Dental Costs ?? NHS

[andover_boy]

I finally managed to register with a dentist yesterday after over 1 1/2 years of trying albeit 12 miles away ... Not a major problem though

Now as i havent been for literally years i am a bit worried about the pricing ...

I have had to have fillings in the past and also have a crown on my front tooth which was done free as i was out of work at the time.

I have a feeling i am going to need a good few fillings...Having read whats what i still dont understand the prices.

If i needed lets say 4 x fillings would that fall into the 2nd band x 4 or would i pay the flat rate fee for the 2nd band ??

I also read that they are not allowed to charge you more than £198 in a 2 month period ??

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Steve

[Toothsmith]

A band 2 charge of £44.20 covers ALL fillings you need, as well as any root filings or extractions. It's not one charge per filling. Also, the dentist isn't allowed to split up the treatment into sessions 8 weeks apart unless there is a GOOD clinical reason for so doing.

The charge would go up to £198 if you need something that a technician would have to make such as a crown or a denture. Again though, this is a TOTAL charge of £198. Not £198 plus the £44 for the fillings, and it's not £198 per item.

And again, if the dentist wants to postphone any treatment so that it falls into another charge period, it must be for sound clinical reasons - not just to maximize his points total. (How much you pay is irrelevant to how much the dentist earns - but what he is interested in is maximising the points he gets for each case, which is why there's sometimes the temptation to 'do things in stages'.)

There are often perfectly good reasons to 'phase' treatments though, so don't immediately be suspicious. Just make sure you get explainations you're happy with.

[andover_boy]

thank you very much for you help - you really have put my mind at ease ...

couldnt have answered it for me any clearer and any better

[xxvickixx]

Thanks Toothsmith that explains it really well.

It is quite a confusing system and I am guilty of being suspicious of DH dentist as his filling was done 2 months after a check up so he paid twice, then he needs 3 teeth extracted, it's just gone 2 months and we are still waiting for the appointment to come through.
DH is partially to blame as he won't chase the dentist for earlier treatment. I will nag him again tomorrow to phone them!

[Toothsmith]

That sounds very much like someone 'playing the system' a bit.

One of the reasons for changing the system was to 'simplify' it!!!