"Brilliant" tooth whitening system

TBeckett100

teeth are now a bit sensitive. day 2

prettyXcool_2

Toothsmith - I have been following your posts to this and the overseas dentists post with interest. Has anyone used Vital Europe? (https://www.vitaleurope.co.uk). They are offering 70% savings. They have a consultation clinic in Harley Street, London before recommending treatment in Prague or Budapest, and follow up check ups back in Harley Street. In this way, I do not think you can generalise and say:

"To encourage others to go there just for cheaper dentistry may well cost several people more dearly over the longer term".

Also, I really do not agree with your statement:

Patients who this appeals to are often the ones that have let their teeth get into a right old state, and unless time is taken to correct their bad habits, then all the nice reconstructive work will be doomed to failure."

I go to the dentist and hygenist regularly, brush and floss as recommended, use mouth wash, do not smoke etc but unfortuantely due to bone loss (says my dentist), he recommended that the tooth be extracted. This has cost me in the region of £650 with consultation fees, x-rays, surgical extraction and augmentation. An implant to replace the missing tooth will cost around £3,000. On my average salary, I do not have this kind of money, so why should we not be encouraged to seek cheaper dentistry with the same professional treatment and services and treat oneself to a well earned break and still save money?

Incidentally, my partner has never been to the dentist or hygenist and he has perfect teeth and no problems, whereas I go regularly and days afterwards have all the problems! Is it any wonder I distrust dentists and hygenists?

mitre

While Toothsmith makes many valid points, my experience of dentists in the UK has led me to seek treatment abroad. Not 'health holidays' but when I'm away (which is often), I'll see a dentist every 4 months or so.
I did have a go at going private in the UK but found that there was very little will to be accountable as to the cost, providing detailed bills, etc. Waiting times were unacceptable, at £130/hour I want to be seen when it's convenient to me. I believe that private hosptials in the UK do provide a superior experience but dentists think they can rake in (a significant amount of) extra money for giving the same service as was available when they were NHS only.

Toothsmith

mitre wrote: »

I did have a go at going private in the UK but found that there was very little will to be accountable as to the cost, providing detailed bills, etc. Waiting times were unacceptable, at £130/hour I want to be seen when it's convenient to me. I believe that private hosptials in the UK do provide a superior experience but dentists think they can rake in (a significant amount of) extra money for giving the same service as was available when they were NHS only.

I would agree that there are quite a few dentists out there who do think this. This is why I have given quite detailed instructions in other posts about how to go about finding one who doesn't.

This includes visiting the practice to book your first appointment. You can learn a lot from that visit about staff professionalism, and how many people are sat waiting in the waiting room looking cross!



To prettyXcool :- An implant is often the best way to replace a lost tooth, but not the only way. Depending on where the tooth is have you discussed if the tooth even needs replacing? They don't always - we can do without a few with little problem. If you have a good relationship with your dental team, I wouldn't risk it by going somewhereelse for this treatment. If you tell them you can't afford their prices, see what else they can suggest.

I always get very nervous when I see Harley Street addresses! It's far more about prestige nowadays than it is about good medical practice.

Who do you think pays the incredible rents for the rooms there? It will be the patients! Despite the savings on UK prices, they can still afford a swanky address - makes me seriously wonder how much the REAL cost of provision in Budapest is - and where the corners are cut to make the savings. As I said earlier, regulations out there are virtually non-existant, and it's pretty easy t make a place look swish to the uninformed observer. A comfy sofa, good lighting and a plasma TV in the waiting room is a lot cheaper than good cross infection control carried out diligently after every single patient. And the level of training required in this country in order to do such proceedures is also a lot higher - with very severe penalties if you don't comply.

I could possibly fit a fair few implants just from reading a book about it without much going wrong. Sure as eggs is eggs though, one day I'd !!!! up big time! In this country I'd be hung by my dangly bits. In most East European countries though, I'd get away with it - especially if the patients all flew back to other countries afterwards.



The fee you pay though is a reflection of how busy the dentist is likely to be. £130 an hour is actually quite low for all the running costs of a practice. At that sort of level, the dentist would have to still be seeing quite a few patients a day in order to pay the bills. Granted though, the experience should be much better than the NHS still.

As to the bit about hospitals - personally, I would always use my private health insurance at the private wing of my local NHS hospital. Very few private clinics - although they have nice decor and lovely meals - have a doctor on the premesis 24 hours a day, and even fewer have anything like the critical care facilities necessary should something go a bit pear shaped! If anything nasty were to happen in most places - it would be an ambulance ride to the nearest NHS A&E department - which is not what I'd want in that situation!

g_attrill

I bought some of the Premium strips off ebay just to see if they are any good. My teeth aren't visibly horrible but a touch whiter would be nice, although I'm not sure how much is a natural colouring and how much is staining. I am satisfied that something that can be sold in the supermarket in the US is likely to pretty safe, and the strips certainly seem safer to use than a gel based product.

squiggles

hey toothsmith,i got a reply from that petition you posted,i cant remember what it was about but i signed it anyway

martwise

Hi gtrill sitting with my premium plus strips on right now, 3rd day into 10 day session. Gums and tongue can go a bit tingly but teeth are visibly whiter already. The modelling work hasnt happened yet but wont be long now ha ha ha ha ha

penniesforme

martwise wrote: »

Hi gtrill sitting with my premium plus strips on right now, 3rd day into 10 day session. Gums and tongue can go a bit tingly but teeth are visibly whiter already. The modelling work hasnt happened yet but wont be long now ha ha ha ha ha

hahahaha:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

thanks u made my day!

danjaq2004

I would strongly agree with your thoughts. The proper / custom dentists option is the best, the safest. You pay a little more than the other quick-fix for-all solutions and your dentist will know what you're doing to your teeth and gums.

I chose this route, as did a work colleague and her teeth are impressive!

Allie_Bongo wrote: »

I have used VOCO (or voca, cant remember) from my dentist.

Firstly he makes a personalised gum shield for you, then a couple of weeks later your gum shield is ready and you have to put the gel into the shields and leave on for a few hours or overnight (check that out though).

The results were UTTERLY AMAZING, but did cost £280 for 6 applications to do at home. Each application lasted around 4-6 months, (i do now have applications left over because the sell by date ran out, so will have to by new ones).

Everyone commented on how white my teeth were/are, as opposed to the yellow like colour they were before.

This gives BRILLIANT white results, and i highly recomend it.

Kimberley

Did no one watch the news once? These so called tooth whitening stuff are harmful to your teeth, the reason why they whiten your teeth is because the top layers of enamel are stripped off leaving you with weaker teeth :rolleyes: