I would be interested to hear peoples experiences.

I had the same NHS dentist for 40 years until he retired last year and handed his practice over. He was great I still have fillings he put in as a boy.

Recently I have had tooth ache it took me 10 days to get an emergency appointment with my new NHS dentist. "You need a filling or possibly root canal I can do this in 4 weeks time." But I am in pain I protested, sorry its the best I can do.

I went home in a rage and got the name of a private dentist from a neighbour he saw me same day and said the same as her "we'll try a new filling if that doesn't work root canal." It hasn't and this morning I called and have an appointment 1st thing tomorrow.

This is probably going to cost around £500 for the work and a crown I suspect on the NHS it maybe £300?

Anyway I have always looked after my teeth, 6 month check ups etc but I feel this NHS dentist has really let me down.

What are your experiences?

One more point

I just had to replace an insert that I was told almost never fall out.
It had fallen out twice before and was quickly glued back in.
Strangely, when the replaced it with a new one, they fixed it back properly like the first time.

Hmmm.

I trust dentists as much as I trust car mechanics.

Cost 2 x £250.

I’ve been lucky after having not gone since I was in junior school when I had 4 fillings and an incisor Taken our, so you’re talking a long time. The dentist said my teeth were in pretty good condition. Only brushed them in the morning as a teenager, then twice a day as an adult. The reason I think is flossing. I never leave food stuck in my teeth. Last year I had a grinding on the filling on a molar I had as a teenager. New white one then and another 6 months later. Nothing on the next visit.

3 visits to this local one and just one when I was at junior school. 4 visits in my life. Now I go every 6 months.

You’d probably be done in 2-3 weeks at my local dentist max, maybe under 2 weeks like I was at first. If it was really painful I’d pay for the quicker private treatment on asap or on Saturdays.

COYP

I waited 10 days for an emergency appointment after about 5 days I went to Kings College and got seen promptly.

In hindsight I made a huge mistake. Don't tell them you have a dentist, they examined me and told me what I needed but as I was seeing my dentist the following week they did nothing .

My concern which proved correct was my dentist would examine me but then tell me to make another appointment for the work which turned out to be 4 weeks.

I should have kept quiet and I think they would have done the work there and then.

It's good to hear that there are good NHS dentists out there although a friend on Saturday told me they had major corrective work done privately to fix the botch job the NHS had done. She will never use the NHS dentists again which as she is a raving leftie tells you something.

One more point

Probably. Cleaning time is a waste of their expertise.

COYP

I'm in the middle of root canal treatment ( not actually in the middle, but have had 2 of 5 apptmnts ). Costing about a tad under £1000 privately.

I look after my teeth now due to an australian butcher dentist in my youth ripping out fillings so he could get paid again ( are you listening Baudry of Sanderstead ?).

My current root canal work in Cornwall by a Portuguese dentist is painless and actually fell asleep during my first visit.

NHS work will only do so much. If you want a really good job you have to go private.

Regarding emergency work. I cracked my tooth in December on the morning of leaving on holiday. I was temporarily fixed up 5 hours later on NHS. The permanent fix is the root canal work.

I can't complain.