NHS dental charges-per tooth or per treatment?

hotcookie101

Hi everyone, I just have a quick query re NHS treatment band
I understand the band 1,2 & 3 different charges but what I would like to know is, if when you go for your £16.50 check up and they identify numerous problems-like needing multiple fillings/root fillings or crowns etc etc do you pay one band 2 or 3 charge per tooth? or does it cover EVERYTHING picked up at that check up? OH is due to go for a dental check and hasn't been for years, his teeth have been mangled by a dentist when he was younger and he gets toothache regularly so am sure will need a lot of further tx, possibly with root fillings or crowns, but £ is an issue at the moment so if he has to pay out £200 ish per tooth that may cause problems?

Thanks for any advice

McKneff

Basic charge, as you say is £16.50 fir check up'clean
If you have to go back for fillings extractions it is the next band up, £40 odd pound, per whole treatment.

So a check up and fillings/extractions is band 2

check up, fillings, extractions, crowns etc is in the £200 plus band

Its all Per Course

Toothsmith

I wouldn't get your hopes up for too many root fillings & crowns.

Very poor teeth in a very poor attender would mean very bad teeth out and a denture rather than a lot of time and trouble to save things.

hotcookie101

Thanks, there is no way he would accept a denture-thats one of the reasons he hasn't been for a while-a dentist 10 years ago tried to extract all his teeth and give him dentures (he's only 34) Part of the problem is I think a severe phobia and head in the sand attitude, and a previous inability to get a NHS dentist-but if he thought that dentures would be his only option he wouldn't go back to the dentist, despite the regular toothache. He would be willing to go frequently now, and does brush, floss and use mouthwash now. (I grew up in Rep of Ireland mostly, no NHS dentistry but good private dental care, not the benign neglect you sometimes see with the NHS (not saying that about all of them-I had a very good NHS dentist in NI, who was very proactive, but when I have been here, I am told I don't even need regular s&p, and I have always had one every 6-12 months before)
Hopefully he will see someone who will try to save the teeth rather than extract

brook2jack

If hes not been for many years and his teeth are in poor condition even the most ethical and altruistic dentist is going to stage his treatment.

There is no way anyone would do crowns and bridges on someone with this sort of history.

His first course of treatment will probably be necessary extractions,fillings and possibly a root filling or temporisation.

If after a few months his condition has stabilised then maybe if he's lucky he may get some more advanced treatment.

It is not in his interest or the dentists interest to do alot of advanced treatment if he does not make the necessary lifestyle changes re diet and oral hygiene that will guarantee work lasting more than a very short time.

If he has reached such a sorry state at a relatively young age then he really needs to think how willing he is to make the investments in time and lifestyle before he rules out dentures. If he is not willing to change they may very well be his best option.

jugglebug

hotcookie101 wrote: »

no NHS dentistry but good private dental care, not the benign neglect you sometimes see with the NHS (not saying that about all of them-I had a very good NHS dentist in NI, who was very proactive, but when I have been here, I am told I don't even need regular s&p, and I have always had one every 6-12 months before)
Hopefully he will see someone who will try to save the teeth rather than extract

Back in the dim and distant the NHS fee for an examination was less than the amount a dentist would earn for a scale and polish. Amazing how many people *needed* a scale every 6 months.
Nowadays that isnt the case, and so it is equally surprising how many people don't need a 6 monthly scale now.
The truth is you can have healthy gums and a certain amount of calculus, as it is the bacteria in plaque that causes gum disease, not the calculus.
True the calculus gets in the way of proper cleaning as it is rough and irregular.
Staining, such as that from tea / coffee etc is irrelevant as far as gum health goes. Therefore if the gums are healthy the NHS really doesnt want to know about the rest.
This means we have a population of confused people, (I always had it before) Who are caught within the shifting goalposts the NHS has set up. The NHS rules are specific that if it is just a "cosmetic" clean, ie not to manage the gum health Then that should be a private item. In a stroke making the dentist look like a opportunist if he/she applies that regulation. (Which contractually they are supposed to do).
Doesn't healp that the info provided for patients by the NHS is incomplete and confusing as well

Toothsmith

hotcookie101 wrote: »

