Dentists - how can you spot a con?

andygb

Toothsmith wrote: »

The treatment plan arrived at will be as a result of discussions between your partner and her dentist at the check-up. I'm assuming you weren't present at that meeting, but I'm betting that the dentists will have discussed various possibilities and their cost and the resulting treatment plan will be the thing they jointly agreed on.

How she has then presented this to you (The doubting Thomas who just wants her made pain free so she stops bothering him with her moaning, as quickly and cheaply as possible) will almost certainly bear no relation to how it was discussed and agreed in the surgery.

Is your partner happy with this dentist? If she isn't, then maybe she does need to look around for a new one. But she needs to find a GOOD one. Not necessarily a top-end prvate one. What you pay doesn't always reflect the quality of the treatment you get.

I've posted on here so you can see my signature line - but I can't stress enough how important it is to VISIT a potential practice before actually booking yourself in.

There are some good NHS dentists, and there are also some very good private dentists at a cheaper price bracket to the one she's seen already.

It's a bit like resturants.

Just because you can't justify the expense of a top Michelin starred meal, doesn't mean your doomed to a life of only going to MacDonalds or the local chippy. (Despite the fact there are some good local chippies!). There are nice resturants at every price bracket.

It's the same with dentists - you just have to know what you're looking for, and spend a bit of time finding it.

Thanks Toothsmith, the most sensible and reasoned reply so far.
This is the first time my wife has seen this particular dentist (the last dentist she saw at this practice left six months ago), and I now have more of the story to tell, as she has been speaking with one of her friends. The latest dentist has said that the next session involving root canal work will take around four hours!
She was recommended this dentist by a very well off friend, who also used the dentist who has now left the practice.
I also know, that you do not have to visit a Michelin starred restaurant to get excellent food, and I cannot remember the last time we visited a MaccyDs.
I will have a word with some of the neighbours this week, and see if the more sensible/reliable ones have any recommendations.
Thanks.

justjohn

coldstreamalways wrote: »

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Whether I would have NHS treatment is a different matter, in my opinion, the less you pay, the less you value the treatment. Paying £16.50 for a check up is an insult to the profession, paying £45 odd for a root canal is laughable. You get what you pay for.

However, that is the system dentists are in, fortunately I don't have to deal with that on a day to day basis and all of my emergency patients pay the same.

Hope you get it sorted.

mmm Amazing what the dentist's in Europe can do compared to the uk dentist. Both on skill and for the money....

Capatilist lol

welshdent

justjohn wrote: »

Sorry you do not get what you pay for there is nothing wrong with nhs.
I am a petrified at the dentist. My last load of treatment cost over 350 pound. i had 4 teeth needing root treatment. And various fillings.
I had not been to the dentist in a very long time due to my phobia.

There will be dentist out there that are in the game to make as much money as possible.

With respect you can not speak for all people or all dentists. The nhs is not a uniform standard across the board. It is down to the competence of each practitioner and what they feel able to provide you bearing in mind the severe restrictions placed upon them. I have seen plenty wrong with nhs treatments from some and plenty right with others. Same for private. The difference is you can safely say you are getting the cheapest materials on the health service and the least amount of time. You also will mostly only get what is required to make you dentally fit. Privately you theoretically can have what you want and what is possible for you - as long as you can and are prepared to pay for it. £350 sounds like private charges to me.
I am almost entirely nhs funded and whilst I do not withold people what they are entitled to I can not give them the same standard of materials and amount of time I would like to provide. I'd go bust in a few weeks. No doubt some will scoff at this but frankly they would be most ignorant of the realities of practicing dentistry.
Obviously there are dentists out there trying to earn as much money as possible but how is that different to any other industry? As long as that money is earned fairly and ethically I fail to see the problem. The dentist that charges £5 and deliberately does a rubbish job is far worse than the one that charges £50 and does it properly in my book

welshdent

justjohn wrote: »

mmm Amazing what the dentist's in Europe can do compared to the uk dentist. Both on skill and for the money....

