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

brighthair

boozercruiser wrote: »

Blimey M8:) £70 for a check up and scale and polish is a good enough reason for me trying to stay inside the NHS system, in spite of my moans!:D

He's pretty in demand, I moved house, didn't change my address and missed an appointment and was kicked off the NHS side with him. I'm not a brilliant patient and I trust him, so I stayed with him but privately

boozercruiser

Brook2Jack

"Finally it is a shame we don't live in Scandinavia.... The UK has terrible rates of decay and gum disease and many colleagues from abroad are shocked at how little the UK values its dental health. Wales ,incidentally, has far worse dental health problems than most of the UK so it would appear that some preventative lessons are yet to be learnt."

Well, I cannot argue with that can I ?

boozercruiser

Originally Posted by SailorSam
I went to the hygienist for a wash and brush up and it cost £23.
I'm on benefits and normally get dental work free but about this time last year they told me of the changes in charging, i still don't need to pay to see the dentist but from 1/1/10 you have to pay to see the hygienist.

Following Sailor Sams post above, are there any other people out there who can also say that even though they are on Benefits which exclude them from paying for NHS dental care, they are now being directed to a Hygenist for which they do have to pay?

This instead of a past Scale and Polish clean up either with or without other treatment.

I would be happy with a PM if you don't like posting.

Also, I first came across the practice of being directed to a Hygenist at extra cost around 3 years ago...............

(Well, they did try to!).

Before then it was just normal and expected to have the check up, followed by a Scale and Polish...or perhaps fillings or whatever, again and ALWAYS followed by a Scale and Polish.

Up to then, I didn't even think of it as a 'Scale and Polish' as I had never even heard of it. To me I just thought of it as a 'clean up'

Anyway, it worked because at 68 I still have most of my teeth except 3 at the back, and some fillings.

Perhaps some kind Dentist can direct me to around what year this way of doing things started to become the norm?

Thank you in anticipation.:)

welshdent

BC I do appreciate where you are viewing things from and I do appreciate you have listened to many of the things we have tried to explain but it really is not appropriate to question along this lines of assuming it was normal to have a scale and polish and to think it was standard procedure. It isnt and evidence is out there to show that regular "cosmetic" cleans have little or no benefit. I should imagine you having most of your teeth is largely due to YOUR efforts than a quick scrape
What you should be asking is regarding justifications. What is the justification to charge you privately? Can the dentist explain to you that due to their investigations and diagnosis you only have some cosmetic staining that have no impact on dental health therefore a clean up would be private .. or indeed you DO have gum disease but it would be cheaper to see the hygenist than themselves for you. The crux of it is down to need. If you NEED it because of an underlying problem them absolutely treatment should be within the boundaries of the health service unless you choose to opt for private care. I know of many patients that specificially choose to see a hygenist privately over the dentist on the health service. Questioning along the lines of "this is how it was and should always be" is not fair. We as a profession were forced to change our practice ... and it is patients we practice on. As a result its patients that will experience this change. In addition due to research our understandings of conditions and approach to management cant NOT change. Its evolution of modalities

Xaccers

I've been reading this thread with great interest.

A couple of weeks ago went along to my new dentist for the initial inspection and x-rays, paid my £16.50 as a NHS fee payer.
I was told that I needed a scale and polish and told to make an appointment for it, which I did. I've also developed a tiny brown stain (about the size of a full stop) on one of my upper canines next to a filling I had when I was 14 after the tip was knocked off. Initially I had worried it was decay, but I was reassured it was just a stain and told the hygienist would get rid of it.
Today was the appointment, was charged £32.50, took 20 minutes, hygienist got to work grinding away and picking, while her assistant did a great job sucking any debris/water away, then she used the rotary toothbrush, talked about flossing, I said I've started using those picks with floss in the end as I've never got on with normal floss, she said great.
Out in the car, I checked my teeth, the stain is still there which is a shame, but I can feel the gaps between my teeth are now bigger.
Got home and told my gf, who asked why I was charged as scale and polish should be included in the £16.50
We looked it up and yes, it is indeed included, and I was definitely told I needed it, and definitely not told it would be private.
So I phoned the practice up and queried the cost, they said it was private, I said I'm an NHS patient and it should be included in the £16.50 I've already paid. They claimed it was a more intense scale and polish than an NHS one (despite it being identical to all the other scale and polishes I've had in the past on the NHS), I pointed out they didn't even get rid of the stain and was told they can't clean teeth and very blase said if I liked I could complain to the PCT, which I will do tomorrow.

Garetha

Thanks to this thread my dw went once again to her dentist (european working for a corporate dental practice) where she was given an inspection followed by 20 mins of scale and polish all for £16.50

She always mentions her need for NHS scale & polish as part of her check-up. Initially she was warned by the practice manager that it would only be her front teeth - none of the back teeth. However she is more than pleased with her treatment.

Previously she paid about £35 a time extra for private treatment with the hygienist.

boozercruiser

Xaccers wrote: »

I've been reading this thread with great interest.

