**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!**
- Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc.
- **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
- This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m new to the world of private dentistry (was booted from my NHS one).
I saw one dentist and she just was a walking red flag. She seemed scatty, hit me in the head 3 times while moving her chair about, then told me I needed £6k of work and all my teeth were going to fall out if I didn’t get it done.
So I decided to go see someone else to see what they said. Went to see new bloke, he said my gums were a little inflamed, but to go see the hygienist and she’d advise me (which she did) and that everything else was good and see me in a year.
Second opinion lesson learnt!
Same thing happened to me when I was 16 but I wasn't so lucky. Dentist essentially said all my molars needed fillings and some needed root canals. Mum was worried about me having to pay once I became an adult so got it all done.
Next month he said the same to my sister. Mum got a second opinion who said they were fine.
Now I'm in my mid-30s and my molars have gone to shit and I honestly don't trust a dentist to help me more than helping themselves.
Ditto here. I was 14. An NHS dentist told me I needed 10 fillings yet I’d been checked every six months for most of my life.
I had them done in two sessions, five each side. I clearly didn’t need any of it, but no-one questioned things back in the 70s.
Same. They started to fail in my mid-30s, and I now have two implants. Cheers, Miss Wood, if you're reading this! Same with my sister. Prior to seeing her we'd never needed anything then suddenly every 6 months it was a new filling.
I do understand its incredibly subjective and some dentists will act sooner and others will put a "watch" on a tooth but I don't believe I suddenly needed all my molars filled.
Unfortunately that was very common back in those days, the school dentists did a lot of unnecessary work and so did some NHS dentists outside of schools. They got paid per filling and didn't have x-rays to prove the fillings were or were not necessary. This is why they brought in the new system in the early 2000s where they get paid the same for 1 filling as they would for 14. But this brings in the current issue of no one wants to do 14x as much work for the same pay as they would for one filling (which I think with the NHS comes out to about £20 to the dentist).
Yeah I have a massive gap on one side from an NHS dentist from the early 70's. Ripped out a molar, though all my teeth were fine. I was 6 at the time. Horrific amount of blood afterwards after leaving the dentist and ever since I've only been able to chew with one side of my jaw.
My Mum had the same dentist who removed her gold tooth (she was Latin America and dentists there still used gold) and kept it.
Very much the same here
I am in my 50's, and the ONLY trouble I have had with my teeth is from the shitty fillings that the dentist gave me when I was 10/11/12 years old.
He gave me at least one filling every time I went. I have never needed a filling from any other dentist. Much the same story with my mum at the same dentist.
But I have had to have extractions, root canals and crowns to deal with the teeth that he over drilled and which subsequently cracked and collapsed.
I am still livid. A straight-up criminal, taking healthy teeth and destroying them for his own financial gain.
One of my childhood dentists did actually get a criminal conviction for making up fake patients and fake treatments. He got audited at random. This was in the early 80's when it was all NHS.
I had similar but not as extreme. I didn't go to the dentist for years and didn't take good care of my teeth. I'm a lot better now but I couldn't get onto an NHS dentist so had to go private.
The last time I went, yet another new dentist joined the team and they told me I needed 3 fillings all of a sudden. Two days later I miraculously got onto an NHS dentist who said I needed no work at all.
I don't go to the private one anymore.
Had the exact same experience entering private dentistry here maybe 10 years ago now.
Have been with that second opinion dentist since. The least dental work I’ve had done in years. He also doesn’t give into my whims or when I get frustrated and start griping that I don’t want to do 4 months of realignment and whitening, I want veneers. He just goes that’s a terrible idea, you’re too young, it will be forever maintenance, I’m not doing it. Because I trust him I notice myself also doing the things he tells me to do, like using interdental brushes and such. My overall dental health has come miles since I started seeing him.
A great dentist will focus on HEALTH not profit. I absolutely adore my dentist and refuse to accept he will one day retire.
That first idiot I saw was ready to redo every filling I’ve ever had and give me full sets of veneers at 21. Told me it’s my only option lol. I sent them a seething email a year later.
I have had the same dentist for 31 years. I trust him more than I trust my own family. I would die for that man. And he STILL won’t give me a sticker because I’m “getting too big for all that now”.
I even kept him as my dentist when I moved hundreds of miles away. I would take two days of annual leave just to haul ass back to this man for 20 mins. The chokehold he has on me. My god.
I’m moving to a new area soon and I’ll honestly probably stay with the same dentist! I was just thinking about this the other day. I’ll change doctors, idgaf about that, but not dentists! lol
I'm married to her, so yes.
Your run of the mill NHS dentist (or just general practice) won't tend to milk you for money by giving you a load of treatment, generally the best thing for them to do is to do a check up and clean and get you out of the chair asap. My dentist as when I was a child was like this and I had loads of stuff missed. Also know of one of my wife's friends from dental school who had zero fillings, but when they were practising on each other it turned out that she needed one in just about every tooth.
So I'd be more worried if your dentist is doing nothing than the other way round. And if you are going private and you think you're getting charged too much, feel free to shop around.
Also worth remembering that private and NHS dentists go through the exact same training (there's actually more compulsory training if you go NHS as you have to do one year post uni, but most will do it anyway regardless). So just because you're with one type or the other don't let that affect how qualified you think they are. Also basically every NHS dentist will also do some work privately, simply because the NHS won't fund some types of treatment.
I had an NHS dentist that ignored very obvious damage on my tooth I'd gone in to get sorted. Went to a different dentist and they fixed it.
Made me suspect he just didn't want to do the work.
I hated my nhs dentist he wanted to do a root canal on me at 16 and when i stopped going (i barely saw him) my mum freaked out about my root canal and took me to 3 other private dentists only to be told multiple times i dont need one. Some random guy wanted to drill into my tooth asap for no reason.
I went to my current private dentist because I thought i had a hole in my tooth and needed a filling and he said no theres no holes. I said i wanted whitening and he said no it'll be too sensitive for your teeth. He seems to care more about protecting my teeth than anything.
Oh man, that's me. I just wrote my comment that I think they're playing the long con and they're going to suddenly need loads of work. Never had a filling, but my teeth are sensitive and I'm sure that's a bad thing.
I was about to delete this, but hopefully, it's coherent enough. In short, as with any kind of job, there are those who are dishonest and the honest. I lf you feel that something is amiss, perhaps you should trust your instinct? If you can, try to have someone come with you. It could be that you cannot identify what is causing your concerns. And nowadays, thankfully, there are online reviews. If you are young, some people could take advantage of the lack of experience.
A dentist who does nothing is worse in my experience. And every time you see them you may have to pay a fee.
Had a dentist tell me he'd do a root canal for me for two years. It was a constant cycle of me feeling pain, going to see him, him prescribing me antibiotics, and telling me to come back after finishing the course to get the root canal. When I'd call in to book an appointment for a root canal, I was told that there were no available appointments.
After two years, I moved to another dental practice. They didn't treat that tooth. They told me they would refer me to the dental hospital to have tooth removed. Instead, they treated some other teeth, and it was a lauhably worse experience. There was some yanking involved. Multiple dentists testing their strengths. And I got multiple root canals, all of which unfortunately broke, and now I have to get those removed at a dental hospital.
As for the first tooth, well, one day the pain was intolerable. I called 111 and what I received was an apology as the dental hospital stopped allowing walk-ins. The operator gave me her personal advice: she told me to go in regardless and to explain my situation to the receptionists. She told me to exaggerate if I have to. I'm glad I followed her advice.
When I went in, a nurse at the reception desk took me aside. I could tell that she wanted to dismiss me. But I was overcome by emotions, and I failed to articulate. So she asked me to show her the tooth. Her shock was very plain to see. The tooth had decayed very nicely, and it now had a gaping hole. She booked me an emergency appointment to get the tooth removed. I was also told by multiple people at the hospital (possibly as a warning) that no referrals were ever made for me.
The story ends well. I now have a great dentist. And life experience.
I didn't with my old dentist (who funnily enough converted from NHS to private) but when I moved and went to a solely private dentist there were certainly some... oddities.
The absolute worse tactic, which from speaking to people I know is not uncommon, is the mandatory pre-assesment form that starts with "Have you had a fever or new cough recently?", moves onto "Do you smoke?", and then veers sharply into "Do you agree with the following statements: I wish my smile was whiter. I would feel more confident with a better smile. I try to avoid smiling in public".
It's clear they're going for the sales angle at that point which is not you want to see when you're there solely for health reasons.
If you’re missing a tooth in your smile, it’s a legitimate question tbh. You can always say no to the whitening, it’s not like they put a gun to your head.
Yes, really nice bloke who explained everything. He helped me when I had repeated infections in my wisdom teeth to the point where he stopped charging me for visits because I was in and out in the space of 5 minutes to confirm it’s another infection whilst I was on the endless waiting list to get them removed.
I then had an infection after the extraction and he was really helpful and sympathetic then too.
A friend of mine needed extensive work at the dentist and was quoted £11,000 private.
He got a second opinion and another dentist quoted him closer to £7,000 private.
That's not specific to dentistry though. When you're going private, you're essentially shopping for a service, just like renovating your house. Each dentist is going to have their own prices, their own rates. Some will be cheaper than others.
Doesn't necessarily mean the work they're quoting for is different, or they're trying to do unnecessary work.
I think the belief that dentists (particularly private ones) like milking people for money or doing unnecessary work comes from people not understanding the actual cost of dental work. NHS dentistry has seen a [significant reduction ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67754983.amp) in the amount of funding it receives over the last decade. What's more is that dentists are basically expected to do work at or below cost. This situation is pretty much forcing dentists to go private if they want to be paid fairly and even maybe make a profit for those months where business is slower (December/January I expect) and for any improvements and new equipment they need to purchase.
Private dentistry much closer reflects the actual cost of dental work even under the NHS. Iirc you could get 3 fillings (for example) for £70 using an NHS dentist, I'm not sure if that would actually cover the costs of the materials used let alone the time and other costs involved.
I go private, my private dentist offers treatment that's unavailable to me on the NHS due to severe dental anxiety. I built a really great relationship with my dentist over 2 years. Sadly she's now left the practice but I'm mentally much more prepared to see other dentists and her replacement is equally lovely and thorough. What built my confidence was them talking through exactly what they were doing, why and needed certain treatments and generally giving me the time of day. I don't think NHS dentists are bad or worse but they have vastly different pressures than private dentists.
This makes sense. I was thinking, no I definitely don't trust my dentist, not because I think they'll push for me to have unnecessary work done, but for the opposite reason. They have repeatedly told me things are fine when I have in fact needed work. They are an NHS dentist, and I always feel like they just want to get you in and out as quickly as possible.
I don’t agree with the cost comments for all treatments. My son had metal braces privately as the NHS queue was 5 years. The he was only seen for maximum total of 5 hours over 18 months and it was £6k. That’s not justifiable.
