Cost of white fillings instead on silver on NHS for student?

jugglebug

bitsandpieces wrote: »

Yes - I had a white filling put in for a small back tooth filling done on the NHS. Didn't even need to ask. I gather it means the dentist doesn't need to drill so much into the tooth.

Maybe depends a bit on the dentist, and size of filling? Costs of private work also vary practice by practice.

Under the NHS a dentist is allowed to fill a tooth with anything they please as long as it will do the job to a reasonable standard.
However large white fillings take a lot longer to place properly, and cost more in terms of material costs.
Therefore the choice becomes a balance between the wants and desires of 3 people.
The dentist wants to do the best job they can, within the funds available
The patient wants the best job they can get, within the funds they are willing to pay.
The NHS wants to be able to say they are providing the best treatment available but don't want to pay more than X. (and that varies from practice to practice, postcode healthcare at it's best)

So yes the MP can stand there and tell you that everything is available on the NHS, but the small print is "clinically necessary"
So dentist diagnoses the need for a filling. And can choose to fill it with a range of materials, NHS couldn't care less what and allocates £X, no more no less.

Patient asks for white, but if it is too big the only way the dentist can provide it is either by cutting corners or working for free essentially. Therefore only silver is offered.

Patient then sees friend who has had a white filling on the NHS but under different circumstances, size etc. Understandably would be a bit peeved at this and it is the dentist who looks like the con artist. Which suits the department of health down to the ground :mad:

Rylston

Ok,

Sometimes white fillings can be done on the back teeth, but only if an amlgam (silver) filling is not appropiate. This may be for several reasons, the most common being that silver fillings are held in by having the right retention to stop them from falling out, if this is not possible then a white filling may be placed because they chemically bond to the teeth.
Most of the time silver fillings are used and posterior teeth, if you want white ones then this is considered cosmetic dentistry and not covered at all by the NHS.
Prices will vary according to which tooth, the size of the cavity, the length of time taken to complete the filling and of course location.
They can be as low as £50 to several hundred.
Always ask for a printed estimate for private treatment and if you are having several fillings or other private work make sure you enquire if you can have a discount.
Dentists will sometimes offer a discount on private work if you are having a large amount done and you pay for it in advance.

Ollieda

You could try getting dental insurance. They range in price but you can get some from £10 - £30 a month that will cover all NHS costs and some cover all private costs.

Normally previously diagnosed treatments won't be covered but some companies will allow it as long as you don't claim in the first "introductory" month. My mother signed up with HSA (i think they have been taken over by another company now though) after the dentist diagnosed some treatment for her. She contacted the company and told them that she was pre-diagnosed and they said it was fine as long as she didn't claim during the first month.

£30 or so a month may seem like a lot but it's probably cheaper than the higher end treatments and you can always cancel after the treatment.

lovintheblues

dmg24 wrote: »

There are set levels for NHS treatment. If the treatment is purely cosmetic it will not be available on the NHS, and there is no cap on what the charges may be for non NHS work.

pcombo, students cannot 'sign on' in the summer unless they are parents, or they have left education permanently.

bobby000, is the dentist definitely doing silver fillings? I have a white filling at the back, so there are instances when it is available on the NHS (I think it is used because it has better bonding qualities?).

Sorry to hijack the thread...but interested in something you have said DMG24.
I leave a full-time job in July, have two school aged children, going onto teacher training in September. Can I 'sign on' in the summer holidays? Thanks.

dmg24

lovintheblues wrote: »

Sorry to hijack the thread...but interested in something you have said DMG24.
I leave a full-time job in July, have two school aged children, going onto teacher training in September. Can I 'sign on' in the summer holidays? Thanks.

Will you be seeking work during the summer? Are you a lone parent?