A couple of weeks ago went along to my new dentist for the initial inspection and x-rays, paid my £16.50 as a NHS fee payer.
I was told that I needed a scale and polish and told to make an appointment for it, which I did. I've also developed a tiny brown stain (about the size of a full stop) on one of my upper canines next to a filling I had when I was 14 after the tip was knocked off. Initially I had worried it was decay, but I was reassured it was just a stain and told the hygienist would get rid of it.
Today was the appointment, was charged £32.50, took 20 minutes, hygienist got to work grinding away and picking, while her assistant did a great job sucking any debris/water away, then she used the rotary toothbrush, talked about flossing, I said I've started using those picks with floss in the end as I've never got on with normal floss, she said great.
Out in the car, I checked my teeth, the stain is still there which is a shame, but I can feel the gaps between my teeth are now bigger.
Got home and told my gf, who asked why I was charged as scale and polish should be included in the £16.50
We looked it up and yes, it is indeed included, and I was definitely told I needed it, and definitely not told it would be private.
So I phoned the practice up and queried the cost, they said it was private, I said I'm an NHS patient and it should be included in the £16.50 I've already paid. They claimed it was a more intense scale and polish than an NHS one (despite it being identical to all the other scale and polishes I've had in the past on the NHS), I pointed out they didn't even get rid of the stain and was told they can't clean teeth and very blase said if I liked I could complain to the PCT, which I will do tomorrow.

YES....please go and register a Formal Complaint:mad:

It is just your sort of experience that really makes me :mad:

In my humble opinion you have been Ripped Off:mad:

What has happened to you is happening all of the while now where some NHS Dentists are using this 'ruse' to 'screw' another around £30 from patients for work that under MOST circumstances was always, and still should be done under even the lowest NHS band.

Anyone out there....just insist on a Scale and Polish....particularly if the Dentist says that you need the Hygenist because of Gum Disease.....or pay around £30. To me...it's a no brainer.:)

Go get em'!

Also, think about writing to your local newspaper about it as well.:D

boozercruiser

Garetha wrote: »

Thanks to this thread my dw went once again to her dentist (european working for a corporate dental practice) where she was given an inspection followed by 20 mins of scale and polish all for £16.50

She always mentions her need for NHS scale & polish as part of her check-up. Initially she was warned by the practice manager that it would only be her front teeth - none of the back teeth. However she is more than pleased with her treatment.

Previously she paid about £35 a time extra for private treatment with the hygienist.

It warms the cockles of my Heart...even in this cold weather! to hear of your experience. Garetha.

To me...if the Dentist says "You need the Hygenist for extra £30".....NO.. I NEED a Scale and Polish on the NHS please Mr. Dentist, inside my charge band Thank you.:)

Look, in my experience, particularly those who are part of a (Like Denticare) big business are suprised to be challenged on it. And one can tell that they don't like it.

TOUGH. That £30 or whatever is better in my pocket than thiers.:D

End Of.:D

Xaccers

Phoned the PCT, they gave me the number of the Patient Experience Manager, who's currently tied up and will call me back.

My lower left molar needs to be extracted under general, so I'm waiting for an appointment for that. The molar in front has a small bit of decay on its back face, which has the wisdom tooth pressing up against it, its not giving me any trouble, but will need a filling (so I'd have to pay the difference between the £16.50 I've already paid and the £45.60 for a band 2 treatment if filled within 2 months right?).
Now at the initial check up, the dentist said she wanted to fill it before the wisdom tooth was extracted, but also said it would need re-doing after the extraction, and there is a very small chance they may need to take the molar out too depending if they find anything she couldn't see.
I phoned the appointment place to see if they've got a date for me, to be told I won't be informed for 4-6 weeks.
I'd imagine that once I'm given the date it will be a few weeks after I'm told.
So that would be over 8 weeks from the filling she wants to do next week.
That would mean the second time it's filled will be more than 2 months after the last treatment at the dentist.
So would she be able to charge me a new £46.50?

It just strikes me as strange to struggle to fill decay that can't be easily got at because of the wisdom tooth when the wisdom tooth is going to be extracted giving plenty of access.
Call me cynical but after the hygienist scam, I'm sensing this as another way of scamming the NHS and me.

EDIT!

Just got off the phone to the PEM, very nice lady who guessed what had happened when I started to explain.
Confirmed that as it was a single scale and polish with no follow up required it should have been included in the £16.50
Also confirmed that if I go ahead with the filling before and after the extraction, then I'll be charged at band 2 twice, thought it was strange and suggested I talk to the dentist about whether it does actually make sense to fill before the extraction.
Raised it as a formal complaint, she's going to type up and send me my statement to sign and then take it further with the practice.

brook2jack

The problem with having a tooth out with GA is that you don't want to have to repeat the experience.

If the other tooth has alot of decay in it then it may need to be extracted as well and sometimes you can't tell how much decay there is until you start to drill. So it makes sense to investigate the tooth before you have the GA so if there is a problem it can be extracted at the same time.

When a wisdom tooth is impacted it can be a bit of a struggle to get it out. A common risk is breaking the tooth or filling on the tooth in front. So your dentist was just warning you that the process of taking the wisdom tooth out may cause the filling to be redone. Also sometimes it is difficult to fill properly until wisdom tooth comes out but for reasons mentioned above best to investigate before your GA than after and you end up with another tooth that needs extracting.