donald Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Hi Is it me or is my NHS dentist trying to see as many people to get the money in? I was sent away after an emergency appointment to be told no abscess, three days later ended up using out of hours GP twice over the weekend(I did ring the emergency dental number twice but ended up at out of hours GP). My face swelled up/agony(I also rang my dentist to ask for antibiotic prescription but was told they were too busy). Thankfully the out of hours GPs sorted out what is in effect a dental problem, I had a rubbish weekend. I visited the dentist this morning and as soon as I got home had two phone calls saying I forgot to pay(I even made a follow up appointment) I did pay on the visit on Wednesday this week £16+. Apparently I dont have to pay again but this took two phone calls from them to sort it out. So is it me or is it see as many as possible are they on some target driven business type scheme. I am now looking for a private dentist who hopefully can sort out my lop sided face! I can afford to pay the fees but I think the service is rubbish and I dont see the difference in price between private and NHS. I also hope the GP can claim back the costs of the dentists failings! I went to see the GP this morning on the advice of the out of hours and they told me it really is a dental problem. Sorry to rant but I dont think I am an unreasonable person, they just dont seem to care much Donald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I changed dentists for much the same reason, I now go to an ADP dentists surgery ( for which I pay a monthly fee) and the treatment is so much nicer and there is a much calmer atmosphere. I know that if I have a problem I can pick up the phone and I will be seen within 24 hours. I had a similar experience with the NHS when LMW needed to see the ear, nose and throat specialist for recurent excruciating ear ache. The local hospital said it was about 7 weeks for an urgent appointment ( bearing in mind she was in pain), fortunately I pay into a healthcare scheme at work and she was seen at the local Nuffield hospital within three days of me calling the healthcare company ( and she saw the top specialist who ran all the tests himself) and there was none of that hanging around.The good news is that whatever caused the ear ache left no permanent damage and since the treatment at the Nuffield she has had no more ear ache. Sad to say the healthcare system is heading the way of the US, those that can afford to pay get a higher standard of care than those who can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I HAD to enrol with a private dentist when I moved to a new area, there were then no NHS dentists accepting new registrations. I'm delighted with the treatment i receive, BUT it is very expensive, just a check up with a very brief scale and polish is usually about £65 and any work required is obviously on top of that (a "simple, small filling" is £95). That said, I had a real phobia about dentists before I registered at this new practice but that is not a problem anymore. The only thing that bugs me is that my dentist always tries to sell me a load of stuff when I see her (on top of the check up charge) "have you tried this new toothpaste/mouthwash/dental floss/toothbrush? etc" and i feel under pressure to buy this stuff which annoys me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 No NHS dentists here either I had to have a root canal for which I got an unbelievable quote of £650 I had the first drilling out of canals and was told I might suffer some discomfort if infection got in after the temporary canal filling. I asked for antibiotics to prevent this and was told I could get them only if needed. 4hours later I was climbing the wall with pain, had to see a different dentist the next day to see if I needed antibiotics. This involved an xray and a private prescription......another £90. It's a bloomin' joke!!!!!! I haven't been back for the crown DH said at the time......"just have the tooth pulled" I think he might have been right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Well you all sound the same as me then I have been given a 20 min slot to ge the abscess sorted out in a couple of weeks as apparently I have to wait to finish the antibiotics(3days time). I was hoping they would re xray me to see exactly where the abscess is although I can feel a definite lump in my cheek about 50p size. It wont drain apparently as the hole got filled in with the root canal! I agree my root filling canal etc a year ago was £300+ and since all the other visits ££, I am now looking for a good private dentist. The only thing is I did once join one under the NHS and he then went to all private and started selling all this whitening and other cosmetic type stuff. The pound signs started flashing up in his eyes. I find it very uncaring and wrong. I think my dog gets better treatment at the vets. Thank you at least I dont think its me then, donald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 When my dentist decided to 'go private' he insisted I took out a healthcare scheme (was HSA now called Simply Health). I'm sure i've claimed back more than I put in! It does cover a wide range of treatments though which is excellent. My parents were advised a dental healthcare plan by their dentist which seems to be a right rip off. I told them to change. I do agree we are going like the US and it's a real shame, but with dentalcare I feel it's been worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
