Cost of tooth extraction?

SnowyOwl_2

I got my dreaded tooth out today - there was an abscess underneath it and this determined its ultimate fate. The extraction was amazingly quick and easy, though of course aided with local anaesthetic, but quite a bit of blood afterwards. The dentist I have is v.good, careful and always says what he's going to do...a real treasure! Unfortunately today was his last day at this practice...

On leaving I found out I did't have to pay at all - I was lucky enough to get into an NHS practice,. When this particular course of treatment for this tooth started I was unemployed. Even though I have since obtained employment the charge to me was waived because it was completion of a course of treatment started whilst on benefits. I have always been under the impression there is always something payable regardless of employment status, so that was a good surprise.

Savvy_Sue

SnowyOwl wrote:

On leaving I found out I did't have to pay at all - I was lucky enough to get into an NHS practice,. When this particular course of treatment for this tooth started I was unemployed. Even though I have since obtained employment the charge to me was waived because it was completion of a course of treatment started whilst on benefits. I have always been under the impression there is always something payable regardless of employment status, so that was a good surprise.

Glad you are OK, and that is a very good tip for those of us who are lucky enough to have NHS dentists: start to get your teeth fixed while on certain benefits and you can complete the course on the same basis! I did half know this because a colleague was panicking about it: she'd started some major work while not working, had postponed completion for personal reasons, and suddenly realised that she might now have to pay for it which she couldn't afford to do. She was SO relieved when she found out she didn't have to pay and could still get the work done!

Toothsmith

Did you find out why it was his last day at the practice Snowy?

Might it have been anything to do with the fact that for all that lovely care and attention he was paid less than £20 by the NHS. And out of that has to pay for the staff, overheads, and everything else?

I once rang up a local piercing parlour. To have a tongue stud put in by some sweaty oik who may have done a days training course, but doesn't have to have done, with no control on how his instruments are steralized (If indeed they are) with just a topical anaesthetic and a lump of ice to control swelling & bleeding afterwards. No requirement for indemnity insurance, no registration. Guess how much?

£35 :mad:

Lucky to have NHS dentists? More like miraculous in this day and age.

Make it an issue before May 5th, 'cos nothing will be done about it afterwards!!

If only we had a dentist version of Jamie Oliver :beer:

Or maybe your dentist just had a call from the Vatican about an upcoming vacancy??

SnowyOwl_2

Hi Toothsmith

Sorry for the delay in replying to your message. My now ex-dentist was I think a fairly recent graduate, and I suspect was employed at that practice specifically for NHS work. They have replaced him with someone else who is also v.young (and also ginger though I am sure that's nothing to do with it:D ). I didn't realise that he had two part-time jobs - he's gone to the other surgery on a full-time basis (four days a week actually, lucky so and so), which is not an NHS practice as far as I know.

Is it usual for new graduate dentists to gain experience in an NHS capacity and then to move into private dentistry once they have a bit of experience? I want to give this new dentist a chance, especially as she's young and eager, but then again I also want some continuity of care and will get fed up with having a new dentist every year.

Are there any plans on an NHS policy level to have dentists offer some of their time for NHS work, in a similar way that medical consultants do? It would be wonderful to see dentists give a bit back after all that expensive training (mostly) funded by us taxpayers. Dental prices are v.high, a reflection of the skill and knowledge required - but if you were sceptical and cyncial you'd say that there was a bit of moneygrabbing going on too and that profit margins are highly disproportionate to outlay. But I'm not sceptical or cyncial, just glad that dentists exist and mindful that what I do is v.influential on keeping my dentistry costs down!

BTW I have noticed you've been busy posting recently. Thanks for this, you've given lots of very helpful and even illuminating advice eg delaying brushing your teeth after eating, and about chewing gum for 20 mins - these things are very useful to know, so thanks again it's much appreciated.

Snowy Owl.

