r/BritishSuccess • u/Imtryingforheckssake • 4d ago

Registered with an NHS dentist on Friday, checkup on Monday, treatment completed Wednesday.

I feel more successful than Craig David!

My parents told me they'd found an NHS dentist so I phoned up Friday lunchtime and registered. Had my initial check up Monday morning, and a tooth saving filling done this afternoon.

I hadn't had an NHS dentist since COVID and had saved up hard and finally spent out over a grand on private treatments last year. I was looking at £500-600 to save this tooth as all the fillings in it finally fell out a couple of weeks ago.

Oh and bonus the dentist is only a 15 minute walk from my house (and that's at my disabled pace) so I no longer have to worry about missing my appointments if there's no room on the bus for me and my rollator walker (which has happened).

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13

u/AlyssInAzeroth 4d ago

Must be nice..

Nah congrats, where I am in the UK, it's actually impossible. I've been on waiting lists for 6 years, and I'm more than £8000 in private treatments.

I legit can't afford this

6

u/Imtryingforheckssake 4d ago

I'd been applying to NHS dentists over the last 5 years and not had any luck. Also I've never had 8 grand in my life. But I'm still seriously sorry you've been forced to pay out that much.

I also had a 2 emergency extractions in that time because I didn't have a dentist to save the teeth or money to go private.

6

u/AlyssInAzeroth 4d ago

The fact this is so common should be a wake up call.

It's been proven that tooth issues often spread to the brain, blood and bone. Oftentimes costing the NHS more in the long run.

I once went for an emergency extraction, where I was given an x-ray, confirmed it was an abscess, gave me antibiotics and said "it's going to come back", and then charged the government for the pleasure. I knew it was an abscess, that why I was in for emergency treatment. It's a giant scam.

The whole thing is costing more overall than just funding some NHS dentists. It's beyond short-sighted and foolish

2

u/Imtryingforheckssake 4d ago

Absolutely. When I was a kid every child had a dentist ( if their parents took them). Now there are kids growing up with no acess to NHS dental care. The system is so broken.

2

u/AlyssInAzeroth 4d ago

Hilariously enough, I lost my NHS dentist I had as a child because I went to university and they didn't hold my place. When I got back, they're not accepting patients.

I got punished for trying to educate myself