Hi all,
A few years ago, I moved to a new NHS dental practice. My old dentist, who I’d been with for years, went private – they had decades of experience and I always felt confident in their work.
My new NHS practice is good overall, but they assign many patients (including me) to the foundation dentists who start in September. This means if you see a foundation dentist one year, they’ll likely be gone the next when their training year ends.
So far, I’ve been lucky – I’ve not needed any major work. For check-ups, foundation dentists have been great. My concern is when it comes to more involved procedures like fillings, especially on front (visible) teeth. Last time I needed a filling, I happened to see an experienced associate dentist instead because the foundation dentist was off sick.
I completely understand that everyone in any profession needs hands-on experience to improve – I’ve been in the same boat myself. But I also know that early in your career, mistakes are more likely as part of the learning process. In dentistry, that’s a bit more worrying. If I needed a filling on my front incisors, I’d be nervous about having it done by someone fresh out of qualifying.
I know I’m lucky to have an NHS dentist at all, and I get that the alternative is to pay privately if I’m not comfortable. But I’m curious – what have your experiences been with new foundation dentists? Were you happy with the quality of work, especially for more visible or complex treatments?
Cheers!