Has anyone else been dropped by their dentist? (NHS patients)
Posted by Western_Cream_8910@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 146 comments
I called earlier to make an appointment because I have toothache, but apparently I cancelled an appointment 2 years ago (that I have zero recollection of) and now I'm no longer a patient. I didn't receive a warning or notice or anything.
Has anybody else had this? What did you do?
The_Percuro@reddit
This happens more than people realise — a missed appointment with no follow-up, and suddenly you're back to square one with a 2-year wait. Really sorry you're dealing with toothache on top of all this.
For the root canal specifically a lot of UK patients in exactly this situation have started getting treatment done in India. A root canal plus crown at a NABH-accredited clinic in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, or Chennai typically costs £150–300 all-in. Add flights and a short trip and you're still well under most UK private quotes and you're not waiting 2 years in pain.
The key is not just finding a cheap clinic — it's having someone coordinate the whole thing properly. Pre-treatment consultation, hospital selection, travel logistics, and follow-up care once you're back home. That's where most DIY medical trips go wrong.
Services like Percuro handle the entire patient journey end-to-end so you're not cold-calling clinics abroad or hoping for the best.
Worth exploring while you're on the list. Hope the antibiotics hold things together in the meantime.
FunChipmunk1528@reddit
Me. Dropped me. After having one of my teeth cracking. Ling story short, been going to the same practice for around 26/7 years. Never had a big issue with my teeth and done check ups every year for couple of months. Rang up for an emergency. Told me because I havent seen them in two years, I've been taken off the books. Why would I see a dentist if it isnt an emergency? Like everyone else. Fu**ing NHS. Money grabbing pigs.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
I was dropped during COVID by mine. U didn’t attend an appointment… that they cancelled!
Danny1641743@reddit
I was dropped during covid as the period in which they where shut coincidentally carried me over the 2 year threshold so as soon as they opened back up I phoned to book an appointment, explained that I couldn't attend due to covid, they hung up.
Safe_Bag_8627@reddit
Same happened to me. I feel like we should all demand compensation. I've had excellent teeth all my life but they have deteriorated since this happened and from the stress of covid.
speckledgem@reddit
The exact thing happened to me, appointment was Aug 2019, I didn’t need to go during lockdown, they then only slowly opened back up for emergency appointments initially, so around Aug 2021 I phoned to see if they did regular appointments again and they’d dropped me. We have zero NHS spaces in our county so have had to go private as and when I get toothache. Still no idea why teeth are considered so separate from general health and NHS access when they’re a major factor in someone’s wellbeing.
Enby-Scientist@reddit
It's Maggy-T's fault fault. She's also why optitians aren't covered properly too
Greywacky@reddit
Also dropped during covid and haven't had a dentist since.
Wont be long til they're all private at this rate.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Same. Thankfully haven’t needed one but it would have been nice to keep up with routine appointments.
ameliasophia@reddit
Yes, I was removed because Covid took me over the 2 year limit too. The worst thing is, I rejoined the waiting list for a few months but then someone saw on Facebook that the dentist had posted they had some nhs spots. So I rang them up and managed to get one. Which means the waiting list does absolutely nothing.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Our local area is just impossible for getting an NHS space. As soon as some open, someone posts on Facebook and I’ve yet to be quick enough!
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Pretty much the same for me. I phoned up to rebook when they reopened, they claimed I didn’t attend even though I had to text message they sent cancelling my appointment. I gave up arguing with the receptionist cos she was so rude, always was!
Chocolate-biscuits@reddit
Same!
ZaharaWiggum@reddit
They tried that with me but they eventually relented. Claimed they “never closed” during Covid. Did ye aye.
themissing10mm@reddit
Same for me too! I've been on the waiting list for over a year for an NHS dentist.
pidgeyenjoyer@reddit
Same, they cancelled my appointment twice and then dropped me I said I would have attended I didn’t have an issue with Covid it was them. Been with them since I was a toddler. Used to have fillings etc with no injection, now I go to a butcher by comparison
Glass_Effect5624@reddit
Me too! 🫣
TofuBoy22@reddit
The only reason I've managed to get registered for a NHS dentist is because a load of people got dropped during COVID
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
It’s crazy isn’t it? Frustrating situation all round.
sputnikconspirator@reddit
Also dropped during covid, only just got back on their books.
Really annoyingly, my husband who is also a patient at the same clinic wasn't dropped...!
WayLeading7830@reddit
Ugh, yes! Same thing happened to me, they cancelled my appointment, then later said I hadn’t been in too long and removed me from the list. It’s like a trap. NHS dentistry is a total mess right now.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
For sure. I think the same thing happened to a lot of people. Just a convenient excuse to try and get people to go private.
seahorsebabies3@reddit
Same here- ended up paying £500 to save one tooth because emergency NHS dentist would only have ended up removing it 🫠
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Ouch!
