A news item came up which is a bit disconcerting, one in three dentists are planning to ditch NHS patients. It goes on to say they are planning to go fully private which will threaten the future of NHS tooth care. Others aim to cut back on NHS work or quit the profession altogether. Some patients already face a three year wait for appointments.
Hannah Woolnough of the British Dental Association spoke to Talk Radio yesterday outlining why this is happening. The Government are starving dental clinics of cash, cutting back and diverting money elsewhere. I'll put a link to the interview here, it's on her Twitter account. I'm not sure if non tweeters can access it.
I think we can expect a lot more people with wonky teeth, unable to afford private care. Take a look at the poor countries, look at the mouths of people who have no dental care, is that where we are heading?
I have stepped up my mouth cleaning regime. I don't brush as vigorously as I used to, but I brush more often. I brush after eating or drinking anything which may stain my teeth. After every coffee I brush and rinse. Usually only one coffee per day. I stopped drinking red wine. Too much brushing can be detrimental, so I methodically make sure I reach all parts of my mouth with gentle brushing.
I don't bite into hard food any more, there are a lot of things I have given up altogether. I am mindful when I eat. I cut food up into smaller pieces and take my time with gentle chewing using my tongue and saliva to move it around my mouth, which breaks it down before I swallow it.
It's all I can do at the moment, I just hope that my teeth hold out. They are not perfect, and as long as they do not pain me, I am hoping they last a bit longer. What is happening with the dentists in your area?
I will post more Yorkshire pics tomorrow, and there is another video to come. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip. ilona
Hello Ilona yes your quite right about the teeth situation.its very wise of you to take gentle care of your teeth to make them last.ivtried ringing about thirty NHS dentists recently but they say budget is cut no new patients.i paid a lot of money for some dental work at a private one.yourvrightvpeople who can't afford this treatment will be totally stuck and teeth in a right state I imagine.i could only afford the four hundred pound bill because of people like you who encouraged me to scrimp and save on your blogs.im now in a good position cause I'm very thrifty now but it's a sad state of affairs and toothache is no fun at all if your unlucky to have it.x
ReplyDeleteI haven't rung my dentist lately. I don't fancy searching for another one so I suppose I'll have to ring eventually. I think we now have to put the cost of private dentistry in with our overall budget, and account for it along with the cost of our food.
DeleteThis doesn't surprise me Ilona. We go NHS and get a very skimpy checkup, they aren't really bothered. I recently paid £600 for my metal denture because in the last 3 years I have had 3 NHS dentures and they all broke they were so flimsy. But even when being treated with these expensive one's I felt as though they didn't really care. I remember my Mum and Dad had all of their teeth out and dentures fitted when they were quite young as it was a cheaper option than dental costs, there was no NHS then. I guess people will have to wait until they get tooth ache and then simply get the tooth taken out. What a situation we are in, and there's worse to come I'm sure. I'm stocking up on cat food as I can just hear them starting on about the pets using all the meat. nothing surprises me now. Have you noticed that there are some
ReplyDeleteempty shelves where the cat food is. I asked about this and they couldn't asnwer me.
Briony
x
I remember going to the dentist with my friend, we were in our early twenties, she had all her teeth out because the dentist said she had gum disease. There was no treatment then, just whip them out. I was shocked, put me off going for a while.
DeleteYes it's a bad situation when our health services are being cut to the bone. We are experiencing repercussions from every direction. The next thing will be no free hearing aids or batteries, then we shall be toothless and deaf, with failing eyesight.
I did see empty shelves once at Home Bargains, but that might have been because I go late. Last time I went I was able to get everything I needed. The container ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal is now stuck in a pool. Not physically, but while they sort out who is going to pay for the recovery and damage, as well as the delays to all the other ships that were stuck. There is mostly likely some pet food in those containers.
