Please note that this is not a review of the NHS, but the service I've received at the Dental Institute itself. Yes, waiting times are terrible on the NHS. We all know this. I blame *insert party currently in power here*.
My first appointment here annoyed me as I thought I had been referred to have my wisdom tooth out after if had a consultation with my dentist. However, it turned out that it was yet another consultation. I get why it's necessary for them to have an in-house consultation, but it's annoying all the same and communication was not good in that way. That consultation was in November. I was given an appointment for the end of February, which... Blah blah blah NHS.
I decided I didn't want to wait, however, so in late January I phoned up in the afternoon and asked if they had any cancellations I could jump in on. They didn't have any but actively encouraged me to keep calling in the mornings to ask! They were very friendly about it and I resolved to keep trying. Later that same day they phoned me up themselves to offer me an appointment for this Monday just gone! I didn't even have to call them back, they just phoned me up and gave me the appointment!
Once I got in there, the extraction was quick and easy. The anaesthetic wasn't fun, but once I was numb, they just poked around a bit and yanked my tooth out without me even realising that they'd done it. The whole procedure took less than 15 minutes, and the dentist was professional, comforting and very patient with my running commentary on the strange sensations of the anaesthesia. Sadly, they wouldn't let me have my tooth... This one would have been a whopper with the tooth fairy!!
The waking times once you get there can be a bit crap, I will say. The first time I went, I waited for over half an hour after my appointed time before anyone would see me, and then had another long wait to get my x-ray done. The second time, I waited for fifteen minutes before I was seen. Ironically, I was in and out in less than half the time when I actually had the procedure than when I was just in for a consultation! read more