Dental charges !

[gov]

My turn for a bit of a rant :x

Like everywhere finding a decent dentist is hard and an NHS one virtually impossible - the dentist we've been going to for years has retired and been taken over by a private practice who does both private and NHS - although the Hygienist is now separate and charges £32 for a scale and polish which if you read the NHS notices displayed in the waiting room is supposed to be included in the check up . My wife has to have a root canal filling ( ouch ! ) that under NHS is a maximum of £50 - her dentist said that she has to tell her that the Under NHS procedure she has to use certain tools that aren't as successful as having it done privately when better and more effective tools are used ( Erhhhhh ? ) but this costs another £170 ! After her initial appointment she had to have antibiotics to clear an infection before this can be done ( appointment on 13th January ) Infection has flared up again so she emailed the dentist ( apparently you can't phone ) to ask if she can have a further prescription for antibiotics - can't issue a prescription without seeing her and that will be another £18.50 because it's deemed to be an emergency

Obviously we will pay to have it done privately but can't help feeling we are being ripped off - okay we are fortunate enough to have the money but what do people do who just can't afford these charges ?

 

[-Tom-]

There's no charge to issue a prescription only with no treatment, for starters.

Sounds a bit meehhh, i'm fully NHS and we use rotary Ni-Ti instruments for root fillings. Admittedly they are more expensive but it reduces the clinical time so cost isn't much of an argument there. It is a grey topic though. The problem lies with the NHS where hardly anything is in black and white and mostly is up for interpretation. The way they scrimp on funding just fuels the way things are interpreted.

 

[A1GSS]

We use a private dentist and are in the "Denplan" scheme. Pay about £39 a month for the two of us and covers everything privately including our kids. Get at least two checkups and hygienist visits each per year, plus any remedial work, X-rays etc. All in except for (a) lab work for crowns (about £50 each) or (b) implants (loads more). Includes emergency work, and out of hours too. Very pleased.

 

[pvr]

Broke a tooth a couple of weeks back, quote from the dentist is £550 for the crown. Yikes ...

On my root canal last year (every year something ...), the prescription was a laugh actually. Was expecting a terrible charge, but private antibiotics was like £3 or so for the entire lot, much less than on the NHS.

 

[gov]

We use a private dentist and are in the "Denplan" scheme. Pay about £39 a month for the two of us and covers everything privately including our kids. Get at least two checkups and hygienist visits each per year, plus any remedial work, X-rays etc. All in except for (a) lab work for crowns (about £50 each) or (b) implants (loads more). Includes emergency work, and out of hours too. Very pleased.

Been considering this - at the moment we both have 6 monthly check ups and at least 2 visits to the hygienists each year - total cost around £200 excluding any treatment - as we're both getting a bit long in the tooth it would make more sense to do one of these plans - presumably the criteria is that you have to be signed off by your dentist first to show you don't need immediate treatment or are in the process of undergoing treatment - also is there an age limit ?

 

[pvr]

I have (limited) dental insurance which is attached to my private health insurance. Not sure if you have a private policy as the add-on seems to be cheaper.

 

[A1GSS]

... it would make more sense to do one of these plans - presumably the criteria is that you have to be signed off by your dentist first to show you don't need immediate treatment or are in the process of undergoing treatment - also is there an age limit ?

Well, you certainly need to be checked out. Cost varies depending on your general level of dental health so if your teeth/gums are in poor shape you'll maybe pay more. Also, not all dentists offer it. I don't know about an age limit, I'm 60.

 

[Dunk]

I'm looking for a NHS dentist as mine is just too much imo, for a check up which took 7 minutes and
getting them cleaned cost me nearly £90 on my last visit

 

[Z4M-2006]

Over the last month i have had,

Check up,
Scale an polish
1 filling
1 rear tooth removed

£48.....

Marvelous...

 

[cj10jeeper]

Denplan for individuals (not company subsidised schemes) is in the long run just an expensive way to smooth out the expense peaks and troughs of dental care. On average it will cost you more than if you just pay for what you use. Simple maths and scorecards really, but some folks love the known cost structure. Costs me private <£300/annum for 2 of us check-ups, Xray and usual scale and polish.

Same with healthcare. Not in any private medical cover (my own business so not provided) An operation cost £8,000 for the Mrs some 5 years ago, but was a tiny fraction of the family cost of premiums for say a 10 year period. NHS have taken care of everything else and indeed one family op on NHS was sub-contracted to Private.

I know from bitter experience of aging parents that as the need goes up the premiums and exclusions increase just to ensure the profit margin is maintained, until finally they were declined ongoing and are now supported to the tune of £5k+ /month on the NHS

 

[Nictrix]

Are they having a laugh?
Would they seriously use different tools that were not as good because it was an NHS customer when the better tools were sitting there doing nothing?
Sound like tools.

 

[flimper]

Be careful with root canal work, my dentist got it wrong and I now have really annoying problems with the nerves in my face

 

[pvr]

NHS or private?

 

[flimper]

NHS

 

[gannet]

nerves are funny things - I had two lower impacted wisdom teeth out years ago...

my tongue has never been the same since worse when I'm tired/cold

 

[-Tom-]

Are they having a laugh?
Would they seriously use different tools that were not as good because it was an NHS customer when the better tools were sitting there doing nothing?
Sound like tools.

We don't do that, my friends don't but the reason some people do is that the instruments for root canal fillings are single use. I will use around £30 worth of files alone that are disposed of, procedure taking an hour on average, often longer, plus a check up and any other fillings and the fillin over the top of the root filling - for £51.30 on the NHS. Bit of a bargain if you ask me The maths doesn't make sense for any business model, so where people can try save money they will.

 

[pvr]

I don't fancy your job Tom, I have a laugh with my dentist (when I can talk) as he is a Porsche and karting nut, but for the most people are petrified of him.

Highest suicide rate as well is among dentists.

 

[A1GSS]

Well, FWIW I'm very happy with both my dentist, and the Denplan funding model. Works well for us, been on it for >10 years now. As for root canals, I've had three done and no way would I want that as a budget experience

 

[cj10jeeper]

I don't fancy your job Tom, I have a laugh with my dentist (when I can talk) as he is a Porsche and karting nut, but for the most people are petrified of him.

Highest suicide rate as well is among dentists.

Perhaps I'd better not use a metal letter opener any more. In Financial Services I'm right up there

 

[Nictrix]

Are they having a laugh?
Would they seriously use different tools that were not as good because it was an NHS customer when the better tools were sitting there doing nothing?
Sound like tools.

We don't do that, my friends don't but the reason some people do is that the instruments for root canal fillings are single use. I will use around £30 worth of files alone that are disposed of, procedure taking an hour on average, often longer, plus a check up and any other fillings and the fillin over the top of the root filling - for £51.30 on the NHS. Bit of a bargain if you ask me The maths doesn't make sense for any business model, so where people can try save money they will.

Makes more sense if they are single use.
I was imagining a garage using a jack instead of a ramp or a spanner instead of an airtool cause the customer was paying less.