NHS and white fillings?

jimmy2times

Hi,
can someone confirm this for me.

I recently went to see a new NHS dentist.

He said that I need, I think 3 fillings. One of them being quite big.
I said that i'd like white ones as opposed to silver ones (I don't like the look of silver in my mouth)

Anyway, he booked me in for next week and told me the cost is £350.00. (initial appointment + dental work + hygenist)
I was horrified!

Why was it so much? I thought NHS work was supposed to be cheap?
Some people are telling me that you can't get white fllings on the NHS and some say you do. I don't know who to listen too?

Any experts here can confirm? Have i been ripped off?? I'm confused as to how it all works.

I feel VERY poor now. That's so much money.

j.e.j.

jimmy2times wrote: »

Some people are telling me that you can't get white fllings on the NHS and some say you do. I don't know who to listen too?

As far as I understand it, you can't get white fillings on the nhs unless it's on your front teeth?

Jox

I've just paid 47 for hygienist and 90 for a white filling. Don't think you can get white fillings on nhs

brook2jack

A dentist doing NHS work only has to do what is clinically necessary to secure dental health.

For most fillings on back teeth that will be amalgam fillings.

If you choose to have white fillings that is a cosmetic choice and so will have to be paid for privately. White fillings are more time consuming and technique sensitive to do and are charged according to how much time they will take to do.A cheap NHS practice costs £150 an hour to run so charges start around that basis.

If you are in England or Wales you should have had a fp17dc form given to you detailing what treatment you are having , what is NHS and what private and what each costs.

If you do not want the white fillings then just say BEFORE your next appointment so it can be changed and amalgam fillings should be provided instead on the NHS.

One thing to bear in mind is unless you change your diet and oral hygiene habits any filling but particularly white is not going to last long. So the moneysaving thing to do is address the reasons you need fillings in the first place.

jimmy2times

Jox wrote: »

I've just paid 47 for hygienist and 90 for a white filling.

on the NHS? thanks

brook2jack wrote: »

One thing to bear in mind is unless you change your diet and oral hygiene habits any filling but particularly white is not going to last long. So the moneysaving thing to do is address the reasons you need fillings in the first place.

Don't most people have fillings, though?
I'm not sure what else I can do? I brush twice per day. Mouthwash at night. I have pretty much never drank a can of coke or any fizzy drink in my life. I don't smoke. I'm not really sure what i've supposed to have done wrong lol. Maybe just genetics?

brook2jack wrote: »

you should have had a fp17dc form given to you detailing what treatment you are having , what is NHS and what private and what each costs.

Thanks. Yes I got one of those forms.
It says that the xrays I had done and the appointment was under teh NHS and that the fillings are under 'private work'.
So that confirms that white fillings are always private?

And does the fact that the xrays and stuff were done on the NHS confirm that I am down as an NHS patient? (which I want to be) Just want to make sure that they know I am an NHS patient. (still not sure what the point is in being a 'private' patient?)

Jox

I have four fillings, all white, all about 80 / 90 each. It's a lot but looks much better than black in my opinion.

Dentist says my brushing is good but I need to floss every day which I don't do.

jimmy2times

Jox wrote: »

I have four fillings, all white, all about 80 / 90 each. It's a lot but looks much better than black in my opinion.

Dentist says my brushing is good but I need to floss every day which I don't do.

cheers
So the consensus here is that white fillings are always private then.
Mine are £110 each I think, so it's on the pricey side

Jox

Can you find out how much other dentists in your area charge?

jimmy2times

Jox wrote: »

Can you find out how much other dentists in your area charge?

Would that be private dentsists, considering that it seems that white fillings are always private.
I guess I could, although It looks like I wouldn;t be saving that much from the responses here.
I was confused becasue someone on yahoo answers (written 5 years ago mind) said ''I just had a white filling on NHS which cost me £70''

That's kind of what I was expecting to pay. Maybe the rules have changed?

This 350 is a huge chunk of my months wages at just over minimum wage.

Also, could someone look at my post number 5 on this thread? I be interested to get answers to them questions.

thanks

brook2jack

jimmy2times wrote: »

on the NHS? thanks



Don't most people have fillings, though?
I'm not sure what else I can do? I brush twice per day. Mouthwash at night. I have pretty much never drank a can of coke or any fizzy drink in my life. I don't smoke. I'm not really sure what i've supposed to have done wrong lol. Maybe just genetics?

Apart from a few rare syndromes there is no such thing as genetically weak teeth.

If you eat or drink anything with sugar in it it takes an hour for the acid to disappear afterwards. If you have more than three sugar attacks a day then you will get decay. Breakfast, lunch and dinner almost always contain sugar , so its whats eaten or drunk between meals that causes a problem.

Even half a teaspoon of sugar in tea or coffee, the fruit juice, smoothie or energy drink that contains 7 to 12 spoons of sugar, the digestive biscuit that contains three spoons of sugar, the crisps that both contain sugar and are metabolised to release sugar, all of these cause problems.

Look at what you eat and drink between meals that will show you where the problem is.





There is no such thing as registration in England and Wales anymore. You only are a NHS patient for the course of treatment you signed for. Any future treatment will only be NHS if you sign an NHS form and check before the appointment it is an NHS appointment.

welshdent

jimmy2times wrote: »

Would that be private dentsists, considering that it seems that white fillings are always private.
I guess I could, although It looks like I wouldn;t be saving that much from the responses here.
I was confused becasue someone on yahoo answers (written 5 years ago mind) said ''I just had a white filling on NHS which cost me £70''

That's kind of what I was expecting to pay. Maybe the rules have changed?

This 350 is a huge chunk of my months wages at just over minimum wage.

Also, could someone look at my post number 5 on this thread? I be interested to get answers to them questions.

thanks

ANy dentist in practice can give you white fillings if that is what you want. We are all private its just some of us have a contract with the NHS to provide care under their conditions i.e. secure oral health. As brook says, usually amalgam is the filling of choice in molar teeth. In fairness you did say you dont want amalgam so you are limiting what the dentist can do. We can provide composite inlays in larger cavities which are white but that would make the cost more again. Regards the individual cost of the fillings, they vary and I would not wish to make any judgement on that because every dentist has different overheads they need to meet. A valleys practice in deepest wales will cost less to run than one in central london. Consequentially costs to the patient will vary. It sounds like the practice has acted appropriately by giving you a treatment plan and been up front with the costs involved. The choice is yours. total NHS care - amalgam fillings. Mixed Care (which is what you are currently receiving) - NHS examination and private fillings. And no not all people have fillings I have an 80 year old with a pristine untouched mouth.