dentist costs/treatment plan can someone clear this up for me

blueye

hi im ashamed to say that its been ten years since i last went to the dentist due to my irrational fear, anyhow with help i managed to overcome this and had my first apointment yesterday and im confused with my dental plan. thankfully my teeth are ok the dentist said they were anyway which is why im confused. my treatment plan is as follows:

nhs treatment:
1 examination
2 xray small film
1 composite filling uld1 d
1 composite filling ul2 m
total £45.60

additional private treatment
1 composite filling ll6 do £75
1 composite filling ur7 o £50
total £125

what i dont understand is why im having some private treatment?
and i dont 100% remember all the dentist said (to busy trying to be brave) but im thinking he wants to take out a silver filling and replace it with a white one is this something that often happens, i mean do the silver fillings need replacing after some time?
also does anyone know what teeth the codes relate too?
thanks in advance

tirednewdad

As a rough rule, white fillings such as composites are generally not done on the NHS on teeth at the back, which is why you have been charged privately for them.- as this is cosmetic work.

If you wanted these fillings as silver fillings (amalgam fillings) then this would be included in the cost of the NHS work and you would not have to pay any more than £45.60 for all the work.

Silver fillings should only be replaced IMO if there is decay or a defect in the filling. Some people request that they are replaced because they look ugly, and although not ideal is another reason for replacement.

Tooth charting is complicated but

UR=Upper right; LL= lower left ; UL= Upper left ,LR=lower right on the pastients mouth, not from the dentists point of view

The numbers after that (between 1-8) indicate the tooth that needs the work. i.e. 1= central tooth, 3=canine tooth, 6= 1st molar tooth

m, d, o= where the filling exists on the actual tooth- i'e what side and surface of the tooth does it cover.

So you need fillings on Upper left central tooth and the one to the left of it, which is NHS. There has been plannde private white fillings on the Lower left first molar (big teeth) and the upper right second molar.

complicated but hope it helps

blueye

so basicly he is taking out my silver fillings and replacing them for no reason, i told him i dont care what colour they are, he didnt say that there was any decay or anything wrong with them as he went through the xrays with me.
any ideas of what to say to get out of having the private treatment, im not good at stuff like this (being asertive i mean) i dont want to hand over £125 quid to have my filling colour changed you cant see them anyway.
oh and thanks for that reply it was very helpfull.

moomin_white

ultimatley a dentist can not do any work on your teeth without your consent

perhaps his communication skills are poor, which is why you don not know why thise fillings need replacing. Your best course of action is to call up the surgery and ask. And if you want amalgam fillings (which would be cheaper) then explain this.