ConfusedMaverick@reddit
Exactly the same here
Splodge89@reddit
I had exactly the same situation. Only just this month have I managed to get back “on the books” for NHS. Honestly, the arguing and mental gymnastics they were doing to make it sound like my fault (I had the text message AND the email they sent me cancelling the appointment, and the email stating they’ll get back to me when appointments are available again) was brilliant.
We think doctors receptionists are like bulldogs crossed with bouncers. They’re not a patch on the ones at my dentists!
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Yes!! It was the same for me! I had the text staying they were closing and therefore cancelling appointments and we would all have to reschedule. I’m assuming everyone at that surgery got the same text. Anyway, I phoned up to reschedule and the receptionist was adamant that I was the one who hadn’t turned up. I gave up arguing in the end, it was clear she wasn’t going to back down. Honestly think she might be the rudest woman on the planet!
Splodge89@reddit
Absolutely. While I appreciated that she’s probably had that conversation HUNDREDS of times that week already so I wouldn’t have liked to be in her shoes, it was such a shitty thing to do. The dentists made a fucking fortune out of dumping NHS patients during covid. They really saw Covid as a massive excuse to rid themselves of lower paying clients.
One thing I have noticed with my dentists in particular since Covid, it’s less about teeth and your oral health, and more about selling fucking adult braces and teeth whitening treatments privately. Even the forms you have to fill in before an appointment are less about your health and more about how happy you are with “your smile”
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Exactly that. It’s not a job I’d have wanted to do particularly, but it was the fact she was so dismissive and made me feel like I was in the wrong when I absolutely wasn’t.
And yes, it’s the same at ours. Actually, the last appointment I had, they tried to sell me braces, I was in my late 20s at the time and I had never before been told I needed them. Having spoken to colleagues and friends who also happened to be registered at the same surgery, it very much seems like there was a push to get people to go private and COVID was a convenient excuse. I get it, there’s more money to be made from private patients, but it does alienate a lot of people.
Kobbett@reddit
I didn't have any appointment gaps during covid as I needed some emergency work done, but they dropped me anyway.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Seems to be a lot of that. It’s a real shame. I do sympathise with dentists as I’m sure private appointments are more financially beneficial to them, but it also makes keeping on top of your dental health quite expensive for many.
Cleffah@reddit
Same happened to me and they didn't tell me until I tried making a post covid appointment 🙃
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
At least I got a text I guess 🤣
Mediocre_Sprinkles@reddit
Same, they cancelled the appointment in Oct 2020. Tried to ring up when it died down a bit and lockdowns stopped spring 2021, nope sorry you're off our service find somewhere else.
Didn't have dental treatment for years after that, couldn't find anyone to take me.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Same for me. The rude receptionist just wouldn’t accept that it wasn’t me that didn’t turn up, they cancelled it, and I had proof. But no, she wasn’t having it and I didn’t have the will to argue 🤣
faithlessone423@reddit
Same here! They actually cancelled two appointments, both my original one and a rebooked 'replacement' a couple of months later. A couple of months after that, I tried to get an emergency appointment (because I had something actually wrong) and they told me that I was no longer a patient there. It had been barely a year since my last check-up. Gee, thanks!
In 2022 they then went fully private, so I do think they did it on purpose.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
Pretty much same story for me. They cancelled my appointment, I received a text, I’m assuming the same text everyone in the surgery received to say the surgery was closing and we would have to rebook. When I then tried to rebook, they claimed I hadn’t turned up for my appointment and the receptionist was so rude and dismissive that I gave up!
SasiBan@reddit
Not dropped per-se but I moved across the country and haven't been able to get anywhere near an NHS dentist since...that was 3 years ago.
I'm currently paying £26 per month to Bupa for their 'smile club' and I have to say, they're so much more thorough than any NHS dentist I've ever had. If you can afford it, it's worth the money.
Particular-Ad-6663@reddit
I've had a look at the website and was wondering if you had an example of treatment costs, say, for fillings? I'm trying to find a dentist and it looks like we'll need to go private due to non-existent NHS openings.
SasiBan@reddit
To be honest I couldn't tell you, I'm lucky in that I've never had any dental procedures (even fillings) I've only ever had check ups ans hygienist appointments. Even before I went private. I know that Bupa offer 10% off procedures for people in their smile club but I couldn't say what the overall price would be
Railuki@reddit
I haven’t been able to sign up with an NHS dentist in just over a decade, it’s been bad for a long time.
Plenty-Network-7665@reddit
Dentists are businesses that contract services from the NHS (like GPs) and can choose to take NHS patients, private patients, or both. The tarrifs NHS contracts pay often do not cover the actual cost of treatment, leaving the dentist personally out of pocket as they own the business.
Hence, mote and mor dentists are choosing to ditch the NHS patients in favour of the profit making private patients.
