NHS Dental Charges

ranger1066

I am after some advice please.

Please could someone explain the NHS dental charges please? It states on the NHS website the different treatment costs.

But what is classed as a treatment? If I needed 3 fillings done on seperate appointments, would this be classed as 1 treatment or 3?

Thanks

Toothsmith

That would be one Band 2 treatment which should cost you £42.60.

Don't ask me to explain it - My fingers would wear out!

But basically you pay either a band 1,2 or3 charge depending on what treatment you need.

Band 1 - check ups, x-rays and simple clean up.

Band 2 - any fillings, root fillings extractions or complex clean ups (Doesn't matter how many)

Band 3 - anything that involves something that's made for you - crowns, bridges (You'll be lucky) dentures, again, doesn't matter how many.

Any treatment in a higher band automatically includes all treatment in a lower band as well. So if you need a crown, you'll pay the Band 3 charge of £198, but that will also include all the Band 2 and Band 1 stuff you'll need as well.

Simples!



EDIT _ Sorry, I think Band 2 is £46.20, not £42.60. I'm not sure as I have nothing to do with NHS dentistry. It's £40 something, anyway.

welshdent

and there is band 4 which is a 1 off emergency charge when treatment is provided outside a normal band course

coldstreamalways

Is there any way we could get this made a "sticky" as it must have been explained a hundred times on this board?

VK-2008

i think dentists are getting really dear me and my hubby needed some work done and i was like 200quid this morning in bills its very excessive

Toothsmith

VK-2008 wrote: »

i think dentists are getting really dear me and my hubby needed some work done and i was like 200quid this morning in bills its very excessive

NHS dental charges are set by the Government, not the dentist.

Private charges are set by the dentist, and if you don't feel they represent good value, then look around for a different one.

welshdent

VK-2008 wrote: »

i think dentists are getting really dear me and my hubby needed some work done and i was like 200quid this morning in bills its very excessive

What would you consider reasonable as a charge then? Bearing in mind that the only person generating an income stream is the dentist and they need to buy in all the materials used to treat you i.e. all the equipment, all the anaesthetic, all the filling materials pay all the lab fees to make you a denture or a crown, pay the staff, pay the utilities bills, pay the tax, pay the various rates and charges etc etc.

Put simply if there was no income stream there would BE no dentist. A conservative estimate is that costs run at around 60%. So a minimum of 60% immediately is used to pay for all of the above... and like toothsmith says, re NHS its not the dentist that makes up the charges. The charges are simply a tax raising mechanism for the PCTs and LHBs. I wouldnt believe all you read in the papers either.

coldstreamalways

And if you don't like the NHS fees, write to your MP. The dentist would be breaching their contract if they didn't charge you what the government sets out.

Of course, there is an easy way to avoid paying excessive dental charges.................:D

welshdent

coldstreamalways wrote: »

Of course, there is an easy way to avoid paying excessive dental charges.................:D

Get accepted on a dental course somewhere and get a consultant to do it when you hit the clinical years??