Dentist treatment while pregnant??

[rlee0]

I'm currently pregnant so entitled to the free prescriptions, dentist etc... Unfortunately the only way to get a dentist a couple of years ago was to go private. I am currently having some treatment done and thought that i would be able to get this free due to maternity, however my dentist has said no as i am private. He does have nhs patients historically and there is a waiting list which surprisingly is very long!! Is this correct or should he be able to make a claim - all my maternity notes suggest that i should just be able to show him my card and i would be covered - it seems really unfair? :confused:

[alison999]

on the nhs the patient pays a fee and the government pays the rest or if you get free trt then the government pay it all. however, with private trt theres no one there to pay it for you. the dentist wouldnt get paid for trting you in other words.

[donteatthat]

The dentist has no obligation to jump you up the waiting list of NHS patients just because you are pregnant I'm afraid.

[Toothsmith]

That's correct, treatment would only be free if you were an NHS patient getting NHS treatment.

I really wouldn't go looking for NHS treatment just because it's free either.

Whilst pregnant, your gums are more likely to bleed and get inflamed. If anything, they need a bit more careful care and attention, not a bargin basement service.

(The reason pregnant & nursing mothers get free dental care is that it was thought pregnancy had a detremental effect on the teeth. This has since been proved not to be the case (apart from the slight increase in swollen/bleeding gums), but this historical annomoly remains within the NHS)

[Ted_Hutchinson]

(The reason pregnant & nursing mothers get free dental care is that it was thought pregnancy had a detremental effect on the teeth. This has since been proved not to be the case (apart from the slight increase in swollen/bleeding gums), but this historical annomoly remains within the NHS)Could the bleeding gums be a result of the extra demands on Vitamin D3 resources?
Association between serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and gingival inflammation (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/82/3/575)

There is a great need for Vitamin D in pregnancy and it's a seriously neglected issue.
Vitamin D in pregnancy: an old problem still to be solved? (http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/92/9/740)
High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in newborn infants of high-risk mothers (http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/92/9/750)
High-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in a cohort of breastfeeding mothers and their infants: (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17661565?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum)

[alison999]

The dentist has no obligation to jump you up the waiting list of NHS patients just because you are pregnant I'm afraid.


completely agree. everyone can think of some reason why they should get bumped up. at our practice though we do usually just swap people to nhs while theyre pregnant (and the year after the babies born) or if they lose their job or something.

[Toothsmith]

Could the bleeding gums be a result of the extra demands on Vitamin D3 resources?
Association between serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and gingival inflammation (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/82/3/575)

There is a great need for Vitamin D in pregnancy and it's a seriously neglected issue.
Vitamin D in pregnancy: an old problem still to be solved? (http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/92/9/740)
High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in newborn infants of high-risk mothers (http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/92/9/750)
High-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in a cohort of breastfeeding mothers and their infants: (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17661565?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum)

Extremely possible Ted!

A lot of the stuff you've been banging on about for ages is starting to make it into the news recently I notice!

[clairabelle28]

HI, I GUESS YOUR A DENTIST..SO WHAT TREATMENT IS FREE??I WAS TOLD IF I WANTED FILLINGS (WHITE ONES) I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AND I AM A NHS CUSTOMER..IS THIS TRUE???THANKS:confused: That's correct, treatment would only be free if you were an NHS patient getting NHS treatment.

I really wouldn't go looking for NHS treatment just because it's free either.

Whilst pregnant, your gums are more likely to bleed and get inflamed. If anything, they need a bit more careful care and attention, not a bargin basement service.

(The reason pregnant & nursing mothers get free dental care is that it was thought pregnancy had a detremental effect on the teeth. This has since been proved not to be the case (apart from the slight increase in swollen/bleeding gums), but this historical annomoly remains within the NHS)

[Toothsmith]

White fillings on front teeth are available on the NHS. White fillings on teeth further back are not.

NHS dentistry is only 'free' if you have an exemption from charges. Usually, you pay a patient charge for NHS dentistry - Like prescriptions.

[rincelex]

Four months into my pregnancy I needed a root canal I went to my NHS dentist and assumed that with my Mat B1 exemption that I would not have to pay. I could not have the full root canal as I need an xray to finish the job so I have not been charged the full amount - yes you heard correct they charged me I did explain and showed them my Mat B1 card but they said something about not getting money for this particular treatment or something similar to this. Where can I go to check this out?

[alison999]

Four months into my pregnancy I needed a root canal I went to my NHS dentist and assumed that with my Mat B1 exemption that I would not have to pay. I could not have the full root canal as I need an xray to finish the job so I have not been charged the full amount - yes you heard correct they charged me I did explain and showed them my Mat B1 card but they said something about not getting money for this particular treatment or something similar to this. Where can I go to check this out?


call your local pct, what theyre telling you isnt right

[silvercar]

My dentist sees those entitled to free NHS dental care on the NHS while they are entitled to free treatment. I think he reserves his NHS list to those entitled to free treatment and everyone else pays private prices.

Not saying its right, just that it happens. (I do know that there are dental contracts around London that aren't available in other areas, so maybe he is allowed to do this.)

[Toothsmith]

How much did they charge you?

You're right though, if you're an NHS patient and NEED a root filling, you're entitled to that root filling on the NHS. As Alison said, contact your PCT and speak to the dental bods there.

[alison999]

How much did they charge you?

You're right though, if you're an NHS patient and NEED a root filling, you're entitled to that root filling on the NHS. As Alison said, contact your PCT and speak to the dental bods there.


its a toughie, i can understand the dentist now wanting to spend the time doing since, really, the nhs dont really 'fund' rct BUT at the end of the day hes a nhs dentist and like you've said if she needs it, she needs it, and she is entitled to it on the nhs.