Can I Get Dental Help

dickieg

I went to the dentist a few weeks ago to be measured for a crown and a bridge (the previous set had come out, while i was in the sea, and i lost them). Went back yesterday and the dentist fitted the crown but no bridge,i asked her why this was and she said the NHS funding had nearly run out, and i would have to have it fitted next financial year. Now i have a big gap next to my 2 front teeth which is more obvious now she has put the silver crown in. It looks a right mess,im on JSA and cant afford a bridge, is there anything i can do. Thanx in advance

Indie_Kid

What JSA are you on?

dickieg

Income based JSA

Toothsmith

Rules are different in England, Wales, Scotland & N.I.

If you're in England or Wales, the dentist's 'excuse' is just wrong, as the funding is for the course of treatment, not the individual items.

Are you in England or Wales?

dickieg

England.......

Toothsmith

Right - well they're talking rubbish then.

A treatment involving a crown gets the dentist 12 UDAs (funding points). Which is worth about £240 or there abouts to the practice.

With the way the contract is though, if he did a bridge as well he would get exactly the same amount of points, but obviously have a bigger bill, as he'd have to pay for the crown AND the bridge to be made.

So - what some NHS dentists try to do whenever they can is split the treatment so that they get 2 treatments out of it and 2 lots of 12 points.

The problem is that this is not the way the contract is written, and ALL necessary treatment should be provided within one course of treatment.

Sometimes, there are perfectly valid clinical reasons why something should be provided at a later date than the initial treatment - but if that were the case with you, then that should have been the explaination given.

To be told that you can't have it because NHS funding is tight is simply not true in your case (If it was, he wouldn't have been able to do the treatment at all).

I would ask the practice to clarify just why you can't have your treatment completed, and if they repeat this excuse, then complain to the Primary care trust dental person.

dickieg

Thanks for your help. Just one more thing, she fitted the crown Wednesday and i told her it was hitting the bottom tooth, she made me bite on some paper and then ground a bit off, it still felt like it was hitting the bottom tooth, so i went back yesterday and they said it would need a bit more grinding off. While there i had to sign another form because the form for having the crown fitted had been sent the day before and this would be classed as a different treatment, does this seem right

Toothsmith

No - that sounds like they're pulling another fast one. Claiming it as a different course of treatment, or possibly as an 'emergency'. (which it isn't).

Obviously they're not short of NHS 'points' then!

dickieg

Phoned up primary care trust as suggested on Friday, spoke to a woman who took my details and said she would speak to someone else, phoned me back and told me someone was going to the surgery on Wednesday anyway, and they would have a look at my records. Im wandering if someone else has put in a complaint also. Again thanks for the advice

echoes008

Toothsmith wrote: »

Right - well they're talking rubbish then.

A treatment involving a crown gets the dentist 12 UDAs (funding points). Which is worth about £240 or there abouts to the practice.

With the way the contract is though, if he did a bridge as well he would get exactly the same amount of points, but obviously have a bigger bill, as he'd have to pay for the crown AND the bridge to be made.

So - what some NHS dentists try to do whenever they can is split the treatment so that they get 2 treatments out of it and 2 lots of 12 points.

The problem is that this is not the way the contract is written, and ALL necessary treatment should be provided within one course of treatment.

Sometimes, there are perfectly valid clinical reasons why something should be provided at a later date than the initial treatment - but if that were the case with you, then that should have been the explaination given.

To be told that you can't have it because NHS funding is tight is simply not true in your case (If it was, he wouldn't have been able to do the treatment at all).

I would ask the practice to clarify just why you can't have your treatment completed, and if they repeat this excuse, then complain to the Primary care trust dental person.

Yes. I agree.. Also amusing to see toothsmith answering query about dental treatment...

diable

You'll be lucky to get a crown for £240.