Changing dentist

I changed from private to private earlier this year, no penalties, my old dentist didn’t even know where I was going. I only moved as my existing dentist retired and parking at the location was impossible, I used to work nearby.

No! You don't belong to a dentist. Just cancel any appointments you have coming up.

I did this and have no regrets. Certainly no penalty.
I had to go on a waiting list and unfortunately had an emergency during that 6 months wait.
Definitely no regrets although my NHS dentist also does private work and has tempted me towards implants not on NHS.
I am very tempted.....

I fell out with my private dentist of some 30 years and simply went to another one who had been recommended and said I wanted a second opinion. I was right to leave the first one. There is no penalty for changing - it’s just like changing hairdressers.

I am registered with an NHS dentist but earlier this year my regular dentist left and his replacement was a very young, nervous dentist. He scared me to death as he couldn’t get my tooth out, he was very rough and even the nurse told him it was time to call for help. He kept trying and eventually they called another dentist in who got it out. She asked him to put stitches in my gum and he said he didn’t want to so she did that too. It was a dreadful experience.

About 6 weeks later I paid a different private dentist to do the bridge and although it cost me £1500 I could never have gone back to the other guy. I will go back to NHS for check up next time.

That was a shocking experience Primrose.

I'm happy with way my present dentist treats my teeth, apart from his swinging prices. I am only just about managing financially at the moment and am tired of being cajoled into unnecessary cosmetic procedures.

Thanks for the reassurance everyone, its a relief to have confirmation about the move. Now to find out if the nhs dentist still has a space on Monday.

No you just cancel any appointments and move to the new one . If you’re worried about X-rays and your previous dentist is private , you can ask for the X-rays to be sent to the new dentist .

A shame it naturally is, of course, if you were satisfied with the actual treatment there. This constant bringing up of cosmetic things, however, would annoy me too.

I would actually call the NHS dentist first tomorrow, before you cancel anything with the previous one. Of the X-rays I would have thought too. Maybe those can simply be passed on.

Hopefully the spot is still there tomorrow.

Changing your dentist is no different changing your hairdresser. You just stop making appointments with them and book in with someone else.

Good luck with the move! I've found that keeping up with regular check-ups and daily dental care makes switching dentists much smoother, since your records stay straightforward. For anyone wanting to brush up on the basics, this dental health guide was a useful read: healthupdates.co.uk/ Hope the new NHS dentist works out well!