Gob-smacked !

Just finished a term of dental treatment. Three visits:

Rabbit...

Yep good value and from what I read becoming a rarity as more dentists opt
out of the NHS. I believe somebody was selling their NHS dentist's
appointment on Ebay the other week :-)

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

Of course my dentist can afford to be cheaper since they've dispensed with
the cost of sending out reminders for your next appointment. They give you
a pretty coloured card with the month and year for you to 'phone them to
make an appointment for your next visit. They charge for people who fail
to keep there appointment, and had a notice in the waiting room stating
that 7 hours worth of visits were missed last week. I've never seen more
than two patients in the room at any one time, and that's including me, so
they must be keeping to their timetable (most unusual) or they don't have
many patients.

Jackie...

I have to go for a check-up tomorrow FN and a friend who also goes there
said be prepared for a long wait,
she had to wait for over an hour and he was seeing patients for all of that
time. I usually have to wait for 1/2 hr.
While she was there people were ringing-up asking if they could take on new
patients and the answer was definitely `no`.

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

My appointment was for 16-30. I arrived at 16-25 announced my presence and
was instructed to go to the upstairs waiting room. There was one patient

Jackie...

I went to the Dentists today and only had to wait 15 mins. Just an
inspection clean and scale and it cost me £15.04
Ted asked what the 4p was for - I said I expect it was for the tissue I used
to mop-up with!! Next appointment made for 8 months time.

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

Yep! I was checking my last couple of bills.
Inspection £5-84 last July and Inspection + scale and polish £14-52
December 2004.

There was a notice up in the waiting room, yesterday, and I'm pretty
certain it said that from 1st April an examination would be just over £15.

Jackie...

Thats just for the examination???

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

I might have mis-read it, but doesn't the new pricicing system come in on

Jackie...

I didn't see any notices about new pricing FN so perhaps it is £15 for
examination then extra for scaling and cleaning?

1st April?

there already, so I thought I'd have to wait. He was called in to another
dentist. I was in the surgery within 5 minutes of arriving. The dentist
put a couple of injections in the gum by the teeth to be filled, and then
set to w*rk descaling them. After about 5 minutes she checked that the the
gum was anaesthetised then drilled out the temporary filling she had put
there a couple of weeks earlier, drilled the cavities to be filled,
inserted the new colour matched composite fillings, cured them with the UV
lamp thingy, then used fine emery type tape to smooth them up. A quick
rinse, then a card to tell me when to contact them to arrange for my next
appointment. Back downstairs to reception, write out a check and back
outside walking home by 17-05. I'm not sure exactly how many dentists
they have at the practice, but there are photographs of 30 staff on the
wall with their names and qualifications. I notice that the dentists are
referred to as Dr. these days.

Rabbit...

Mine isn't he's just Simon. A lovely dentist in case he happens to read this

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

Creep!!! :)

Rabbit...

I admit it. I'll creep for anybody who can put a high powered drill in my

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

We don't get many of those to the pound these days, do we? ;)

Rabbit...

Well you should be flattered you got one :-)

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

I'm not only flattered I'm in a state of extreme shock. :)

Rabbit...

Well don't expect a queue to render the kiss of life :-)

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

Just one - so long as it's the right one will do thanks. LOL

mouth and who has the choice of anaesthetics :-)

:-)

Jeff Gaines...

I thought they were surgeons? Perhaps you got the apprentice :-)

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

But aren't surgeons only Mr. like consultants? :)

Jeff Gaines...

I'm not sure they'd be happy about 'only' but surgeons aren't doctors
so are called Mr. (they qualify as FRCS). I guess most consultants are
surgeons, not sure if there are 'medical' (as opposed to surgical)
consultants?

Dentists are surgeons though, they chop you about! Perhaps there's a
new breed of dentist about, perhaps ex-Polish plumbers, who haven't
quite finished their training?

1 Examination
2 Fitting of temporary filling to last 'til next visit
3 Scale & polish + two fillings - including local anaesthetic.

Total time around 1 hour

Price £38-48

Good value or what? :) Well only ½ a smile 'til the numbness has worn off.