PurplePlodder1945@reddit
Our dentist rules absolute because they can. They threaten to remove you if you don’t give 24 hours notice of cancellation yet can cancel with 10 minutes notice themselves (it’s happened to my husband). My daughter is on thin ice at the moment because she didn’t attend last November (she claims she didn’t get their text and they no longer send out letters). We only found out because when I was there I asked about her. They weren’t going to get in touch with her again and would’ve just thrown her off their list if she hadn’t got in touch. I gave her a lecture that she really didn’t want to be thrown off because the waiting list is huge and she sorted it. It’s every 12 months here.
Also, I recently heard from an acquaintance that she and her father have been thrown off their dentist list because of their weight. They actually weighed them and told them they were too heavy for the chair. They’re overweight like a lot of people these days but not morbidly obese enough to break the chair. She’s taken it well to be fair and is booking with a private dentist that does Denplan
wakemimen@reddit
The chairs have a weight limit though
PurplePlodder1945@reddit
I know but she’s honestly not that big. We think it’s a stealth way to get nhs people to leave. A colleague’s dentist only does NHS on a Wednesday
FJRabbit@reddit
I’m a proponent of going private, let me explain: - NHS dentistry went downhill after Covid, if you even get any care at all - months to wait for any appointment - subpar care: they take one look in your mouth and go “everything’s fine”. If you ask “but what about the pain/swelling/bleeding/plaque” they just say it’s fine.
I moved cities a year+ ago, and was forced to go private due to availability. My clinic is a 3 min walk from my house, and I pay £24 a month for: - 2 cleanings and 2 general checkups a year fully included (pays for itself) - 30% off any other treatments which are reasonably priced unless you need major work (£70 for a wisdom tooth simple extraction, £170 for a retainer scan and fitting) - 100% professional and HONEST with me like “this gums bad, this is an issue, you’re brushing this wrong, if you keep doing this you’ll lose this tooth” etc. and they LISTEN - an appointment at a minutes notice
Obviously it’ll depend on your specific dentist as well but from my experience I wouldn’t go back to NHS even if it had availability and was next door to my current one.
losingfocus2015@reddit
the one i go to has been pretty bad as well, enough for me to consider private - and i'm as tight fisted as it comes
Suitable-Fun-1087@reddit
Not making contact in 2 years normally gets you deregistered. Those huge waiting lists are why.
ZaharaWiggum@reddit
My dentist is due to retire, I suspect I’ll be pushed out when he does.
ElleonEarth80@reddit
They tried to do this to me. I cancelled an appointment because my father was dying. When I phoned 6 months later to book a new appointment, I got an absolute bollocking for cancelling the previous one. She soon shut up and rebooked me when I told her the reason.
Faithful-Flopsy@reddit
Our practice's new NHS dentist only works one and a half days a week. When I called last week to schedule my six-month checkup, I was informed that the new NHS dentist was only available Monday and Wednesday for half a day...
I was unable to book an appointment until August as it's completely booked up due to the new part-time schedule, but the receptionist claims that I could lose my NHS spot if I go over my six-month checkup which is due next month?!
Vegetable-Acadia@reddit
A way around it is ring 111 for a tooth emergency. Get booked in to a qualifying dentist. You'll only get charged the nhs price.
Icy_Obligation4293@reddit
I once got dropped by my dentist for missing an appointment. Only issue was: I attended it. I was walking home, mouth numb and full of cotton wool having just had three teeth removed, and got the phone call telling me I was being dropped. What happened was my actual dentist wasn't able to pull the teeth so she booked me into a private dentist for a single appointment, and for some reason they put it on their own booking system as well as the system of the other clinic - in effect, I was double booked. The receptionist (like most NHS receptionists) was unable to think for herself and just kept saying "the system tells me you missed the appointment so you missed the appointment, there's nothing I can do".
Western_Cream_8910@reddit (OP)
Thanks for all the replies. The pain is pretty mild right now TBH - I just wanted to get it fixed before it became a problem. I know these things only get worse with time. Also, I'm a bit paranoid about it causing bad breath. If anyone can recommend ways to slow down the progression I'm all ears
I really don't want to go private. Mainly because of the cost but also because it's just giving in/making the problem worse
Is it possible to join a few different waiting lists and just go with the first dentist that'll actually see me? Or do they cross reference to stop people doing that?
gr33nday4ever@reddit
yeah i tried to book an appointment in covid and they wouldn't let me so i just.... stopped going, i figured they would let patients know when they were taking bookings again. anyway 5 years later i phone with an emergency and turns out they binned me around the time i was trying to make an appointment for during covid, so i had to reregister with them as a private patient
milkshakuu@reddit
Just went and did a root canal in turkey, after being quoted nearly 1k to do it privately in the uk!
Western_Cream_8910@reddit (OP)
How much was it in Turkey? Apparently that's what I need
milkshakuu@reddit
Cost me in total £380 for the root canal treatment.
paper_truck@reddit
I'm on my final warning! If I miss another appointment they're dropping me. So now I have 3 reminders set - 1 hour before, 1 day before and 1 week before.
