NHS Dentistry Patient Information

Toothsmith

zenmaster wrote:

I have had work done, undone and done again. So I just stopped going and took the pain.

I take it that this has all been with different dentists?

No-one has really had a chance to learn about your mouth, and no-one has really been able to analyse what is going wrong.

Everybody's mouth is different. Nobody eats exactly the same things at exactly the same time with exactly the same bite force. Nobody's teeth are in exactly the same position as somebody elses.

By and large, for the vast majority of people, that's OK, and what works for one will also work for somebody else.

There are some that fall outside this envelope though, and can have quite severe problems.

By not getting things seen to promptly, you are not helping your own case though, and I would suspect that there are a few diet/habit/lifestyle issues that would need looking at as well.

One thing is certain though. If the reasons for the repeated failures are not investigated, then anything you have done, anywhere in the world, will also fail.

Toothsmith

More Muppetry from north of the border. And they don't even have the 'New Contract' yet!!

irishwench69

I know this is nothing new, but thought you'd be interested in the latest good press about the new contracts :rotfl: :rotfl:

http://www2.netdoctor.co.uk/news/index.asp?id=125933&D=1&M=2&Y=2007

IW x

Linedanger

Hope I'm posting this in correct area. My 1st forum post.
To add my little dental tale and my distrust in private dentists.

In Dec 2005 I went(for 1st time) to new dentist in my area.
I had a problem with a loose front tooth and ill fitting dentures, which was hurting when I ate.
He wanted to charge me £1400 to extract the tooth and provide a new set of dentures on same day. He did an X-Ray on 1st apptmt.
I didn't really want to pay that much. We made another appointment for a few weeks later.
In the meantime, my loose tooth fell out whilst eating, so my pain was gone.
I found a local dental technician, who did my new set of dentures for £180.
I did keep the appointment and paid £25 for the X-ray.

I consider that the Dental Practice was trying to rip me off, for over £1000, for a few hours work. I felt like standing out in front of the dentists, with this tale around my neck, to alert other clients what they are risking.

Yes, Dentists do need regulating, and more of their patients must stop trusting them, and demand more reasonable charges, or look for a dentist who will provide the NHS services. They are only after as much of your money as they think you are gullible enough to pay. They should also be made to clearly display a full list of their charges.

I will be using an NHS dentist in future (if I can find one).

Toothsmith

Interesting one this!

You say dentists need MORE regulation, and yet the place you were happy with is operating ILLEGALLY.

It is illegal for denture technicians in this country to provide new dentures direct to the public as they are not appropriately qualified.

If you stood outside the technicians lab with a placard around your neck saying "This technician provided me with a nice set of dentures very cheaply" I'm sure he would hurry you along more quickly than the dentist who probably has a fee guide in his practice anyway!

If I could skirt around the cross infection controls I have to adhere to (Which the technician won't) and have to pay qualified and registered support staff (Which the technician won't) and have indemnity insurance (Which the technician won't) and be registered with the General Dental Council as a Dentist (Which the technician won't) and have full surgical dental equipment to buy and maintain (Which the technicain won't) and have emergency resuscitation equipment on the premesis and be current in how to use it (Which the technician won't)................. (You get the idea?)

Plus - I'd be extremely surprised if the taxman knew anything about your £180!

If I was allowed to have a market stall and do dentures there, I could probably knock them out quite cheaply.

But that's hardly MORE regulation is it??

Linedanger

Perhaps my non-expert terminology is incorrect, for what the false tooth shop does.
But this is the same dental laboratory that does the work for many dentistry practices, and employs 4/5 full time staff. The specific one I saw, has more than 25 years of experience and learned his trade from the previous owner, who had been in business for many decades, going back to the forties.
My dentist's time would have been minimal.
£1400 for a set of false teeth is indefensible.

domdent

I dont like providing full dentures but I still set my fees at a level to cover the lab bill £200 to £300 materials £70 and the time aprox 1 1/2 hours of surgery use.Some colleagues overcharge to avoid doing them , or quote high for a particular patient as they may give the 1st impression of being very difficult.

Then there is the aftercare , warranty that has to be built into the price.

Some practices use more expensive labs and spend longer doing complex jaw assessments.

To compare a professional estimate with an illegal provision of a denture is a bit strange.Like comparing a quote for building work from a registereed building company and a cowboy builder who uses a mobile phone as is contact,doesnt pay tax , no indemnity insurance etc.

A denture technician cannot offer implants if the dentures dont work.

I once saw a patient who had paid more than my private fee for a set of dentures from a technician they didnt fit (and never would) , she needed implants which she could not afford.

Toothsmith

Linedanger wrote:

Perhaps my non-expert terminology is incorrect, for what the false tooth shop does.
But this is the same dental laboratory that does the work for many dentistry practices, and employs 4/5 full time staff. The specific one I saw, has more than 25 years of experience and learned his trade from the previous owner, who had been in business for many decades, going back to the forties.
My dentist's time would have been minimal.
£1400 for a set of false teeth is indefensible.

Nevertheless, He has still operated illegally. Providing dentures to the public is 'the practice of dentistry' Only dentists are allowed to do that.

Your dentist told you that the price was £1400, and you exercised your right to say 'No thank you'

You were not hoodwinked or misled.

Did your technician tell you he was operating illegally? I think not. He did mislead you.

Who is the real villan here?

pulp

NHS dentistry in England:information for patients

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_073466

New leaflet supercedes 272054 What you need to know about changes to NHS
Dentistry in England

BFG_2

pulp wrote: »

NHS dentistry in England:information for patients

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_073466

New leaflet supercedes 272054 What you need to know about changes to NHS
Dentistry in England

Exactly the same...it's just that the prices have gone up.