- I’m registered with a private dentist
- I’m registered with an NHS dentist
- I’m not registered with any dentist
- I need to go to the dentist urgently
- I need to go to the dentist but not urgently
- I don’t need to go to the dentist
BBC article confirms what I thought: there are no NHS dentists in Norfolk willing to take new patients. My old dentist closed because all the NHS dentists left.
I don’t need the dentist but I haven’t been for years. Really don’t want to go private but feel like I’m being forced that way.
Fuck the government, obviously.
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Not sure if this needs to be in news/serious matters. Mods or others, feel free to move.
Don’t know if it’s the case for the whole of the UK, but you can get same day emergency appointments here for £25 or so now, so that’s my current system.
Waiting lists for NHS customers at any reputable dentist are closed so far as I know, and before that it was 2-5 years.
I used to use the emergency dentist at Manchester University, which was great, didn’t even have to book, just turn up before 8am if you had toothache, but the tories closed it.
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My daughter turns seven in six weeks and has never been to the dentist. Can’t get an NHS dentist. Finally gave up and tried to go private, and they wouldn’t take her without my partner or I signing up as well. Absolute shitshow.
I have to drive 30 mins to get to the dentist but at least it’s an NHS one (for now)
It is a mess though. I’m driving to another town which is then using up a space of someone that lives in that town.
I assume my local dentist is full of more than just people who love in the town I live in.
It’s quite likely I’m driving to one person’s town and they are driving to mine as thats was who was taking on at the time.
Got a letter the other day saying I’ve been removed from my NHS dentist because I haven’t been in a couple of years 
Have just accepted I’ll have dentures by 50 tbh 
Haven’t been to a dentist in about 10 years, had no reason to go in that time fortunately. By some miracle my partner showed up at the NHS dentist on our street and just asked if they’d take her, which they did even though their website has said for years that they’re not accepting new patients. They said they’d take me too but then claimed to have no knowledge of that conversation when I tried to make an appointment so 
Got the kids registered with an NHS dentist but not bothered registering myself as they only do appointments during work hours so not really interested in check-ups.
Not the distance but with relying on public transport I have just under a 2 hour commute to an NHS dentist 30 mile away. Even then I went 18 months without being able to see anyone as they had no NHS staff for a bit.
Also on a waiting list to get a wisdom tooth out, just the 62 week wait ahead for that one.
I’ve been on the waiting list for years round here. I signed up to let some dental students have a crack at my terrible teeth in the end. Seems to be going ok - the student they assigned me is really good, though they haven’t done anything major yet. Really looking forward to being their first go at a root canal.
Wonder if they’ll ever change rules around prioritising local residents over travelling customers. The doctors surgeries where we are did that a few years ago. We got told we couldn’t use the surgery we’d always used any more because we weren’t in the postcode area. We lived a five minute drive away and had used it for twenty years.
There are at least a dozen dentists within walking distance of us, and it’s not a massive place, so it’s a bit worrying that it’s hard to get an appointment.
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Are you expected to go for checkups (during work hours) every 6 months if you’re registered with one? Because that’s basically why I’m not
I’m registered with both an NHS dentist and a private one as I’m having some orthodontic work that isn’t done on the NHS. I had to wait a year for the NHS check up and book next year’s appointment straight after. I have my kid registered with them but my husband hasn’t been to a dentist in 15 years.
I’m quite lucky as my teeth seem to be indestructible - I don’t have any fillings at age 41 which I understand is quite unusual.
I’ve been thinking about transferring fully to the private dentist as it’s closer and not that much more expensive. I feel like it’s important to keep registered with the NHS one but I’m not sure why?
Didn’t go for 10 years and I was scared it would be really bad when i went back but it wasn’t that bad. Still hate going though
This but I think I missed my last appointment so the cycle has ended
Not been since 2011. No issues in that time, but probably a good idea to get them checked. However, there are dentists taking NHS patients within like 50 miles or something. So not happening is it.
Haven’t been just for a normal appointment in years. Had to go to the emergency dentist a couple of times a few years ago and then went to hospital to have teeth out which made it very free rather than very expensive so I’ll probably just do that again because I don’t own any money.
Wow.
I’ve got eleven, and I thought my teeth were in pretty good nick.
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Depends on the practice. My NHS one now requires me to go once a year.