At the Tandartsenpost dental clinic on Aalsterweg in Eindhoven, the so-called “emergency service” isn’t urgent for many patients.
People often wait hours for appointments or are unable to get one, even if their dentist refers them. Recently, numerous complaints have been directed at the emergency dental clinic: “This isn’t even an emergency.”
An online search for “Tandartsenpost Eindhoven” reveals numerous complaints from patients. They report that dentists are often unavailable, calls go unanswered, or help is only available on Monday.
Even calling at night when pain is unbearable is often futile. The few positive reviews also mention poor transportation, poor reception, and the lack of priority for urgent cases.
Patient Experiences
Wendy Spaninks’ daughter developed a severe headache and fever after having her wisdom teeth removed, and the dentist recommended contacting the emergency clinic immediately.
But when she called on Saturday, the receptionist refused to see her, claiming there was “no trauma.” Her daughter was even ridiculed on the phone, leaving her feeling extremely embarrassed and hurt. Ultimately, she had no choice but to visit her general practitioner.
Wendy called repeatedly, but it wasn’t until the sixth time that she finally got an appointment. However, the condition was a €250 upfront payment.
Given her past experience with debt restructuring, she felt this practice made it completely impossible for less-privileged patients to access emergency care. Ultimately, she canceled her appointment and waited until Monday to see her daughter at her own dentist.
Another father’s frustration
Mark Poulussen also experienced chaos. He wanted to repair his son’s broken filling before leaving for an overseas vacation and booked an appointment for Saturday.
But upon arrival, he found the waiting room packed, and after a long wait, no one was seen. Later, he learned the dentist had already left.
“I drove 45 minutes to get there, only to be told there were no dentists,” Mark recalled angrily. He ultimately had to reschedule, returning with his son at 7:30 pm, only to be treated half an hour later.
Clinic Response
In response to media inquiries, Tandartsenpost stated that all complaints are addressed, but acknowledged that it is unable to cope with sudden increases in demand. The clinic emphasized that they have sufficient dentists, but in some cases, the overabundance of patients has led to a backlog.
However, the clinic disputed Mark’s allegations. They stated that if they discovered a dentist was unavailable, they would immediately notify and cancel appointments, and that no patient had to wait for an extended period.