her for about 10 years now and I think she’s only taken x-rays twice, just to update my records... once on my first visit to her and one a couple of years ago. I had my first fillings at 24... I have about 4, I think - one is a wisdom tooth that the dentist said I could either have taken out or just filled for now... I went for the filling because I’ve been putting off having them taken out P.



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I also don’t believe the NHS does annual physicals for everyone, but my Dad in his later years used to have an annual physical - my sister used to have to drag him down each year otherwise he would have ignored the letters

We registered with the NHS in May last year after 29 years away so they had no past records for us.

Within the first month we each received an invitation to take a fecal blood test as part of a screening program for colon cancer for over 60’s (we were aged 61 and 60 and did do the test).

A couple of months later my wife was invited for a well woman check up, mainly mammogram and pap smear. In January this year we were both invited to a “heart health” checkup which we did. This included bp, blood test and q&a session on lifestyle.

In our local surgery they are advertising for men over 65 to volunteer to have a checkup for aneurysms in carotid and abdominal arteries.

About 15 years ago my sister was diagnosed with cervical cancer after a routine Pap smear and 2 procedures she decided to have a hysterectomy as she was in her late 30’s and had no plans to have any more children. She then had regular tests every 3 months, then every 6 months until after 5 years she was declared clear of cancer and now just has an annual screening.

I used to have annual physicals at work in the USA and after I retired my insurance provided annual physicals which I did every other year but those physicals at the doctor were little more than bp and blood test.

 A couple of years ago in the USA I did develop paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (comes on for a few hours 2 or 3 times a month). The cardiologist there did some tests including 24hr heart monitor and echocardiogram. Back here I was referred to the arrhythmia clinic where this year they have repeated those tests and got the same results. (Echo shows normal heart, 24hr monitor shows some anomalies). Like the USA I am on a 6 month checkup, and have been given a direct line to the arrhythmia clinic to call if the situation gets worse.

Yeah it just seemed so strange to me that my niece here has never done like annual checks with the Dr...when most kids back home are doing them yearly and they are required for school sports. 

My husband told me I would have to pay for dental but I didn't know there are NHS options...I am scared though because before I left the hygienist told me she has a patient that lives in England but pays out if pocket when she visits US to get her cleaning bc her dentist's didn't use the same tools they do in the US and it was really painful o-o

I am so used to dentists taking xrays to look for cavities and catch them before you need like a big filing or worse...so I am like...do I ask for xrays if it's not common or just wait for pain, I've never had a painful tooth that has needed a filing, my first filings were at 30 and the tooth never hurt, apparently they were small cavities.  My parents do not have the best teeth and I want to make sure my pearly whites stay safe bc I love my teeth :p

I will ask the nurse about physicals when I go in for my next appointment for birth control, that would be in like 3 months.  I am due for a woman's wellness exam and I am terrified about doing that here too...doesnt help that my husband mocks my fears and tells me they will use a rusty spoon bc he feels I am being irrational about the healthcare here. In my defense, he went in for the Dr. to take a cyst out and I felt they told him a bunch of bs to not do it..back home if the Dr. Was unsure of what a lump was they would have biopsied it, here the Dr was like...oh that might be a cyst, it could be this...does it hurt?
No, ok good luck bye...if he had taken me in the room with him, that's not how it would have ended...Prob would have ended with me deported :p

Hopefully I can ease some of your fears.

For dental - it is a bit different to the US.  Usually the exam with the dentist and a cleaning are two separate appointments.  When you are paying out of pocket, this is a bit annoying.  The dentist will check your teeth, x-rays, poke your gums.  All 100% identical to the US dental experience.  If you need a filling, they MAY ask if you want numbing or not, as if they aren't going into the nerve it may not be necessary.  I ALWAYS have the area numbed as I like all the drugs.  The dentist will ALWAYS be happy to numb the area.

For the hygenist, I don't find cleanings are the "same" as home.  But not everyone on this board will say the same.  I don't feel like a cleaning is as thorough by a long stretch.  I plan to have a US cleaning next time I'm home if I can get an appointment.  Cleanings are NOT painful or uncomfortable.  I actually miss the scraping they do in the US!  If anything, I would say a cleaning in the US is more painful, but I didn't find those painful.

For your womens well check, that will be done with a nurse instead of a GYN.  The only difference is there will be no stirrups and no "scoot down to the edge a little more, and a little more, and a little more" until your butt is hanging precariously off the side.     Instead a nurse will have you lay face up on a normal exam table, as you to put your feet flat, with your knees up.  Then have your knees fall to the side.  The tools used for the exam will be identical to what they do in the USA.  They won't do an internal check, stick a finger up your bottom, or a breast exam.  So in other words, a more pleasant experience than a US womens check.

You'll be fine.  The unknown is scary but the reality is that you are in a first world country with decent healthcare.  You will live to tell the tale.  I suspect in a few years, you'll realise how behind the USA is in their belief that healthcare is a benefit and not a right.   

Within the first month we each received an invitation to take a fecal blood test

Sounds like fun. 

I had a new patient appointment where they asked for a urine sample.

Not only was I not prepared (I'd just gone) but they gave this tiny little cup. Had I been prepared, I'd have asked for a funnel or gloves or something. A man definitely made that decision on cup size.

When I returned my sample (a slow and steady stream wins the urine cup race), I saw another lady being given a cup and I saw the same look of surprise/disgust on her face.