Plugging the gap

Until the Dental Act of 1921 became law anyone could practice dentistry in the UK. Barbers regularly advertised their dental skills as a handy side-line, typically offering swift tooth extractions. How times have changed.

Today I visited my first UK dentist. I'd scheduled an appointment after discovering a jagged edge on a back molar early last week. The tooth in question contains a large, old filling. Several years ago I had the original mercury filling removed and replaced with a modern resin alternative. At the time I was warned that the filling was sizeable and hence the repair might have weakened the tooth. I naturally feared the worst today.

However, I need not have worried. I’d simply had a decade-old erosion coating chip off the surface of my tooth. My dentist in Australia had applied this protective resin to save a worn molar from further wear. Apparently I’d been a little too keen during my daily teeth scrubbing sessions.

Fifteen minutes of high tech dental action saw me as good as new. I was relieved, not just for the simple procedure, but to have also found another reliable health care professional. I’ve been going to the same Australian dentist since 1993 and didn’t relish the thought of trying to find another dentist on the opposite side of the planet.

Ironically, I followed the advice of my Australian dentist during my search for a local replacement. He recommended that I find an expat Australian or New Zealand dentist. In his opinion, Down Under dentists are trained to be less invasive while the UK’s NHS bulk billing culture encourages dentists to conduct excessive procedures.

However, much like the steady bulk billing decline in Australia, UK dentists are progressively abandoning the NHS and entering private practice. A rapid increase in the cost of dental service has naturally ensued. As a result, many UK people travel to Eastern European for major dental work. The cost of a cheap airfare alone is now often less than an initial consultation in a private practice. Major dental work in Hungry can cost up to half the price of work in the UK. I can't image taking a dental 'vacation'.

After considerable web searching I came upon Adam Sapera, an Australian dentist ten minutes from home, renown for his use of modern, innovative dental technology. Phew! Another item ticked off the relocation list. I’ve been incredibly lucky so far, securing an excellent doctor (one who actually knosw what a skin cancer looks like and is equipped to treat it) and now a decent dentist. Much like my dentist, I'd been visiting the same doctor in Sydney for more than a decade.

The final health care professional I need to secure in London is an optometrist. I really must sort this out. My contact lenses supply is depleted and I need to order more. You can’t order lenses without a prescription and my current script is 15 years old. I doubt they'll accept it. Back to the search engine!