For many people across the UK, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to book an appointment with their NHS dentist. It’s believed that because of this, many people are missing out on important procedures and treatments. Some of those trying to get an appointment may also require urgent dental care. This is alarming, and a contributing factor as to why we’re seeing a rise in patients opting for our Practice Plans at Dental Solutions.
This enables our patients to make smaller, affordable monthly payments. It gives them peace of mind that their checkup and hygienist appointments are regular and their oral health is well looked after with a pay monthly dentist. Other benefits include discounts on treatments, and benefiting from inclusive emergency care within the practice and when travelling (full list of what is included in our Practice Plan below).
According to a recent report, it was revealed that “the North of England was the worst affected, with 25 of new patients unable to access an appointment.” Other specific areas of the UK are also greatly affected, however, places such as Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire are among the worst. “The British Dental Association (BDA) said the issue is set to get worse with three out of five dental practitioners in England saying they intend to reduce their NHS work, or stop entirely, in the next five years” – source; The Independent.
BDA vice chair Eddie Crouch said: “High street NHS dentistry is on the brink, and it’s the patients who need us most who risk losing out…across England practices are now unable to fill vacancies, as a system of unforgiving targets pushes talented colleagues out. The result is hundreds of thousands of irregular attenders – many with poor oral health – are falling through the cracks. These aren’t just patients seeking a regular check-up. They are often people in pain, left without the care they need.”
This demonstrates the crucial need for action, as many people may face their oral health deteriorating. An NHS GP Patient Survey found that one in four patients (around 1.03 million people) are not on the books of an NHS dentist meaning they’ve been unable to get an appointment over the past year.
An ounce of prevention can go a long way when it comes to your oral health. Regular checkups can identify problems early before they become major issues that can damage not just your oral health, but your overall health.
At each dental checkup, your dentist looks at the basics – do you have plaque or cavities? Any signs of gum disease? In addition, this checkup can find problems like chipped or cracked teeth, signs of uneven wear or thinning enamel and other problems that if treated early won’t get worse. A professional cleaning also helps keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Dental checkups offer your hygienist and dentist the opportunity to screen for abnormalities in the mouth, such as oral cancer.
Tooth pain and gum disease are two conditions that can be caught and dealt with when you go in for regular checkups. Pain isn’t always because of a cavity; in fact, cavities rarely hurt unless left untreated for a long time. But pain could be a sign you’re grinding your teeth or have a broken tooth or abscess. Gum disease can affect your whole body as well as your mouth.
Most dentists and hygienists recommend you come in for a professional cleaning and checkup at least every six months. You should have X-rays periodically as well to see if there are problems behind the scenes. In some cases, such as when you have a chronic disease or other underlying health issues, you may need more frequent check-ups.
Don’t neglect regular dental checkups. Your oral health is too important to the rest of your health.
At Dental Solutions, we offer a comprehensive pay monthly dentist plan to ensure you can get the treatment you need. The costs are spread across each month to help you get your oral health on track. With this plan, you’ll be able to see our friendly and attentive dentists and hygienists regularly, without worrying about having to wait months for an appointment. There are numerous long term benefits to joining our practice plan scheme, some of which include:
It’s easy to join our pay monthly dentist plan at Dental Solutions. At first, you’ll need to attend a check-up at full price to establish whether you need any dental work prior to joining. This treatment would need to be completed before enrolling into the scheme. From here on, the payments will be £19.95 per month to provide you with long term oral health support, or you can upgrade to our premium plan for £25.45! So, if no long waiting lists, discounts, routine x-rays and dental insurance sounds like something you’d be interested – get in touch! Contact us today!