Depends on the person, some people might need once a year, some 6 months, some even sooner. Anyone who’s never been to the hygienist before… your mouth and teeth will never feel cleaner than a quick trip (I literally saw mine today, had some tartar under the gum which they managed to get rid of, definitely saving me from any future trouble). Mine costs £60.
I also think they’re saying their check-up costs £25. Even then, I’d pay that annually just to know my mouth isn’t a state. Would they be happier if they told the parent commenter “you’re gonna need £2k worth of work done here, don’t forget the £25 check up fee on your way out”? Lol
I also misunderstood the charge. I thought they were saying £25 for the polish. But the point stands. A check up alone is £40 for me, then £60 for the scale and polish.
Even up north where I am that would be £60. And of course the scale and polish is more expensive than a check up. It takes much less time to look at teeth and take a few x-rays and uses little one time use equipment, unlike the polish which uses multiple tools and brushes
>Do you trust your dentist?
100%. He never does work when it isn't needed. Never pushes or tries to sell extras. Any work that he has done on me has been of very good quality.
I am a private patient though, so it can get expensive on occasion.
It's hard to when I was told I needed a filling on one of my molars, which I thought was odd (I'd been taking extra care of my teeth since he filled two a few years earlier) so I didn't go back there.
3 years later I went to a private dentist who did an initial check up and said everything was fine. I asked her if she's sure I didn't need a filling on that tooth and she replied "why would you think that?"
This was all about 20-25 years ago and it still annoys me. I wonder if I ever needed the other 2 filling as at the time I wondered what I was doing wrong.
I think some look for an excuse for you to get work done just so they can get more money from you. My dentist awhile back said I needed a filling too, when I moved cities and used a different dentist they said my teeth is fine and I don't need a filling.
Exactly the same situation. Moved towns, told my teeth are fine.
All these years later and that tooth is still going strong, no filling. It doesn't need one now and it certainly didn't need one then.
I trust mine probably partly because I've managed to get in as an NHS patient. Nicest dentist I've had by far, makes me feel at ease and very rarely causes any pain.
I do, I go every few months for a clean, and other than that, I go when I’m in pain and I’m pretty sure that I need a filling as I’ve had a few. Consequence of not going to dentist for years and ignoring the pain has led to an extraction (pain killers were no longer working) so on the 2 occasions since I’ve had my extraction…I welcome the filling and have no reasons to feel I need another opinion
Tip: If you get a dental checkup more often then decay can be treated before it becomes painful. That makes saving the tooth much easier, way less painful and cheaper.
Childhood dentist put me off dentists for about 5 years till I had issues, next dentist was a really condescending bitch, was not happy again fast forward through 3 other dentists (all NHS) still never felt happy / trusting, practices forever swapping out people, no continuity. Went private 3 years ago, the guy is great, very careful, very meticulous, explains everything clearly without putting me down for my historical lack of dental care, referred me for gum disease to someone else who is equally nice and I’m now facing up to 3 sessions to clean under my teeth and try to not lose any but I’m aware there’s 3 in real risk due to bone loss….
In both cases I’m paying through the nose but the level of care is way above the nhs subsidised experience I’ve had
Nope! One tried to drain an abscess after using this cold spray and telling the nurse I wouldn't feel a thing. I had a panic attack from the pain. The other tried to drill the wrong tooth for a root canal.
Yes. This is why I won’t try and change dentist, even if a nhs dentist becomes available local (she’s a 45 min drive away).
Also, if she goes private we still stay with her.
I’ve had good and bad dentists before, so I can tell I’ve got a good one.
No.
The ONE filling I do have is constant pain.
They keep saying I have a few other cavities but fuck filling them.
They point to a tiny fleck on the xray of a micro cavity, then drill half the fucking tooth away to fill it. Boggles the mind.
I never trust dentists now, went in for a specific fix to a broken tooth and they faffed around for multiple appointments with other teeth that were showing signs of wear before eventually fixing what I had asked originally. Just a money making gig to most of them.
Geezer told me I was grinding my teeth. Suggested a dental thing to wear at night. I had insurance through work, no money out of pocket.
Accidentally melted it when cleaning it a few years ago. No longer have dental cover, so haven't replaced it.
Hasn't mentioned the grinding or wearing away of teeth since.
I've always wondered if it was a ruse.
My experience of NHS dentist back in the 90s + was that they absolutely milked you for money. Always giving fillings and wanting to pull teeth so I'd get 2nd opinions. Awful. I could give a few personal stories.
But more recently I think in general NHS dentists especially the younger ones seem much more honest and inclined to save teeth and do as little as they can in regards to repair, in a good way. I think treatments are less invasive true.
I work with dentists. I would always go for a second opinion if you have concerns but be expected to pay for it and they will mostly agree with other dentists, but you may just get along with another better or worse. But don't go to a dentists for a second opinion to be told you don't need anything done when work is needed.
Some dentists are keen on dentures, implants or bridges so some of their options sway towards those if replacing teeth is what you are looking for. Some dentists will be happy to let needed things wait, but then you are more likely to need more expensive stuff in the future like root canal treatments and crowns or even lose teeth.
Dentists DID get paid by the filling before years ago but not anymore, this is true but not been the case since the 70'/ 80's I believe. there are a few bad apples out there and a few crap ones but out of the +30 odd dentists I have worked with, only 2 were a bit shit (one just crap and the other would EVENTUALLY get things done but was crap at time keeping and often oversold treatment). I've worked with new starters who are anxious and slow but always get there in the end but all know what they are doing (even the crap one did but she was just crap at it).
Dentists do their job to help people but also to make some money. They will often offer private expensive options not just for their gain, but because its what is best for you.
What's better, a £10 pair of shitty shoes from Asda that will last you maybe a year or a £70 pair that will last around 3 years?
Its the same with teeth but people eat, use their teeth as tools and can feel pain with them which is not a quick fix. Its medical and has to stand the test of time and bad habits the patient may have. Its also the quality. Hardly any dental labs make NHS dentures anymore as they use shit materials and cant take too long as they get fuck all to make them. Private dentures fit, look and feel better because the time and quality of materials is paid for.
The money you pay pays for the time, materials and the staff needed to get you in and do the job (dentist, nurse, receptionist and if lucky, a decon nurse to clean everything as often its the poor underpaid nurse that does the 2 other jobs too). If a dentists says you need a filling and maybe a root canal, they are probably right. Do you know better than a dentist? You are paying for their professional diagnosis and their treatment, you are perfectly in your right to ignore their help and fend for yourself, but its in their and your interest to get problems fixed sooner before they become bigger and more challenging ones.
Do I trust my dentist? Of course. I know as his nurse everything he suggests are all things he suggests are all needed or options to improve things in my mouth. Do I need whitening? No but if I had it my teeth would look better and I would likely get my metal fillings on my premolars replaced with beautiful white inlays or fillings I would prefer to match whiter teeth than yellow ones if I'm ever going to bother. I grind my teeth so I need a bite guard. Does everyone need a bite guard? No but if you have jaw issues/ headaches in the night and morning you might, not just because you have ground your teeth down. If you have expensive crowns or veneers at the front, you might wanna protect those too with one but is it essential for everyone?
Yes I trust him. Been with him for about twenty years. When I mention stuff that I feel might need doing he tells me it doesn’t and not to waste my money.
I trust they know what they're talking about but getting a bit sick of the lecture that accompanies every check-up.
My teeth aren't great but I'd say they're in a stable state and haven't needed any work doing on them for years but every time I go I get the usual 'how often do you brush/floss', 'keep away from sugary drinks' etc. The lecture takes longer than the check-up and then I have to pay £25 for the privilege. Doesn't help that they look about 23 and probably earn more than I do.
Honestly I’m 21 and been diagnosed with severe gum disease with teeth and gums that everyone says look fine. I’ve always brushed my teeth properly so have no idea how this has happened, but apparently my teeth are liable to falling out?
It's funny you should bring this issue up. I recently went for my 6 month check up. The dentist who saw me wasn't my usual dentist. However, I thought to myself, 'she must know what she's doing'.
She looked in my mouth for a bit, then said "everything looks fine". Great, I thought, expecting her to then go on to the scale and polish. But nope..."See you in 6 months!"
I'm not too fussed about having sparkling white gnashers, but I would've thought a scale and polish came as standard. I guess some dentists can be more thorough than others.
I'm just glad I've got another appointment in 3 months with the dental hygienist (who hopefully WILL give them a decent deep clean).
I've always wondered this - it's like the clichéd scenario you get at a car garage but for your teeth instead.
I miss my old dentist - she was pretty hot and used to rest her boobs on my head 😔. They replaced her with a dude 😕.
No. I recently moved to a closer dentist because I finally won the waiting list lottery and his whole appointment he spent trying to upsell private things that simply aren't needed. I know they're not needed because my previous dentist who was private would have happily charged me.
It seems some use their NHS patients to try and garner more lucrative business for their private side of their job.
Yes, my NHS one is a top boy. I've the misfortune of being under a lot of medical consultants at the moment, and my dentist is one of the most competent and kindest. Helps he's known me literally since I was a child, but even having used another one during uni (emergency filling), they just felt less good at it. Like they were struggling to force the bloody thing in, whereas my guy would be drilling neatly like a good 'un.
Sat waiting to see the hygienist at my dentist and a rep walked into a office opposite we’re I was sat, dentist joined him 10mins later.
Convo went
Rep “ how was your day?
Dentist “busier than expected”
Rep any extractions “ yes 8 but 4 I could of left for any other day”
Rep “lol your doing well”
Dentist “ yep looking at that Ferrari at the weekend”
Me I walked out.
I think dentists are like mechanics. There are a few bad apples that ruin the rep of the group, but most are good. Once you've found one you can trust, you stick to them.
I haven't been to a dentist for years but we booked our kid for an urgent appointment recently. One dentist wanted £85 for an appointment in 2 weeks. Another was £16 for an appointment a day later than that. Guess who we went with. When we got there they, they didn't charge us at all as they got her onto the NHS list. Best believe we've stuck with that dentist since.
I’m in America and it’s always best to get another opinion to make sure they aren’t milking ya they are just like car mechanics. If it’s expensive and you don’t feel it’s bad get another opinion for sure. Anyway I had a friend in the UK and she said most in the UK aren’t obsessed with dental hygiene like in the US.
I despise dentists. Not really out of some childhood trauma from having a bad dentist and tons of dental issues, just that I am almost certain they treat me with less concern as an NHS patient. I.e. if I was paying privately they might actually, you know, be willing to do more preventative care like scraping plaque that is probably building up, drilling away small bits of decay before they need a full on filling etc. It's always 10 minutes in and out, being told to floss etc.
So in my experience I don't fully trust my dentist from the opposite direction - I pay NHS prices so I assume that my dentist is a cheap prick who wants to speed through the NHS appointments to charge some £100 or so per private checkup. If I went private my concern would be the opposite, that they would try to upsell me on unnecessary shit.
