Rant about dentists

[PK99]

£150 for a filling. You were robbed. I have a private dentist, but a filling costs me £35.00. My dentist doesn't do anything on the NHS, but I knew that when I signed up. That's expensive. Go to another dentist. That's the problem if you have a dentist that does both I suppose. They will always try to sell you the more expensive thing.

A single private filling is cheaper that a filling as a Band 2, NHS treatment - at least it is at my SW19 dentist - and that is what the dentist recommended some time ago.

 

[welsh dragon]

A single private filling is cheaper that a filling as a Band 2, NHS treatment - at least it is at my SW19 dentist - and that is what the dentist recommended some time ago.

There seems to be quite a discrepancy between dentists. I have no idea what NHS dentists charge in general as it has been decades since i had an NHS dentist. I know my dentist charges £35.00 for a filling, whereas my granddaughters dentist also private charges £70.00.

All I can say is that I am very happy with my dentist, and I trust her. I don't know what rules regarding pricing private dentists have to abide by. I would be interested in finding that out.

 

[Chromatic]

All dental appointments should be made for 2.30.

I'm going to the dentist this afternoon and my appointment time is indeed 2:30, although it does say 14:30 on the little card they gave me. I deliberately asked for 2:30 when making the appointment but it didn't raise much of a smile on the receptionist's face when I did.

Well I went and you'll all be pleased to hear that nothing needed doing. You'll be even more thrilled to hear that when I was arranging the next appointment I again asked for 2:30, but you will be dismayed to hear there was not a flicker of a smile on the receptionist's face when I said it. They must have heard it a zillion times and be bored of it.

 

[summerdays]

My dentist went private 17 years ago, I asked around and found everyone had a horror story about dentists so decided to stick with mine. At the time he went private he gave everyone details of a monthly payment scheme but no pressure to join. I worked out that it was cheaper if nothing went wrong to just pay for treatment as I needed it. I can't remember how much a check up costs but less than £35 I think. And a small filling (and check up?) doesn't take it significantly over £50. And he does the kids as NHS.

 

[ayceejay]

I had that NHS or private run around in the UK, here in Canada all dentists are private and the prices regulated but you are still in the grip of whatever medical integrity the dentist has. Looking into a secret source of pain that is up to you to diagnose and price is a temptation some can't resist. I had an excruciating pain that finally got me in the dentist chair, it was at the back but I couldn't tell which tooth exactly, the dentist looked and prodded and told me I needed root canal on a molar on the bottom and it would cost $750. Great I thought, only $750 and I can get some sleep. He stuck the needle in and went off somewhere while I waited for my face to freeze, when he came back I asked him if he was sure that he had the right tooth, he said that it was either this one or the one above it and that would cost the same to fix. The next time he left the room so did I.
Another dentist removed a wisdom tooth that was the real source of the pain but the other guy sent me his bill anyway, I offered to pay the cost of the anesthetic ($25) and he accepted.

 

[JtB]

I have a very good NHS dentist who never trys to sell me private treatments. The hygienist appoinrmwnts however are private at £50 per half hour session, but my gums are in much better shape now than they were a couple of years ago, so I figure it's money well spent. My gripe with dentists is more when I was a kid in the 70's and all the un-necessaty fillings they did to boost their revenues.

 

[Leaway2]

Here you go... and have a look at "Can I get it on the NHS?"

Oh - and if you have a road traffic accident, then that's not covered by the NHS and never has been, which is one reason why motorists are required to have insurance. The NHS can reclaim costs up to £46,381. The same applies if you have an accident at work or any circumstance (with a couple of very specific exclusions) where personal injury compensation is paid.

Slight exaggeration perhaps? "Generally what it means is if a qualified doctor happens to be passing the scene and is off duty, he or she then has the right to charge a standard charge and in some situations a mileage charge.
Most people who receive treatment after an accident in the UK will utilise the resources of the NHS. This of course is generally fee free to those involved"

 

[mrandmrspoves]

25 years ago I changed dentists and was happy I had as I trusted him. Then when the NHS dental contract was reviewed, he, like many dentists went private. I wasn't happy about this - but decided I would rather pay more for a good dentist than risk getting an awful one that was cheaper. 25 years later, I still have all the teeth I had when I first saw my dentist......and now the selfish old sod is retiring!

 

[akb]

[QUOTE 3174073, member: 1314"]Couple of years ago I went to 2 dentists for quotes. I had bleeding gums.

They both said blahdy blahdy blah - £700-£800, bridge, anti-bios etc.

I took the list of works to a dentist in the Punjab. Father and son outfit, said 'Just do it' expecting the cost to be £200-£300.

'Oh no' the father dentist said 'you just need a clean and polish.'

2 sessions cost me a tenner, teeth gums all kosher.

Dentists are snake-oil sales-peeps.

My theory is that they are all bitter, being failed medics, and try to fleece the public because their job involves staring into people's mouths all day long.[/QUOTE]


Quite an expensive trip though surely? Last time I went to Delhi, with a train to Jallandhar, cost about £900.

 

[MrPie]

My dentist went private 17 years ago, I asked around and found everyone had a horror story about dentists so decided to stick with mine. At the time he went private he gave everyone details of a monthly payment scheme but no pressure to join. I worked out that it was cheaper if nothing went wrong to just pay for treatment as I needed it. I can't remember how much a check up costs but less than £35 I think. And a small filling (and check up?) doesn't take it significantly over £50. And he does the kids as NHS.

Did this too - was perfectly happy paying 50 quid /month for our wee tooth fairy, until we upped-sticks to the USA and went for our first dental 'check up'. The poor dentist sat there with head in hands, aghast at the mess that was in our gobs. Yeah, here comes the $$$ rip off methinks, until he photographs all the 'bad bits' and goes into close detail of the miss-treatment, why they are in the now observed condition, and what it's gonna take to fix it. Needed one new filling....but the 2 refills and crown that were avoidable was mildy annoying to say the least. My 9 year old son needed a crown FFS! I sprung for laughing gas and he thought it was ace! Missus had flabby gums (but I knew that, he he) and she needed extensive cleaning. $5k later (insurance paid for most of it) was bitter.