Tooth fairy tales

A Bit Long In The Tooth

It was one of those weeks when everything seemed to go wrong. I do not want to go on about my misfortunes, but what I want to tell you about is the letter I've got from my NHS dentist this week. Don't get me wrong. I think the NHS is the best thing that ever happened and I'm immensely grateful for it. As you know that as I'm a Homoeopath I do not need the service of the NHS very often but what I do need is a dentist. Luckily I do not need a dentist at the moment but at my age that might change with a mouthful of food at my next meal so I would like to know where to go when the next disaster strikes.

I was lucky to have an NHS dentist, even though it was in Swindon and, with me not having a car, it was always a worry to get to the dentist on time by bus. I don't leave anything to chance, I'm not the sort of person who gambles so I always take a bus earlier than I would have needed to, to get to my appointment on time. I was caught out once, taking the right bus but it was late. I still made it on time but I don't like that sort of excitement stopping every bus and lorry trying to get to Swindon.

So on Tuesday this week I got a letter from the dentist I was so lucky to have, notifying me that they are going to stop their NHS services to the likes of me. Instead they were offering some sort of plan where I would have to pay either £19.75 or £13.25 per MONTH to have 2 checkups and 2/1 hygienist appointments per year, routine x-rays as required, 10% discount on any further treatment and optional worldwide dental emergency treatment. There was even the offer to waive off the usual £15 registration fee. This came as a shock, I can tell you. 

The other option was to find another NHS dentist and in the letter I was advised to call 111, which I did the next day. This was a very friendly and helpful service but even the nice lady on the other end of the phone couldn't pull an NHS dentist out of her sleeve. We were searching Wiltshire and the next one who would definitely take on NHS patients was in Bristol. I tried to find it on google maps but that failed. So I was asking for one in the other direction thinking Salisbury or so. That was a no-no as well because the next one was in Winchester. I think that Bristol is closer than Winchester. Anyway, none we can reach by bus without traveling for a day. At the moment we have a car but what happens if? The nice lady on the helpline also told me that there is always the possibility to contact the dentists directly and ask. So this was what I did. I went boldly into the only NHS dentist in Devizes and started to ask the question with the result that the very nice lady at the reception told me that they are full over their capacity and they don't even dare to have a waiting list. 

There is a lot you can do with Homoeopathy in the dental department. Tooth pain at night which gets better holding something cold/warm in your mouth? Sorted with Homoeopathy. Mouth ulcers? Sorted with Homoeopathy. Infected gums? Sorted with Homoeopathy. But only sorted till you can GET TO THE DENTIST.

There is a glimmer of hope. I can go back to the dentist in Devizes and ask from time to time if they take on new NHS patients and one day I might be lucky.