Dentist advice
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Simba-ali34
Posts: 228 Forumite
Hello.
My dentist can refer me to a place which cost £3000 for an implant (front tooth) or i can get it done somewhere else for £1800 (dental care plus) why is there such a big difference? Which one would you guys choose?
My dentist can refer me to a place which cost £3000 for an implant (front tooth) or i can get it done somewhere else for £1800 (dental care plus) why is there such a big difference? Which one would you guys choose?
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Comments
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A front tooth will be seen by everybody, every day.
Have you actually had proper quotes from both places where the dentist doing it has seen you and know what they have to do to get the result you want?
It's easily possible that you could go to the 'cheap' place, give a whole list of very exacting standards of how important the look of it is to you, and how both tooth and gum line must match exactly the teeth around it, and all of a sudden, you find the bill has doubled in order to meet these requirements.
On the other hand, you could go to the 'dear' place and say you weren't really bothered, as you're an ugly plug anyway, and all your teeth are different colours to start with, so you just want something vaguely white to fill the gap - and you find the bill is a lot less than you were led to believe!
Some places give the lowest possible price to draw people in - other places give a realistic price based on what it actually costs to do a decent job.
Go to the place where you feel most comfortable that your needs will be met.
If your only 'need' is a low price - then just go for the cheapest.How to find a dentist.
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.0 -
Thanks for the reply,
No i haven't seen either of these places yet, they charge £150 consultation fees each so I was essentially trying to get a feel for what is an average charge. 3000 is not quoting for extraction or bone grafting. So it could be upto £4500. The cheaper place "dental care plus" says it's cheaper because they only deal with implants so get bulk pricing. I'm not looking for cheap cheap but don't wanna be ripped off as £3000 seems high.0 -
'Bulk pricing' doesn't save that much money. Other 'trimmings' will be cut too. I would suggest at least visiting both places.
Go and ask for some patient information from both places - and see which one you best like the 'feel' of.
Dentists are not allowed to receive 'referral fees' or any sort of 'kick back' from places they recommend or refer to - so it's often most likely that the place your dentist is recommending is the place he feels will do the best job. (Unless he's/she's married to the dentist there!)How to find a dentist.
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.0 -
Also - 'budget' places can often have quite a lot of locum surgeons placing the implants. It's important to know the identity, qualifications, registration & insurance and experience of the actual surgeon who will be placing your implant in the first instance, and then completing the work once the implant has taken a few months later. Will it be the same person? How long has that person worked at that practice?How to find a dentist.
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.0 -
Good advice!
There is no question the referred clinic is good. But i do wonder if part of the reason for the hefty price is location seeing as it's right in a city centre. I was just reading about dental care plus (cheaper) and they say they use top materials etc. Hmmm like you said though because it's a front tooth maybe it's worth the extra. What would you do? Lol0 -
I would go and see the chap I refer all my patients to!! Who is exactly the same chap I would refer my friends & family to, and have actually referred my wife to in the past!
Probably better to ask your dentist what he/she would do or refer a close family member to.
City centre places are dearer just down to simple economics - but by the same token, they are often very stable places with staff & surgeons who have worked their for ages and survive through good reputation rather than cheap prices.How to find a dentist.
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.0 -
Heya, so I've booked 2 appointments with both places and they both mention having a "cbct scan" is it safe to have 2 of these in such a short time" because of radiation etc. I can take a copy from one of the places but it's a ridiculous price.0
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Simba-ali34 wrote: »Heya, so I've booked 2 appointments with both places and they both mention having a "cbct scan" is it safe to have 2 of these in such a short time" because of radiation etc. I can take a copy from one of the places but it's a ridiculous price.
I was curious as to what a cbct scan was, so googled it. Seeing as Guys and St Thomas' are in UK I thought you might find their information about it useful. It does say it's low dose.0 -
Did you ring for your appt, or call in? You would probably have done better calling in.
The 3d scan is low radiation, probably no more exposure that a long weekend in Cornwall!! But - it's always best to keep exposure to a minimum, so maybe ask the first place if they can put it on a disc for you to take to the second?
It is very unlikely that both places will offer you exactly the same treatment plan. This is something that often confuses patients - but there are so many different ways to do something, and each dentist you see has their own training path and experiences, that if you see 2 dentists you will probably be offered several different options!How to find a dentist.
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.0 -
Firstly I just want to thank everyone for all the Advice/replies
Reason I booked 2 is because I was referred to one place by my dentist and the 2nd is quite far away (about an hours drive) and I would of liked a 2nd opinion anyway.
So I went to my first consultation and have been quoted £4600 for the extraction, temporary denture, bone craft (because of infection) and final implant.
He mentioned that I would need a temporary partial denture instead of maryland bridge while the upper incisor site heals due to my bottom teeth not providing enough clearance. He said this shouldn't effect the final implant though?
Kind regards0
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