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

Toothsmith

alison999 wrote: »

Not always possible though, theres only so many patients you can see in one day.

That's true, but if you're charging your patients a lot of money, your days shouldn't be cram-packed full.

Part of what your patients are paying for is for you to be available if they have a real emergency.

tirednewdad

Agreed. Patients are paying for a service. Of course it is up to individual practices how they manage things. There is always room at the end of the day to treat people as there has to be some degree of flexability in the hours you work.

allydowd

Even if you are working you should ask your dentist for an HC1 form. Fill it in and send it back.

My partner and I both work in Scotland, but are on a low wage, and we both got an HC3 certificate sent to us through this scheme. As a result I have just been to the NHS dentist and had a check-up, a hygiene appointment, 5 teeth removed, 3 fillings and a partial denture fitted, all for £24. My partner has had an abcess removed, an old bridge removed, a temporary bridge fitted and then a permanent new bridge fitted, all for £24.

hethmar

My goodness, cheaper than going to Goa! Amazing. But 5 teeth removed :eek:

Olympika

tirednewdad wrote: »

Agreed. Patients are paying for a service. Of course it is up to individual practices how they manage things. There is always room at the end of the day to treat people as there has to be some degree of flexability in the hours you work.

I have to say the practice I go to have been great from this perspective - I ended up seeing a dentist twice at the end of the day, on one occasion I was there for about 45 minutes having quite a complex procedure. The idea of waiting until the following morning to get it sorted was just :eek: , I was immensely grateful they were happy to see me that night because I was in so much pain.

alison999

Olympika wrote: »

I have to say the practice I go to have been great from this perspective - I ended up seeing a dentist twice at the end of the day, on one occasion I was there for about 45 minutes having quite a complex procedure. The idea of waiting until the following morning to get it sorted was just :eek: , I was immensely grateful they were happy to see me that night because I was in so much pain.

it depends what type of practice it is and if the staff have other responsibilities outside of work.

we do our emergency appointments in the middle of the day, that way we can play catch up, at hte end of the day would be a nightmare as we have kids to pick up from nursery/after school club etc.

what i meant by 'you can only see so many people' wasnt that you have your list and thats that but dentists have thousands of patients and even if just half of them rang, you still wouldnt be able to see them all. we have half a dozen emergency slots and once those are gone, they're gone, theres only so many ours in the day.

Savvy_Sue

MEDICAL ADVICE

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this: Sorry, giving or asking for medical advice is not permitted on this forum as it’s not what this site is about. While discussing medical insurance policies, cheaper ways to see consultants, cashback for alternative health treatments and how to get specific medication cheaper (legally) are all perfectly acceptable we ask you specifically not to discuss what to do in the event of certain medical problems (please see this rule on the Health Board). If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

I have asked the abuse team to look at this thread, but meantime I have deleted some of the posts discussing pain relief. I repeat what I've said elsewhere: talk to your pharmacist about stronger OTC painkillers if you can't get specific advice from your dentist. In any case, make sure that whatever professionally qualified person * you are taking advice from is aware of any other medication you're on, or any other conditions which may affect what you can and can't take.

* I'm not questioning anyone's professional qualifications, BTW, but we cannot verify them online.

Bf109

Hi. I think it would be a shame if this thread was lost, while at the same time I fully agree that this isnt the place for medical advice.

It has been a real godsend to people like me awaiting dental treatment.

hethmar

Cant say Id noticed anyone giving advice on medication?

~Chameleon~

hethmar wrote: »

Cant say Id noticed anyone giving advice on medication?

The post(s) has now been deleted but I did see it the other day.