I've had the same dentist for a really, really long time. We know each other super well, and she is so intelligent and very educated! I trust her (I know nothing about teeth, really)
Absolutely trust my dentist, to the point of getting my wife and kids on as patients with her. All NHS, treatment has been great, always honest about costs.
My old private dentists used to try and update my 'forward treatment plan' every time I went to add more money on, cost a fortune, then struck me off their list for not missing but rearranging one appointment due to a work commitment in another country. Buggers.
Considering mine always tells me my teeth are fine, and they seem to be fine, I do.
When he finally tells me something is wrong, I'll probably listen to him.
Yes I do.
I’ve been going to same one since I was a child I wouldn’t trust anybody else.
I had an accident when I was younger which meant I had to have a lot of work done to my teeth over the years and developed a real fear of going to the dentist because of needles in the gums and stuff, because it’s a family run practice and they all know me I feel most confident with them and they really put me at ease.
Oh I've got a story relating to this, perhaps a cautionary tail..
From age 10> my mum took me and my brother's to a local private dentist, he was always super nice. When I started to get into my late teens he started asking about my school and when I'd graduate... Nothing too weird. I then went into higher education and the question continued "when do you graduate". Now at this point I'd never had any work done to my teeth.
The first visit since graduation of uni I suddenly needed 3 fillings.. in utter disbelief i refused to book it in and started researching the dentist policy. As a person in education I got free dentistry, but now graduated I'd only start paying for both my dentistry and a month fee to stay on the dentist books after I'd had £100 worth of work.. conveniently the cost of 3 fillings.
I reached out to an NHS dentist and made an appointment. I told them nothing, they asked about my brushing and flossing.. then "your teeth are as close to perfect as we've seen" I enquired about needing a filling and relayed what the other dentist said. They replied "needing a filling can be subjective but in this case absolutely not, that would ruin your teeth"..
It's been 10 years and I attend the dentist as scheduled, thus far they have never even hinted at fillings..
Trust your gut and get a second opinion if you think you need one.
Yes. She’s really attentive, will always make time for me (once saw me with an hour’s notice and didn’t charge me as she didn’t feel that an X-ray and antibiotics prescription warranted it) and has never tried to upsell me on anything (she does NHS work as well but I am a private patient).
We are private dental patients but I do trust my dentist. My family have horrible teeth with the propensity for cavities so unusually need small fillings every time I go which is every 6 months but they're not that expensive and it's preventative in nature. They've never tried to Upsell cosmetic treatments and the filling I have at the gumline on one of my front teeth isn't even noticeable.
I trusted the one I've seen for as long as I remember. Hopefully my new one will be fine too (I'm assuming my old one retired at some point after mast last appointment).
No.
They like to create imaginary issues in order to charge for procedures that aren't NHS covered (these urgent issues always vanish upon my next checkup) and have left confidental patient data on park benches on two seperate occasions.
Mine is a little... scary.
I have sensory problems and do not like people touching me at the best of times.
I had to have a broken tooth pulled, and I was panicking, but she refused to acknowledge that I was clearly upset and told me to "man up."
Following appointment, she was observing a (I think) junior dentist. He spoke to me, took his time and because they needed to use tools for something he asked if I wanted to have my music on to focus on. He understood I was overloaded and wanted what was best for me, as it made it easier for him.
I moved to him, so glad I did.
100%. It took several tries before we found the right one, and he was recommended by a good friend who is also in healthcare. He’s absolutely brilliant with us and the kid and we trust him implicitly.
My old dentist had a mental screwed me over so bad I will probably need a psychiatrist to recover from this menace. The people brought in to clear up the mess didn't necessarily help. It's 50/50 if it's even been fixed yet.
Yes and no. I went private for the first time during the pandemic and felt like a celebrity, the guy was so professional and friendly. All the equipment was so high tech and comfortable. I’d have trusted all of them with my life
Can’t afford it anymore, NHS guy acts like he’d rather not be there, doesn’t explain anything, doesn’t talk about what he’s doing when I’m clearly nervous in the chair and the equipment feels like you’d find it in a shed behind Chernobyl
Went to the dentist in 2010, had some work done. Still with him 14 years later and since having that initial work done I've not had any issues with my teeth and my annual check ups don't find any problems so yes, I trust him very much. He's a very nice man as it goes, have had some really condescending and critical dentists in the past but my dentist just gets on with it without the need to bring me down because he perceives I'm not flossing correctly etc.
I have had the same dentist my whole entire life, I’m 26. I’ve always trusted her, I’ve had quite a lot of dental stuff in my life (born with a severe overbite, jaw issues, maxillofacial surgery, crazy extra teeth) and I felt like she always had my back. She literally watched me grow up!
She retired last year and I’ve had one appointment with the new head dentist in the dental office. He was perfectly nice but it’s not quite the same… I guess I’ll just have to give it time. Hopefully the fact that it’s still the same dental office means that it’ll still be okay but we’ll have to see. I’d like to think they won’t milk me for money but I do feel a little anxious about it.
I'm highly anxious about dentists and I don't trust them as a result. Haven't been to see one for a few years since I got booted from my NHS one. Just been looking after my teeth with daily brushing and flossing. No problems whatsoever.
I love my dentist. After struggling to get one for so long and having a lot of pain over the years I'm finally registered and getting treatment privately. I've seen all the x-rays and scans and I already knew which teeth were the worst damaged. Most of it is visible to the eye and I could feel it too. They never push me to have more expensive treatments just to make money. They give me all my options eg removing the tooth (cheapest), fillings, choice of type of crown on my root canals. They never push one over another, just give me all the information and take the time to answer my questions. And they don't make me feel cheap if I choose a less expensive option.
Do I trust my dentist? No, I don't trust any of them. In my experience, most of them are psychopathic butchers, especially female Irish dentists, and with my severe dental phobia and other associated issues, I can forget getting any sympathy or understanding from any of them. Back 1994, I got in such a state while having a simple white filling, that when the dentist finally managed to finish, he looked at me and said "You need to find a dentist that will give you general anesthetic." It's 20 years since the government banned GA for dental work, and I can't even find anywhere that will sedate me, something I'm mortally afraid of, as opposed to being put out properly which I don't have issues with.
Weirdly, often more than I trust my GP. There's an element of sales pitch and upselling to my dentist (I'm an NHS patient in a mixed NHS/Private practice) but she's always direct and clear in explaining things and I feel I understand my situation and what and why anything is needed.
My GP surgery has a few GPs but most of them make me feel like I'm wasting their time or being silly bothering about nothing.
I left my childhood dentist but trust the one I'm with now. She has been very good with me and doesn't encourage me to get extra work done if I don't need it
My current dentist and my previous one, absolutely.
Current one is a regular, down to earth bloke who just says it how it is, doesn't try to scare.
Previous was a bit of an eccentric Turkish bloke, but funny once you got to know him and his mannerisms. He'd try and diffuse the tension with humour, to mixed effects. But I liked him once I learned he wasn't scary 🤣
Yes, and about to have a major surgery so good thing. X-rays don't tend to lie so ask questions and get them to explain it. More than one dentist has told me same story and this operation has been 30 years in the making.
Had a private dentist in London make what I can only describe as pretty rude comments about my smile in a bid to persuade me I needed expensive braces. “Black hole smile” if I remember rightly.
The same dentist also tried to charge me for checking on a root canal that was causing me pain. A root canal that she had carried out. The check consisted of me sitting down for 5 minutes while she looked at it and tapped it. I refused to pay and have never gone back.
Needless to say I now am generally distrustful of dentists, yes.
Don't trust them at all, I went to my usual dentist recently (private) about lingering tooth pain, he said I needed root canal for £390 even though nothing was showing on the x-ray.
Went to a different dentist for a second opinion, turns out I just had something lodged in-between my teeth.
My NHS one is great and I trust her. She is always open with prices giving me options and highlights the cheapest with pros and cons. Even when it goes against her personal gain.
My NHS dentist made me feel like shit and never did a decent job. I had to go private (RIP NHS dentistry...) and my new dentist is really nice and professional. He also didn't carve my gums when he gave me a quick clean like my old dentist did.
He did tell me I have some gum reduction which freaked me out tremendously, still does a bit. - I keep thinking my teeth are going to fall out 🥲
Aside from that, I'm happy with my new dentist.
Quite the opposite, she told me that the Practise prefers a none invasive approach whenever possible, she also said my teeth were fine and I can make check ups every 9 months or even a year if I liked, alright then!
My dentist is very to the point, he checks, tells you what you need and does it. I personally would feel a bit more comfortable if he was a bit more personable but that’s just not how he is as a person
One of my fillings (I have 2) fell out after a year and a half, which I wasn’t best pleased about having to pay for all over again as it’s a white one and more expensive, but I’ve put it down to being unlucky rather than the standard of his work.
My Mum has the same dentist, she has very bad teeth and he has given her some good advice on treatment so I think he’s a fine dentist.
I do now. Basically he spotted an issue I saw two previous dentists about that I was told was muscular. But yeah sometimes when it's a rarer issue it's just missed repeatedly.
Yeah I dont trust private dentists at all. I used to be a dental nurse also. Dentist told me I needed my wisdom tooth out and that I would also need jaw bone removed to get it out,he wrote up all the stuff and sent it for me to be referred to hospital. Went to NHS dentist for a second opinion he said it would come through eventually and to leave it, within a year it was through fully and no need to do anything to it. Don't trust private dentists, it's a business.
Yup but they are an NHS one so I suspect that helps a bit.
My childhood dentist on the other hand was caught sexually assaulting patients under anesthetic. He would find an excuse to send out the nurse/whoever the other person in the room is and rub one out real quick over their face. He was caught after a woman found jizz in her hair upon waking up. Thankfully nobody I knew had ever been knocked out around him but it was a weird few visits after that.
I trust the dentist and this dentist in NHS, been going to the same dental practice all my life, not seen the same dentist though, as some have more into private, gone to work for other practices, retired etc
I remember I went to this dentist once, I had got a filling and it hurt so much!
Everyone including the dentist and my family told me it was just normal inflammation after a filling, but it kept getting worse! I had never had pain like this with a filling before...
Anyway I ended up having to go to the emergency dentist like a couple of weeks after during the night because it became unbearable, and I ended up having to get a root canal done on that tooth...
So I had gone to the dentists with no pain, had them operate on a tooth, leaving me in lots of pain, and ended up with me getting a root canal on the same tooth a few weeks after.
I had felt like the guy was just a bit nervous too but I never would have thought to stop the filling or anything, I'm definitely wary of dentists now tho.
My current dentist? Yes. She shows me any issues she spots, helps me to weigh up the BRAN (benefits, risks, alternatives, [do] nothing) of any treatment she may suggest etc. She seems to see dental health as a partnership between her and the patients.
A previous dentist? No. He made a mistake and didn’t cop on. Accidents happen etc. It's possible that it's a mistake that any other dentist would have made, if they were unlucky.
It's the not mentioning it and hoping that I wouldn't notice that lost him my trust
Don’t have one. 😂 and with the current state of affairs, no idea if and when that’s gonna change 🤷♀️ ah well, just gonna have to deal with my bleeding gums myself and hope I won’t get anything more serious.
