View Full Version : another dentist thread
NickInTheNorth
31-Jan-08, 13:00
Given the length of the waiting list for NHS dentists here in Caithness I just wondered what everyone thought about the discriminatory way in which pregnant women and "nursing mothers" (women within 12 months of giving birth) can simply jump the queue and get registered immediately?
We had to take the children to the dentist yesterday for a check up as they had just been registered. While we were there Jill was told to register and book for a check-up. None of the 4 children (including Euan who is 6 months old and has no teeth) need any remedial work done thankfully. However the two oldest ones will be getting fissure sealing done.
Meanwhile I have spent the last 3 months with intermittent tooth ache, all the problems are associated with previous "emergency treatment".
The point of the rant - well it would appear that the chances of me ever getting registered with an NHS dentist again and somewhere between slim and non existant. There are something like 6000 between me and the head of the list, but even worse every woman that joins the list after me, but is either pregnant or a nursing mother simply leapfrogs all those waiting.
I know there are physiological reasons why women in these categories need to have dental services available, but why can they not simply be registered for the period of the pregnancy and 12 months thereafter, and then simply rejoin the waiting list in the appropriate place?
My friend who is pregnant asked about getting registered with NHS dentist and she was advised that she would have to go on the waiting list same as everyone else.
philupmaboug
31-Jan-08, 14:15
You could try getting pregnant Nick....more chance than getting on the list one thinks ;-)
NickInTheNorth
31-Jan-08, 14:33
if you saw me you may think I already was :)
Spring Flower
31-Jan-08, 16:06
i am expecting too and was told i had to go on the waiting list - i will however phone up and ask why this was being offered to some and not others as i am currently private and costs a fortune!
Oh does anyone know the number to check where on the waiting list you are?
I finally got an NHS dentist when i was expecting Lauren but I was on the waiting list for about 5 years before hand!
I am going to find out where hubby is on the list as he joined the waiting list same time as me but hasnt got a dentist yet
Buttercup
31-Jan-08, 16:17
As far as I'm aware everyone who was registered with a NHS dentist in Caithness, that closed down, is already on the waiting list. That's what the helpline told me anyway. I've been waiting since Mr Andrews closed (something like 6 or 7 years) and have just recently been seen.
hi all i was on the waiting list for 4 years yes 4 years and after suffering very bad i kept on phoning the dental helpline to ask were i was on the list only to be told 89th i said it was terrible then out of the blue 2 weeks later i recive a letter saying that i have got an appointment eventually. it is at helmsdale my husband got seen last year there to after 4 years we did both register at the same time so we now have diffrent dentist at helmsdale so we have to travell down next month 13 for hubby 15th for me still we have a dentist keep phoning them all the time i think that is how i got seen good luck .
we somehow ended up about 70 places apart on the waiting list (phoned on the same day about an hour apart) but we have recently moved house and the list of handy nos has vanished!
Murdina Bug
31-Jan-08, 16:44
[quote=NickInTheNorth;331987]Given the length of the waiting list for NHS dentists here in Caithness I just wondered what everyone thought about the discriminatory way in which pregnant women and "nursing mothers" (women within 12 months of giving birth) can simply jump the queue and get registered immediately?quote]
Women who are pregnant or given birth in the past year are entitled to free NHS treatment all right but it does not give them any 'rights' to jump any waiting lists!! When I was pregnant I was not able to access any NHS dentistry and no-one made any efforts on my behalf to assist with this. Are you making this comment based on an experience that you know someone has had or are you just assuming that pregnant women will get preferential treatment?
NickInTheNorth
31-Jan-08, 16:57
My apologies, I haven't made the point as clearly in my opening post as I thought I had.
Myself and Jill had ourselves added to the waiting list at the same time. October last year.
In November Jill (Mrs NickIntheNorth) had a tooth extracted as an emergency patient. At the time she asked about registration and was told that she would just have to wait patiently on the waiting list the same as anyone else.
Yesterday when we took the children to the dentist, including our youngest Euan, who is 6 months old. She was told by the dental nurse (or whatever the assistant in the surgery is called) that she should call at reception on the way out and make an appointment for herself as she was a nursing mother. She did as she was told and is now registered and having a checkup in two weeks time!
you should be delighted for her and should just have to annoy the people on the other end of the waiting list phone as much as i obviously did to get a dentist ( dont think being pregnant helps when on the phone but needing root canal treatment gave me the first step closer to getting a dentist)
NickInTheNorth
31-Jan-08, 17:18
I am delighted for her, I am less delighted for me and anyone else unfortunate enough not be be pregnant or with 12 months of delivering a baby.
I know there are reasons why women in those groups need dental care but given the disgusting state of dental care in Caithness just now I do not see why one group should be permanently advantaged to the detriment of others.
Yes provide a proper level of care during the important period of time. Then put them back to their genuine waiting list position. Fairer all round!
NickInTheNorth
31-Jan-08, 17:20
As another thought, why not scrap registration, and allow anyone needing treatment to phone and book an appointment.
That way we all get treated fairly by the NHS rather then a 2 tier system.
Dadie:
Dental Helpline
Should you experience difficulties in registering or accessing emergency care for NHS Dental treatment, please contact the NHS Dental Helpline on 0845 6442271
or e-mail DentalHelpLine@hpct.scot.nhs.uk (DentalHelpLine@hpct.scot.nhs.uk)
thanks bekismam
I think I should update hubbys details on the list otherwise he will never get a dentist!
strange how somethings are forgotten about when you move!
ps nick in the north the moving back on the waiting list would not have done me any good I would have only been on the list for 3 months as i am pregnant again and Lauren will be not far of her 2nd birthday when this one is due in May!
As another thought, why not scrap registration, and allow anyone needing treatment to phone and book an appointment.
That way we all get treated fairly by the NHS rather then a 2 tier system.
Excellent idea Nick and as such...... way,way too logical!:roll:
I think I have spotted a career opportunity though and am heading north with my pliers and some strong string!:D
i waited 7yrs on the waiting list and now travel to helmsdale from wick for any treatment or checkups on the nhs. whilst down waiting for the bus back up i met a man who was catching the bus to wick for his nhs appointment.............pure madness!!![mad]
Agreed Nick - pregnant women shouldn't be queue-jumping but it's not clear to me from this thread if they are - but toothache is agony regardless of your gender or reproductive status.
Is the whole of Caithness going to the dentist in Helmsdale? How does he manage to fit us all in? I didn't see a dentist for several years after Gordon and Andrews retired then I got my act together and found the best dentist I ever had in Inverness, but he was private. In the meantime I phoned the Dental Helpline and put my and OH's names on waiting list, never expecting to hear anything. It was about 2 years later more or less that they phoned us out of the blue and we've gone to Helmsdale ever since, except once when he gave me an emergency (same day) root canal job in Wick. I asked if I could transfer to his Wick practice but he said not because I'm registered in Helmsdale.
Best to go private if you can afford it if your teeth hurt. Sadly that's not an option for many I know. And it depends on priorities but I'd rather pay for a dentist than have fancy haircuts, holidays etc.
Hasn't the new place in Wick made a difference to waiting list lengths?
My apologies, I haven't made the point as clearly in my opening post as I thought I had.
Myself and Jill had ourselves added to the waiting list at the same time. October last year.
In November Jill (Mrs NickIntheNorth) had a tooth extracted as an emergency patient. At the time she asked about registration and was told that she would just have to wait patiently on the waiting list the same as anyone else.
Yesterday when we took the children to the dentist, including our youngest Euan, who is 6 months old. She was told by the dental nurse (or whatever the assistant in the surgery is called) that she should call at reception on the way out and make an appointment for herself as she was a nursing mother. She did as she was told and is now registered and having a checkup in two weeks time!
Nick, I think this is the exception rather than the rule. I asked about dental care when I was expecting no.1, to be told that yes, I was entitled to free care, however if I wasn't yet registered, it was unlikely I'd be seen before my free treatment period was up. No.2 is now 19mths, and I've still not seen a dentist. :roll:
If it was anyone else who queue jumped, I'd complain, but if it's your own wife, do you really want to be opening up that can of worms? As I said, and judging by the previous posters, it appears to have been a "lucky" exception for Jill.
I think it could be another case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.
for me last june/july i had an emergency appiont about a problem that they couldn't deal with and refferd me to an othodontist in inverness, but the upshot was in the between time they schedualed me for another 6 visits to make up for, and do some needed work that had built up in the 6 years with no treatment.
On the last two appiontments asked if i was being kept on the books and registered, was told the first time yes and the second time no, also asked about the rest of my family and was told they were goign through alphabetaclly and they were on B and as we are all M's not to expect anything for a long time, glad they were honset, was still angry though.
Now im am on two lists the regular dentist registration which could be god no's how long and a othodontic treatment list though i have been told that will be 18 months to two years, so if i can afford it in the mean time i will go private for my treatment still and long way off though lol!
Wow just read that back what a long rant oh well good to get off my chest
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