Government failure to tackle NHS dentistry crisis has left morale at all-time low

10 comments

1. Is the answer not to increase the patient fee and pay the dentists more? I’m not surprised they’re dropping out.

2. For people who don’t understand how this situation has come about and are eager to put the crisis down to “*just dentists being greedy*”, the current state of NHS dentistry is that the UDA rates provided by government are so piss-poor that a lot of dentists are actually losing money by choosing to treat NHS patients.

   This is why dental deserts have appeared and are spreading across the nation, and why it’s become so difficult to find an NHS dentist in the first place. You have to either be a sadist or have the soul of a Buddha to decide to become an NHS dentist. 

   If you require extensive restorative work and cannot afford the cost of private dentistry in the UK, you’re actually better off going abroad for your dental work. Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary are currently the dental tourism capitals of Europe right now. And no, “*British dentists won’t treat you if you get dental implants in another country*” is a total myth. All that matters is that they were implanted using recognised and currently practiced techniques. 

3. Remember the days where you just had to wait your turn at the dental hospitals without any booking or referrals? I do. I miss these days.

4. In my area it doesn’t matter if the dentist is NHS or private the waiting lists to be a patient is years long.

5. I’ve been trying to get my wife on an NHS dentist for 18months and no luck.

   I honestly don’t know why we have to pay full NI when we don’t get the full service.

   I wouldn’t mind paying more NI if my wife could actually see a dentist

6. My MIL comes from North Devon to get her teeth fixed in London because she can’t register at a dentist there despite having lived there for 5 years. She shouldn’t have to do that.

7. “Government failure” could be the beginning of the headline on any topic.

8. Crazy idea, just book a private appointment and pay for it.

9. to be fair, uk tackling any kind of problem/crisis is leaving us with morale all time low

10. I’d say I’m shocked, but…’waves around at everything’.