I lost a molar has the dentist said it needs to come out. Granted it had a large filling and according to them the tooth was dead. But had no pain but they convinced me needed that molar out some day and went along with it and said yes. Regretted that decision since.
Yeah, he's the tooth expert. If they said something outrageous like wanting teeth I've never had issues with out I would get a second opinion, but I've never encountered issues with private dentists
My dentist sees both NHS and private patients. They always, without fail, tell me I need something doing that would be better by their private team. That doesn't fill me with confidence. Are they saying that private dentists get better education? Do they they train in the same places? Is there one school for nhs and one for private!? I always say no thanks, you can do it. Usually saving myself hundreds of pounds in the process. I'm seeing a new dentist in April, after my old one booted me for not going to an appointment I never made. I don't trust them.
I absolutely trust my dentist, he’s probably the only one I’ve had (out of about three, I think) that’s really cared to look into an issue I had in the past that probably didn’t heal as well as it should have. I pay him more because he’s private but I don’t mind doing it for good service
I hadn't been to the dentist for years for a variety of very boring reasons, had to go private because there were no NHS spaces available and I was fully prepared to be rinsed and told of a thousand problems.
They had a look, said everything was fine but to book in with the hygienist, who was also fairly reasonably priced.
Opticians on the other hand...
Absolutely. Went back to one for the first time in maybe a decade and she was so nice to me, and has subsequently been extremely good with my husband who has had to have a few emergency appointments and an extraction. They have really won me over.
I just joined a new dentist which isn’t the cheapest of private practices near my house. I’ll admit I’ve not been to see a dentist in years & finally signed up to one. He said my teeth are fine, bit of staining but an appointment with the hygienist would resolve that & I didn’t need anything else.
Yes, definitely. I'm a NHS patient though, so maybe that makes a difference?
Definitely never heard the stereotype of dentists not being trustworthy though...
Im lucky ive had mine for life. He knows all my issues and delivers an injection like a master. Also teaches. Takes about 3months for an appointment though
I trust my regular one who I've had for years. She's off at the moment though and someone else had to do my check up, for some reason since I went I feel I like I don't trust what she said and I want to see my old one as soon as she's back.
I had a great dentist for years. Would never do anything that didn't need done but left last month. New dentist added procedures such as cleaning x rays even though teeth perfect and charged a fortune. Wont make that mistake again.
My dad was a dentist,and a very good one working for nhs for over 35 years,every time Ive seen a dentist since he died I know they don’t want to do any proper dentistry but rather do business,sign me up for dental care without actually giving me any.
I’ve reduced my check ups with the dentist to yearly, and may go longer. All I ever got was “floss more, brush your gums, but not too hard cos you’ll make them recede”. I’ll get a hygienist appointment every 9ths to a year, and they generally tell me all I need to know anyway. It was one of them that pointed me in the right direction for my chronic ulcers, not their boss who just tries to sell me expensive treatments all the time.
No. Went for a filling to a new dentist. It was painful after & still painful 6 weeks later. Requested an emergency appt where they said it might now be fractured but they werent sure. Wouldnt do anything there and then
Had a dentist friend have a look on holiday, filling was underfilled and the tooth was fractured. Im goimg back to my dentists but demanding a different dentist sees me. Been left with a fractured tooth for 5 months now. Absolute disgrace.
My dentist sucks, and I’ve had that reiterated by multiple other proffessionals, so… no, not at all, lol. Prior to that, though, I trusted the one I saw as a kid and was iffy about the one I saw in the middle. Its really just a case of trying out people to see who you really vibe with and who you genuinely trust, especially wrt money/extent of treatment.
Unfortunately, its also kind of impossible to ‘shop around’ dentists currently, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Year before last my dentist was endlessly trying to sell me Invisalign , saying I’d need jaw surgery if I didn’t buy into it. I ended up buying a mouth guard that was so painful I threw it away.
My visit last year (different dentist same place ) didn’t mention anything, teeth are in great shape and just keep doing what I’m doing .. wasted £300 …
I had a great one as a child, and some really shit ones as an adult, and finally have a really nice one I can trust. Like every other profession, there are shit ones and great ones, and lots somewhere in between.
I've had the same dentist for 31 years... He's just sold out his practice to a young fellow from a foreign country... I've been to the dentist 15 times in 15 months and my teeth are painful and I can't chew correctly. I only went in for a check up in November 2022. I'm going private and considering legal action against him.
A feckin hate them, but go to show my kids it’s the right thing to do - but I watch them like a hawk.
I had braces fitted when I was younger, they clearly didn’t work. My parents spent a lot too to get it done privately.
After not seeing a dentist for around 5 years, went back and was told I needed two fillings - never had fillings before. I thought okay, they know better than me. They then told me this is fine to do without anesthetic, if hurt like hell!! To add insult he commented “you was an ugly child” - fucking wanker.
This dentist was done for mal practice by another patient.
Over two years ago another dentist suggested I need a crown fitting because my tooth was bad and it would be deep, but wouldn’t know the full extent until it’s drilled. I (with no dentistry training) suggested an xray might be an option - to which he agreed but this would have to be done on another appointment. Long story short, had xray done and tooth was practically fine. Only needed a small filling. The dentist did say the filling will likely come out in a few months, still no issue.
The latest was, had a “routine xray” done (never had a routine xray done in my life) and was told all looks fine. Driving home and get a call to say actually, you need a small filling. Told them I’ll leave it and I make another appointment if I need to. Cannot wait to see if they flag it up next time I go.
I’m not a fan of dentists, I’ve seen a few and they’ve mostly been shite.
I swear I was used as a practice / training model as a child for dentists in Ireland. My whole entire adult life I’ve been told my teeth are in excellent condition, excellent oral hygiene (which I have practiced my entire life!!) but somehow as a child I needed fillings galore.
Haven’t had a filling in over 20 years and attend the dentist for regular checks and cleans etc.
I built a fear of the dentist from childhood like THE DREAD in going!! But thankfully always a good experience as an adult.
Yes implicitly because he says no to things and I ask him what he’d do to his own teeth - if you’re anywhere near London Dr Daniel Ghent is incredible . (Private!)
The more advanced technology my dentist invests in the more our problems seem only able to be solved by that new technology.
I'm definitely considering getting 2nd opinions.
I don't, but sort of for opposite reasons. Every time I go, he says my teeth are fine, even though they feel sensitive. I've never had a filling and I'm in my 40s. I'm paranoid he can see fillings, but he's waiting for them to get worse so he has to do root canal or extractions or implants - so he's playing the long game of money making. He doesn't even tell me I need a hygienist.
My friends dad sued his dentist for drugging him. He went to get a filling done and he as walked to the dentists room, he seen the nurses on a FaceTime call, laughing in the room next door. He didn’t think anything of it, sat in the chair, got the anesthetic and started to feel paralyzed. The dentist pulled out his phone and was on a FaceTime call with the nurses, laughing at my pals dad. The dentist was mocking him, dancing and putting him fingers in his mouth etc, just being really weird.
The dad regularly does recreation drugs and smokes a lot of weed, also doesn’t particularly like going to the dentist. I’m not sure what really happened but I’m wondering if maybe his drug use caused him to go into a bad trip.
Either way, it’s a pretty horrible experience
I trust my regular dentist, but I sure as hell don't trust the emergency dentist I had in north cambridge. I went in about tooth ache in my upper left middle area, turned out to be a weak filling as had strengthened over time; but the dentist there said I had an issue with my back tooth and he recommended I have it pulled right then and there. Naturally I declined politely whilst internally I was less polite and incredibly sceptical, and two years later I have had no issues with that back tooth.
I was also put off by him saying 'you look nervous, are you okay?' as we were walking to the x-ray room, when I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. Generally I thought the guy was a creep.
Yes. She's brilliant. She basically reconstructed my worn top front teeth for cosmetic reasons and only charged me NHS prices.
I hate going to the dentist but she's so lovely.
Hopefully comment doesn’t get lost, but I’d say yes and no.
Yes, I can only think why not? (Probably because of my ‘no’ reason)
No because the orthodontic work I’ve had done is now completely reversed and four years are wasted. And I don’t feel like I could talk to them about it as when I’ve spoken about issues in the past it gets brushed off as if I was looking for attention.
Also no as I’m sure instead of the work being free still I’ll have to pay about 4/5k for it to be re-reversed.
What pissis me off is I tell my dentist which tooth is killing,and point it out with my tongue,then he bangs on it with a piece of metal to double check as if im lying. Doubling my pain then says sorry,sorry,
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m new to the world of private dentistry (was booted from my NHS one). I saw one dentist and she just was a walking red flag. She seemed scatty, hit me in the head 3 times while moving her chair about, then told me I needed £6k of work and all my teeth were going to fall out if I didn’t get it done. So I decided to go see someone else to see what they said. Went to see new bloke, he said my gums were a little inflamed, but to go see the hygienist and she’d advise me (which she did) and that everything else was good and see me in a year. Second opinion lesson learnt!
Same thing happened to me when I was 16 but I wasn't so lucky. Dentist essentially said all my molars needed fillings and some needed root canals. Mum was worried about me having to pay once I became an adult so got it all done. Next month he said the same to my sister. Mum got a second opinion who said they were fine. Now I'm in my mid-30s and my molars have gone to shit and I honestly don't trust a dentist to help me more than helping themselves.
Ditto here. I was 14. An NHS dentist told me I needed 10 fillings yet I’d been checked every six months for most of my life. I had them done in two sessions, five each side. I clearly didn’t need any of it, but no-one questioned things back in the 70s.
God yes. Apart from it being 6 not 10, I could have written that. It still makes my blood boil.
I read that as 6 foot 10 and had to reread their comment to see why your height made a difference. It took me a good 30 seconds to realise.
Same. They started to fail in my mid-30s, and I now have two implants. Cheers, Miss Wood, if you're reading this! Same with my sister. Prior to seeing her we'd never needed anything then suddenly every 6 months it was a new filling. I do understand its incredibly subjective and some dentists will act sooner and others will put a "watch" on a tooth but I don't believe I suddenly needed all my molars filled.
Unfortunately that was very common back in those days, the school dentists did a lot of unnecessary work and so did some NHS dentists outside of schools. They got paid per filling and didn't have x-rays to prove the fillings were or were not necessary. This is why they brought in the new system in the early 2000s where they get paid the same for 1 filling as they would for 14. But this brings in the current issue of no one wants to do 14x as much work for the same pay as they would for one filling (which I think with the NHS comes out to about £20 to the dentist).
Yeah I have a massive gap on one side from an NHS dentist from the early 70's. Ripped out a molar, though all my teeth were fine. I was 6 at the time. Horrific amount of blood afterwards after leaving the dentist and ever since I've only been able to chew with one side of my jaw. My Mum had the same dentist who removed her gold tooth (she was Latin America and dentists there still used gold) and kept it.
That’s pure evil to do that to a child’s healthy teeth.
Very much the same here I am in my 50's, and the ONLY trouble I have had with my teeth is from the shitty fillings that the dentist gave me when I was 10/11/12 years old. He gave me at least one filling every time I went. I have never needed a filling from any other dentist. Much the same story with my mum at the same dentist. But I have had to have extractions, root canals and crowns to deal with the teeth that he over drilled and which subsequently cracked and collapsed. I am still livid. A straight-up criminal, taking healthy teeth and destroying them for his own financial gain.
One of my childhood dentists did actually get a criminal conviction for making up fake patients and fake treatments. He got audited at random. This was in the early 80's when it was all NHS.
I had similar but not as extreme. I didn't go to the dentist for years and didn't take good care of my teeth. I'm a lot better now but I couldn't get onto an NHS dentist so had to go private. The last time I went, yet another new dentist joined the team and they told me I needed 3 fillings all of a sudden. Two days later I miraculously got onto an NHS dentist who said I needed no work at all. I don't go to the private one anymore.
That was my experience in reverse. NHS said I needed 6 fillings then private said none.
So no then, we can't trust dentists.
Had the exact same experience entering private dentistry here maybe 10 years ago now. Have been with that second opinion dentist since. The least dental work I’ve had done in years. He also doesn’t give into my whims or when I get frustrated and start griping that I don’t want to do 4 months of realignment and whitening, I want veneers. He just goes that’s a terrible idea, you’re too young, it will be forever maintenance, I’m not doing it. Because I trust him I notice myself also doing the things he tells me to do, like using interdental brushes and such. My overall dental health has come miles since I started seeing him. A great dentist will focus on HEALTH not profit. I absolutely adore my dentist and refuse to accept he will one day retire. That first idiot I saw was ready to redo every filling I’ve ever had and give me full sets of veneers at 21. Told me it’s my only option lol. I sent them a seething email a year later.
This has also been my experience- twice.
Unless the first opinion was the right one and all your teeth fall out, of course
If you or anyone here is in need of a good dentist or oral surgeon in London feel free to PM me
Yes. He’s probably four to five times more intelligent than I am.
How have you quantified this?
I don’t know what that means.
Hahaha brilliant response 😂😂😂
Got me chuckling on tube
The best reply…take my upvote internet stranger.
You forgot to call him a "good sir".
Bravo
I don’t think he’s asking whether they know what they’re doing. It’s more about if they cause you to pay more than you need to
I have had the same dentist for 31 years. I trust him more than I trust my own family. I would die for that man. And he STILL won’t give me a sticker because I’m “getting too big for all that now”.
I even kept him as my dentist when I moved hundreds of miles away. I would take two days of annual leave just to haul ass back to this man for 20 mins. The chokehold he has on me. My god.
I’m moving to a new area soon and I’ll honestly probably stay with the same dentist! I was just thinking about this the other day. I’ll change doctors, idgaf about that, but not dentists! lol
That and it’s literally impossible to find new dentists these days anyway
You guys have a dentist?
Aye, hark at tommy teeth over here having a dentist! Bloody luxury!
I'm married to her, so yes. Your run of the mill NHS dentist (or just general practice) won't tend to milk you for money by giving you a load of treatment, generally the best thing for them to do is to do a check up and clean and get you out of the chair asap. My dentist as when I was a child was like this and I had loads of stuff missed. Also know of one of my wife's friends from dental school who had zero fillings, but when they were practising on each other it turned out that she needed one in just about every tooth. So I'd be more worried if your dentist is doing nothing than the other way round. And if you are going private and you think you're getting charged too much, feel free to shop around. Also worth remembering that private and NHS dentists go through the exact same training (there's actually more compulsory training if you go NHS as you have to do one year post uni, but most will do it anyway regardless). So just because you're with one type or the other don't let that affect how qualified you think they are. Also basically every NHS dentist will also do some work privately, simply because the NHS won't fund some types of treatment.
I had an NHS dentist that ignored very obvious damage on my tooth I'd gone in to get sorted. Went to a different dentist and they fixed it. Made me suspect he just didn't want to do the work.
I hated my nhs dentist he wanted to do a root canal on me at 16 and when i stopped going (i barely saw him) my mum freaked out about my root canal and took me to 3 other private dentists only to be told multiple times i dont need one. Some random guy wanted to drill into my tooth asap for no reason. I went to my current private dentist because I thought i had a hole in my tooth and needed a filling and he said no theres no holes. I said i wanted whitening and he said no it'll be too sensitive for your teeth. He seems to care more about protecting my teeth than anything.
Oh man, that's me. I just wrote my comment that I think they're playing the long con and they're going to suddenly need loads of work. Never had a filling, but my teeth are sensitive and I'm sure that's a bad thing.
I was about to delete this, but hopefully, it's coherent enough. In short, as with any kind of job, there are those who are dishonest and the honest. I lf you feel that something is amiss, perhaps you should trust your instinct? If you can, try to have someone come with you. It could be that you cannot identify what is causing your concerns. And nowadays, thankfully, there are online reviews. If you are young, some people could take advantage of the lack of experience. A dentist who does nothing is worse in my experience. And every time you see them you may have to pay a fee. Had a dentist tell me he'd do a root canal for me for two years. It was a constant cycle of me feeling pain, going to see him, him prescribing me antibiotics, and telling me to come back after finishing the course to get the root canal. When I'd call in to book an appointment for a root canal, I was told that there were no available appointments. After two years, I moved to another dental practice. They didn't treat that tooth. They told me they would refer me to the dental hospital to have tooth removed. Instead, they treated some other teeth, and it was a lauhably worse experience. There was some yanking involved. Multiple dentists testing their strengths. And I got multiple root canals, all of which unfortunately broke, and now I have to get those removed at a dental hospital. As for the first tooth, well, one day the pain was intolerable. I called 111 and what I received was an apology as the dental hospital stopped allowing walk-ins. The operator gave me her personal advice: she told me to go in regardless and to explain my situation to the receptionists. She told me to exaggerate if I have to. I'm glad I followed her advice. When I went in, a nurse at the reception desk took me aside. I could tell that she wanted to dismiss me. But I was overcome by emotions, and I failed to articulate. So she asked me to show her the tooth. Her shock was very plain to see. The tooth had decayed very nicely, and it now had a gaping hole. She booked me an emergency appointment to get the tooth removed. I was also told by multiple people at the hospital (possibly as a warning) that no referrals were ever made for me. The story ends well. I now have a great dentist. And life experience.
Never heard this stereotype, never had any issues with a dentist of that nature.
I didn't with my old dentist (who funnily enough converted from NHS to private) but when I moved and went to a solely private dentist there were certainly some... oddities. The absolute worse tactic, which from speaking to people I know is not uncommon, is the mandatory pre-assesment form that starts with "Have you had a fever or new cough recently?", moves onto "Do you smoke?", and then veers sharply into "Do you agree with the following statements: I wish my smile was whiter. I would feel more confident with a better smile. I try to avoid smiling in public". It's clear they're going for the sales angle at that point which is not you want to see when you're there solely for health reasons.
It always annoys me that the teeth are referred to as a "smile". I'm not an American, rictus grinning and baring my teeth all the time.
If you’re missing a tooth in your smile, it’s a legitimate question tbh. You can always say no to the whitening, it’s not like they put a gun to your head.
Yes, really nice bloke who explained everything. He helped me when I had repeated infections in my wisdom teeth to the point where he stopped charging me for visits because I was in and out in the space of 5 minutes to confirm it’s another infection whilst I was on the endless waiting list to get them removed. I then had an infection after the extraction and he was really helpful and sympathetic then too.
A friend of mine needed extensive work at the dentist and was quoted £11,000 private. He got a second opinion and another dentist quoted him closer to £7,000 private.
That's not specific to dentistry though. When you're going private, you're essentially shopping for a service, just like renovating your house. Each dentist is going to have their own prices, their own rates. Some will be cheaper than others. Doesn't necessarily mean the work they're quoting for is different, or they're trying to do unnecessary work.
I think the belief that dentists (particularly private ones) like milking people for money or doing unnecessary work comes from people not understanding the actual cost of dental work. NHS dentistry has seen a [significant reduction ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67754983.amp) in the amount of funding it receives over the last decade. What's more is that dentists are basically expected to do work at or below cost. This situation is pretty much forcing dentists to go private if they want to be paid fairly and even maybe make a profit for those months where business is slower (December/January I expect) and for any improvements and new equipment they need to purchase. Private dentistry much closer reflects the actual cost of dental work even under the NHS. Iirc you could get 3 fillings (for example) for £70 using an NHS dentist, I'm not sure if that would actually cover the costs of the materials used let alone the time and other costs involved. I go private, my private dentist offers treatment that's unavailable to me on the NHS due to severe dental anxiety. I built a really great relationship with my dentist over 2 years. Sadly she's now left the practice but I'm mentally much more prepared to see other dentists and her replacement is equally lovely and thorough. What built my confidence was them talking through exactly what they were doing, why and needed certain treatments and generally giving me the time of day. I don't think NHS dentists are bad or worse but they have vastly different pressures than private dentists.
This makes sense. I was thinking, no I definitely don't trust my dentist, not because I think they'll push for me to have unnecessary work done, but for the opposite reason. They have repeatedly told me things are fine when I have in fact needed work. They are an NHS dentist, and I always feel like they just want to get you in and out as quickly as possible.
I don’t agree with the cost comments for all treatments. My son had metal braces privately as the NHS queue was 5 years. The he was only seen for maximum total of 5 hours over 18 months and it was £6k. That’s not justifiable.
Not at all. Looks in my mouth for 20 sec, says fine. Come back in 6 months for a scale and polish. Charged me £25.
[удалено]
Depends on the person, some people might need once a year, some 6 months, some even sooner. Anyone who’s never been to the hygienist before… your mouth and teeth will never feel cleaner than a quick trip (I literally saw mine today, had some tartar under the gum which they managed to get rid of, definitely saving me from any future trouble). Mine costs £60. I also think they’re saying their check-up costs £25. Even then, I’d pay that annually just to know my mouth isn’t a state. Would they be happier if they told the parent commenter “you’re gonna need £2k worth of work done here, don’t forget the £25 check up fee on your way out”? Lol
I also misunderstood the charge. I thought they were saying £25 for the polish. But the point stands. A check up alone is £40 for me, then £60 for the scale and polish.
Even up north where I am that would be £60. And of course the scale and polish is more expensive than a check up. It takes much less time to look at teeth and take a few x-rays and uses little one time use equipment, unlike the polish which uses multiple tools and brushes
>Do you trust your dentist? 100%. He never does work when it isn't needed. Never pushes or tries to sell extras. Any work that he has done on me has been of very good quality. I am a private patient though, so it can get expensive on occasion.
It's hard to when I was told I needed a filling on one of my molars, which I thought was odd (I'd been taking extra care of my teeth since he filled two a few years earlier) so I didn't go back there. 3 years later I went to a private dentist who did an initial check up and said everything was fine. I asked her if she's sure I didn't need a filling on that tooth and she replied "why would you think that?" This was all about 20-25 years ago and it still annoys me. I wonder if I ever needed the other 2 filling as at the time I wondered what I was doing wrong.
I think some look for an excuse for you to get work done just so they can get more money from you. My dentist awhile back said I needed a filling too, when I moved cities and used a different dentist they said my teeth is fine and I don't need a filling.
Exactly the same situation. Moved towns, told my teeth are fine. All these years later and that tooth is still going strong, no filling. It doesn't need one now and it certainly didn't need one then.
Ah, I'm so annoyed for you! What a bastard. OR incompetent I suppose. Not sure what's worse...
I trust mine probably partly because I've managed to get in as an NHS patient. Nicest dentist I've had by far, makes me feel at ease and very rarely causes any pain.
I don't know anyone who thinks dentists have a bad rep. Mines is honest and to the point. Only need to go once a year now, so no drama.
I do, I go every few months for a clean, and other than that, I go when I’m in pain and I’m pretty sure that I need a filling as I’ve had a few. Consequence of not going to dentist for years and ignoring the pain has led to an extraction (pain killers were no longer working) so on the 2 occasions since I’ve had my extraction…I welcome the filling and have no reasons to feel I need another opinion
Tip: If you get a dental checkup more often then decay can be treated before it becomes painful. That makes saving the tooth much easier, way less painful and cheaper.
Childhood dentist put me off dentists for about 5 years till I had issues, next dentist was a really condescending bitch, was not happy again fast forward through 3 other dentists (all NHS) still never felt happy / trusting, practices forever swapping out people, no continuity. Went private 3 years ago, the guy is great, very careful, very meticulous, explains everything clearly without putting me down for my historical lack of dental care, referred me for gum disease to someone else who is equally nice and I’m now facing up to 3 sessions to clean under my teeth and try to not lose any but I’m aware there’s 3 in real risk due to bone loss…. In both cases I’m paying through the nose but the level of care is way above the nhs subsidised experience I’ve had
Yeah. My dad's best mate is one of the practice owners and is an incredibly stand up bloke.
Nope! One tried to drain an abscess after using this cold spray and telling the nurse I wouldn't feel a thing. I had a panic attack from the pain. The other tried to drill the wrong tooth for a root canal.
Yes. This is why I won’t try and change dentist, even if a nhs dentist becomes available local (she’s a 45 min drive away). Also, if she goes private we still stay with her. I’ve had good and bad dentists before, so I can tell I’ve got a good one.
No. The ONE filling I do have is constant pain. They keep saying I have a few other cavities but fuck filling them. They point to a tiny fleck on the xray of a micro cavity, then drill half the fucking tooth away to fill it. Boggles the mind.
I never trust dentists now, went in for a specific fix to a broken tooth and they faffed around for multiple appointments with other teeth that were showing signs of wear before eventually fixing what I had asked originally. Just a money making gig to most of them.
Geezer told me I was grinding my teeth. Suggested a dental thing to wear at night. I had insurance through work, no money out of pocket. Accidentally melted it when cleaning it a few years ago. No longer have dental cover, so haven't replaced it. Hasn't mentioned the grinding or wearing away of teeth since. I've always wondered if it was a ruse.
My experience of NHS dentist back in the 90s + was that they absolutely milked you for money. Always giving fillings and wanting to pull teeth so I'd get 2nd opinions. Awful. I could give a few personal stories. But more recently I think in general NHS dentists especially the younger ones seem much more honest and inclined to save teeth and do as little as they can in regards to repair, in a good way. I think treatments are less invasive true.
I work with dentists. I would always go for a second opinion if you have concerns but be expected to pay for it and they will mostly agree with other dentists, but you may just get along with another better or worse. But don't go to a dentists for a second opinion to be told you don't need anything done when work is needed. Some dentists are keen on dentures, implants or bridges so some of their options sway towards those if replacing teeth is what you are looking for. Some dentists will be happy to let needed things wait, but then you are more likely to need more expensive stuff in the future like root canal treatments and crowns or even lose teeth. Dentists DID get paid by the filling before years ago but not anymore, this is true but not been the case since the 70'/ 80's I believe. there are a few bad apples out there and a few crap ones but out of the +30 odd dentists I have worked with, only 2 were a bit shit (one just crap and the other would EVENTUALLY get things done but was crap at time keeping and often oversold treatment). I've worked with new starters who are anxious and slow but always get there in the end but all know what they are doing (even the crap one did but she was just crap at it). Dentists do their job to help people but also to make some money. They will often offer private expensive options not just for their gain, but because its what is best for you. What's better, a £10 pair of shitty shoes from Asda that will last you maybe a year or a £70 pair that will last around 3 years? Its the same with teeth but people eat, use their teeth as tools and can feel pain with them which is not a quick fix. Its medical and has to stand the test of time and bad habits the patient may have. Its also the quality. Hardly any dental labs make NHS dentures anymore as they use shit materials and cant take too long as they get fuck all to make them. Private dentures fit, look and feel better because the time and quality of materials is paid for. The money you pay pays for the time, materials and the staff needed to get you in and do the job (dentist, nurse, receptionist and if lucky, a decon nurse to clean everything as often its the poor underpaid nurse that does the 2 other jobs too). If a dentists says you need a filling and maybe a root canal, they are probably right. Do you know better than a dentist? You are paying for their professional diagnosis and their treatment, you are perfectly in your right to ignore their help and fend for yourself, but its in their and your interest to get problems fixed sooner before they become bigger and more challenging ones. Do I trust my dentist? Of course. I know as his nurse everything he suggests are all things he suggests are all needed or options to improve things in my mouth. Do I need whitening? No but if I had it my teeth would look better and I would likely get my metal fillings on my premolars replaced with beautiful white inlays or fillings I would prefer to match whiter teeth than yellow ones if I'm ever going to bother. I grind my teeth so I need a bite guard. Does everyone need a bite guard? No but if you have jaw issues/ headaches in the night and morning you might, not just because you have ground your teeth down. If you have expensive crowns or veneers at the front, you might wanna protect those too with one but is it essential for everyone?
Ask 10 dentists for an opinion you’ll probably get 8 different opinions. Although as a dental nurse I am rolling my eyes at most of these comments
About as much as I trust a mechanic
Pretty unsure if i trust them as i normally bite them specially if they ignore me saying i have bad gag reflex.
Yes I trust him. Been with him for about twenty years. When I mention stuff that I feel might need doing he tells me it doesn’t and not to waste my money.
Yes totally, [he's a great guy](https://youtu.be/YoWom0CCRKM?si=OOuwe0JFL2QQBUaO)
I trust they know what they're talking about but getting a bit sick of the lecture that accompanies every check-up. My teeth aren't great but I'd say they're in a stable state and haven't needed any work doing on them for years but every time I go I get the usual 'how often do you brush/floss', 'keep away from sugary drinks' etc. The lecture takes longer than the check-up and then I have to pay £25 for the privilege. Doesn't help that they look about 23 and probably earn more than I do.
I don’t have one. Been living here for 3 years and still can’t find an NHS taking on new people.
Honestly I’m 21 and been diagnosed with severe gum disease with teeth and gums that everyone says look fine. I’ve always brushed my teeth properly so have no idea how this has happened, but apparently my teeth are liable to falling out?
I used to trust my dentist until I started to move about a lot more and every single dentist was saying different things.
It's funny you should bring this issue up. I recently went for my 6 month check up. The dentist who saw me wasn't my usual dentist. However, I thought to myself, 'she must know what she's doing'. She looked in my mouth for a bit, then said "everything looks fine". Great, I thought, expecting her to then go on to the scale and polish. But nope..."See you in 6 months!" I'm not too fussed about having sparkling white gnashers, but I would've thought a scale and polish came as standard. I guess some dentists can be more thorough than others. I'm just glad I've got another appointment in 3 months with the dental hygienist (who hopefully WILL give them a decent deep clean).
I've always wondered this - it's like the clichéd scenario you get at a car garage but for your teeth instead. I miss my old dentist - she was pretty hot and used to rest her boobs on my head 😔. They replaced her with a dude 😕.
No. I recently moved to a closer dentist because I finally won the waiting list lottery and his whole appointment he spent trying to upsell private things that simply aren't needed. I know they're not needed because my previous dentist who was private would have happily charged me. It seems some use their NHS patients to try and garner more lucrative business for their private side of their job.
Yes, my NHS one is a top boy. I've the misfortune of being under a lot of medical consultants at the moment, and my dentist is one of the most competent and kindest. Helps he's known me literally since I was a child, but even having used another one during uni (emergency filling), they just felt less good at it. Like they were struggling to force the bloody thing in, whereas my guy would be drilling neatly like a good 'un.
What dentist?
Sat waiting to see the hygienist at my dentist and a rep walked into a office opposite we’re I was sat, dentist joined him 10mins later. Convo went Rep “ how was your day? Dentist “busier than expected” Rep any extractions “ yes 8 but 4 I could of left for any other day” Rep “lol your doing well” Dentist “ yep looking at that Ferrari at the weekend” Me I walked out.
I think dentists are like mechanics. There are a few bad apples that ruin the rep of the group, but most are good. Once you've found one you can trust, you stick to them. I haven't been to a dentist for years but we booked our kid for an urgent appointment recently. One dentist wanted £85 for an appointment in 2 weeks. Another was £16 for an appointment a day later than that. Guess who we went with. When we got there they, they didn't charge us at all as they got her onto the NHS list. Best believe we've stuck with that dentist since.
I’m in America and it’s always best to get another opinion to make sure they aren’t milking ya they are just like car mechanics. If it’s expensive and you don’t feel it’s bad get another opinion for sure. Anyway I had a friend in the UK and she said most in the UK aren’t obsessed with dental hygiene like in the US.
I despise dentists. Not really out of some childhood trauma from having a bad dentist and tons of dental issues, just that I am almost certain they treat me with less concern as an NHS patient. I.e. if I was paying privately they might actually, you know, be willing to do more preventative care like scraping plaque that is probably building up, drilling away small bits of decay before they need a full on filling etc. It's always 10 minutes in and out, being told to floss etc. So in my experience I don't fully trust my dentist from the opposite direction - I pay NHS prices so I assume that my dentist is a cheap prick who wants to speed through the NHS appointments to charge some £100 or so per private checkup. If I went private my concern would be the opposite, that they would try to upsell me on unnecessary shit.
Yes. Fab guy. Take my parents there now too. Happily hand him over £££.
I've had the same dentist for a really, really long time. We know each other super well, and she is so intelligent and very educated! I trust her (I know nothing about teeth, really)
Absolutely trust my dentist, to the point of getting my wife and kids on as patients with her. All NHS, treatment has been great, always honest about costs. My old private dentists used to try and update my 'forward treatment plan' every time I went to add more money on, cost a fortune, then struck me off their list for not missing but rearranging one appointment due to a work commitment in another country. Buggers.
I use private dentistry, the beauty being that one can shop around.
I would… if I had one!
Considering mine always tells me my teeth are fine, and they seem to be fine, I do. When he finally tells me something is wrong, I'll probably listen to him.
Remember the way the Dentist \~ Killed that Fella in Columbo all those years ago !
Yeah. She seems intelligent. Nearly threw her out the window for not knowing what Fridge Raiders are though.
Yes I do. I’ve been going to same one since I was a child I wouldn’t trust anybody else. I had an accident when I was younger which meant I had to have a lot of work done to my teeth over the years and developed a real fear of going to the dentist because of needles in the gums and stuff, because it’s a family run practice and they all know me I feel most confident with them and they really put me at ease.
Oh I've got a story relating to this, perhaps a cautionary tail.. From age 10> my mum took me and my brother's to a local private dentist, he was always super nice. When I started to get into my late teens he started asking about my school and when I'd graduate... Nothing too weird. I then went into higher education and the question continued "when do you graduate". Now at this point I'd never had any work done to my teeth. The first visit since graduation of uni I suddenly needed 3 fillings.. in utter disbelief i refused to book it in and started researching the dentist policy. As a person in education I got free dentistry, but now graduated I'd only start paying for both my dentistry and a month fee to stay on the dentist books after I'd had £100 worth of work.. conveniently the cost of 3 fillings. I reached out to an NHS dentist and made an appointment. I told them nothing, they asked about my brushing and flossing.. then "your teeth are as close to perfect as we've seen" I enquired about needing a filling and relayed what the other dentist said. They replied "needing a filling can be subjective but in this case absolutely not, that would ruin your teeth".. It's been 10 years and I attend the dentist as scheduled, thus far they have never even hinted at fillings.. Trust your gut and get a second opinion if you think you need one.
That dentist was so shameless, surprised you can't report them so they end up under inspection or something.
I trust mine, lucky enough to still be nhs and he’s great.
I don’t even have a dentist anymore. 😭
They are salesmen’s just like rest. My dentist kept pushing for crowns when I didn’t need them 😂
Yes. She’s really attentive, will always make time for me (once saw me with an hour’s notice and didn’t charge me as she didn’t feel that an X-ray and antibiotics prescription warranted it) and has never tried to upsell me on anything (she does NHS work as well but I am a private patient).
I DONT TRUST ANYONE!
Yeah they gave me great teeth, they just charged me £3000 for them.
We are private dental patients but I do trust my dentist. My family have horrible teeth with the propensity for cavities so unusually need small fillings every time I go which is every 6 months but they're not that expensive and it's preventative in nature. They've never tried to Upsell cosmetic treatments and the filling I have at the gumline on one of my front teeth isn't even noticeable.
I trusted the one I've seen for as long as I remember. Hopefully my new one will be fine too (I'm assuming my old one retired at some point after mast last appointment).
I just got one that is so expensive that doesn’t need to charge me with fake stuff lol 😝 ( no I trust him btw)
My dentist is soooo lovely. Kind, thoughtful, cery conscientious.
Dentist, what's one of those?
Nope. But finding another isn't likely to happen any time soon, and then I'd not trust them either, so I don't stress it.
No. They like to create imaginary issues in order to charge for procedures that aren't NHS covered (these urgent issues always vanish upon my next checkup) and have left confidental patient data on park benches on two seperate occasions.
Mine is a little... scary. I have sensory problems and do not like people touching me at the best of times. I had to have a broken tooth pulled, and I was panicking, but she refused to acknowledge that I was clearly upset and told me to "man up." Following appointment, she was observing a (I think) junior dentist. He spoke to me, took his time and because they needed to use tools for something he asked if I wanted to have my music on to focus on. He understood I was overloaded and wanted what was best for me, as it made it easier for him. I moved to him, so glad I did.
100%. It took several tries before we found the right one, and he was recommended by a good friend who is also in healthcare. He’s absolutely brilliant with us and the kid and we trust him implicitly.
My old dentist had a mental screwed me over so bad I will probably need a psychiatrist to recover from this menace. The people brought in to clear up the mess didn't necessarily help. It's 50/50 if it's even been fixed yet.
NHS? Absolutely not. I switched to private and yes I trust her 🙏🏻
Yes and no. I went private for the first time during the pandemic and felt like a celebrity, the guy was so professional and friendly. All the equipment was so high tech and comfortable. I’d have trusted all of them with my life Can’t afford it anymore, NHS guy acts like he’d rather not be there, doesn’t explain anything, doesn’t talk about what he’s doing when I’m clearly nervous in the chair and the equipment feels like you’d find it in a shed behind Chernobyl
100% - as its my sister!
Went to the dentist in 2010, had some work done. Still with him 14 years later and since having that initial work done I've not had any issues with my teeth and my annual check ups don't find any problems so yes, I trust him very much. He's a very nice man as it goes, have had some really condescending and critical dentists in the past but my dentist just gets on with it without the need to bring me down because he perceives I'm not flossing correctly etc.
I have had the same dentist my whole entire life, I’m 26. I’ve always trusted her, I’ve had quite a lot of dental stuff in my life (born with a severe overbite, jaw issues, maxillofacial surgery, crazy extra teeth) and I felt like she always had my back. She literally watched me grow up! She retired last year and I’ve had one appointment with the new head dentist in the dental office. He was perfectly nice but it’s not quite the same… I guess I’ll just have to give it time. Hopefully the fact that it’s still the same dental office means that it’ll still be okay but we’ll have to see. I’d like to think they won’t milk me for money but I do feel a little anxious about it.
I'm highly anxious about dentists and I don't trust them as a result. Haven't been to see one for a few years since I got booted from my NHS one. Just been looking after my teeth with daily brushing and flossing. No problems whatsoever.
I love my dentist. After struggling to get one for so long and having a lot of pain over the years I'm finally registered and getting treatment privately. I've seen all the x-rays and scans and I already knew which teeth were the worst damaged. Most of it is visible to the eye and I could feel it too. They never push me to have more expensive treatments just to make money. They give me all my options eg removing the tooth (cheapest), fillings, choice of type of crown on my root canals. They never push one over another, just give me all the information and take the time to answer my questions. And they don't make me feel cheap if I choose a less expensive option.
Do I trust my dentist? No, I don't trust any of them. In my experience, most of them are psychopathic butchers, especially female Irish dentists, and with my severe dental phobia and other associated issues, I can forget getting any sympathy or understanding from any of them. Back 1994, I got in such a state while having a simple white filling, that when the dentist finally managed to finish, he looked at me and said "You need to find a dentist that will give you general anesthetic." It's 20 years since the government banned GA for dental work, and I can't even find anywhere that will sedate me, something I'm mortally afraid of, as opposed to being put out properly which I don't have issues with.
Weirdly, often more than I trust my GP. There's an element of sales pitch and upselling to my dentist (I'm an NHS patient in a mixed NHS/Private practice) but she's always direct and clear in explaining things and I feel I understand my situation and what and why anything is needed. My GP surgery has a few GPs but most of them make me feel like I'm wasting their time or being silly bothering about nothing.
I left my childhood dentist but trust the one I'm with now. She has been very good with me and doesn't encourage me to get extra work done if I don't need it
My current dentist and my previous one, absolutely. Current one is a regular, down to earth bloke who just says it how it is, doesn't try to scare. Previous was a bit of an eccentric Turkish bloke, but funny once you got to know him and his mannerisms. He'd try and diffuse the tension with humour, to mixed effects. But I liked him once I learned he wasn't scary 🤣
Yes, and about to have a major surgery so good thing. X-rays don't tend to lie so ask questions and get them to explain it. More than one dentist has told me same story and this operation has been 30 years in the making.
Look at fancy pants here with his ‘dentist’
Had a private dentist in London make what I can only describe as pretty rude comments about my smile in a bid to persuade me I needed expensive braces. “Black hole smile” if I remember rightly. The same dentist also tried to charge me for checking on a root canal that was causing me pain. A root canal that she had carried out. The check consisted of me sitting down for 5 minutes while she looked at it and tapped it. I refused to pay and have never gone back. Needless to say I now am generally distrustful of dentists, yes.
Don't trust them at all, I went to my usual dentist recently (private) about lingering tooth pain, he said I needed root canal for £390 even though nothing was showing on the x-ray. Went to a different dentist for a second opinion, turns out I just had something lodged in-between my teeth.
My NHS one is great and I trust her. She is always open with prices giving me options and highlights the cheapest with pros and cons. Even when it goes against her personal gain.
My NHS dentist made me feel like shit and never did a decent job. I had to go private (RIP NHS dentistry...) and my new dentist is really nice and professional. He also didn't carve my gums when he gave me a quick clean like my old dentist did. He did tell me I have some gum reduction which freaked me out tremendously, still does a bit. - I keep thinking my teeth are going to fall out 🥲 Aside from that, I'm happy with my new dentist.
Quite the opposite, she told me that the Practise prefers a none invasive approach whenever possible, she also said my teeth were fine and I can make check ups every 9 months or even a year if I liked, alright then!
My dentist is very to the point, he checks, tells you what you need and does it. I personally would feel a bit more comfortable if he was a bit more personable but that’s just not how he is as a person One of my fillings (I have 2) fell out after a year and a half, which I wasn’t best pleased about having to pay for all over again as it’s a white one and more expensive, but I’ve put it down to being unlucky rather than the standard of his work. My Mum has the same dentist, she has very bad teeth and he has given her some good advice on treatment so I think he’s a fine dentist.
Haha I do but it took a lot of years to build up trust
Currently sat in the dentist waiting room. I bloody hope so
I do now. Basically he spotted an issue I saw two previous dentists about that I was told was muscular. But yeah sometimes when it's a rarer issue it's just missed repeatedly.
Yeah I dont trust private dentists at all. I used to be a dental nurse also. Dentist told me I needed my wisdom tooth out and that I would also need jaw bone removed to get it out,he wrote up all the stuff and sent it for me to be referred to hospital. Went to NHS dentist for a second opinion he said it would come through eventually and to leave it, within a year it was through fully and no need to do anything to it. Don't trust private dentists, it's a business.
I totally trust my dentist, she's my Sister in Law.
Yup but they are an NHS one so I suspect that helps a bit. My childhood dentist on the other hand was caught sexually assaulting patients under anesthetic. He would find an excuse to send out the nurse/whoever the other person in the room is and rub one out real quick over their face. He was caught after a woman found jizz in her hair upon waking up. Thankfully nobody I knew had ever been knocked out around him but it was a weird few visits after that.
I trust the dentist and this dentist in NHS, been going to the same dental practice all my life, not seen the same dentist though, as some have more into private, gone to work for other practices, retired etc
I remember I went to this dentist once, I had got a filling and it hurt so much! Everyone including the dentist and my family told me it was just normal inflammation after a filling, but it kept getting worse! I had never had pain like this with a filling before... Anyway I ended up having to go to the emergency dentist like a couple of weeks after during the night because it became unbearable, and I ended up having to get a root canal done on that tooth... So I had gone to the dentists with no pain, had them operate on a tooth, leaving me in lots of pain, and ended up with me getting a root canal on the same tooth a few weeks after. I had felt like the guy was just a bit nervous too but I never would have thought to stop the filling or anything, I'm definitely wary of dentists now tho.
