Been advised to have mouth guard costing £100

bigsaver2010

I went to my NHS dentist for a routine annual check up today. Firstly I was told to book in with the hygienist for a 20 min appointment costing £31 for a tiny amount of tartar scraping!!!! They used to do this as part of the annual check up.

The dentist is new to me. She then told me my bottom teeth have started to sink down because ?I grind them in my sleep. I am not aware doing that/of any change in my teeth or jaw, but she was adamant that I must have a mouth guard made.

Stupidly, I didn't think to come away and think further about it/get a second opinion. She insisted I must have it. So she did the impressions there and then and has now charged me £100 upfront (privately) for the guard which is now going to be made.

I fee really stupid, but was so put on the spot.

I assume there is nothing I can do now? Would there have been alternatives I could have bouht elsewhere at a lower cost?? Or is this likely to be important to stop me having more problems later in life?

Any advice much appreciated.

brook2jack

Re the mouthguard.... If you are grinding then a particular type of mouthguard may be appropriate. The fee for this on the nhs would be band 3 £177 to £183 Wales and England, so it's actually cheaper privately.

It will need to be accurately adjusted and checked and is NOT the same as boil in the bag sports guards. The dentist should monitor it's use and your tooth wear. Night grinding can be very destructive longterm, very often the person concerned is not aware of doing it although their partner might be.

Scale and polish if clinically necessary should be included in band 1 treatment £12 to £16 ish. If it's done for cosmetic reasons then the dentist can charge privately for it but you don't need to have the appointment.

bigsaver2010

brook2jack wrote: »

Re the mouthguard.... If you are grinding then a particular type of mouthguard may be appropriate. The fee for this on the nhs would be band 3 £177 to £183 Wales and England, so it's actually cheaper privately.

It will need to be accurately adjusted and checked and is NOT the same as boil in the bag sports guards. The dentist should monitor it's use and your tooth wear. Night grinding can be very destructive longterm, very often the person concerned is not aware of doing it although their partner might be.

Scale and polish if clinically necessary should be included in band 1 treatment £12 to £16 ish. If it's done for cosmetic reasons then the dentist can charge privately for it but you don't need to have the appointment.

Thanks for that. I feel a little better with that explanation. I am a little puzzled as to why she didn't scale and polish my teeth as part of my check up. She said it all looked fine (I use dental floss every day) but that there was one small bit that needed attention, so to see the hygienist. So she could have done that as part of my check today! I have had to pay the £31 up front for the hygienist before seeing her too!! I have never had to see one in the past.

guineapig

I have worn a "bite guard" for more than 30 years and my last one on the NHS was about £42 it is made from a stiff, clear acrylic type stuff and they last me about 5 months before I bite all the way through and have to have a new one.

I know there are different types of materials that can be used for the bite guards, so I would have thought your Dentist might have talked to you about the different materials that can be used. ( Some are very soft but dont last long, well for me at least!)

welshdent

The marerial needed depends on the reason the splint is needed. Its not really like a crown where you can have different materials to address the same clinical need. regards the cost. As already stated, on the NHS they are a band 3 item. Simple as that. Therefore the dentist is charging a cheaper private price. The lab charge can often be quite expensive in the first place and thats before you factor in clinical time and staffing costs.

bigsaver2010

welshdent wrote: »

The marerial needed depends on the reason the splint is needed. Its not really like a crown where you can have different materials to address the same clinical need. regards the cost. As already stated, on the NHS they are a band 3 item. Simple as that. Therefore the dentist is charging a cheaper private price. The lab charge can often be quite expensive in the first place and thats before you factor in clinical time and staffing costs.

My dentist did not explain anything to me and I am just surprised that my previous dentist who has seen me regularly for the last 7 years never mentioned anything. I was not told about materials, length of wear, how it works or anything - I was just told it would cost £100 and I need to pay for it now! She did not tell me this was cheaper than the NHS cost - even if it is I still think £100 is a lot of money.

brook2jack

As we said before biteguards are not something there is a choice in. Different materials are used for different problems.

They work in a variety of ways, certain types may stop the grinding, certain types may not stop the grinding but you grind the guard not the tooth,. Some types are used as a diagnostic test, some types are used to get you used to having your bite opened up.

I only treat adults privately and pay about £90 in laboratory costs for my hard bite guards , but some lab fees can be more ,or less, expensive.Added to that is the clinical time in making impressions and then fitting and adjusting the guard . Finally the time at the end to check that all is well.

A cheap dental surgery will run at £150 an hour to run.

If it is clinically necessary ,bearing in mind the work £100 is not alot to pay especially as she could have charged you nhs fee around£180 and made more money that way.

bigsaver2010

Thanks - Well at least I am now clearer on what the costs actually involve. Unfortunately I think my new dentist just has an abrupt and dismissive attitude. But if this mouth guard is what i need to stop me having problems later in life, then lets hope it will be £100 well spent! But I am still surprised the problem was never picked up before - or can it appear within the space of a year?

welshdent

Its impossible for us to say without seeing you. It is however that it may be more apparent now compared to before. The effects may reach that point where thy are suddenly more obvious. If you want clarification however you should ask your dentist

tartantotty

I grind my teeth and have worn a mouthguard for about 6 years now. The time I went away with my OH for a few days and forgot it was awful, I woke him up loads of times cos my teeth grinding was loud.
My jaws ache as well when I dont wear it, and I have teeth problems now as a result of teeth grinding, as I didnt even know for ages that I was doing, only that I used to wake up with pains from my cheekbones down. Its even obvious looking at my teeth which way I grind them. Although £100 is a lot of money, its worth every penny in the long term as you can do serious damage.
Teeth grinding can be an effect of other things, mine was triggered off initially during a bout of severe depression and anxiety, so it might be worth trying some relaxation techniques before bed to see if that helps.
The mouthguard has made a difference, but I am not sure how much it cost. I was getting a bout of orthodontic treatment at the time and it was an 'all-in' price so it was done then.

bblackcat09

£100 is v expensive still - have a look on ebay, you can get a custom fit mouthguard for £25 - all delivery included. MUCH cheaper!!!!

It won't let me post a link - but just type 'custom fit mouthguard' into ebay.

Hope that helps someone