Asked for Dental NHS Scale and Polish.Told "Go to Hygienist at £25 extra"

welshdent

Not viable - in this case. The message to take away is that each case is different

boozercruiser

15th November 2010 .....Ah well, here I go again....in with a new dentist who says....."You need two fillings an extraction and a visit to the Hygenist( £30) as your teeth need a clean up because you seem to have a little gum disease". I said, "The fillings and extraction are fine, but if my teeth need a clean up then I am requesting a Scale and Polish as this comes whithin the £39 I will already pay. I am not going to pay another £30 to go to an Hygenist. My general teeth care is taken care of under the NHS and if I need a clean up...then I am requesting it with you." The female Dentist didn't say anymore, but I again stressed at reception that I am specificaly requesting a Scale and Polish at the end of my treatment. My appointment for the extraction and fillings are not until early January 2011 so I will wait and see what happens.
This Scale and Polish thing is a SCAM and I for one am not putting up with it...and I humbly advise you not to either!

welshdent

It isnt a scam. Certainly not in any way you are envisaging it.

Toothsmith

I'm afraid I would disagree with you there W.D.

If he NEEDS a scale and polish, (and this time the dentist has said he needs one, and even diagnosed a bit of gum disease) then indeed it should be provided on the NHS - not as a private 'extra'.

But you're right if you meant the 'scale and polish' isn't a scam - if there is indeed a bit of gum disease there, then the clean and polish is the correct treatment. It's just how it's being sold is wrong.

welshdent

TS - not commenting on the moralities and legalities of what is happening merely the assessment that it is all a scam that we are inherently a part of. I would entirely agree that if someone is told they need it for their health then it needs to be provided. I do it. I do a lot of things that others dont do. If its good enough for me then its good enough for them.

Calling something a scam in the context here and from a poster with "previous" implies to me that this scam is something we have all dreamed up to screw an extra few quid out of people. It implies this is big conspiracy all us evil dentists do. I just get a little battle weary so to speak of having to continually defend myself and the others that I know do things by the book.

boozercruiser

welshdent wrote: »

TS - not commenting on the moralities and legalities of what is happening merely the assessment that it is all a scam that we are inherently a part of. I would entirely agree that if someone is told they need it for their health then it needs to be provided. I do it. I do a lot of things that others dont do. If its good enough for me then its good enough for them.

Calling something a scam in the context here and from a poster with "previous" implies to me that this scam is something we have all dreamed up to screw an extra few quid out of people. It implies this is big conspiracy all us evil dentists do. I just get a little battle weary so to speak of having to continually defend myself and the others that I know do things by the book.

So I am somebody with 'Previous' then am I Welshdent? Makes me sound like some kind of 'criminal' does that:D

But I will not take offence....and with great respect to you, Toothsmith and others who have kindly had an input here.......

I said SCAM....now then in the dictionary this means Fraud? No, I don't mean that Racket? possibly. Trick? possibly. diddle? maybe.

With, and continuing with respect of course...do I mean that over the years this has been dreamed up by the profession to screw a few extra quid out of us patients? possibly.

It's 'crept:D' in...that's for sure.

One thing I do know is that until recent years I went to my Dentist of 25 years until I moved home. I never did have one little bit of conflict with him ...he did whatever was required to look after my teeth regarding fillings, extraction whatever and then ALWAYS finished the treatment with a Scale and Polish. It was done....
END OF!

Denticare runs almost everything here in Wales, and it seems pretty obvious to me that the policyfor this particular company is ALWAYS to have the Dentist mention a little expensive trip to the Hygenist as part of the normal treatment.

When I first came across this EXTRA way of doing thing the and I challanged it the Dentist said "Well, I don't have the equipment here to do that".

Oh! yes? and and pigs fly as well m8y.

I am sorry to hear Welshdent and it's a pity that you are getting a little battle weary of having to defend yourself against patients who feel they are having to pay extra for something which should be provided under whatever bracket the NHS charge costs are.

I am a bit weary as well of having to say "If I need this then that comes under my £39 (Wales) charge.

At the end of the day though....I have had my Scale and Polish without the Hygenist being involved and by and large I still have all of my front teeth, as well as most of the rest......so at least the way of going on in the past 68 years has worked for me...and regular brushing, check ups etc.

Cheers.;)

welshdent

What I CAN tell you before I read any more of your posts is ..... firstly I didnt mean to be rude with previous just relating to the previous issues you have had in this thread and the beliefs you have voiced ..



AND .... read between the lines on this ... I would NEVER work for denticare ... or indeed any other corporate. Take that however you would like to

brook2jack

To be fair to Welshdent, I think he is fed up because he is a NHS dentist trying to do his best in a ridiculous system . It is a difficult and stressful job and on the NHS he loses money by eg carrying out root treatments with a microscope.
Unfortunately on top of this is the attitude that sometimes the vast majority of the British public appear to have is that all dentists are rip off merchants and drive round in Porsches. The rare scams (such as this)are reported but the everyday care produced by the vast majority of ethical dentists is not.
Fortunately most days at least one person will say thank you and appreciate the time, knowledge , and care expended and hopefully Welshdent tomorrow will provide quite a few of those for you.

welshdent

Denticare are notorious for doing the following ... buying a practice out. Cutting the existing dentists earning potential by approx 30% to "encourage" them to leave. They then fly over stacks of EU dentists from places like eastern europe and portugal. These dentists have little if any idea about how the NHS works and go on what they are told by practice managers etc. They are told that they can not do x y or z and that a b and c needs to be done privately. They are paid significantly less than they should be earning while the corporate that owns the contact creams off the rest for the shareholders. As an example. In a normal practice where a local individual owns the contract - they may have an associate working for them and the agreement is that the associate works towards a UDA target equivalent to £X.

The associate keeps 40 - 60% of the gross depending on the agreement. It is usually around 45% - 50% minus lab fees.

The principal would get the rest i.e. 60 - 40% to meet their costs and run the practice by providing staff and materials etc. Any profit is kept by the principal who may chose to invest in the practice or buy themselves a new kitchen! Either way the money is reinvested locally.
Corporates on the other hand do not do this. They would pay around about 30% to the associate and then the rest goes to share holders.

They IMO abuse the dentists they bring over because a lot of the time the do not know any better.
THis didnt happen on the old system as many of these corporates didnt exist. Also the contract itself was wholy different and MUCH clearer as to what could or could not be done. This new one is horrible but I believe is due to be changed in 2012. I promise you its no scam though. Also if you ARE seeing a hygienist at a corporate then I very much doubt that the individual dentist is getting anything out of it.

welshdent

THanks brook