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NHS England: A Call to Action

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consent or what ?

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New to this but keen to learn whether others feel unsure as to what they actually agree to when visit an NHS dentist.Can we consent to only some things on the form ?

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Yes you can. Obviously don't sign the form outlining the treatment plan and the cost until you have discussed it all with your dentist, unless you are 100% happy with what's being offered. Of course, what you don't want to do is be argumentative with your dentist, and also you can usually be confident that what's offered is necessary. But a good dentist should be open to offering any alternatives that are available, sometimes in the form of a compromise that will make your NHS treatment fall into a less expensive band.

Sometimes though, dentists do get a bit carried away with trying to save teeth that, frankly, are going to end up being extracted sooner rather than later anyway.

Recently my dentist said that he recommended a crown for a back tooth and I simply couldn't afford it. After discussion he agreed to replace the filling instead, and, at the same time warned me that this repair might not last as long as a crown and might cause me to lose the tooth sooner. This is fair enough, and I think that this sort of two way conversation is really necessary.

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Thanx, what about all that declaration stuff and passing your details to a huge range of people not even named! I only want my teeth sorted not a publicist.