FarIndication311@reddit
Not directly related, but I was booted from my private dentist for the same reason. They cancelled an appointment during covid, I tried to rebook in 2022 and they said I'd need to be treated as a new patient, and new patient fee. I asked but do yoy still have all my records etc? They said yes, but that's the rule they have.
Me, my family, and friends who were all patients there all left due to what they did to me, so they lost about 8 patients.
The new dentist new joining fee was much cheaper than my old one anyway, and I've also realised they're much better.
The process of secretly booting people from the books whether NHS or private though, sucks.
champion1995@reddit
I must be lucky, my dentist called me at 2 years and said if I didn't make an appointment I'd be taken off the NHS list. So I did make one, and then I get reminders every 6 months.
signol_@reddit
I was dropped for cancelling two appointments (I was ill, didn't want to infect them) the same day, a couple of years apart. They took me back as a private patient.. The dentist himself has since left the practice, so I'm with another dentist, but still private.
Reasonable-Horse1552@reddit
Yes they do it all the time.
Estrellathestarfish@reddit
NHS dentists are so oversubscribed, they will remove you if you don't attend regularly, often you need to be going every 6 months to stay on the list. You can go on their waiting list and your area's waiting list for other NHS dentists, but I wouldn't hold your breath. If you have an emergency that needs treatment you can call 111 and they can arrange emergency appointments even if you don't have a regular dentist. Other than that it's wait or go private. If you're teeth are in decent condition you might be able to get a reasonably-ish priced monthly plan.
El_Scot@reddit
NHS appointments have extended out to once a year now.
I'm thankfully on the books with one, but did temporarily get removed from their list about 18 years ago, after I missed an appointment and failed to rebook within a month. Thankfully my mum was able to appeal to get me back on again, but I wouldn't stand a chance if the same thing happened today. The rules all changed in November last year, so annual appointments now, different cost rates, but I do think white fillings are now covered on the NHS.
Firthy2002@reddit
Mine still does every 6 months for a checkup.
Terrible-pedigree@reddit
Mine still does every 6 months
DoctorOctagonapus@reddit
Mine doesn't have that six month wait (my dentist tells me how often I need to go in and I book my next appointment before leaving) but they do have a one strike and you're out policy of missing appointments for any reason.
throwaway_ArBe@reddit
Except even emergency dentists are turning people away now. Called 111, they said I needed to see someone within a week. It's been nearly 2 years. No one will see me.
Outrageous_Ad_4949@reddit
NHS dentists are so oversubscribed, they will remove you if you don't attend regularly, often you need to be going every 6 months to stay on the list.
Makes zero sense. If they're too busy, why would they need you to go in often?
A regular visit makes sense in the grand scheme of things. If everyone went in every 3 months to see a hygienist (do they even require formal dentist training?) I doubt we'd need dentists any more, but that's beside the point.
jbennett360@reddit
Makes total sense.
They have too many people subscribed. They need to cut down on the numbers so they drop the ones that don't attend regularly.
Outrageous_Ad_4949@reddit
Why would you need to cut down on the numbers if they don't attend regularly? Obviously they aren't taking much of the dentist's time. Are they clogging up your file cabinets?...
jbennett360@reddit
Because you're still a registered patient? A Registered patient that doesn't pay doesn't help them when there's thousands of patients on waiting lists.
Weirfish@reddit
There is an overhead to inactive patients, but it should be pretty low per-patient. It's far more likely that they're oversubscribed on active patients, so look for any way to declare a patient as inactive in order to justify removing them.
Exita@reddit
Main reason is due to the NHS funding rules. The NHS doesn’t pay dentists enough to cover the cost of most treatment, but it gets worse the more complex the treatment is. So if you only ever turn up once every few years to have a filling done, you literally cost the dentist money. Have a checkup and a clean twice a year? They make enough money from you to function and subsidise more complex treatment when you need it.
Outrageous_Ad_4949@reddit
I seriously doubt any treatment would actually cost the dentist anything, I've seen the cost of their supplies and equipment.
More likely they just don't want to deal with complex cases.
LifeMasterpiece6475@reddit
Last time I tried using 111 for an emergency. All they did was give me phone numbers of local dentist. None of which were actually taking NHS emergencies.
Same as the NHS website, it lists loads of NHS dentists but when you call them some aren't taking any new patients and a lot don't do any NHS work at all.
Peac0ck69@reddit
You can call 111 for an emergency appointment that will help alleviate the pain short-term, but they will often tell you you need to go to an actual dentist to go get a root canal or your tooth pulled.
Which then means looking for an NHS dentist, or going private and paying £100s.
