Advice required with NHS Dental Pricing.
Comments
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I would have a word with the PCT as well.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 -
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Primary Care Trust.
What used to be your area health authority many moons (and name changes and expensive logos) ago.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 -
NREX- If the NHS dentist feels that it is out of his capabilities then request a refferal for an NHS extraction under sedation- depends on how urgent the problem is.
Peebody- you might not get your chrome denture. The NHS will provide a suitable denture for you, but it might be the cheaper acrylic/plastic option. (cheaper for the dentist not you) You pay the same price what ever you get.:money: Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou to everyone who has helped.0 -
Hi, I would like to ask a question and perhaps Toothsmith or someone will know the answer. In the past I have always had a scale and polish included in my 6-monthly checkup under the NHS. However after a long period with a private dentist I registered with a new NHS practice about 4 years ago and have never been offered a scale and polish - the dentist just looks in my mouth and then dismisses me, I am in and out in 30 seconds. When I queried this with the receptionist I was told that under new rules I would be offered a scale and polish only if the dentist thought it necessary.
However, on my last checkup a few weeks ago the dentist (who is a different one every time, they are Polish/Greek/other and never seem to stay more than 5 minutes) said I needed to make an appointment with the hygienist. This would be a private appointment costing £35. The hygienist gave me no more than the usual scale and polish that I always used to get at my checkup, and then told me I would need to see her every three months - costing £35 each time.
Surely if this is necessary then the dentist should do it every 6 months under Band 1 charges? I have checked this on the NHS website and it does say that scale and polish is included in the ?£16.20 charge. This sounds like sharp practice to me - do you agree? Should I complain to the PCT?0 -
Kayiatch-
Yes you should complain. Scale and Polishes are not always needed, so you do not have the right to demand one (sorry cannot think of a better way to say it- no offence intended) for cosmetic sake.
However if you need one to help with the health of your teeth and gums and see an NHS dentist, then this should be covered in the price.
Write to the dentist and PCT to get your money back.:money: Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou to everyone who has helped.0 -
That's what I thought - thanks for your help.0
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An update re the above - as advised I wrote to the Practice Manager with copy to the PCT. The PCT Complaints Manager has been great at following up and also wrote to advise them that they have 10 days to reply to my letter; and then emailed me to say she had had a call from the new owner of the practice to say he had not had my letter. Hmm very suspicious! Has the Practice Manager hidden or disposed of it? Anyway the owner (who only took it over a month ago) telephoned me to say he will arrange a refund of the £70 paid for two private hygienist appointments, BUT that he would have to get the previous owner to write the cheque, so this could be some time. We will wait and see if this cheque ever materialises! He also thanked me for reporting our experience which has been very useful to him and that the dentist and hygienist are no longer working there (whether he fired them or they left anyway is unclear).0
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