Dentists!!

[robglysen]

Hi,
How ya all doin!?
Can anyone fill me in on what the situation is with dentists in caithness?
I live in reay and work at dounreay so whats my best option?
Thank you for your replies guys
Rob

[Bill Fernie]

You have a choice of Private Treatment or NHS treatment.

There is shortage of dentists availabe in Caithness as in many parts of the country.

If you want to try The NHS you need to intially phone the Dental Helpline Dental Helpline 0845 6442271 and aks if they can direct you to a NHS dentist. There is new Dental Clinic called Lochshell Dental clinic but as it only opened a few weeks ago it has long way to go to work through the backlog.
check with the dental helpline as soon as possible. The new unit at the Wick Business Park will eventually make dent in the wating lists but it will not be quick. They will not deal with you direct at the dental unit for appontments. they will refer you to the Dental Helpline. They are contacting people who are already on the NHS waiting list.

Private treatment may be avialable and you will need to check if they can take you and you may have to agree to pay a monthly charge to be on their books.

Check round and get prices before you decide. If you do not need immediate treatment or can wait then you might decide to wait until the NHS system can deal with you.

If you have dentist in another area you may not want to give this up until you are registered somewhere in Caithness. Some folk are still travelling hundreds of miles to a dentist they have in the place they used to live before moving to Caithness.

From a treatment and financial view point you need to collect all of the possibilities and then compare to see what you want and how much it will cost.

[pjyemail]

i'm also looking for a dentist, i'm a member of highland dental plan so looking to change dentist, can anyone tell me where to try

thanks

peter

[badger]

What you get back under Highland Dental Plan depends on the individual dentist so make sure you check it out. I found this out the hard way. If you go private, which you will almost certainly have to, be prepared to pay a lot (and I mean a lot) of money. The alternative is DIY which some people have resorted to in desperation. So much for the NHS.

[Cazaa]

If you go private, which you will almost certainly have to, be prepared to pay a lot (and I mean a lot) of money. The alternative is DIY which some people have resorted to in desperation. So much for the NHS.

How much is a lot (and I mean a lot) of money? Is it as much as private car MOT, road tax, new tyres? Or is it as much as private Electricity, Gas, coal, etc? Or as much as private food, drink, clothes, etc.

What I mean is: Are you getting good value for what you are paying for? And how long does the treatment last for (does the filling last as long as the spare tyre that costs the same price?)

And how do I DIY my own root-canal treatment?

Only curious

[Alice in Blunderland]

My quote for four crowns ( need replaced ) a bridge (for one tooth) and a couple of fillings ......oh plus a scale and polish.......£ 1,700 :eek: and the fillings arent gold. I think my daughter should be a dentist keep her old mum in nice teeth when shes older.

I should be having them all pulled and have plastic ones instead no more major expense, as they dont give you a guarantee with the work. :roll:

[bagpuss]

Don't be too sure- a relative had a quote for over a thousand pounds for replacement dentures.

Highland Dental Plan costs me under £30 per month and covers everything except implants, crowns and reconstructions- and I consider it money well spent

[bagpuss]

Alternatively sign up for 'Look ten years younger'- the best bit each week seems to be the cosmetic dentistry!

[pjyemail]

under the plan you dont get as much work done as they are being paid anyway. i came to conclsion that dentists were saying you need work done for the sake of it, at least with the plan you get what is needed done. all extra you pay for is lab work.

[pjyemail]

bagpuss which dentist do you go to as i need to change dentist

[badger]

How much is a lot (and I mean a lot) of money? Is it as much as private car MOT, road tax, new tyres? Or is it as much as private Electricity, Gas, coal, etc? Or as much as private food, drink, clothes, etc.

What I mean is: Are you getting good value for what you are paying for? And how long does the treatment last for (does the filling last as long as the spare tyre that costs the same price?)

And how do I DIY my own root-canal treatment?

Only curious
Problem with dentistry is that you can't budget for it, unlike all the other things you mention. However well you look after your teeth, toothache or a broken filling or whatever can happen any time and cost you a fortune. As for DIY, I've heard several stories of people removing their own teeth - remember that man on tv a while ago? Obviously there are things you can't do but I once had an extraction because it was cheaper than a filling. Didnt' do it myself as I'm not that brave.

