NHS Dental Charges

quietheart

I had a white filling over a year ago and i've had ongoing problems with it. My dentist fills a gap between the gum and the filling with white 'cement' every now and again. He did this at my check-up and I was charged band 2 rate, about £45. Some of it has come away already (2wks) so I'm going back in tomorrow but seeing a different dentist.
I just wanted to check that I won't be expected to pay for this. I think it was a bit much to be charged band 2 for a bit of paste to be added so I want to make sure I'm being reasonable about it first....

Always_Harassed

My dentist always replaces a filling free of charge if it is within a couple of months. Have heard that the white fillings are not very durable.

brook2jack

"[I just wanted to check that I won't be expected to pay for this. I think it was a bit much to be charged band 2 for a bit of paste to be added so I want to make sure I'm being reasonable about it first"


Nhs work is guaranteed for 12 months and there is no further charge but only if it is redone by the original dentist .

Unfortunately it can be very difficult to get fillings to stick near the gum line for all sorts of reasons.

The only reason some dentists are still able to struggle along on the nhs is because of "swings and roundabouts" (the government chief dental officers phrase) in other words your £45 (+ an average of £22 from the government) for a small filling offsets the huge loss a nhs dentists makes on £45 + £22 for unlimited amount of fillings ,gum treament and rootfillings on another patient in one course of treatment.

Its not fair on you ,the dentist or the patient who needs alot of treatment but NHS dentistry isn't about what's fair but what the government can control and budget for.

alison999

quietheart wrote: »

I had a white filling over a year ago and i've had ongoing problems with it. My dentist fills a gap between the gum and the filling with white 'cement' every now and again. He did this at my check-up and I was charged band 2 rate, about £45. Some of it has come away already (2wks) so I'm going back in tomorrow but seeing a different dentist.
I just wanted to check that I won't be expected to pay for this. I think it was a bit much to be charged band 2 for a bit of paste to be added so I want to make sure I'm being reasonable about it first....

If its within 2 months then you wont have to pay.

NHS work is guarenteed for 12 months but it has to be EXACTLY the same as the treatment you had before.