Teerah

Hi snowyowl

New dental graduates are started off in practice via vocational training programs. This means that the new graduates are fully qualified and trained but are eased into "the real world" by being placed in a practice where they have a trainer or mentor. The idea being that they can gain experience and confidence in practice and get to grips with the NHS system without being thrown in at the deep end, their trainer is there to help them if they have any problems. It sounds like your last dentist was a vocational trainee and as these contracts last one year they have probably been replaced by another new graduate. Some practices do this every year which unfortunately doesnt do much for continuation of care as most patients move from trainee to trainee.
New graduates must do this year of vocational training if they ever want to own their own practice. However, if they dont want their own practice they can skip this "NHS" year. Unfortunately for the NHS there is currently nothing to stop graduates going straight to private practice after the vocational training year.

Sofa_Sogood

spankymonkey wrote:

my mum has just had 2 teeth extracted and new teeth made to put on her plate. i could not believe how much she had to pay nearly £400!!!!! i was disgusted....

:eek:

I might stick with my gappy smile.

Toothsmith

Teerah answered the bits about vocational training very accurately (Are you one of us?? (Secret handshake! :beer: ) ) with the exception of the bit about a dentist needing to do vocational training (VT) if they want to own a practice.

All dental graduates have to do VT, whether they want to own a practice or not and an NHS practice is normally the route as it is organised by the NHS. In areas where NHS practices are thin on the ground, it has been known for private practitioners to be approved as VT trainers, but politically this is frowned upon.

It is seen as much better to teach all these new graduates to forget all they've learnt at dental school about doing it properly, in order to do it in a way that still manages to get the bills paid on the NHS. The fact your nice caring dentist scooted off to private practice as soon as he/she could speaks volumes I think. He obviously wanted to work somewhere wher he could do it properly rather than do 'Turkey twizzler' dentistry on a budget.

SnowyOwl wrote:

Are there any plans on an NHS policy level to have dentists offer some of their time for NHS work, in a similar way that medical consultants do? Snowy Owl.

Not that I'm aware of, despite the fact the politicians say they are ploughing shedloads of money into it. None seem to find it's way to the frontline. I would do as much NHS work as they would want me to provided it paid the bills. It doesn't, but that was a different thread, and there's no way I'll ever convince the real sceptics that I don't have a second house in Nice which I drive to in my Aston!

SnowyOwl wrote:

It would be wonderful to see dentists give a bit back after all that expensive training (mostly) funded by us taxpayers. Snowy Owl.

Ask your new graduate how much of a student loan she has to repay and how heavily in debt she was at the end of her course! Then tell her you funded that I bet she'll be a bit light on the anaesthetic after that one. :rotfl:

SnowyOwl wrote:

BTW I have noticed you've been busy posting recently. Thanks for this
Snowy Owl.

It's quite good fun really. I'm doing my bit for positive PR for us big bad private exploiters of misery :A

Teerah

Toothsmith wrote:

Teerah answered the bits about vocational training very accurately (Are you one of us?? (Secret handshake! :beer: ) ) with the exception of the bit about a dentist needing to do vocational training (VT) if they want to own a practice.

I'm pretty sure VT is only compulsory if the dentist wants to become a principal, unless this has recently changed? Oh and you guessed right about me toothsmith

Sofa_Sogood

Just out of interest, and whilst this topic's still 'live', do dentist's do domiciliary visits and treatment?

Btw, glad you got sorted SnowyOwl and Rachel. How's jeryth doing?

And SnowyOwl? If it was an abcess (ouch), were you put on antibiotics afterwards?

SnowyOwl_2

Toothsmith wrote:

Ask your new graduate how much of a student loan she has to repay and how heavily in debt she was at the end of her course! Then tell her you funded that I bet she'll be a bit light on the anaesthetic after that one. :rotfl:

Debt is the stark reality for many, many students, including those who go into careers much less lucrative than dentistry. I know two new graduates both with starting salaries of £14k and both in debt to the tune of around £6k each, it will take them years and years to pay it all back as their salaries in their careers will rise v.v.gradually. If they are on £20k three years after graduation then they will be v.lucky. The dentistry courses may be longer than 3 years and so debts will probably be higher, but in such a lucrative career they will be able to pay it back quicker and easier. Do the fees that students pay actually cover all the costs of their course anyway? I don't think so...taxpayer money still funds education.

Your advice has been great but this argument just doesn't hold water...