I'm in the process of having a small crown replaced for cosmetic reasons and it's costing me £600. I have my check ups done on the NHS, but it's limited what that includes. To keep the rest of my teeth in good condition, I follow my brother's advice in chewing sugar free gum between meals. He's 67 and has chewed gum from being young. He has all of his teeth and no fillings. He was told by the dentist that it wasn't worth him turning up for regular check ups because his teeth are so healthy. Must be doing something right.
ReplyDeleteI have a dental plan for 10.50 per month which covers me for a check up plus a percentage off any treatments. No problem getting an appointment for a check up here in Northamptonshire. I am careful what I eat though, no toffee or hard foods. I have three crowns plus a small denture. I never eat gum.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the US, in March I paid with insurance $3452.00(2444.34 GBP) for 2 crowns and 2 root canals. Without insurance it would have been $4952.00(3506.49 GBP). Insurance is $38.00(26.91 GBP) a month. Dental insurance in the US is basically for cleanings and x-rays with maybe a filling. By the way, that is a premium insurance rider not the basic insurance that comes with my Medicare/old age insurance plan. Which is 2 cleanings a year and x-rays every two years. I'm afraid of having a full mouth x-ray cause I don't want to know how many teeth need work. They don't hurt and chunks aren't falling off so ignorance is bliss right now.
ReplyDeleteShocking. Thank you for alerting me to this. I am going to take more care of my teeth, don't want a huge bill coming my way!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds worrisome, so many dentists going to drop NHS patients or retiring. Here in the USA I am retired from a university and my health insurance from the university includes free dental care, up to $2,000 a year. A couple years I used the full amount and had to pay the excess cost.
ReplyDeleteI am in the US and had the $38.00 insurance and now pay $42 to get better coverage. One procedure costs $100 and I will pay $500. I brush at least twice and day and floss six or more times. I care about my teeth!
ReplyDeleteCOPIED AND PASTED FROM A COMMENT ON MY YOOOOTOOOB CHANNEL
ReplyDeleteTammy and Bert’s Eutopia
Hi merry queen. Loved this video but that’s not why I’m messaging you. I’m referring to your chat about the Hospital Dental service in UK for pensioners. I’m on a pension and have had Robles with my teeth. Here we can be triaged for an emergency appointment at the clinic where you are seen by students. Year 4 and 5. Over seen by a qualified dentist..having said that. The appointments are 90 min ...you have to wait and wait for every step to be checked..we don’t have a dental nurse present she works between 3 rooms.. I had a tooth finally removed only to have the one next to it ach and ache so back I go...the student had left parts of the removed tooth behind and they infected the tooth next to it..while they tried to save it I ended up after 3 weeks of aching and an abscess and antibiotics for a month having it removed. So lost 2 teeth in the bottom.. I have now decided to pay and see a qualified dentist to check my other teeth I go tomorrow..it has caused so much anxiety and stress to me that although it dips into my money it will be well spent I think. Do you see students when you go ? You never get the same one twice so have to repeat every thing. It’s awful. Anyway like you I brush often with a child’s toothbrush and floss to look after what I have left.. Thank you for your videos and blogs. I wish you well and just wondered if it’s any thing like our system here. I have been on the waiting list for 4 years and obviously it was to long. Much love from Ballarat Victoria Australia 🇦🇺 xx
The New Zealand health system only funds dental care for school children, so a lot of adults have terrible teeth as they cannot afford good dental care. Over the years I think I gave dentists a small fortune, and I still ended up with falsies (which I love, by the way).
ReplyDeleteIts worrying to think how bad the nation's teeth are becoming, childrens' especially. I broke a tooth in half during lockdown and had to wait a week to be seen. Then it was just repaired (not to a perfect standard) In the past I would have had a crown but it wasn't on offer at the moment. I got the feeling that the poor dentist was at the end of his tether trying to keep going under very difficult circumstances. It's terrifying to think we might not have access to a dentist when we need one; NHS or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just dentists, I can't remember when I could last see my GP, it's all phonecalls now. Years ago Drs did home visits!
ReplyDeleteFlossing daily is the most important thing you can do for your teeth
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