Firthy2002@reddit
I was dropped by my old dentist many years back for missing an appointment. My job at the time was dicking around with shift patterns and I'd got the days mixed up. However I was already contemplating moving to another dentist because of the poor quality service I was getting. My regular dentist had retired, I was seeing a different locum every time, and one of them injured my mouth during a routine appointment. I paid privately for about a year to get things sorted out (failed NHS filling and a wisdom tooth extraction) before I was able to get registered at a different practice, which I'm still at.
pentiac@reddit
dont believe a word the money grabbing thieves say, they are constantly looking for ways to ditch nhs services, its been going on all over the country and its high time the government got together and started punative measures against them, how would dentists like it if shops and buisnesses suddenly started charging them excessive fees or stopped letting them into there establishments, Dentists know full well what they are doing and its time the public started showing there displeasure.
Exita@reddit
Tell me, when you go to work, do you get paid for your time?
pentiac@reddit
yes i do, i make a good living on about £40 an hour and consider myself reasonably well paid, i find paying around £700 for an hours work on a root canal to be excessive and lots of people just cannot afford that leading to people just not bothering or loosing the tooth. Dentists are overpriced.
Exita@reddit
Well, when dentists do NHS work, they’re not getting £40 an hour. They’re often losing money. Why should they work essentially for free?
The amount you pay privately is the market rate for the work. Don’t like it, go elsewhere.
pentiac@reddit
tell that to people who cant afford to go elsewhere, who do you work for and what can you afford? i say it again Dentistry is overpriced and the majority of people cannot afford it!.
Exita@reddit
Perhaps NHS dentistry should be funded better then?
lovesorangesoda636@reddit
lol how do you think the govt is supposed to make people who are self employed work for the NHS?
shock horror but businesses can already do that if they want to.
Emotional-Physics501@reddit
It's not really the dentist's fault though, it's the government's fault for not funding the NHS properly. The amount of money allocated to NHS work hasn't been keeping up with the costs of running a practice for years and years, this is no secret.
Dentists can't operate at a loss, like any business.
It's awful, and it's not fair, but this isn't about greedy dentists. It's about government cutbacks.
eggpufflett@reddit
People need to understand…there is no legal obligation for NHS registration with dentists…they don’t work like registration with GPs.
Being “registered” with your GDP is pointless as they have no obligation to see you unless there is an open course of treatment.
Bluion6275@reddit
This has been pretty much standard since as long as I can remember for a NHS dentist and that’s going back 40+ years, if you don’t have a regular 6 month appointment you’re dropped from their books.
Remember when I was a kid we had to find a new dentist because Mum forgot to take us a couple of times. I was really gutted as that particular dentist had a Space Invaders machine in the waiting room.
takeawaylobster@reddit
I am a dentist who provides NHS dentistry and there is no such thing as "registration" with a practice. It's not the same as a GP surgery. The last 20 years of government has killed NHS dentistry and with rising business costs it's becoming less and less viable to run an NHS practice these days. I am very skeptical but I don't think NHS dentistry will be anything beyond emergency care in the not so distant future.
Ambitious-Act-9788@reddit
Same, dropped me without any notification, so now all dental work i have to go private as no dentist even close to me is taking any NHS patients. Last appointment £160 to have a tooth removed.
grafter83@reddit
And off to Turkey we go!
BrokenMeasure@reddit
Yep they switched me to private without telling me about 3 years ago now
EllebumbleB@reddit
A similar thing happened to my partner. They offered him a monthly payment plan thing (£16) & fit him in the next day. They technically could see you, but only if you are willing to pay.
dirt-diggler_3024@reddit
Dentists that offer NHS take contracts from the NHS and can choose westher they take a small or large constituent of qualified patients. They used to take the larger contracts and have very few private patients, but because they are greedy and object to the way they are paid by the nhs for overall treatment rather than being able to charge the tax payer a per item charge as they do with private patients they have gone on a sort of unofficial strike. They will now only take the smaller contracts and have forced the majority of their existing NHS patients to go private and pay or find somewhere else. They cherry pick patients who never need work or miss appointments to fill the NHS contract, easy money, and make lots of profit by charging people who can hardly afford to eat well, absurd amounts of money for health care they should be entitled to for free.
Tldr: Dentits are greedy scammers!
Hour_List_1037@reddit
I was dropped during Covid too because they cancelled an appointment and told me that it meant I had forfeit my right to be an NHS patient.
I spoke with the practice manager and said it was unfair and said I hadn’t been told anything about this and you cancelled the last appointment.
They made me pay to see a hygienist upfront and book the appointment with them there and then, but reinstated me as an NHS patient so I could book in with my usual dentist.
Bluebellrose94@reddit
I was dropped during Covid, they went private and I could only stay if I paid x amount a month! I’m really struggling to find a new dentist
YourLocalMosquito@reddit
Yeah I got dropped because I missed an appointment. I missed the appointment because my granny had just died and my mum had to jump on a plane from the other side of the world and hot-foot it home. It was a tense time. I didn’t even realise I’d missed it until like a week later so called in, in person, to apologise. I tried to explain myself but they weren’t bothered at all so I just said fuck em and walked out. That was maybe 15 years ago and I’m still salty.
zigsbad@reddit
My dentist went 100% private and the surgery offered to "put me on the waiting list" for another NHS space (2 years at least).
