In a Dentist Shortage, British (Ouch) Do It Themselves

The New York Times ^ | May 7, 2006 | Unsigned

[Moonman62]

He doesn't look a day under 83, and I see he has money for tattoos, but none for dental care. And didn't we just get the news that the Brits are healthier than Americans?

[bkepley]

Now don't you guys who keep cracking jokes at the Brits feel a little guilty?

[agere_contra]

He doesn't look a day under 83

He doesn't look that bad - considering he's 180 years old and subsists on human blood.

[NicknamedBob]

"Many British citizens are taking extended medical holidays to India to have surgery they can't get performed in the U.K."

Oh, I get it!

This thread is about outsourcing teeth.

[joesnuffy]

Just ignore your teeth... and they will go away

[george76]

Britain has too few public dentists for too many people. At the beginning of the year, just 49 percent of the adults and 63 percent of the children in England and Wales were registered with public dentists.

And now, discouraged by what they say is the assembly-line nature of the job and by a new contract that pays them to perform a set number of "units of dental activity" per year, even more dentists are abandoning the health service and going into private practice — some 2,000 in April alone, the British Dental Association says.

[george76]

Just 33 percent of the Rochdale population is signed up with a state dentist, down from 58 percent in 1997.

Nor is the level of care what it might be.

The system...encourages state dentists to see too many patients in too short a time and to cut corners by, for instance, extracting teeth rather than performing root canals.

[ErnBatavia]

[Churchillspirit]

If Mr Kelly had the money to fly to the US and have dental work done, he could afford a private dentist in the UK.

LOL!

[Churchillspirit]

What misunderstandings exist about medical/dental care in the UK.

The National Health Service is about equivalent to Medical here. Many people have private insurance which equates to private insurance here.

Yes, there are long waiting lists for elective procedures, but no one is denied emergency care and there are no horrid bills coming along later.

[moatilliatta]

Kelly should beg, borrow or steal some money to fly to the States to get his dental work done.

Not necessary. Anyone willing to pay full price can get to see a dentist over here in fairly short order. It's in the state-subsided sector that demand massively outstrips supply.

[traviskicks]

British Health Socialism alert... :) In the US, Dentists are the most 'free market' of any health care profession. Thus, there is, generally, the most patient access, for lower prices, plus high Dentist sallaries.





Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[traviskicks]

thxn for the ping. These sorts of stories are great.

[Recovering_Democrat]

The Big Book of British Smiles.

[Earthdweller]

Lord have mercy.

[RichInOC]

1. Sarah Lyall is the Times staffer who wrote the article.

2. I started reading this story this morning. I know it's not really funny, but I couldn't help it. I started making noises like Muttley from "Wacky Races".

[aculeus]

Sarah Lyall is the Times staffer who wrote the article.

Hmmm. Either I overlooked her byline or it wasn't up when I posted.

Apologies to Sarah!

[Eagle Eye]

Self ping for later.

[Das Outsider]

So me teeff is copping rotten, right? So I say ter my ole lady, "Eh up, ole lady! Blimey! 'ow's about copping the bloomin' pliers?" She says ter me, right, "Yor crazy, yer are."

Wot does she know?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

He brushes once a day? I grew up by the rule that one should brush at least twice a day.