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NHS Scotland patients and COVID

Judythecat

Judythecat

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 7, 2018
Messages
631
Hello, I wondered if any dentist might be able to help, please? I am an NHS patient in a surgery that has NHS and private care. I dip in and out of private treatment - eg, I always get an airflow jetwash instead of a regular scale and polish - but am generally happy with NHS care, and my dentist is absolutely super.

My dental surgery (which is part of a chain) emailed today suggesting NHS patients might want to book a private checkup due to current restrictions. If I did that, could it be a one off, or would I lose my NHS “space”? It would still be with my regular dentist, who is great, and I can’t imagine she is going to suddenly become greater just because I pay £50. If I did need treatment, would that need to be paid privately? (My partner has been made redundant, so money is currently a bit tight until he finds something else - not easy in the current climate.)

I was in in July to get a new mouthguard fitted, and my dentist did a “visual inspection” of my teeth, plus the BPE poky thing, and all was fine - but I know this isn’t a full exam. I usually have three month checkups due to atypical facial pain, although my teeth are clinically sound. My last proper checkup was in January.

Thank you for reading if you did, and any help would be much appreciated!
 
NHS Scotland registration is for life, so you won't lose your place by not having an NHS exam for a while.
HOWEVER, NHS dentists are fully allowed to do exams at the moment, so I can't see what advantage you would gain by paying for a private one?
 
Thanks @Gordon - the email said they are only seeing patients in pain or who were in treatment during lockdown. No checkups. I might ring and see what they say.
 
I rang and was told there is no NHS funding for checkups, and they won’t start until next year. Private will be £45 plus £7 for PPE. My dentist actually wasn’t in, so someone is going to call back tomorrow.
 
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That seems to completely differ from the advice on that NHS Scotland website...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Okay, that’s interesting, thank you. Funnily enough, and I may be wrong, but I got the sense that the receptionist thought my dentist might actually do me an NHS checkup based on my situation. She was the person I was ringing up every week in searing pain during my terrible year, before I was diagnosed with AFP, so is well versed in my woes! I didn’t get a call back today, and if I don’t hear anything by midweek I will ring again.
 
Just updating to say my dentist called me today. She reiterated that they weren’t allowed to do NHS checkups, and said they weren’t offering them routinely even privately. She said she was happy with my teeth at the “visual inspection”, and gum-wise I had absolutely no tartar, but she would see me privately if I wanted due to my neuralgia.

We agreed to leave it to December, so six months-ish after the semi checkup, and because their books aren’t open that far off, they will contact me mid-November. She said she expected it to be 2021 before they are allowed NHS checkups.

That at least gives me time to save up! She did confirm I would remain an NHS patient which is good news.

(Editing to add, I really rate my dentist, so none of this is in any way intended to be critical of her, or the surgery - they were genuinely amazing when I was there in pain about 150 times over 12 months, consistently saying my teeth were fine.)
 
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