Letters to the editor

Dear editor,

I am writing to express my astonishment and disappointment at the views expressed by Sharif Islam. I felt that the descriptions of NHS patients given in the article were grossly unfair and unkind, not to mention a gross generalisation. NHS dentistry exists to give access to treatment to the general population. This includes those who find dental treatment hard to afford or are exempt from treatment charges for various reasons including low income or incapacity. Without this vital service, many would simply be unable to afford the care they would need and the nation's level of oral health would decrease as a result. I firmly believe also, that if the NHS disappeared tomorrow, private dentistry would not be too much better off, as without a payment plan or insurance, most would be unable to afford private charges.

There is also the deeper issue that such unkind and unfair comments regarding patients are unprofessional and for a patient or member of the public reading the article in question, it would paint the profession in a poor light. I work in Rotherham in South Yorkshire, an area that was hit very badly by the closure of the coal mines. There is a large amount of social deprivation in the area, with many patients being exempt from treatment. However, none of my patients meet the stereotyped and cruel portrayal of NHS patient's that the author paints in his article. Many of my patients are professionals or have jobs that they work diligently at. The attitude of blaming patients for being exempt or non-paying is terrible. Who are we to comment on the way people live their lives? Our job, private or NHS is to protect our patients from pain and to improve their oral health. In this uncertain period of economic downturn, many patients are finding it hard to find the money to pay for treatment. It is not for us to judge on why someone might be exempt or why they are keen to investigate what treatments they are entitled to. I come across patients who have requested private treatments (implants, tooth whitening, veneers) on the NHS.I have certainly not scorned them for doing so, most simply did not realise that such treatments are not available for the NHS because they constitute cosmetic treatment. This strikes me as an issue of managing patients' expectations, not judging them for having assumptions that have obviously not been addressed in the proper manner. Perhaps the answer to the author's trouble comes from careful introspection, rather than judging patients.