Fakenham dentist defends decision to go private after social media backlash
A dentist from Fakenham has defended her decision to go private after facing a backlash on social media.
Teresa Kleinhans, from Wensum Dental Practice, took the difficult decision to switch to private dental care after her associate dentist resigned to go and work at a private practice. Mrs Kleinhans said that the current situation facing NHS dentists has made her fall out of love with her profession but insisted that she still cares deeply for her patients.
Speaking about the decision, Teresa said that it has been incredibly tough to work as a dentist since last June and the situation has made her question the future. She added that she hoped that patients would understand that she had to make a decision that would enable her to look after herself, as well as her patients.
News of the practice turning into a private clinic was met with anger and disappointment on social media and Mrs Kleinhans felt the need to clarify the situation and explain her decision on Facebook.
Mrs Kleinhans suggested that there are several problems within the dental industry and indicated that she felt that it would be impossible for her to continue offering NHS dental treatment under the current contract conditions. There is a shortage of dentists, targets are “unrealistic,” the hours are getting longer to cope with backlogs and the demand for appointments is far outweighing the supply.
Mrs Kleinhans said that she had always wanted to enjoy a long career but stressed that she was unable to continue working like she has been over the course of the last year.
Research conducted by the British Dental Association suggests that as many as one-third of dentists currently offering NHS services are considering switching to private dentistry.
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