What should be the ideal gap between consecutive dental checkups? This is a common question that almost everyone wants to know the answer. There is no fixed answer to this question; in other words, you can say there is no fixed ideal gap between your back-to-back dental checkups and it depends on the overall condition of your mouth. According to the guidelines of the NHS some people may require a thorough dental check up every three months whereas others may need it in a couple of years. The two simplest ways to take good care of your oral health are restricting your sugary foods and drinks and visiting your dentist at routine intervals for oral health checkups.
Choosing between private and NHS
Dental treatments in the United Kingdom, as it is in the developed countries, are quite expensive. Therefore, when you are considering a dental treatment or visiting a dentist it is always necessary to decide whether you want go to a private practice or the NHS option. The majority of dentists offer both the services and so you may choose any of the two options depending on your condition. Private dentistry offers treatments fast but, on the flip, side is quite expensive. The NHS on the other hand offers treatments at reasonable costs although the treatments are quite limited in option and the wait time to get a treatment could be lengthy. When one decides going to private dentistry, they usually visit a local dentist. There are both advantages and disadvantages of private and NHS dentistry. Therefore, it is better to choose your option carefully suggests a leading dentist in London.
Private dentistry treatments
Usually, the cost of private dentistry in the United Kingdom is higher than that at the NHS but that is not true in every case. The NHS charges for its treatments too although if you qualify for free dental treatment then the NHS will not charge you anything. While deciding between NHS and private dentistry it is a good advice to compare the prices between the two. That way you will know how much the treatment costs at both the services. As far as availability of booking an appointment is concerned, it is definitely more advantageous to go for private dentistry over the NHS. A large number of people consciously choose private dentists over the NHS because of two reasons – either they have a very tight schedule to squeeze out time to upkeep with an NHS dentist’s appointment or they are in a hurry and require an emergency appointment.
The NHS offers a limited treatment options whereas private dentists offer a wide range of treatments. As a patient you enjoy much greater treatment options with any private dentist compared to that of an NHS one. The NHS does not offer quite a number of popular treatments or at least you will not qualify for those easily. For example, you will not get any cosmetic dentistry treatment on the NHS, not even teeth whitening. The treatment of teeth whitening happens to be one of the most popular dental cosmetic treatments across the UK having an excessively high demand. On the other hand, private dental clinics in London or anywhere else for that matter readily offer all the treatments that the NHS offers along with much more including teeth whitening.
Treatments at the NHS
As a matter of fact, the treatments available at the NHS are designed to be more pocket friendly for the UK taxpayers and this is why the costs of the treatments are more reasonable compared to private dentistry. It is important to remember that the dental treatments that are available at the NHS are categorised into three distinct bands – namely Band 1, 2 and 3.
The costs of these treatments are definitely much cheaper as compared to private dentists the NHS has much less availability than what you may imagine. So even if you may be suffering from an emergency dental condition that demands immediate professional care and intervention, you may not be able to get an appointment with your NHS dentist for a couple of months. What is the reason behind the NHS having so less availability? The reason is justified; the NHS has to handle a very large number of patients across the United Kingdom and so it has so less availability.
In fact, there are many NHS dental practices in London as well as elsewhere that cannot take on new patients because they are full to their capacity. As a result, it is also little difficult to find a new dentist on the NHS.
Finding a dentist near you – breaking down the task into easier steps
The NHS report on Dental Statistics is authentic by any standard. According to it over 20 million people see a dentist every year. Considering the total population of the country at present, it can be said that one out of every three people visits a dentist. In order to take proper care of your teeth and the mouth regularly attending dental checkups are crucial. But finding a reliable competent dentist nearby may not always be that easy. First you must decide whether you want to go to the NHS or to a private dentist and then you may try out the following.
Research on dental practices
There is no need to register for any NHS dental practice as is for any GP practice in the UK. You just have to search out a local dentist and give him or her a call to see whether they can provide you with an appointment. There are dedicated directories online and you may also log into the NHS website to search for dentists near you. A trained professional who provides patients with dental smile in London suggests you may either select a dentist near your home or near workplace to make things easier in the long run.
Some practices may have run out of appointments or may not have any space left for new patients. So, do not be disheartened if your initial attempts do not yield positive results.
Emergency care
If you are in a condition for an emergency dental appointment, then the first thing you should do is contact dental smile in London. They usually have the appointment slots reserved for emergency cases available. Dentists working at the renowned Thousand Smiles dental clinic in London suggest, alternatively you can call the emergency NHS helpline 111 and they can help you find an urgent dental service near you. However, an emergency dentist will only provide you with the immediate treatment for your problem and may recommend you to visit a regular dentist for follow up treatments.