I kicked off big time and they ended up magically finding a spot on one of the other practise's dentist's registers.
MB_839@reddit
Same thing happened to my gf. She was referred to an orthodontist so didn't see a dentist for a year or so, then COVID happened and we were encouraged not to make routine check-up appointments. Booted off for not coming for 2 years. Waiting list was "not sure, probably about 4 years" but of course they could see us privately next week. They clearly do it deliberately because they struggle to break even on NHS treatment. Most of the dentists ended up leaving and opened a very plush place about half a mile away that doesn't see NHS patients. We've just got back onto the books of a different NHS dentist and while the place isn't as fancy, it's about 1/4 the price so much better value for routine stuff.
Glasgowbeat@reddit
What country are you in? In Scotland we have to send a form to the local health board and they have to confirm the deregistration. We have to offer emergency treatment for 3 months unless the deregistration is due to aggression/violence. My point is if you've been registered there should be a paper trail and you can contact the local health board to ask them for details
RhubarbSalty3588@reddit
Yes,dropped during Covid because apparently I didn’t make an appointment during the time that they was emailing and sending letters monthly telling me not to make an appointment. On a positive note I’m now a private patient at a different practice and the quality of the dental work is incredible.
AmphibianNo8598@reddit
Me and my sister were dropped during covid. First they were closed obviously, then they told everyone not to come unless it was an urgent issue since there was backlog so no check-ups. Then when it was all back to normal they hit us with the ‘you’re no longer a patient because you haven’t had an appointment for two years’
Crafty_Reflection410@reddit
If a patient hasn’t been seen in 2 years, they can remove you from their books.
QSBW97@reddit
Yeah, I was referred to my dentist to a surgeon, I went to see him every 6 months for 2 years. I called my dentist the other week and I was removed during that time because I didn't go to my standard dentist. Mental
CaptainNatX@reddit
There’s actually no such thing as ‘right to register’ at an NHS dentist. This was done away with when the new UDA system was implemented 20 years ago. Once a patients treatment plan is complete they are no longer considered an active patient and will go to the back of the queue if they need anything again in the future.
This is a ridiculous system which is just one of a myriad of reasons that dentists don’t work for the NHS. Instead most NHS practices will have their own individual ‘registration’ policies e.g must attend once every 2 years, must not miss an appointment etc. This is why everyone in the comments has a different story about how they got ‘deregistered’, because there is no such thing as registration. The 3 month rule applies in Scotland regarding notice of deregistration as their system is slightly different, but not anywhere else in the UK afaik.
MaltedMilkBiscuits10@reddit
I was in hospital having my bowel removed and cancelled the appointment on the day as it was an emergency admission. This resulted me in having a strike.
I rang up about 8 weeks post operation to rebook and I had been struck off.
I'm back with a NHS dentist now, it took a lot of begging from a family member with their different NHS dentist.
My NHS dentist actually sat me down at my last consultation and said due to funding issues (NHS Wales), they don't know how long they can continue to provide the same level of NHS care or provide NHS care at all. It makes up the bulk of their books and doesn't bring in the bulk of profit, they are actually losing money on NHS patients they claimed. They said that in the future it's probably going to be if you need NHS dentistry you will have to attend the dental hospital, take your ticket and wait your turn. This is pretty much the case now for anyone who isn't registered in Wales, you ring a number, you turn up at the dentistry hospital and wait your turn. Dentists say you can ring up unregistered for an emergency appointment but when my partners tooth broke, I must have rang 15 dentists for an emergency appointment and all said no, we had to pay £300 privately for an emergency tooth extraction.
throwaway_ArBe@reddit
Yep, that's why I haven't been able to see a dentist for 5 years.
SummonTheWolves@reddit
Exactly the same happened to me. I'm 34 and have been going there since I was child. They told me I was no longer a customer as I had rearranged the last 8 appointments (1 every year) with 48 hours notice. And this unacceptable. They only open Monday to Friday from 9 till 4. How is anyone supposed to attend with a job.
chocolatefeckers@reddit
All the nhs patients were dropped by my practice, because they went private only. There is basically no option for an nhs dentist for adults in this county. The kids are at a place that only takes kids. The dentist letters saying they were dropping us laid out their fees for private. Something like £20 month, covers 1 check up and dental clean a year. Any treatment is extra cost. I can't afford that, so I have no dentist, simple as that, unfortunately.
stbens@reddit
I had a letter from my dentist a couple of years ago saying that they were going over to private for all patients and that they would no longer be accepting NHS appointments. I didn’t want to pay private so went two years without seeing a dentist.
