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Registering with a dentist is straightforward - it involves some form filling but doesn't necessarily entail the transferral of old records. However, if you suffer from dental phobia, beware - if you register as an NHS patient and do not attend an appointment within 15 months, you will be struck off the register.
As for emergency treatment, you're entitled to walk into any UK dental practice and receive emergency treatment (and pay for it privately). If you're registered with the NHS, your own dentist guarantees to administer emergency treatment within 24 hours. However, if your dentist is in Birmingham, for example, and you are struck down with a tooth abscess in Glasgow, you may well have to pay for the treatment privately. In some cases, however, you may be able to pay a nominal fee which is decided upon by the dentist.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics are responsible for those dreaded 'train track' braces that many of us endured as teenagers. This branch of dentistry is used to correct or straighten crooked or irregular teeth, and is best carried out during the teenage years as the jaw continues to grow. Treatment may include wires, fixed and removable braces and, in the case of 'crowded' teeth, tooth extraction. In some cases, treatment may take several years.
Cosmetic dentistry
Perhaps due to the influence of media images of perfect Hollywood smiles, the demand for cosmetic dentistry has gone through the roof. Primarily used to straighten, lighten, reshape and repair teeth, treatments include veneers, crowns, bridges and tooth-coloured fillings. Before you book a course of smile-perfecting treatment, a word of warning: any dental treatment classed as cosmetic, or for which there is no 'clinical need', is not available on the NHS and must be paid for privately. To avoid unexpected costs, it's a good idea to ask for a written quote before starting treatment.
Alternative dentistry
A new breed of 'alternative' or 'holistic' dentists are now offering metal-free dentistry, homeopathy, nutrition, kinesiology and aromatherapy as an integral part of their service. Used for amalgam fillings, mercury (a toxic element) has been the mainstay of dentistry for 150 years. Although mercury has always been considered safe by the dental profession, some alternative or holistic dentists think that, used in serious root canal work, for example, it may affect the body's energy channels (referred to by acupuncturists as 'meridians').
Dental anxiety and phobia
Whether we dislike not being in control when we're in the dentist's chair, find the sounds of the dentist's drill bring back bad memories of childhood experiences, or are scared of injections (or the cost of treatment!), dental phobia is incredibly common. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation, one in four Britons admit to being afraid of the dentist. Fear not, modern dental techniques have improved so drastically that dentists are now able to administer completely pain-free treatment. For those still unconvinced, there are several anxiety-reducing methods available to dentists. These include injections to relax the patient, 'happy' or 'laughing gas' for nervous children and, at some specialist dental surgeries, hypnosis.
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Registering with a dentist is straightforward - it involves some form filling but doesn't necessarily entail the transferral of old records. However, if you suffer from dental phobia, beware - if you register as an NHS patient and do not attend an appointment within 15 months, you will be struck off the register.
As for emergency treatment, you're entitled to walk into any UK dental practice and receive emergency treatment (and pay for it privately). If you're registered with the NHS, your own dentist guarantees to administer emergency treatment within 24 hours. However, if your dentist is in Birmingham, for example, and you are struck down with a tooth abscess in Glasgow, you may well have to pay for the treatment privately. In some cases, however, you may be able to pay a nominal fee which is decided upon by the dentist.
Orthodontics are responsible for those dreaded 'train track' braces that many of us endured as teenagers. This branch of dentistry is used to correct or straighten crooked or irregular teeth, and is best carried out during the teenage years as the jaw continues to grow. Treatment may include wires, fixed and removable braces and, in the case of 'crowded' teeth, tooth extraction. In some cases, treatment may take several years.
Perhaps due to the influence of media images of perfect Hollywood smiles, the demand for cosmetic dentistry has gone through the roof. Primarily used to straighten, lighten, reshape and repair teeth, treatments include veneers, crowns, bridges and tooth-coloured fillings. Before you book a course of smile-perfecting treatment, a word of warning: any dental treatment classed as cosmetic, or for which there is no 'clinical need', is not available on the NHS and must be paid for privately. To avoid unexpected costs, it's a good idea to ask for a written quote before starting treatment.
A new breed of 'alternative' or 'holistic' dentists are now offering metal-free dentistry, homeopathy, nutrition, kinesiology and aromatherapy as an integral part of their service. Used for amalgam fillings, mercury (a toxic element) has been the mainstay of dentistry for 150 years. Although mercury has always been considered safe by the dental profession, some alternative or holistic dentists think that, used in serious root canal work, for example, it may affect the body's energy channels (referred to by acupuncturists as 'meridians').
Whether we dislike not being in control when we're in the dentist's chair, find the sounds of the dentist's drill bring back bad memories of childhood experiences, or are scared of injections (or the cost of treatment!), dental phobia is incredibly common. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation, one in four Britons admit to being afraid of the dentist. Fear not, modern dental techniques have improved so drastically that dentists are now able to administer completely pain-free treatment. For those still unconvinced, there are several anxiety-reducing methods available to dentists. These include injections to relax the patient, 'happy' or 'laughing gas' for nervous children and, at some specialist dental surgeries, hypnosis.
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Created: 10/06/2004 Updated: 01/02/2007
This iVillage Health service area is designed for educational
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iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB