Dentist Checkup Concern

[tamaris]

I have just visited for a check up this week, and all is well, she just looked and did not clean them or use the instrument to get tartar out etc. The last time I went for a CU she cleaned my lower row of teeth. I notice that she does not seem to be thorough.With other dentists I have always had my mouth checked, you know, putting your tongue from side to side etc so she can see the inside of the mouth. Should I be concerned ?

[Peter Pedant]

I think not
but we have a tame dentist somewhere here

I think a check up should be for holes decay and missing fillings
but you know I know so much about it I could just as well be talking out of my - - -

[Cloverjo]

I don't think dentists do as much as they should. I have the same concerns as you. I paid £22 for a check up recently. He just poked about for a few seconds, said there was a bit of staining, but nothing else wrong so come back next year for another checkup.
I think they are supposed to give a clean and polish as well as check other parts of the mouth, but now they send you to the hygienist for that. For another £22, of course. I don't know who to complain to.

[Buenchico]

It sounds to me as if you've got a dentist who thinks that they only deal with teeth and who has forgotten that they should also be looking for things like the early signs of mouth cancer.

That means that, if you're not one of the very small number of people who get mouth cancer (or any of the other things which dentists should be looking for) you're fine. If you're unlucky enough to be in the minority, you'd be better off with a different dentist.

But what do I know? My last check-up was about 45 years ago!
;-)

[tamaris]

Thank you all, we do not have a hygienist at our surgery, she does it herself. I like her she is from Portugal, but somehow I feel cheated.

[Mamyalynne]

If you like her and she is pleasant, why not ask if there are any unusual changes in your mouth etc and could she clean your teeth up.

See how she responds.

[Buenchico]

It's hard for your dentist to examine your mouth while you're eating that Big Mac though
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31766257
;-)

[Cloverjo]

Buenchico, what kind of dentist would do that?
My previous dentist was investigated for having cats in the surgery and not changing her gloves between patients, but this is ridiculous.

[tamaris]

LOL at Chris x

[KARL]

We are in a dental insurance scheme with a dentist who also does NHS work. We are given a full scale and polish twice a year which is done by the hygienist but occasionally there is no hygienist so the dentist does it instead. There is therefore a big difference between your going two years without any cleaning and our having three sessions in that time - maybe your mouth is so much better than ours ?

Interestingly, I have in the past had to go to a Portuguese dentist for treatment and not only was the surgery better equipped than the UK one but I found the dentist left me much impressed by her competence and manner. I do not have any thoughts of changing my UK dentist although overall I think I would prefer someone like the Portuguese one.

Maybe the difference between your experience and mine actually has (as Cloverjo perhaps hints at) to do with the NHS approach versus a private one (annual fee, nothing else to pay in the UK or abroad although there is a ceiling on the cost of foreign emergency treatment. Crown casting and implants excluded).

[Old_Geezer]

They're all different. Mine tends not to clean anything unless asked. That said I'm getting so many regular issues these days that I've no time for general checkups anyway.

[hc4361]

That is all that is included in an NHS check up, tamaris:

At your check-up, your dentist may:
carry out a full examination of your mouth, teeth and gums
ask about your general health and any problems you have had with your teeth, mouth or gums since your last visit
ask about and give advice on your diet, smoking and drinking
ask about your teeth-cleaning habits and give you advice on the most appropriate ways to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy
explain any risks, as well as costs, of all treatment you may need
discuss with you when your next visit should be

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/dentists/Pages/your-dentist-visit.aspx

[tamaris]

I go to the dentist every 6 months always have done

[SMP]

My dentist checks teeth mouth and gums for £13.50 (Wales) then says make an appointment for the hygienist to clean them, £45!

[Peter Pedant]

makes you think how expensive a health care system that ISNT free at the point of service really is

[naomi24]

Like SMP, I go to the hygienist to have my teeth cleaned. My dentist doesn't do it.

[mushroom25]

the dentist i had until about 2 years ago was a reasonably good dentist but he was a bit of a butcher when it came to the scale and polish. then his landlord put up the rent on the surgery and he took his bat home. the alternative surgery i now visit was something of a revelation, with modern equipment and techniques that my old dentist had probably never heard of. I don't begrudge my £19 a throw now....