General Chat

I have a "Forth Bridge" maintenance contract with my dentist. When I first met him in the mid '80s, he told me that I've got what's known in the trade as "Australian trench", and this is apparently a fairly common problem among the immediate post war generation! Basically, an influx of young Aussie dentists to GB in the early '50s was encouraged by the Government's then fee structure (which rewarded the amount of repair work done, such as fillings) to go berserk with their new generation of high speed drills and other toys. They would start repairs at one end of your mouth, work along to the other end, then start all over again (hence the expression "trench", as your mouth would look like one after all that!) I'm a prime example of that form of treatment, so I've hung on to my dentist over the years, although I've since relocated to Devon, and now have a round trip of over 5 hours' driving every time I visit him. Two crowns have just fallen out (!), so I am booked in for another trip next week. However, he's one of the few remaining NHS dentists around in the south west, so I dread the time when he eventually retires! When I worked in the NHS, my dental manager told me that the public dental health of the nation was steadily improving by each generation (my parents' generation largely lost their teeth, mine had loads of fillings, my children's generation had very few fillings, etc). However, the Thatcher government ended all that, when they refused to maintain the NHS dental pay inflation formula, which led to the first wave of dentists leaving the NHS and setting up in private practice. And so we've got eventually to where we are now, with the result that public standards of dental health are deteriorating again. Questions: 1. what have been your experiences of the dental service? 2. Where do you think the dental service is going in the future? Philip

Hiya Philip I had the same dentist from being 2 years old to 32 years old, when he retired. He was fantastic. I even took my own children to him. I only ever had one filling but had to have 3 of my wisdom teeth out cos they were giving me some jip! When he retired I started to see another dentist at the same practise. Suddenly I needed to have 4 fillings! I didn't agree with this and decided to leave. (my sister had the same experience) I was fortunate enough to get in with another NHS dentist closer to where I live. I have never had those other 4 fillings so obvoiusly they weren't necessary. I did have to have my other wisdom tooth out though but I still find that too painful to talk about! lol Jeanette ;-)

HI PHILIP trying to get an nhs dentist is horrendous, i was lucky when i moved 2yrs ago, i got into one, but my son then 20 couldnt he had to pay over £300 to have a root filling on his front teeth which was over half his wages. i think its a joke if your unemployed or an asylum seeker you can sometimes get into nhs dentist otherwise its tough. in the drs on thursday i guy went in as he was suffering, they directed him to the emergency at the hospital dentaline 20 miles away. I would love to know why we pay NI stamp which is not reduced when you have to pay privately, how long before the drs only take private. my daughter was in tears in February she had moved a week before having her baby, only 2 miles and they wouldn't see her after the baby was born, she had to sign in another surgery as a temporary patient as there books were full, in the end it took 3 months after contacting the health surgery for her to be booked into a surgery with her baby. the government needs to look at these issues, i'm not racist but its about time our people[born in this country] were sorted out before letting anymore into this country, which is to overcrowded.and our health services are suffering. i'm lucky to have a good dentist and doctors. i hope your not in to much pain sandra

I've been very lucky with my dentist - the best I have ever had. I've been with the same practice for 12 years or so. The dentist I had in that practice, left and my current one joined. He is brilliant. For me to say a dentist is brill takes a lot, as I used to hate going (like so many people) and used to faint every time. I now go on my own, and as long as I have some tissues to scrunch away in my jands I am fine. The rest of thestaff are brill, and always make me feel at ease. Liz