The British National Health Service (NHS) is so lacking in dentists that recently 600 people queued up for a chance at 300 slots at a dental clinic that accepts NHS patients.
Critics charge the quality of NHS dentistry is poor because of the frantic pace with which dentists must work. Over the years, the NHS has reduced payments to dentists for each task they perform such as each filling, root canal, etc. They are sometimes accused of performing unnecessary work, and they earn much less than their colleagues in private practice.
Fewer dental schools operate in Britain than in the past. Because of the problems obtaining appointments, more and more people are waiting until the last possible minute to get their teeth fixed. And they are forgoing routine exams and cleaning.
Source: Lizette Alvarez, A Nagging Pain in Britain: How to Find a Dentist, New York Times, August 12, 2003.
For NY Times text (requires registration) http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/international/europe/12WALE.html
For more on Health Systems of Other Countries http://www.ncpa.org/iss/hea/
FMF Policy Bulletin\19 August 2003
