root canal treatment - NHS and private costs & pros and cons

Becles

Thanks.

I just want shot of the tooth now! I've already lost a weeks wages (self employed) that I can't really afford to lose, so I don't want to be this sick again.

mjk_2

Sorry for jumping on the back of this thread, but it is about maternity exemption.

I'm still covered by my Mat cert, which runs out in a few weeks. I saw the dentist the other day for a check-up, and she said I needed a scale and polish, and did I want her to do it there and then. I said I'd rather come back another day because I had my 3 small children with me that day. There was no mention of any charge.

So I went to the receptionist to make an appointment and she said it would be £25 because the hygienist doesn't do any NHS work. Can they do this? Or can I insist on seeing the dentist again for a free scale and polish? I can't really afford £25 just at the moment!!

Thanks for any advice.

alison999

it depends if ts just a simple scale and polish. if its for stain removal which is cosmetic then they can charge private. its like that where i work now and i get nothing but abuse for it. take it up with the DENTIST and not the RECEPTIONIST please. its like that b/c basically the dentist gets 1 uda for your exam, if they do a s^p they still get 1 uda so in other words they dont get paid for it. would you spend 20 minutes doing work you dont get paid for?

Becles

Another update - finished the metrondizone on Friday morning and the erythromycin this evening.

Tooth had a dull niggly pain when I woke up this morning, which has developed into a throbbing pain this evening and I can feel a small lump on my jaw which wasn't there earlier.

Will ring the dentist in the morning and see if I can get an emergency appointment as I think I need yet more antibiotics.

Still no word from the clinic I was being referred to about the extraction. I have found a local private dentist who will take a tooth out under sedation, but they refused to give me any prices over the phone. They said I had to register with them and have an examination before they would discuss prices. Has anyone got a rough idea how much a private extraction under sedation would cost? I don't want to waste their time and pay for an examination if I can't afford the treatment privately.

Toothsmith

alison999 wrote: »

it depends if ts just a simple scale and polish. if its for stain removal which is cosmetic then they can charge private. its like that where i work now and i get nothing but abuse for it. take it up with the DENTIST and not the RECEPTIONIST please. its like that b/c basically the dentist gets 1 uda for your exam, if they do a s^p they still get 1 uda so in other words they dont get paid for it. would you spend 20 minutes doing work you dont get paid for?

That's not quite right.

Dentists are now paid based on what they historically earnt before the new contract, so if your dentist used to do exams and clean and polishes, then he was paid for them, and the sum he is now paid reflects the fact he used to work that way.

If he now refuses to do that, he is getting paid for something he's not doing.

I know the NHS dental contract is a complete pig, is totally unfair for dentists, and encourages the provision of the simplest possible treatments rather than the treatments that are in the patient's best interests.

HOWEVER, if a dentist has signed this contract, then that is what he is contractually bound to do, and that is what the taxpayers are paying him for.

It was quite clear in the contract that this is what was expected. If he didn't like it, he shouldn't have signed it.

To 'pretend' to be an NHS dentist is, in my book, worse than being an honestly private one. And if enough dentists had the bottle to say 'no' to this mess, then Government would have been forced to do something different, rather than, like they do now, claim what a huge success it is, when a significant number of dentists aren't playing by the rules and offering 'proper' NHS dentistry.

Toothsmith

mjk wrote: »

So I went to the receptionist to make an appointment and she said it would be £25 because the hygienist doesn't do any NHS work. Can they do this? Or can I insist on seeing the dentist again for a free scale and polish? I can't really afford £25 just at the moment!!

Thanks for any advice.

No they can't, and yes you can.

If the dentist said you NEEDED a scale and polish, then you are entitled to all necessary treatment on the NHS.

Ring up the PCT if they insist you pay privately for it.

If the dentist said you might 'enjoy' a scale and polish to make them look better, then that might be classed as cosmetic, and therefore not necessary, and so chargeable privately.

Rikki

TokochickUK wrote: »

I was advised by my dentist that I have to pay £150 as part of this, My exemption runs till july 2008

I wasnt sure but I though dental treatment was covered?

Thank you.

Are you a nhs patient or are you a private patient who now has an exemption certificate?

Iainmartins

Costs can vary, when I do it we charge £250 for a session regardless of treatment. That usually lasts about an hour and covers the cost of two dentist or a dentist and a doctor. Any lab bills are paid in addition.

alison999

Toothsmith wrote: »

That's not quite right.

Dentists are now paid based on what they historically earnt before the new contract, so if your dentist used to do exams and clean and polishes, then he was paid for them, and the sum he is now paid reflects the fact he used to work that way.

If he now refuses to do that, he is getting paid for something he's not doing.

I know the NHS dental contract is a complete pig, is totally unfair for dentists, and encourages the provision of the simplest possible treatments rather than the treatments that are in the patient's best interests.

HOWEVER, if a dentist has signed this contract, then that is what he is contractually bound to do, and that is what the taxpayers are paying him for.

It was quite clear in the contract that this is what was expected. If he didn't like it, he shouldn't have signed it.

To 'pretend' to be an NHS dentist is, in my book, worse than being an honestly private one. And if enough dentists had the bottle to say 'no' to this mess, then Government would have been forced to do something different, rather than, like they do now, claim what a huge success it is, when a significant number of dentists aren't playing by the rules and offering 'proper' NHS dentistry.

theyve never done s&p's. the hygienist always used to do it but how they did their claims i dont know (!) i dont want to say too much on here, i dont agree with it myself but its just my work for ya!:A

Toothsmith

alison999 wrote: »

theyve never done s&p's. the hygienist always used to do it but how they did their claims i dont know (!) i dont want to say too much on here, i dont agree with it myself but its just my work for ya!:A

I understand completely!!