Our family (myself and my partner and our 3 children) have been 'registered' with this dental practice for years. We have just been sent a letter to say we are no longer registered. They say, they have had to remove 500 patients from their list. My partner and 18 year old daughter are 2 weeks away from a check up they have waited 1 year for. Both have been cancelled. Only after calling them, am I told the 2 children under 18 years can stay on their list. We are not permitted to see another NHS dentist there. Our only option is to pay to be seen there privately. We were given no notice that this was happening.
Over the last couple of years, the scaling device has been repeatedly broken, with the option of paying to see the hygienist instead.
I cannot fault the care of the dentist when we are seen.
My husband and I registered as NHS patients when we moved to Norwich in 2016 and my son is now a patient too. We had our regular check up appointments which we were extremely unimpressed with as we had just come from a private practice in Essex and the difference in treatment was massive.
Check up appointments consisted of essentially sitting down, the dentist rubbing his fingers along our gums, saying “all is ok, see you next year!”. Appointments usually took no longer than 5/10 mins, extremely dismissive with us as adults and our son (now 6). Please bear in mind both my husband and I are pretty clued up on dental care and treatments as both of us had monthly appointments for years following orthodontic treatments, so we have quite a lot of positive experiences to compare this practice and dentist with.
Reading through the reviews for this particular practice, I honestly believe this may only apply to our particular dentist and my review is in no way a reflection on the rest of the staff. Reception staff have been amazing, the hygienists we have met for regular cleanings have been absolutely delightful and amazingly professional.
I feel that there is clearly a difference in treatment and approach when it comes to NHS vs. private patients which is very disappointing.
Cherry at the top of the cake though which left me absolutely livid and prompted my review today… I called to book mine and my son’s regular check up and was told I had been de-registered because I didn’t book any check ups last year - 2023. I was told the practice does NOT HAVE to send reminders and this particular dentist reserves the right to kick NHS patients off the list if they haven’t attended for a period of time. When I explained I DID come in late 2023 for a cleaning with the hygienist and didn’t book any check ups with the dentist because I felt there was no concerns regarding my oral health, I was told that is somewhat irrelevant, what matters are the actual appointments with this particular dentist.
I was given absolutely no notice to advise me I would be removed if no appointments are made with the dentist. No courtesy phone call, email, text message, nothing. I asked if I could at all appeal to this decision, considering my husband and son are still patients but was told the dentist refused to consider. Absolutely appalling, unbelievable that practices are allowed to do this with NO notice whatsoever. I would understand if I hadn’t visited the practice for a long period of time, but I literally had a hygienist appointment in OCT 2023???
What a fantastic team!
Full of explanation, empathy, kind, caring and patient.
Fran is a fresh-faced and keen newer member of staff and frankly this team was a breath of fresh air.
Fabulous and BRAVO!
Thank you so much for your care and attention.
I joined this practice about two years ago. I am very pleased with my dentist as I have dental phobia and she has been kind, understanding and willing to spend the time needed to do the work.
Two male dentists at this practice have led my mouth to a horror story status. I have had to leave this useless practice and to start paying for my teeth to be repaired elsewhere, at some expense, because there are long waiting lists and no places for NHS patients in Nor folk now. On top of rough, unempathetic treatment, they are most unkind and certainly don't take the time to listen and to consider the context for a missed appointment. There is too much to detail here but, suffice to say, when I get some time, I will be definitely be writing to NHS Dental Complaints, outlining their lack of competence and kindness.
I can see from the comments here that people have had mixed experiences with this practice. I guess much of that has been down to individual dentists. I hadn't gone to a dentist for years, was a nervous patient with previous bad experiences of dentists as a child, and all of the problems you might expect from having neglected my teeth. I started going when the practice was at Recreation Rd and transferred up to Earlham Rd when it moved. I have had 2 dentists during that period. Both have been excellent - patient, thorough and knowledgeable. I have also seen 2 hygienists (had an appointment today) who have been really helpful. It all saved my teeth and gums. With the terrible pressure on getting a dentist now I feel relieved that I opted to be brave when I did and get registered. Practice staff are all friendly and helpful too in my experience.
Very poor experience. We've always felt as not been treated to a good standard. Wrong treatment caused thousands spent privately to fix the issues. No responsibility has been taken.
It was a few years ago but after a root canal at another NHS dentist I am aware what a horrific experience I had at Denteam. I was told my root canal would be very difficult and advised to go to a specialist costing over a thousand pounds. I asked the NHS dentist if he could try the procedure. For a molar tooth, it took all of 20 minutes with no second visit. No rubber dam was used and there was no way it would have been successful. I was told that the NHS did not have the tools for root canals.... I have since found out this is not true, but they are a time consuming business so I can only think this is why they did not want to attempt it. I then was advised to have it extracted, which I reluctantly did as I could not afford a thousand pounds for private treatment. Some time later I was advised by the hospital that I needed another root canal, this time on a front bottom tooth. My experience was much the same and actually worse. Of course it did not work. I was sent to another dentist in the practice who agreed to try and do it again. Again, no precautions or rubber dam were used, no correct instruments (I have since seen what they should look like) and I ended up swallowing lots of chemicals. It failed of course and I went to the expensive private dentist. I continued to have pain, which Denteam said they could see no reason for.. I ended up leaving the practice after being made to feel like I was making a fuss about nothing. It was a shocking experience and made me scared of the dentist. I have lately gone elsewhere and after having on and off pain for years, have had a CT scan and all along I had an issue with the root canal NEXT to my previously treated tooth.
All in all, the treatment from Denteam was disgraceful. I complained the the practice manager at the time and looking back I should have gone to the General Dental Council and also made a claim against them. While at the practice I continued to get letters from the GDC, who were asking to see my records as they were looking into complaints about my dentist. I can see why.