Re: dental care the UK is third world

I have started a FB page for those using NHS dentistry "Support/Info for NHS dentistry patients". Having had to visit a dentist once every 8 days in the last 18 mo's due to health issues I've learnt a lot & am amazed how uninformed NHS patients are. 90% of NHS dentists are now also offering private treatment but too many patients are unaware that these are also offered by the NHS and dentists (quite shockingly) are often not aware either. I hope the info will help some thru the quagmire, it is publicly available to anyone on FB. I would put it up here but it's probably too big!

++ ah wait! I did put some of it up here last yr http://www.over50sforum.com/showthre...ntistry&page=3 just the FB page is more up to date. You can also find it here with extra info for those with allergies (which is my problem) http://www.ei-resource.org/support/f...stry-with-mcs/

Inform yourself - it becomes a massive battle to get decent affordable treatment as you get older, and especially if you are not a straight-down-the-line patient.

Re: dental care the UK is third world

You are absolutely spot on Realist. I grew up in the 1950's - our dentist would say to " you dont' eat many sweets do you?" which was true - no one could afford such luxuries. But then proceed to fill our teeth anyway.. to the point where you almost felt they weren't doing their job properly if you didn't get a filling. Mouthful of mercury amalgams, it turns out they are all leaking mercury into my bod bigtime and and 40 yrs later I have 3 x more than avg mercury in my system & have to have them all removed. A dentistry professor at UCL told me to have them out, that I would feel much better if I did, which turned out to be true. Interestingly he was also a g'ment advisor on NHS dentistry...but clearly has not advised them on this point, or more likely he did but they took no notice.

Re: dental care the UK is third world

I have a Polish friend who has lived here in the country for 12 years, he has a perfect set of teeth and keeps them that way by visiting his dentist in Warsaw. He says it is cheaper to pay the airfare and dental costs there, than the dental costs alone here.

Re: dental care the UK is third world

I don't think so.
This is 3rd world dental care.

Re: dental care the UK is third world

It's not just an issue it's frikkin' scandal. Talk to your MP and demand to know how exactly you are supposed to get dental treatment when you don't have the cash to travel to the next-county-but-one for it. As you get older you need more frequent trips. Dentures for instance can take as many as 20 visits a month when you first get them as getting them to fit properly can be extremely difficult. In the meantime you can't eat.

Re: dental care the UK is third world

Out of interest what did you mean by the above statement? That you have the mercury fillings removed, or all the teeth with fillings removed?

Re: dental care the UK is third world

Lovely! but this is the world's 5th largest economy - dentistry in this country is shoddy compared to where it should be.