Capatilist lol

Amazing the differences in terms of labour and materials costs between Europe and the uk. Just look at the costs of say the iPad here and in different countries. Interestingly some European countries do not train their student dentists in how to extract teeth. Others can choose not to learn how to do root fillings. You are not in a position to judge a dentists skill or ability only their chairside manner.

It's capItalist - and what makes you think you can judge someones ideogy on the basis of a forum post and their occupation??

welshdent

Andy being told a root filling will take 4 hours is NOT to be concerned about. Being told it would take 30
Mins would be more of a worry. I take a minimum of an hour and a half on a simple single rooted tooth. On a molar it sometimes takes me 45 minutes just to find all the canals and anatomy. It's highly unlikely a dentist working on the health service could afford the time needed to do that type of root filling because the nhs do not pay you to do them.

justjohn

I don't wish to get into an arguement. I can only give my opinion based on my experience. Isn't that what a forum is about - to share views and experiences offer opinions. Perhaps I should start all my posts with IMHO.....

I have a phobia of dentists and because of this I had not been for over 15 years. When eventually I HAD to go due to severe toothache. I was surprised at the treatment I got from the NHS dentist. Although I was seen as an 'emergency' patient they took a lot of time and trouble to put me at ease and even went through all my options should I want treatment for the rest of my teeth (before I lost them altogether - the dentists words). I explained what an effort it was to get to the dentist as I was petrified and only ever went when I was in pain and HAD to go. However given their fantastic 'service and treatment' I bit the bullet and went back.

Now bearing in mind this is an NHS only dentist. I get 1 hour appointments as standard as it takes 30 mins to calm me down and get me in the chair! Over the last 8 months I have had 3 extractions, and 6 fillings (2 of which require Root canal treatment which was done over 4 appointments (each one 1 hour and 15 mins long). I paid the princely sum of £350 for ALL this treatment. I need to go back and have an 'extreme' scale and polish now and to be honest that is scaring me more than all the treatment I had, but I will go back as I don't want all the effort they have put in to go to waste not to mention all the stress I have gone through!

Ok so maybe I have the best NHS dentist in the country and not all are like that, but that is my point - you don't necessarily get what you pay for. I received a top class service for a fraction of what I could have paid to a private dentist who may not have been anywhere near as good or as patient. You get good and bad NHS dentists and good and bad private dentists. Just because you pay more doesn't mean you get better treatment.

justjohn

welshdent wrote: »

Amazing the differences in terms of labour and materials costs between Europe and the uk. Just look at the costs of say the iPad here and in different countries. Interestingly some European countries do not train their student dentists in how to extract teeth. Others can choose not to learn how to do root fillings. You are not in a position to judge a dentists skill or ability only their chairside manner.

It's capItalist - and what makes you think you can judge someones ideogy on the basis of a forum post and their occupation??

Capitalist was a tongue in cheek joke. i am fully aware dentists are there to make money as we all are.

As for european dentists and dentistry, there are many european dentists in the uk. Just like the uk and europe you get good and bad dentists.

I refuse to believe a good private dentist can do an extraction or a standard filling any better than a good NHS dentist. However i am also fully aware that many good dentists on the nhs will move to private paractices due to the money.

brook2jack

Justjohn I presume you must have been seen in a community clinic or dental access centre. These are set up for people who cannot be treated in general practice because they have a physical or learning difficulty or phobia which makes it impossible to be treated in practice. They are funded by the health service because a general practice could not give you the time you need for treatment without going bust. I also assume you are in scotland or ni as 350 is not an english nhs charge or welsh. In england your total charge for all that time and treatment would be 46 ish! Economic suicide for a treating dentist.

justjohn

Scotland and its a general practice.
I believe there is a max charge in scotland

welshdent

justjohn wrote: »

I don't wish to get into an arguement.

You may say you do not wish to get in to an arguement but you should be prepared to be challenged when you make false and mis informed statements.

The system in Scotland is COMPLETELY differerent to the system in england and wales. In scotland they are still funded for the work they do so they would have been paid to carry out a root filling. Here and england they are not.