Dentist - Private or NHS ?

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bombini

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I am currently changing from my dentist as I feel that the lady I see has lost all interest in it ! She works part time and is always off sick, every time I need dental work she refers me to a different practice so I have decided to change. I need root canal treatment and she basically said that its not something she is great at and I should see a specalist that will cost me £1000 plus !!!

I am currently NHS but one of my clients told me that since she changed to private she realises how much better the care is and wishes she changed ages ago.

Is there a difference ? If so how does that work in a practice that treats private and NHS ?
 
Hello, in a previous life I was a dental nurse and I have worked in both NHS and private practices. I have also worked with dentists who offer both.
The main difference is the materials used, for example in the NHS you are not entitled to white fillings in your back teeth, only the front. Same goes for a crown.
The big difference also is the waiting times for an appointment is likely to be shorter when you are private.

I am with a private dentist now myself, I think eventually all dental will be private...

There is a huge reluctance with people in the UK to spend money or their oral health which is crazy as we use our teeth every day and need them for a long time.

If you look after your teeth then you should really only need yearly check ups and perhaps a clean. There are schemes like Denplan where you pay monthly and that way you have no scary bills if you do need work done.

With regards to a dentist who treats both private and NHS, they would use different materials and be prioritised for appointments.
xx
 
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Private with out a doubt for me!

I've failed to ever meet a decent nhs dentist.

The level of care with my private dentist is exceptional. It's a lot more money yes but it is so worth it x
 
also to add - when I was with the nhs I once had to wait 9 days before they could 'fit' me in, I had to in the end go to the nhs emergency dentist who effed my mouth up anyway.

with the private clinic I'm at now.. they fit you in the same day or very next day. If there's no space he makes the space it's that brill x
 
Although i am not private i would definatly do it and would never recommend nhs for doctors/hospitals or dental care. I went to the nhs for a big mouler taken out and 45 minutes of yanking, blood all over my face and chest and 4 dentists attempting to yank at it- it finally came out. I have still a year and 4 months later got sensitive teeth (which i never had before). I dont know how my jaw didnt break! This sums nhs up for me! I also keep getting bullied into £120 dental hygienists that i dont need too
 
I used to be a dental nurse and I worked for a dentist who had 2 practices, 1 being nhs and the other being private. In all honesty, he used the same materials on both sets of patients, the only difference was the waiting time. I'm an nhs patient now and I'm happy with the service I get.
 
I used to be a dental nurse and I worked for a dentist who had 2 practices, 1 being nhs and the other being private. In all honesty, he used the same materials on both sets of patients, the only difference was the waiting time. I'm an nhs patient now and I'm happy with the service I get.

In all fairness though you probably have really good oral health so less trips to the dentist. Out of curiosity are you with the practice that you used to work for? Also if he was using the NHS standard materials on private patients then he's ripping them off as they are paying for better quality. If he was using private materials on everyone then that's very generous. xx
 
Ny dad is in the dental industry. Private all the way!!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek
 
Due mainly to moving home a couple of times recently, I had not been to a dentist for around 3 years. Had no problems, so no urgent need.

I finally got round to registering with a dentist on the same road as the salon a couple of months ago.

I called them, and they gave me an appointment for the following day, could have gone the same day if I had the time.

Went, and examination, no problems, they did a clean there and then.

And it was NHS. Excellent service, and a fantastically smart and modern practice.
 
Thanks everyone. I went to a new dentist this afternoon and she was really nice. First impression of the reception area weren't great and they were running late, my previous dentist never runs late so that was a bit unexpected !

I think I am going to have the root canal treatment I need on NHS and try my son with a private dentist so I can observe any difference and then make a decision.
 
Private for me. In fact I don't see the NHS for anything! I love my dentist, I've got a real big thing about teeth, so going to a dentist who I trust is a massive thing for me!
 
My uncles are dentists, both nhs and they would rather do private practice. I go to a private dentist (they live too far away) and although it's expensive it's worth it.

I don't know if this is just a local thing but when I had the worlds worst toothache on a Friday night, I wasn't entitled to see an emergency dentist. I had to wait to see my own dentist?
 
My uncles are dentists, both nhs and they would rather do private practice. I go to a private dentist (they live too far away) and although it's expensive it's worth it.

I don't know if this is just a local thing but when I had the worlds worst toothache on a Friday night, I wasn't entitled to see an emergency dentist. I had to wait to see my own dentist?

Is that because your private?