A few weeks ago I had a letter from the dentist asking why I hadn’t made an appointment for two years. I phoned them up and explained about the letter, which they claim had been a mistake. I subsequently made an NHS appointment I saw them within two weeks,
_Living_deadgirl_@reddit
Thats rubbish but mine did the same no text or warning or anything. 2 years isnt too bad of a waiting list its 4-6 years in my area 🙃
agiantalpaca@reddit
The practice that I work at has a waiting list that’s just over 3 years long, so unfortunately if someone hasn’t been in touch for over a year their space is given to someone else who is waiting. Most practices usually also have a discharge policy for people who repeatedly cancel or do not attend appointments, as again there are so many people waiting that it isn’t fair to keep giving appointments to people who don’t show up!
SPearsLDN@reddit
I got kicked out of my dentist I had been with since childhood because I was unable to attend an appointment due to being unwell, they told me it was my third strike and they would no longer see me. Also, I have complex autoimmune problems that can cause me to become unwell very quickly. Luckily I live in London and there are lots of NHS dentists, the one I’m at now has more compassion around my illnesses.
Kimowi@reddit
I got kicked off because I was unwell. I called them as soon as they opened that day, it happened on a Monday so I couldn’t have called sooner since they were closed weekends. It was the first time I’d ever been unwell or missed an appointment.
They kicked my sister off because she refused anaesthetic whilst heavily pregnant as it made her vomit. She warned them prior that she couldn’t really have it but they wouldn’t listen, so when she refused at the appointment she got kicked out.
I luckily managed to find a new NHS dentist relatively quickly and easily, however I think since I’m pregnant and not paying myself he’s taking the piss a bit. First dentist I needed one filling, with him not even 12 months later I apparently needed 6. I refuse to believe my teeth have deteriorated that much in less than a year, then when I was having the fillings he did an extra two we didnt discuss for fun. He was also meant to be doing permanent ones but decided to just do temps so now I’ve got to go back again in September for 8 proper fillings that I don’t think I really needed and could have just been done months ago.
All I can assume is he’s hoping to make as much as he can from me because even if I’m not paying, the NHS will still pay him I imagine.
melp0mene@reddit
i had to cancel then reschedule an appointment because I had tonsillitis, then phoned a few weeks ago to book in a check up and was told I was a no-show even though I attended the rescheduled one lol. The receptionist was vile, and the dentist was horrible too. I gave up fighting it in the end and now just don’t have a dentist 😭
Footprints123@reddit
Most dentists have a policy imposed on them by NHS England saying to discharge patients if they haven't booked an appointment for a year or more. They don't want to pay for dentistry. I outright asked my dentist about this and she said every year their quota for NHS patients get smaller so once people are automatically discharged, they then can't take any more on. At least my dentist sends you a yearly reminder, I know plenty of people who don't get a reminder or told they'll be discharged.
icabod88@reddit
I've probably been dropped by my dentist. I tried to make an appointment for a checkup in December. They cancelled it the day before.
I tried to make another one in January. They said that they were fully booked for months and only taking emergencies and to try again in a few months
I tried again in April. They said that they were done to only one NHS dentist as the other 3 had left, so - again - they were only dealing with emergencies.
At the point I went private. I have BUPA dentist insurance through my new job so have used that instead. Whether I'm still on the books of my NHS dentist or not, I have no idea - but I'm not going back
lambaroo@reddit
yes. when covid restrictions were in full swing i put off making an appointment for a check up a couple of times, thinking i was doing them and everyone else a favour. it wasn't that i failed show for an arranged appointment or anything.
apparently my dentist was trying to go fully private and doing their best to rid themselves of the nhs patients they had been obliged to keep on their books.
turns out people need to visit once every 2 years (i think) to stay "active" for the nhs patient list.
it was either go fully private or find another dentist who would take nhs patients. i got kinda lucky finding another nhs dentist.
lambaroo@reddit
damn, i wrote this then started reading the other replies. man, those fuckers really screwed everyone over using covid, didn't they?
Seething-Angry@reddit
With NhS dentists you have 6 months to ensure that you are still registered. If they cancel cause of covid it’s up to YOU to ensure that you get back on the list. This is a trick I knew they pulled and so they “forgot” to let me know they were taking appointments again, we had to make the effort to phone them. It’s sneaky but it clears their list down.
Colleen987@reddit
Dentists typically require you in their terms to attend once every six months
LongjumpingLab3092@reddit
I got dropped for not having been often enough. Then I had a dental emergency during COVID and couldn't get an appointment there or at any other NHS dentist, so had to sort privately. I was in a lot of pain so couldn't really wait, cost me over a grand 😭
originallondonfox@reddit
Yup - dumped during Covid for not attending for 2years, because they cancelled each apt! I gave in and went to my lovely private dentist across the street. I pay £16/month with denplan, can book my appointments online and get 2 x checkups and hygienist visits included annually.
Go private, it’ll make you wish you did it sooner
Fluffy_data_doges@reddit
I got dropped a few months ago. Mainly because I was doing appointments once a year. She said NHS appointments are only for people who get checkups every 6 months. She is the new owner and clearly money hungry.
