Dentist
What it really means
Dental care is separate from GP care. You "join" a dental practice rather than register like a GP, and NHS dentists can be hard to find — many only take private patients. NHS dental treatment is not free for most adults.
Context, tips & common mistakes
Dentistry works nothing like GP care, and the differences catch everyone out: there is no catchment area, no permanent registration, and — unlike the GP — NHS dental treatment costs money for most adults. The real problem is capacity: practices accepting new NHS patients are scarce in many areas, so ring several, ask to join waiting lists, and use the NHS website's find-a-dentist search, which shows who claims to be accepting.
Do not let dental pain wait on a list. For urgent problems call NHS 111, which can book emergency dental slots; A&E is only for serious facial injury, uncontrolled bleeding or dangerous swelling. Many newcomers also mix NHS and private pragmatically — check-ups where available on the NHS, and clear written quotes before agreeing to anything private.