Now I am private I'm not allowed to be registered with an nhs nor use the nhs emergency dentist facility.

I'll just keep my cupboard full of codeine & whisky incase I ever get weekend toothache then shall I? lol x
 
I've been both with NHS and private. I've had both good and bad in both. First I was with NHS and it was fantastic. The dentist was gentle and considerate and I had white fillings though you do have to pay more than the other.
Then I moved and NHS again, absolute nightmare. Dentist was rough,cut my kids mouths with the instruments and I had to ask for him to be more careful. He did a dreadful treatment on my daughter,who at the time was 18 and had never had a filling. She ended up having to have a tooth out through a filling he did and which he didn't do correctly( according to a specialists opinion)
I moved us all to private and it was so so. No better than the first NHS dentist we had gone to. A lot more expensive but I can honestly say no better at all than the first dentist.
Now I've moved again I have no dentist but about a month ago I had dreadful toothache. Went to emergency NHS and had to have an old filling out and it was suggested I may need the nerves removed as I had a crack through the tooth.
They re filled it and said see how I got on.
That evening I had zero sleep and went to work ( god knows how I got through the day in the salon as I was in horrendous pain)
After I finished work I went back to emergency dentist and they were fantastic. They numbed me up,took filling out,removed nerves and gave me a root filling. It's only a temporary one but will keep me going until I get a place in the NHS dental practice.
I paid the first time I went and think it was about £20 though tbh I was in such a state I can't remember exactly. This covered the next days appointment and treatment too. Inc X-rays. Had this been private I would've paid goodness knows what for exactly the same treatment.
I know everywheres different as I have clearly stated but not all NHS practices are bad and the same goes for private. I paid over £500 for my daughters treatment on that tooth and it was the same as mine other than she ended up losing that tooth.
 
I had a real phobia of dentists and had not been to one for 13 years, but recently Madame Nouvatan forced me to go as i was in so much pain.
I have now had all my teeth done 2 crowns 3 veneers fillings etc on the NHS. the newly qualified young dentist was exceptional. he put it all down as constructive work not cosmetic. it cost me around £235 quid i had one check up and the Maximum amount for treatment was £190 ??
I now look like something from the Colgate adds not like shane Mc Gowan from the Pogues.
I never even considered going private as i pay a small fortune in national insurance each year that helps to fund the NHS.
 
I don't know if this is just a local thing but when I had the worlds worst toothache on a Friday night, I wasn't entitled to see an emergency dentist. I had to wait to see my own dentist?
I also had this, they told me my area didnt even have a emergancy dentist anymore! And when i said about going to the hospital (i was in that much pain) they said you only can if you tripped and fell hurting you tooth! So i ended up being on so many painkillers my arms were numb, as they refused to help me until after the weekend.
 
Is that because your private?

Now I am private I'm not allowed to be registered with an nhs nor use the nhs emergency dentist facility.

I'll just keep my cupboard full of codeine & whisky incase I ever get weekend toothache then shall I? lol x

I'm guessing so. My dentist is lovely and waited to see him but some strong painkillers and some antibiotics would of been nice!

When I eventually saw him, he said I should of called him, I don't know if all private dentists do out of hours emergency treatment? I'm
Guessing it would cost a bomb but at least you'd be a bit more comfortable. Nothing worse than toothache, makes you right miserable!x
 
I had really bad toothache at the beginning of the week. I phoned my dentist at 8:30am on Tuesday and was given an appointment at 11:20am. Unfortunately I needed a root canal, the first stage of which he performed there and then; I have to go back in a fortnight for the second stage.

This fantastic service has cost me the princely sum of £17 so far - I feel incredibly lucky, firstly that my dentist is proficient at root canal work as a lot aren't, and secondly that it was done on the NHS (and he's a very handsome Greek who looks a bit like George Clooney as well, which I'm not complaining about!:biggrin:)
 
It shouldn't matter if the dentist is private or NHS the standard of their work should be as good, but the materials and often equipment used would be of better quality. That and the waiting times for appts will differ.
Also, any private practice should offer an out of hours service.
As in any profession there will be great dentists who work for the NHS and rubbish ones , as there will in private practices also xx
 
My dentist in Glasgow is a private dental clinic who also take on NHS patients. I'm registered as NHS, and they'll see me the same day if need be. When it comes to things like fillings, if I want to choose to have a white filling which isn't covered by NHS, then I just tell them and pay as a private patient. Works for me!!!
 

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