What did Herald readers reveal about NHS dentistry?

The results of the survey by The Herald and Scottish Dental Magazine also reveal a stark postcode lottery in patients' experiences, with some praising "excellent" care and easy access to appointments and NHS treatment at their local surgery while others spoke of repeated cancellations, lengthy waits, and being switched to check ups once every two years without explanation.

One reader who was having a tooth filled said they were "only informed that it was private half way through" the procedure.

READ MORE: 

• Dental recruitment 'worst its ever been' as young dentists shun NHS 
• CASE STUDY: 'I couldn't see a dentist - so I pulled out my own teeth' 
• ANALYSIS: Statistics mask reality of shrinking NHS dental service 
• CASE STUDY: 'It was quicker and cheaper to fly to Spain for dental treatment'

The findings of the poll, which attracted more than 90 responses, comes ahead of the Scottish Dental Show in Glasgow on Friday when members of the dental profession will have the chance to quiz Scottish Government officials on the state of the sector amid concerns that NHS care is disappearing in some areas.

In November 2023, the Scottish Government introduced higher fees for several NHS dental procedures after complaints from dentists that the previous rates did not cover the cost of providing the work, and were leaving them with no option but to do treatments privately.

Several respondents to the survey said they had been forced to go private in recent years after their dental practice cut ties with the NHS.

One said that she and her husband "find ourselves with no dentist for the first time in our lives" after their dental practice went private out of the blue in Spring 2023.

She said they are concerned about the potential costs if they require treatment in future.

She added: "There are no other dentists in our town taking on new NHS patients...It looks like we will have no choice but to go private this year and I’m concerned about going for too long with no check up.

"But I’m also worried about how much it would cost if I need to get treatment done. The gulf between NHS and private charges for treatments is enormous."

Many patients reported that their practices had gone private or they had been required to sign up to monthly dental plans (Image: PA)

A former prison officer, aged 60, said his dental practice in Fife "went private a few months ago" and he has been unable to find an alternative.

"No dentist in Fife is taking on NHS patients," he said. "It's a disgrace."

Several respondents described difficulty finding an NHS dentist in areas including Stirling, Highland, and Dumfries and Galloway.

One said that her entire family - including a 22-year-old daughter - were now paying privately despite the Scottish Government pledge that all young people aged 18 to 25 are entitled to free NHS dental care after their existing dental practice went private two years ago.

She said: "We tried to register with another NHS dentist but there are none in our region (Dumfries and Galloway) who are taking on new patients...I had to pay full price for a check up.

"I paid £100 for a new splint in December but it still hadn't come back from the technicians by March.

"My son just paid £185 for a filling. I've been told I'll have to travel 70 miles to get an NHS dentist."

Another reader in Dumfries and Galloway said she and her husband had been de-registered by their longstanding NHS practice in April 2023 and had tried in vain to find another NHS practice in the region taking on new patients.

She added: "We then realised we had no option but to go private, which we can’t really afford.

"But then our problems really began as it became evident that there were no practices taking on new private patients in this region either.

"We have been on waiting lists for months so gave up and we now travel to Carlisle in England for private dental care."

A reader who had accommodated a Ukrainian refugee family for seven months said they "were unable to get an NHS dentist within commuting distance" and could not afford private treatment.

They added: "One member of our Ukrainian refugee eventually flew to Turkey for extensive dental treatment."

In some cases people reported that they had, or were considering, going abroad for treatment instead (Image: PA)

Several other respondents described being forced to accept dental plans with monthly charges if they wanted to remain with their current practice.

These varied from between £17 and £39 per month, depending on the number of check-ups and hygienist sessions included.

Others have spent huge sums on treatment.

One mother said that both she and her child had struggled to access NHS care because "most clinics wouldn't take new patients" and her young daughter needed fillings under anaesthesia.

She said she had been on a waiting list for two years but eventually went private, paying £3000 for fillings, a tooth extraction and one crown for herself, and £2000 to get six steel caps on her daughter's baby teeth for molars which had not formed properly.

Another reader estimated that they and their partner had paid around £4000 for private dental treatment including crowns, teeth restoration, and other treatment since the pandemic after their surgery quit the NHS.

They said they had had no dental checks for two years during Covid "meaning various problems with teeth that had gone unchecked", adding: "This resulted in me loosing one tooth and one tooth to be extracted still. Both could have been saved with regular dentistry."

One reader said she and her husband "have not had access to an NHS dentist in the last two years" after the practice they had belonged to for 20 years went private.

She has since spent £900 on private root canal work.

NHS dental activity had struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels. The Scottish Government hopes that its revised payment scheme, introduced in November 2023, will encourage practices to spend more time on NHS work (Image: PHS)

A reader in Fife said they had been unable to register with an NHS dentist in the region and had been forced to continue travelling to their old practice in Port Glasgow.

However, after it went private, they paid "nearly £1000 for a crown and £300 for a filling".

Several readers also highlighted long waits of around five to six months between NHS appointments, even if they were in the middle of a course of treatment.

One respondent also said they had been treated for an abscess at an emergency dental hospital and prescribed antibiotics, but had been told to see their own dentist once the swelling goes down.

They added: "This is where I've hit a brick wall. They told me they have no emergency appointments. I was told if they get a cancellation they will try and fit me in.

"I am currently sitting at home with toothache having finished my antibiotics worried that this infection will come back as cause of the infection has not been treated.

"When I eventually get this sore tooth out I will need a new denture. I can't see them giving me appointments for that when they can't see me for emergency to get a tooth out. I despair."

Another reader with "multiple health conditions" said they had sought treatment for an inflamed wisdom tooth but was told it would "take years" to get an appointment on the NHS to extract it.

They added: "It might better for me to travel to another EU country and get it done.

"After my emergency appointment they were supposed see me to cut the gum around my teeth, however my surgery keeps cancelling my appointment.

"I have not been able to see my dentist for over six weeks. Since then I had to treat my gum at home as the inflammation keeps recurring."

Around a third of respondents said they were still getting access to NHS dentistry, with many reporting that the care was satisfactory or even 'excellent' (Image: PA)

Despite the problems engulfing the sector, around a third of respondents reported positive experiences of NHS dentistry.

One described the service at Drymen Dental Surgery as "excellent" with "same day treatment when a crown fell out".

Another said they had seen their dentist within four days of calling for an appointment earlier this month, adding that the problem was "identified and dealt within 30 minutes".

They added: "I have never been told that I need to pay as a private patient. Always the NHS rate."

A GP in Edinburgh said their family of five receives "excellent continuous dental care" from the same practice they have been registered with since 1999.

The November 2023 shake-up also included a move away from six-monthly check ups for all to a risk-based system, where some patients might be seen more frequently while others are recalled once a year or less.

However, feedback indicates that many patients had never been told the reasons for the change and some people had been switched to check-ups once every two years "without explanation".

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Government increased fees for dentists as part of major payment reform introduced in November last year, and this is one of the steps we are taking to improve access to, and quality of NHS dental services for everyone in Scotland.

“Based on NICE best practice guidance, our reform now ensures that patients are seen according to individual oral health need.

"Patients are advised to discuss their individual recall period with their dentist, and in particular where there has been a change.

“Official statistics on the performance of the NHS dental sector in the quarter ending 31 March 2024 are due to be published shortly and will provide an objective read-out of the sector.”