Local dentists branching out from teeth

[Sue]

I recently booked a dental checkup at Dulwich Dental Office in North Cross Road.

I had stopped going there because during COVID I was disappointed to find that the very small reception area upstairs, and the receptionist, appeared to be  very lax indeed about social distancing or taking other precautions.

After their refurb and taking over the old Lloyds premises downstairs, I thought I would give them another chance.

I was very taken aback to find that among the usual preliminary form filling re medical conditions etc was a questionnaire asking questions such as was I worried about wrinkles 🙄

Yes, I have wrinkles. I'm ancient. I'd rather not have them, but I have no intention of spending shedloads of money to look like an ancient person who has spent shedloads of money on work to make it look as if she hasn't got wrinkles.

Are young people being asked this as well? Young people who are worried that they might be getting a wrinkle? Or weren't worried before, but  are worried now that this potential worry has been put into their heads?

Then when I got to the actual dentist, there was a large notice on the wall advertising Botox, even although the room itself  did not appear to be set up for anything apart from dentistry.

Is this common practice now? Can anybody recommend a good local dentist who won't try to sell you a trout pout and a face lift alongside making sure your teeth are not about to fall out? 

I was only reminded of this because Dulwich Dental Office have just sent me a survey asking me to rate them. Apparently they will then send me their "secret free guide on how to keep a healthy smile forever".

Dentists used to tell you how to look after your teeth and gums as a matter of course. No longer, apparently. Unless this guide just suggests you have all your teeth extracted and replaced at vast expense by artificial ones that won't rot?

Why is the guide secret? It is so secret that they haven't sent it to me, probably because when I got their request for a review I fed back something along the lines of the above.

Sorry for the long post.

[Kathleen Olander]

My dentist is Daniel Hopkins at Half Moon Dental Practise in Herne Hill, he is brilliant and keeps up to date with all the latest dental technologies.

Mrs Sida-Murray from Goose Green is now in a very spectacular looking practise in Dulwich Village.

Both practises are just Dental!

 

 

[NewWave]

I've noticed it seems to be the 'modern world' that dentists now offer a sideline of botox and the like and cosmetic dentistry too..invisilign,veneers etc.

I'm like you old school (and old!) I want my dentist to look at my teeth not the lines on my forehead.

I go to Damira dental in Penge (out of the way I know but the 176 stops opposite) they take NHS and private and I moved there about 5 years ago when my former dentist kept trying to push cosmetic dentistry on me (veneers and all that jazz) and trying to tell me that it would 'protect my teeth' blah blah.

Damira are good and refered me to kings when I had an issue that needed an 'ondodontist' (no I'd never heard of it either) highly reccomed and the reception staff emily and Sharon are both lovely!

Good hygenists there too.

[Sue]

Thank you, both!

Do dentists have catchment areas, like GPs?

Edited July 12, 2024 by Sue

[I hammer]

Maybe they meant 'worried about wrinkles on your teeth' 

[Sue]

  On 12/07/2024 at 22:13, I hammer said:

Maybe they meant 'worried about wrinkles on your teeth' 

Expand  

Now that would be a real cause for worry 🤣 

[Cyclemonkey]

My dentist offers this sort of stuff.  It doesn't unduely bother me as I just decline.

It is an easy additional income stream for dentists as they have the expertise and equipment for cosmetic facial injections.  

[Sue]

  On 13/07/2024 at 09:55, Cyclemonkey said:

My dentist offers this sort of stuff.  It doesn't unduely bother me as I just decline.

It is an easy additional income stream for dentists as they have the expertise and equipment for cosmetic facial injections.  

Expand  

Their dentistry training surely doesn't cover cosmetic issues unrelated to teeth? 

[Cyclemonkey]

No they will get extra training for the cosmetic stuff, but my point is dentists are already experienced in carrying out facial injections.

Edited July 13, 2024 by Cyclemonkey

[Sue]

  On 13/07/2024 at 10:21, Cyclemonkey said:

No they will get extra training for the cosmetic stuff, but my point is dentists are already experienced in carrying out facial injections.

Expand  

Injections for anaesthetising gums, not for  injecting botox into lips and "wrinkles" !

[Jenijenjen]

I think I'd prefer a dentist to carry out the procedure than many others who offer the service. Hypothetical really, it's not something I'd ever consider 

[Kathleen Olander]

  On 12/07/2024 at 19:22, Sue said:

Thank you, both!

Do dentists have catchment areas, like GPs?

Expand  

Private ones don't, not sure about NHS.

