Advise on dentists?

[chess]

My teeth are making 'we have Issues and wish to register a complaint' noises. They are not yet emergency-level painful but it hurts to chew on one side of my mouth, and I believe it to be something wrong with the molar that I've previously been told have a hairline crack which might develop into something nasty in time.

I am not currently registered with a dentist, and have no idea how to go about doing this (my parents have always previously dealt with this kind of thing).

I do have not inconsiderable quantities of money so private dentistry sounds like a reasonable option, as apparently NHS dentistry is almost impossible to get back into once it lapses.

The last time I'm aware of having any dental records was at the University Dental Clinic. It may also be relevant that I abandoned them while in no fit mental state to deal with anything, missed an appointment, received a letter fining me some money, never did anything about this and never went back. (Getting to them within opening hours has been Very Difficult at all subsequent points, including this one.)

Also, I currently have no bank card because I lost my bank card *again*, which makes actually paying people things a more long-winded process than usual, as I have to transfer the money to Nicholas' bank account and have him get it out of a wall / do the paying.

Some advice would be appreciated.

Comments

[bouteillebleu.livejournal.com]

I was registered with Boots Dental back home in Watford, and when they were bought up by Optical Express I moved to them - had an emergency appointment with them just before the 3YGB, and it was quick and helpful and actually cheaper than I thought.

Optical Express Dental is in the Optical Express at the Market Square end of Petty Cury. Unfortunately I'm not sure what their phone number is - internet searches provided me with 2 different ones - but I'd tend to recommend them for private dentist stuff.

For signing up with a dentist, just going to them and saying you want to register there should be enough.

For getting dental records, my Watford dentists have said that the Cambridge ones need to ask them to transfer records. That's between two branches of the same chain, so it might be simpler, but perhaps you could see if that would work for getting records transferred?

[bouteillebleu.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I got an emergency appointment with them - on a weekday, mind you - within 3 hours of booking it. (Came in at 9am, had an appointment for 12:30.) This was on a Friday, and so it's less likely to work for weekends.

I don't think it mattered that I was a patient at another branch for getting the quick appointment, though, just for the expense.