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

Pennylane

suki1964 wrote: »

What has paying NI got to do with getting dental and medical care???

I and no doubt many thousands (100's of thousands) do not pay Ni as we dont earn enough. Yet we get NHS treatment

Did you know one weeks admission to an intensive care unit with perhaps a heart bypass and follow ups and and associated treatments would wipe out you entire life NI contributions??

I get sick and tired of hearing " I pay my NI, I'm entitled"

You are entitled to nothing in this world unless you work for it and pay for it. You believe govt claims then perhaps you need to go get yourself an education in economics . There is no way on this earth that what we pay in NI contributions in our lifetime will cover our health and dental treatment and our old age pensions

Rant over

Disclaimer:- I am not a dentist, nor hygienist, sees both, one NHS , one private. And guess who I blame for my gum disease??:D

My word, your thinking is all over the place!

Your first question in bold - is that a serious question?

Regarding the rest - Let me try and put you straight. I have always paid NI, always worked and don't expect something for nothing. Where did you get that idea from?

We pay NI so that we are entitled to some help if we have illnesses, unemployment etc. I know full well that what a person pays in doesn't cover, say, your example of a heart bypass. But it's a contribution towards it.

Some people pay it all their working lives and enjoy really good health so don't need operations, medical care etc. A good example is my late Dad who never set foot in a hospital until he was 80 and never visited a doctor. Same with my adult son, he has seen a Dr once in 31 years (apart from injections as a child). My father was never out of work and luckily neither has my son, nor my hubby come to that.

If you look at it the other way, you say you don't pay NI, so it's people like us who do, who are filling up the pot from which you will get help if you need it.

brook2jack

pingua wrote: »

O.K I have to go see the hygienst tomorrow as I have gum disease - exactly what I do not know. So do I PAY FOR THIS OR SHOULD IT BE UNDER THE NHS?oops sorry for shouting. I have asked before about this but get told they do not have an NHS hygienst at the surgery. Am I being fobbed off??
They give hubbie - as in the dentist does a scale and polish on him each time but I always get sent to the hygienst and have to pay again for that?
Bit confused now.

What have you paid for? A simple scale and polish under the NHS in England/Wales is £12 to £17 ish. Treatment of gum disease is £39 to £47 ish under the NHS. Sounds like you're the second case.

boozercruiser

pingua wrote: »

O.K I have to go see the hygienst tomorrow as I have gum disease - exactly what I do not know. So do I PAY FOR THIS OR SHOULD IT BE UNDER THE NHS?oops sorry for shouting. I have asked before about this but get told they do not have an NHS hygienst at the surgery. Am I being fobbed off??
They give hubbie - as in the dentist does a scale and polish on him each time but I always get sent to the hygienst and have to pay again for that?
Bit confused now.

I take it that your Dentist has said something like "You have some gum disease, so you need to see the Hygienist."

If you see that Hygienist then you will no doubt be charged.

I would have said to the Dentist...."If I have gum disease then I would like YOU to deal with it please by Scale and Polish or whatever else is needed to sort out my gum disease thank you very much"

The Dentist may not have a Hygienist there but he has the tools there to carry out anything a Hygienist can do.

I have already posted many times here the regulations. http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/dhss/health/sd10006doc.pdf

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1781.aspx?categoryid=74&subcategoryid=742

Don't forget that once you are on that hygienist 'Merry Go Round' you are stuck on it...because you will probably be advised to visit again and again and again and..............................................

And YES.....you ARE being fobbed off!

Please do not allow your self to be done!:eek:

brook2jack

BC please read post above. OPs husband has scale and polish with dentist, she is told she has gum disease so it is perfectly appropriate treatment for her to have a band two treatment £39 to £47 in England/Wales.

We don't know if she is charge exempt or details so can't go wading in as to whether she is being treated by the rules or not. Hence asking for more info.

boozercruiser

brook2jack wrote: »

BC please read post above. OPs husband has scale and polish with dentist, she is told she has gum disease so it is perfectly appropriate treatment for her to have a band two treatment £39 to £47 in England/Wales.

We don't know if she is charge exempt or details so can't go wading in as to whether she is being treated by the rules or not. Hence asking for more info.

Hi Brook2Jack For me it doesn't really matter if she is exempt charges or not. All that matters is she being charged extra for the Hygienist?

In any case, Scale and Polish can be done under band 1 can it not? Band 1: £17 includes an examination, diagnosis and advice. If necessary, it also includes X-rays, a scale and polish and planning for further treatment.

It doesn't look like she is being treated by the rules to me though.
But of course...I could be wrong.

Cheers.

pingua

I think what I paid last time was about £25 for the hygienst - in and out in about 5 mins. I have been going for a while now - 3months apart then 6. Very quick and painless each time and I get charged each time. Then I pay the £16 ish for the dentist each check up.

brook2jack

Band 2 treatment of periodontal disease (£39 to £47 england and Wales). Her husband did have a scale and polish with dentist so they are not "farming out " scale and polish. She has been told she has gum disease so a band two treatment is appropriate.

If she is exempt from fees then it should not cost extra, if she pays NHS fees then it will cost extra for a band two treatment. Thats why it's important to find out all the facts before giving opinions.

pingua

I am not exempt. So does this mean I am supposed to pay the band 2 each time I go to the hygienst?

pingua

I am sure I get charged 20 something each time??

brook2jack

£16 ish plus £25 is £41 ish pounds which is a band two treatment or even slightly cheaper. (£47 in England). I would suggest if you had been seeing hygienist every three months but your husband has only ever had to have a scale and polish with the same dentist then you obviously have ongoing gum problems and the dentist would be justified in charging a band two fee.