[NewWave]

  On 12/07/2024 at 19:22, Sue said:

Thank you, both!

Do dentists have catchment areas, like GPs?

Expand  

No I live near the Horniman museum, I found the dentist through a neighbour who has now moved to Camberwell but still goes there

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

  On 13/07/2024 at 10:18, Sue said:

Their dentistry training surely doesn't cover cosmetic issues unrelated to teeth? 

Expand  

Any Tom, Dick or Harry can give botox and other filler infections without any training or licensure...

https://www.policybee.co.uk/blog/can-anyone-train-to-give-botox-uk

[Alec1]

They have some excellent dentists working there.  I am sure they have other specialists doing the other stuff, as I doubt most dentists have the time to do much else.   

[Sue]

  On 14/07/2024 at 01:59, Alec1 said:

They have some excellent dentists working there.  I am sure they have other specialists doing the other stuff, as I doubt most dentists have the time to do much else.   

Expand  

I wasn't questioning anybody's expertise.

I don't mind professional people sharing premises.

What I strongly object to is making an appointment for a routine dental checkup and then being asked whether I am worried about cosmetic issues which have nothing to do with my  teeth or my health.

It's bad enough getting old without it being suggested by a dental surgery that you should be worried about how you look (and if I had ticked "yes" I presume I would have then been given information about all their cosmetic  treatments).

What next? Are GPs going to go down this route as well? 

 

[malumbu]

They are businesses looking to increase their revenue.  But in fairness whilst my practice has a TV in the waiting room that advertises cosmetic dentistry, my dentist has never suggested to me that I need it,  Fortunately we don't live in America

 

[Sue]

  On 14/07/2024 at 07:53, malumbu said:

They are businesses looking to increase their revenue.  But in fairness whilst my practice has a TV in the waiting room that advertises cosmetic dentistry, my dentist has never suggested to me that I need it,  Fortunately we don't live in America

 

Expand  

Cosmetic dentistry is at least related to teeth!

[Azalea]

This practice is now advertising on this Forum.   How did you find the actual checkup?

[Sue]

  On 18/08/2024 at 10:35, Azalea said:

This practice is now advertising on this Forum.   How did you find the actual checkup?

Expand  

What section are they advertising in? I haven't seen any adverts or posts from them?

They recently sent me another email asking me to review them, so I can only assume they didn't read my first email 🙄

The actual checkup was ok, it was quick,  they took x rays.

I presume they didn't find anything wrong. They didn't suggest I saw a hygienist, so my gums etc must be ok.

Edited August 19, 2024 by Sue

[Jenijenjen]

I went there a couple of times a few years ago. Dental exam was fine and was persuaded to see the hygienist "the whole half hour will be spent cleaning your teeth." Fine. Except it wasn't. Before the cleaning process even began, half the time was spent aggressively trying to persuade me to undergo further more expensive treatment. 

So I changed dentists who have never even suggested I undergo this further treatment and my gums are doing fine.

[Sue]

  On 19/08/2024 at 06:05, Jenijenjen said:

I went there a couple of times a few years ago. Dental exam was fine and was persuaded to see the hygienist "the whole half hour will be spent cleaning your teeth." Fine. Except it wasn't. Before the cleaning process even began, half the time was spent aggressively trying to persuade me to undergo further more expensive treatment. 

So I changed dentists who have never even suggested I undergo this further treatment and my gums are doing fine.

Expand  

Oh dear.

[Penguin68]

The hygienist will have been rewarded for upselling, possibly on a %age basis. Not I think the most acceptable practice in a quasi health context. But increasingly the norm, I'm afraid, and particularly where looks and not (just) health are being sold. 

[claresy]

I'm not happy that my perfectly good family dentist is now 'dental beauty' and instead of a service that felt personal I have to listen to long recorded messages and fill in questionnaires promoting expensive aesthetic extras. I was put out to read a question that I thought said 'Would you like even more teeth?'. On closer inspection it said 'Would you like more even teeth?'! 🙂 

[Azalea]

  On 18/08/2024 at 15:09, Sue said:

What section are they advertising in? I haven't seen any adverts or posts from them?

They recently sent me another email asking me to review them, so I can only assume they didn't read my first email 🙄

The actual checkup was ok, it was quick,  they took x rays.

I presume they didn't find anything wrong. They didn't suggest I saw a hygienist, so my gums etc must be ok.

Expand  

Pop up type adverts.  I clicked on one as I wanted to see which dental practice it was.  Haven’t seen it since.