Paddy McGuinness shocks Question Time audience with dental care storySource: BBC Quesiton Time
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00:00 Funnily enough, my dad did that.
00:02 What?
00:03 He took his own teeth out because he couldn't
00:05 get a dentist appointment.
00:06 And this is a few years back.
00:08 So I know that first hand.
00:11 But as someone, as a child who was terrified
00:14 of going to the dentist, I've got
00:15 to congratulate the government because they've managed
00:17 to get people queuing up at home.
00:20 People can't wait to get in the dentist now.
00:22 Everyone like, get me in there.
00:23 But I spoke to a dentist today, funnily enough.
00:26 And I'm glad you're here, Sue, because if I've got this wrong
00:29 and I often do get things wrong, you
00:32 might be able to help me out here.
00:33 But there's a thing called UDA, which
00:36 is a unit of dental activity.
00:39 So if you're an NHS dentist, you'll
00:41 get x amount of these UDAs.
00:44 So let's say it's 10,000.
00:46 So someone will come in for a scale and polish.
00:49 That's one UDA.
00:50 Someone will come in for a filling.
00:51 That's 12.
00:52 Someone with a crown, that's 20.
00:53 Now, that NHS dentist has to use up those UDAs.
00:59 And if they don't use them up, they'll get penalised.
01:02 And if they go above the UDA--
01:04 Nodding from the NHS dentist there.
01:06 --they'll get penalised again.
01:07 So they're stuck between a rock and a hard place.
01:10 And it's almost becoming--
01:13 you know, they do an amazing job.
01:15 But you don't want to be going to a dentist who's
01:19 doing target-based care as opposed to care-based care.