dentists nhs or private?

brettking24 · Trackday Trickster Joined: 12 May 2004 Karma :

Hi my current dentist im with is nhs and as ive moved address i want to find a dentist thats closer to me,im on a dental plan sowhat ever i spend i can claim all back,i was told im coverd for private too but will only get the nhs value back,i was also told private dentists can charge what they like for tratement-is this true?

cheers

veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

Private is set by the practice, NHS is set by government.

NHS Dental stuff now has 3 fees I think which is like £20 for basic, £50 for something more advanced like filling or root canal and major is about £180!.

0ddball · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Karma :

I'm in the middle of a treament course at a private densits after a useless NHS one completely screwed my teeth up. All in it's going to take about a year and cost about £12,000. So yes, the robbing bastards can pretty much charge what they want.

veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

That you in the avatar then? Razz

0ddball · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Karma :

Lol, i think they'd charge £50K to sort his out.

TOM M · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2005 Karma :

If nhs treatment is free, then why do we have to pay for dental care?
Surely it should be free as well?
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LustyLew · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Karma :

NHS dental treatment isn't free for adults (unless you claim benefits?). It's subsidised and sub standard.

I am soo glad I have solid chompers. Still, I'm cursed with crap eyesight and an eye surgery bill of £3k instead.
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Like a Yorkie - I'm not for the girls Wink

numark1 · Scared of girls Joined: 09 May 2004 Karma :

My family is with a private dentist. I just joined.

It was £50 to join, £15 per xray (had two) £55 for a check up and then £70 for a small tooth coloured filling.

Still had quite a long waiting list too. Thumbs Down

At least he has a tv on the ceiling playing the simpsons Cool

owdamer · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Karma :

Dentists are for the wealthy here. None of the remaining nhs dentists are taking on new patients so you cant get on their books. If you want to get on with a private dentist then you have to pay £15 a month just to be on their books. Then you have to pay for treatment on top of that. Good old blair and his NHS reforms. I bet if he needs treatment the dentist comes to him. Evil or Very Mad

Ahmato_ · Crazy Courier Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Karma :

I spent my two weeks work experiance in a Dentist surgery, so I'll give what insight I can... Basically, from what I understood, a Dentist keeps half of what the treatment costs, and the other half goes to the practise (when on private)...This is why they will often push for private, but not when they are just starting out as they are on a fixed salary. Some people also complain at the fines they recieve when they dont turn up for treatment, usually about £10-£20, but thats not the dentists fault as they would usually be able to cream a lot more from you by doing the treatment, oh and they can charge what they want for that too...
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Itchy · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

Suitor_Stu · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Karma :

hey people, i have been a lurker on this forum for a good few months now, but this topic inspired me to join! Im a dental student, so im supposed to know a bit more about the whole 'situation' that yer average man on the street, so i hope i can go through a few things and make sum clearer.

First off, just to make clear, im from Scotland, so its slightly different up here as it stands (but its changing) and secondly, im only a student, but its part of our course to understand what our jobs will entail(that and ive had a few chats with the old man whos also a torturer - sorry, dentist)!

Rightm first off to address the problem about NHS dentists (or the lack of them). As it stands right now, NHS Dentists - unlike Doctors - do not make a standard sallery from the NHS, they work for themselves for the most part and the nhs subsidises some cost (literally a fraction like 10%) and stipulates how much they have to charge for treatment. Basically, to put it in the simplest way, NHS dentists make fuck all compared to private ones on treatments. So this means NHS dentists have to work WAY more to even think about earning the same as a private. My dad is nhs, and currently has over 2000 patients on his books and to put it one way, he said he could be making the same ammount of money as he is now with just 800ish patients on his books. Now show me someone who doesent think that thats a more attractive offer?! Its the governments fault really for not providing enough insentives for dentists to stay in nhs.

Actually, i think thats all i can be bothered writing now cos im prob boring lots of people! But if you want to know some more stuff, just ask and i can either try to tell you or ask my tutors/dad if they know anything about it.

Stu

P.S. if you want FREE treatment (as in TOTALLY FREE btw) you can always go to your local dental school (dental hospital) and ask to be treated there. The Downside is that you are treated by students like me Laughing

(in the final years of their training), but the upside is that weve had to pass loads of competancy exams to get on the clinics, so we know what were doing! and are surrounded by teaching consultants if we need any help, and best of all, anything you need is done completely free - from checkups to full dentures!