Help towards dental treatment

jugglebug

karenw wrote: »

She got quoted £198 for her course of treatment from an NHS dentist, then i think she said she has to have another course of treatment down the line at £198. Could that be right toothsmith?

Yep that is correct.
The fees are per course of treatment.
So for example.
If you have some teeth out and an immediate replacement denture that is band 3 and £198

However we know that after the loss of teeth the gums will shrink and change shape so that in as little as 3 to 6 months the denture will no longer fit and need attention. This could necessitate a new denture, In which case that would be a new course of treatment again at band 3

Essentially every course has to have a defined end otherwise chronic conditions such as gum disease would attract one charge and then the dentist would be then providing care for free for the rest of their practicng lifetime. Nice for the patient, but not a workable business model

jugglebug

forgot to add.
The NHS doesn't want dentists providing treatment that wont work either
So it is acceptable that if you come in with a mouthful of decay, that the dentists provides treatment only to the extent that stabilises the condition, until such time that the patient can demonstrate that any complex treatment will actually be maintained.
For example it wouldn't expect a dentist to put a crown on a tooth that has gum disease, until such time as the disease in controlled, or at the very least the patient has demonstrated sufficient improvement in paque control to make it a reasonable prognosis.
This could easily lead to a situation where you have multiple band 1 or 2 treatment courses before a final band 3 several months down the line.

SuziQ

My previous NHS dentist was fantastic,and let me pay a £98 bill over almost 2 months as and when I could pay something. His receptionist said they would hold back the paperwork until I paid in full? I don't know if that's possible toothsmith,but all I know is they were patient (it was just before my marriage broke up, I wasn't on benefit at that stage but hadn't recieved wages for over 10 months as the business was in trouble-yes I know I was stupid!) That dentist left and the LA refused to allow the practice to employ a new NHS dentist so I had to change.I haven't had to ask with my new NHS dentist as I am now on IS and get treatment free-ironically I have needed very little treatment in the last 2 years.

It does frustrate me that tooth care isn't completely free like other health treatment,as I know from my nursing days that dental health can impact heavily on overall health.Cosmetic treatment-yes you should pay for,but gum disease tx, and general upkeep I believe should be free. The number of people suffering with bad teeth in areas where there are very few NHS dentists is appalling and when I worked at NHSDirect,one of the most frustrating parts of the job was the callers who were crying in pain,and couldn't get an NHS dentist. Many of them queued repeatedly and still didn't get treated at one of the hospitals where free emergency treatment was available. I find that appalling when we live in a relatively well-off country.

On the other hand,given the rules we live in at the moment: I have a friend who is in terrible pain at the moment and needs treatment. Her NHS dentist has quoted an amount under £100, but she says she can't afford it-even though she is out every weekend in clubs. She is also spending a small fortune on Paramol to control the pain-which I worry she could get addicted to. If I was her I would be getting the treatment and foregoing a couple of nights out,but that's the way her priorities lie. I think she is waiting for her parents or a friend to give her the money-if I was her parents I would stand firm!

jugglebug

SuziQ wrote: »

My previous NHS dentist was fantastic,and let me pay a £98 bill over almost 2 months as and when I could pay something. His receptionist said they would hold back the paperwork until I paid in full? I don't know if that's possible toothsmith,

There are rules as to when the paperwork must be submitted after a course of treatment has been completed, but these have changed with the new contract and may have been different back when you had your treatmment.

Credit rules in this country now mean that if a dentist was to allow you to pay in installments over 5 payments then they need a licence as if they are a credit broker, so that might be harder to come across nowadays too. (That is a very recent change)