Torrential-Villa15@reddit
I was also dropped from my childhood dentist during Covid. They cancelled my appointment and then were only doing emergency treatment. Once it had all blown over, I rang to book in and I was no longer a patient! My children were at a different practice and last year, they sent us a letter to say that their last NHS dentist has left and they are not replacing them. There are no NHS practices in our area taking patients - nearest is 85 miles away! i have had to go private for all of us and pay monthly. For myself and three children it’s around £55. They get 50% off treatment and I get 10%!
Passey92@reddit
I haven't been able to get a dentist appointment for at least 5 years as the only NHS dentist at my surgery left and they just haven't replaced him. I'm still a patient, they just can't give me an appointment. I can't switch dentist because no other dentists nearby are taking on NHS patients so I'm between a rock and a hard place.
Illustrious-Berry375@reddit
The one I’m with now is pretty decent but my previous dentist dropped me for a missed appointment that they cancelled.
kittycatnala@reddit
Yes I was but just recently managed to get in to another dentist as a nhs patient which isn’t easy
OkPhilosopher5308@reddit
I was dropped during COVID, I then got a text reminder to book an appointment about 9 months after the restrictions were lifted, so I phoned only to be told that I had been dropped, they are the only dentist in a 15 mile radius doing NHS work.
ContributionNo1157@reddit
I’ve tried for two years to get with a local dentist and had huge issues as there are no places available. I can’t afford private really, not in this economy - any recommendations on what is a good dental plan as it’s not covered with my work health insurance?
KookyEntertainment88@reddit
We were dropped when the place turned fully private.
RRW2020@reddit
Everyone I know was dropped during Covid. All the practices went private and it’s now next to impossible to get an NHS dentist appointment
Sea_Kangaroo826@reddit
I was dropped after not making an appointment for too long (can't remember the time span) including some covid time when they weren't taking regular appointments
I'm on the waiting list and have been for 9 months now
Cold_Newspaper854@reddit
I was kicked out HALF WAY THROUGH a treatment I needed because I didnt attend one appointment when I was 13... This would have been 3 years ago at the time and something that was completely out of my control since I depended on my parents taking me. So ridiculous.
Ok-Grape-3628@reddit
Yep, they take you off the books at mine if you don’t go for 2 years
randypriest@reddit
A couple of years ago ours sent a letter to say they were closing, and said there were 3 choices to go to. None of the 3 were accepting new patients, not accepting ones from our surgery.
I've had to go private through my work as the nearest NHS surgery available is 40 miles away.
oohliviaa@reddit
Yeah if I hadn’t been for two years+ I’d definitely have been dropped… shame they didn’t remind you though, I cancelled one appointment and said I’d rebook in a few weeks as I was going on holiday and stuff and they sent me a postcard and numerous texts to tell me to book because my appointment was due.
daydaywang@reddit
Every nhs appointment costs them money tbh. It's not even worth doing them for most practices
Polz34@reddit
Few years ago I had 2 appointments cancelled by the dentist, not by me, then COVID hit and about 6 months in I called the dentist and they told me I'd be taken off their books for 'no show' I asked what appointment I missed and they stated the dates they had cancelled! Anyways, now they are a private dentist who asks for monthly payments of like £13 (I think) just for people to get 2 appointments a year, think we only have one NHS dentist left in my town...
XSjacketfiller@reddit
Yeah over 20 years ago their company (Denplan or something) dropped NHS. My dad wrote them a letter to complain. While I was still a child we had a couple dentists, all not that great by comparison (what is with them working out of converted houses?), as an adult I've not even tried. I've not seen a doctor since I was under 10 either, tried to register once, they copied my documents & that was the last I heard. So I figure the NHS doesn't want the likes of me. After all I'm a public sector worker on a mere 30-odd grand so according to this sub I'm a drain on them & to the media & establishment I'm incredibly privileged meaning any health issues will be 100% my fault and despite my huge advantages in life.
banedlol@reddit
Nah bro I do a lot of training and these cunts on their s-works tarmacs aren't ever dropping me.
Wait wrong sub
alloitacash@reddit
I was dropped by mine. They cancelled my last appointment as the dentist was away. They’ve ignored all my attempts to contact them.
AkraStar@reddit
My son was removed from their register because he didn't call them to make a 6month check up. They said if you didn't attend an appointment every 6months then they removed you from the list. They would only send you a letter to say that you were due a 6month check, not that it was mandatory.
And years ago, and I do mean years... 16? I was 10minutes late to an appointment (stupid bus). When I got to the dentist, they told me that I'd previously cancelled an appointment and that this classed as a no show and they removed me from their list - they had a two strike policy. I eventually found a new dentist after a few years.. lol.
ExoatmosphericKill@reddit
I thought the checkup every two years or so was something that you had to do or you were dropped by the NHS as a person with teeth and had to go private unless you went again for a checkup that then put you back into the NHS list for people with teeth.
Good thing my crippling wisdom tooth pain went away suddenly and now I'm fine isn't it!
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