I know some people get all their treatment free on Highland Dental Plan but it does depend on the dentist as it seems they each set their own rules.

[Spirit]

I too am in desperate need of a dentist. I hadn't been for years because of the lack of dentists in the county until recently and had to resort to phoning the emergency dental helpline. The first time, a few months ago they gave me a temporary filling and told me I would have to get to a dentist to get it done permantly within approx 6 months. However I had to phone again a few weeks ago with another problem, this time they took the tooth out, knocking out a permanent filling at the same time. He asked me to come back so he could sort the filling, but he only gave me a temporary one and again told me I would need to see a dentist to have it sorted permanently. I am still in pain nearly two weeks later.
I refuse to pay £15 per month to Bridge End plus the outragous cost of the detal work that I would need.
I recently joined the NHS waiting list but I believe there's thousands waiting and the new dentist in Wick is not going to be able to cope with all of it.
And if I continue to phone the emergancy helpline they are going to continue pulling teeth or giving temporary fillings which is not resolving the problem only the short term pain.

What is the Highland Dental Plan?? How/where can I get more info etc??

[badger]

Highland Dental Plan sounds as if it's some kind of national scheme linked to the NHS but in fact it's just another private scheme run by the dentists themselves and each one decides their own premiums, based on your projected treatments, and their own level of benefit. Mine was only offering 10% off treatment costs which I didn't think was worth it. I know another one charges quite a bit more monthly but the plan pays for everything. That's why I said earlier you need to get all the details before committing.

Boots have three levels of premiums - NHS and two Private. If you're with a private dentist you have to pay the private premium and what you get back depends on whether you pay the lower or higher premiums. Either way you don't get it all back and can reach the benefit ceiling quite easily.

So it's a no win situation for us poor patients. As a pensioner I get very angry that I have paid Nat.Ins. contributions all my life and can't get NHS dental care. Best advice is to get pregnant and have as much treatment done as you can.

[North Rhins]

The Missus and I have been waiting five months to get onto the local NHS Dentist List in Stranraer. Apparently there has been a large influx of Polish dentists to Dumfries & Galloway.
We’ve got our first appointments with them next month. Now we’ve seen their names, I reckon if you got any of them in scrabble it would be worth about sixty points.

[Cazaa]

Problem with dentistry is that you can't budget for it, unlike all the other things you mention. However well you look after your teeth, toothache or a broken filling or whatever can happen any time and cost you a fortune.

And a flat/worn tyre? Do we normally budget for that when buying a car?

Do we budget for a ripped sleeve or worn sole when buying new clothes/shoes?

We're talking about your health here for goodness sake. You CAN and SHOULD budget for it but, hey, only if you think it's necessary.

[Spirit]

Best advice is to get pregnant and have as much treatment done as you can.

Most of my problems started when I was pregnant. Being pregnant never helped me get a dentist or any treatment.
Several years ago my brother was treated by dentists at the hospital and I have heard others talking about it. Not as an emergancy but routine treatment like a commuity dentist. My brother had all his teeth removed and given dentures but it had something to do with his condition andwas started by Aberdeen Hospital and work completed up here. Do you have to have an illness or special circumstances to be treated via the hospital?

[Murdina Bug]

The hubby and I are members of the Highland Dental Plan which we joined when we were part of the Andrews and Gordon practice in Thurso. When they closed for business HDP transferred us to Mr Erridge at The Bridges in Wick. So if you are a member ask the HDP to find you a dentist.

It is a private plan but covers all treatment including checkups (except technician fees I think) and is generally cheaper than the private schemes which the dentists offer themselves. As it is cheaper for the patient then you will find that the dentists themselves probably don't push it - in fact I don't know if they even offer it anymore but, as existing members, we got a transfer to another list. I believe the fee is set after an initial consultation at which your teeth are graded against a set scale (eg how many fillings - how much potential work in the future). Ask your dentist if they offer it.

[badger]

Don't assume HDP covers all treatment. As I said earlier, it does with some dentists but definitely does not with others. Each practice sets its own rules. I have friends who are with Bridges and are covered for everything but I also still have a written quote from another dentist who only gives you 10% of the total for most treatments.

[pjyemail]

phoned the bridges today and got an appontment in three weeks time. so will see how i get on at transfering my HDP membership. i pay about £14 a month which covers everything except lab fees.