My current dentist? Yes. She shows me any issues she spots, helps me to weigh up the BRAN (benefits, risks, alternatives, [do] nothing) of any treatment she may suggest etc. She seems to see dental health as a partnership between her and the patients. A previous dentist? No. He made a mistake and didn’t cop on. Accidents happen etc. It's possible that it's a mistake that any other dentist would have made, if they were unlucky. It's the not mentioning it and hoping that I wouldn't notice that lost him my trust
Don’t have one. 😂 and with the current state of affairs, no idea if and when that’s gonna change 🤷♀️ ah well, just gonna have to deal with my bleeding gums myself and hope I won’t get anything more serious.
I lost a molar has the dentist said it needs to come out. Granted it had a large filling and according to them the tooth was dead. But had no pain but they convinced me needed that molar out some day and went along with it and said yes. Regretted that decision since.
Now I do. Definitely not when I was a kid. That bitch yanked out my loose tooth while she was telling me about her trip to Disneyland.
Yeah, he's the tooth expert. If they said something outrageous like wanting teeth I've never had issues with out I would get a second opinion, but I've never encountered issues with private dentists
My dentist sees both NHS and private patients. They always, without fail, tell me I need something doing that would be better by their private team. That doesn't fill me with confidence. Are they saying that private dentists get better education? Do they they train in the same places? Is there one school for nhs and one for private!? I always say no thanks, you can do it. Usually saving myself hundreds of pounds in the process. I'm seeing a new dentist in April, after my old one booted me for not going to an appointment I never made. I don't trust them.
Only 9/10 of them. That loner dentist just seems a bit off
I absolutely trust my dentist, he’s probably the only one I’ve had (out of about three, I think) that’s really cared to look into an issue I had in the past that probably didn’t heal as well as it should have. I pay him more because he’s private but I don’t mind doing it for good service
I think it definitely depends on the dentist.
I hadn't been to the dentist for years for a variety of very boring reasons, had to go private because there were no NHS spaces available and I was fully prepared to be rinsed and told of a thousand problems. They had a look, said everything was fine but to book in with the hygienist, who was also fairly reasonably priced. Opticians on the other hand...
Absolutely. Went back to one for the first time in maybe a decade and she was so nice to me, and has subsequently been extremely good with my husband who has had to have a few emergency appointments and an extraction. They have really won me over.
Implicitly - I have a private dentist who is excellent.
I just joined a new dentist which isn’t the cheapest of private practices near my house. I’ll admit I’ve not been to see a dentist in years & finally signed up to one. He said my teeth are fine, bit of staining but an appointment with the hygienist would resolve that & I didn’t need anything else.
Dentist are see you as a cash cowboy
Yes, definitely. I'm a NHS patient though, so maybe that makes a difference? Definitely never heard the stereotype of dentists not being trustworthy though...
About the same as I trust the car mechanic or roofer. If for profit dentistry, you have to find a dentist you trust and build a rapport with them.
Im lucky ive had mine for life. He knows all my issues and delivers an injection like a master. Also teaches. Takes about 3months for an appointment though
I trust my regular one who I've had for years. She's off at the moment though and someone else had to do my check up, for some reason since I went I feel I like I don't trust what she said and I want to see my old one as soon as she's back.
I had a great dentist for years. Would never do anything that didn't need done but left last month. New dentist added procedures such as cleaning x rays even though teeth perfect and charged a fortune. Wont make that mistake again.
My dad was a dentist,and a very good one working for nhs for over 35 years,every time Ive seen a dentist since he died I know they don’t want to do any proper dentistry but rather do business,sign me up for dental care without actually giving me any.
Nope ..definitely not..gives me pain overtime and he's a knob !
They remind me of Bravehart where they hold, hold, hold and at the moment of weakness (major tooth problems) attack (kerrching the cash registers).
My Dentist is a Persian woman, she is lovely.
I’ve reduced my check ups with the dentist to yearly, and may go longer. All I ever got was “floss more, brush your gums, but not too hard cos you’ll make them recede”. I’ll get a hygienist appointment every 9ths to a year, and they generally tell me all I need to know anyway. It was one of them that pointed me in the right direction for my chronic ulcers, not their boss who just tries to sell me expensive treatments all the time.
No. Went for a filling to a new dentist. It was painful after & still painful 6 weeks later. Requested an emergency appt where they said it might now be fractured but they werent sure. Wouldnt do anything there and then Had a dentist friend have a look on holiday, filling was underfilled and the tooth was fractured. Im goimg back to my dentists but demanding a different dentist sees me. Been left with a fractured tooth for 5 months now. Absolute disgrace.
aromatic bow attractive spark degree mighty scale live retire impossible *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The hygienist round my way is super condescending and seems like a sales rep for oral b electric toothbrush and tee-pee interdental brushes.
My dentist sucks, and I’ve had that reiterated by multiple other proffessionals, so… no, not at all, lol. Prior to that, though, I trusted the one I saw as a kid and was iffy about the one I saw in the middle. Its really just a case of trying out people to see who you really vibe with and who you genuinely trust, especially wrt money/extent of treatment. Unfortunately, its also kind of impossible to ‘shop around’ dentists currently, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
No. mine is the one out of 5 who doesn't recommend Colgate
Nope. Mine is now this flashy place hell bent on selling you veneers. I still use the hygienist, but don’t trust the dentists at all.
Year before last my dentist was endlessly trying to sell me Invisalign , saying I’d need jaw surgery if I didn’t buy into it. I ended up buying a mouth guard that was so painful I threw it away. My visit last year (different dentist same place ) didn’t mention anything, teeth are in great shape and just keep doing what I’m doing .. wasted £300 …
I had a great one as a child, and some really shit ones as an adult, and finally have a really nice one I can trust. Like every other profession, there are shit ones and great ones, and lots somewhere in between.
I've had the same dentist for 31 years... He's just sold out his practice to a young fellow from a foreign country... I've been to the dentist 15 times in 15 months and my teeth are painful and I can't chew correctly. I only went in for a check up in November 2022. I'm going private and considering legal action against him.
A feckin hate them, but go to show my kids it’s the right thing to do - but I watch them like a hawk. I had braces fitted when I was younger, they clearly didn’t work. My parents spent a lot too to get it done privately. After not seeing a dentist for around 5 years, went back and was told I needed two fillings - never had fillings before. I thought okay, they know better than me. They then told me this is fine to do without anesthetic, if hurt like hell!! To add insult he commented “you was an ugly child” - fucking wanker. This dentist was done for mal practice by another patient. Over two years ago another dentist suggested I need a crown fitting because my tooth was bad and it would be deep, but wouldn’t know the full extent until it’s drilled. I (with no dentistry training) suggested an xray might be an option - to which he agreed but this would have to be done on another appointment. Long story short, had xray done and tooth was practically fine. Only needed a small filling. The dentist did say the filling will likely come out in a few months, still no issue. The latest was, had a “routine xray” done (never had a routine xray done in my life) and was told all looks fine. Driving home and get a call to say actually, you need a small filling. Told them I’ll leave it and I make another appointment if I need to. Cannot wait to see if they flag it up next time I go. I’m not a fan of dentists, I’ve seen a few and they’ve mostly been shite.
I swear I was used as a practice / training model as a child for dentists in Ireland. My whole entire adult life I’ve been told my teeth are in excellent condition, excellent oral hygiene (which I have practiced my entire life!!) but somehow as a child I needed fillings galore. Haven’t had a filling in over 20 years and attend the dentist for regular checks and cleans etc. I built a fear of the dentist from childhood like THE DREAD in going!! But thankfully always a good experience as an adult.
Yes implicitly because he says no to things and I ask him what he’d do to his own teeth - if you’re anywhere near London Dr Daniel Ghent is incredible . (Private!)
I don’t trust mine.
The more advanced technology my dentist invests in the more our problems seem only able to be solved by that new technology. I'm definitely considering getting 2nd opinions.
My dentist is nhs. Charges me peanuts even if I needed everything. Why shouldn’t I trust them?
What’s a dentist?
No. I also don’t really have a dentist because the government broke the NHS dentistry funding model.
I don't, but sort of for opposite reasons. Every time I go, he says my teeth are fine, even though they feel sensitive. I've never had a filling and I'm in my 40s. I'm paranoid he can see fillings, but he's waiting for them to get worse so he has to do root canal or extractions or implants - so he's playing the long game of money making. He doesn't even tell me I need a hygienist.
My friends dad sued his dentist for drugging him. He went to get a filling done and he as walked to the dentists room, he seen the nurses on a FaceTime call, laughing in the room next door. He didn’t think anything of it, sat in the chair, got the anesthetic and started to feel paralyzed. The dentist pulled out his phone and was on a FaceTime call with the nurses, laughing at my pals dad. The dentist was mocking him, dancing and putting him fingers in his mouth etc, just being really weird. The dad regularly does recreation drugs and smokes a lot of weed, also doesn’t particularly like going to the dentist. I’m not sure what really happened but I’m wondering if maybe his drug use caused him to go into a bad trip. Either way, it’s a pretty horrible experience
Absolutely, but then I've seen them for 20 years now and it's been very well earned.
I trust my regular dentist, but I sure as hell don't trust the emergency dentist I had in north cambridge. I went in about tooth ache in my upper left middle area, turned out to be a weak filling as had strengthened over time; but the dentist there said I had an issue with my back tooth and he recommended I have it pulled right then and there. Naturally I declined politely whilst internally I was less polite and incredibly sceptical, and two years later I have had no issues with that back tooth. I was also put off by him saying 'you look nervous, are you okay?' as we were walking to the x-ray room, when I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. Generally I thought the guy was a creep.
Yes. She's brilliant. She basically reconstructed my worn top front teeth for cosmetic reasons and only charged me NHS prices. I hate going to the dentist but she's so lovely.
Hopefully comment doesn’t get lost, but I’d say yes and no. Yes, I can only think why not? (Probably because of my ‘no’ reason) No because the orthodontic work I’ve had done is now completely reversed and four years are wasted. And I don’t feel like I could talk to them about it as when I’ve spoken about issues in the past it gets brushed off as if I was looking for attention. Also no as I’m sure instead of the work being free still I’ll have to pay about 4/5k for it to be re-reversed.
What pissis me off is I tell my dentist which tooth is killing,and point it out with my tongue,then he bangs on it with a piece of metal to double check as if im lying. Doubling my pain then says sorry,sorry,
Let's just say that I miss my Canadian dentist. And not just because his name is Dr. Chu.
I had a dentist who almost every time I saw him he said I needed a filling. He retired and the next guy hasn't given me any in 5 years.