Thanks, there is no way he would accept a denture-thats one of the reasons he hasn't been for a while-a dentist 10 years ago tried to extract all his teeth and give him dentures (he's only 34) Part of the problem is I think a severe phobia and head in the sand attitude, and a previous inability to get a NHS dentist-but if he thought that dentures would be his only option he wouldn't go back to the dentist, despite the regular toothache. He would be willing to go frequently now, and does brush, floss and use mouthwash now. (I grew up in Rep of Ireland mostly, no NHS dentistry but good private dental care, not the benign neglect you sometimes see with the NHS (not saying that about all of them-I had a very good NHS dentist in NI, who was very proactive, but when I have been here, I am told I don't even need regular s&p, and I have always had one every 6-12 months before)
Hopefully he will see someone who will try to save the teeth rather than extract

Why not investigate prices at local private practices?

It will be dearer, but don't believe all the huge prices you see in the papers. These tend to be the prices at very high end city cosmetic practices.

The private practices in your town will be serving the people who live round there - not some group of super-rich who drive their Ferraris in there every day.

The prices are affordable IF that's a priority for you (and him!)

You'll be much more likely to get the time needed to get him over his fears, and a treatment plan more likely to save teeth over the long term rather than go for a quick fix.

As brook2jack said though, unless he's prepared to make quite a few chages in regard to his attitude to his teeth and looking after them, then a quick smash & grab is probably what he should go for.

hotcookie101

Toothsmith wrote: »

As brook2jack said though, unless he's prepared to make quite a few chages in regard to his attitude to his teeth and looking after them, then a quick smash & grab is probably what he should go for.

Thanks-he has def changed attitude to teeth-they are in such a bad way due to a pretty poor teenage life (chucked out of house, homeless=no dental care, then one visit to dentist in early 20s who wanted to pull all his teeth and give him dentures) and then once he got life sorted (degree quals etc) they weren't bothering him at all so I think he figured it was all ok. Its only in the last year or so he has had toothache.
The dentist that we are going to does do private work also, so will see what they say when he goes, I am hoping it may only be a couple teeth that actually need fillings changed etc, as I know he has a needle phobia and is worried about it all. But if it comes to it, he will have to have it all done privately, who needs a holiday anyway!!!

Regarding the s&p-I have a very small amount of calculus build up (I brush with electric toothbrush bid, floss and use mouthwash) BUT my mother has severe periodontal disease (which the periodontist has said can be hereditary), and has had to have bone grafts etc to help it (it was this dentist who said about the benign neglect on NHS-ROI private dentist who has worked in UK) so I am pretty paranoid about tooth/gum/alveolar bone health. I am a vet and its all about preventative health care-surely a regular s&p would prevent the NHS having to pay for more extensive treatment? Stitch in time saves nine etc?

Toothsmith

hotcookie101 wrote: »

I am a vet and its all about preventative health care-surely a regular s&p would prevent the NHS having to pay for more extensive treatment? Stitch in time saves nine etc?

But you're assuming there that the people who fund the NHS and set the rules actally KNOW something, and give a damn about peoples teeth!

They don't, and set the rules so that the figures show more people are seeing NHS dentists - not actually having their teeth fixed in the best way for them!

Preventative dentistry does not exist in the NHS. Preventing people having dentistry does.

vikkit_2

Hi
If you have a severe dental phobia you could try contacting your local community dental services (telephone your local pct for number) they specilise in trating children, those with extra needs and anxious patients. Although standard NHS dental fees apply you should find that they have more time to spend with the patients. Another alternative option is to ask if you can be referred to a dental hospital they have special clinics for anxious patients although with either of these there is no guarentee that they will see and treat.

a helpful resource is the dental phobic website they have lots of advice on how to cope with a dental phobia.

i hope this helps

peteski

hi
just been having similar problems myself, i e-mailed my local Primary Care Trust (PCT) to ask what the official stand on a 'course of treatment' was. basically, if the dentist has outlined everything that needs to be done, then that qualifies as one course of treatment. If they say it isnt then they need to demonstrate, if challenged, why the work is not required during the first course of treatment. It may be worth getting in touch with your local PCT (try at NHS website, search for Primary Care Trust Listing and select your local trust) to get them to put it to you in writing, which you can then show the dentist if they still refuse to put it all as one treatment.
Hope this helps, best of luck!