How do I get white nhs fillings?

butler_helen

My friends are receiving white fillings on the nhs at this practice....

http://www.nhs.uk/Services/dentists/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=27355

Does anyone know how I can get the same treatment from my nhs practice or if I am free to join theirs? (I'm not In their area). I'm a bit peeved that I have spent hundreds on something they are receiving within the nhs bands. If I'm honest I'm a bit bitter as I've not got money to burn and it seems really unfair my dentist has said no to white filling my already white filled but chipped tooth.

They also had the same private root canal treatment and panoramic X rays I had to pay for in their nhs band. I'm really frustrated with the unfairness if this is just "one of those things".

danih

I got a white filling 2 years ago. The filling itself cost me £80. The rest of my treatment that day cost about £15. All NHS prices - I pay as I don't receive benefits. Everything I've needed at the dentist has cost less then £20, except for that white filling.

butler_helen

danih wrote: »

I got a white filling 2 years ago. The filling itself cost me £80. The rest of my treatment that day cost about £15. All NHS prices - I pay as I don't receive benefits. Everything I've needed at the dentist has cost less then £20, except for that white filling.

My friends are paying the Band 2 NHS cost and receiving white fillings. I am paying £75 upwards per white filling (I have had 4 in the past 4 years) and an NHS check up cost. It seems really unfair

danih

To be honest, it doesn't bother me too much - when my old filling fell out I rang every dentist in the town to register. All were private and all cost a fortune! One wanted £150 just to register me - before I even opened my mouth. Every single quote was for more then three figures, and that was before they looked at filling / removing the tooth.

So when I finally found an nhs dentist I was delighted! Has saved me hundreds of pounds so far.

Obviously it would be great if it was even cheaper, but compared to anything else locally prices are great!

nic_santorini

my nhs dentist only offers silver coloured fillings, if I want white ones, I have to pay more, I took the silver ones. That was 49 pounds with a check up and xray.

welshdent

Its not really a fairness issue. Its a clinical need and appropriateness issue. Just because your friend is having white fillings doesnt mean they are the same type of filling that you need. For instance, routinely we would place white fillings on the sides of molar teeth however amalgam has a well established, proven track record of performing extremely well in molar teeth on biting surfaces. For that reason it is more often tnan no the material of choice on the NHS. The dentist foots the bill for the materials used in your treatments. The NHS does not in anyway shape or form stipulate we are obliged to provide white fillings because they look nicer. In fact it says the opposite. We must seek dental health and stability. An amalgam will do this plus it is cheaper. Hence, if you want white fillings on cosmetic grounds then you must pay privately. I frequently do composite in molar teeth if it is in my opinion the better material to use but thats a clinical choice. If it were a patient seeking a cosmetic option then I have little choice but to do it privately. Regards seeing your friends dentist .... it would not come down to area it would come down to them having space but dont expect white just because someone else is having that. As I say, it may be because your friends needs are different to your own.

PasturesNew

Be grateful to have an NHS dentist, I've not had one for nearly 20 years.

InsideInsurance

My NHS dentists, I move a fair amount so have had a few, have all had the same position. If its a front tooth thats visible when you smile etc you get a white filling. If its a moler etc at the back that isnt easily visible you get silver.

I lost a chunk of one of my back molars a while back and the NHS dentist claimed that a white filling would bond better than a silver to whats left of the tooth but their guidelines meant only silver could be done under the NHS. From memory they did the rest of the work with NHS band 2 but the filling itself was done privately at the same time and charged ~£75

A dentist since which said it wasnt true and silver would have been better/ stronger for the issue at hand. Thankfully 5 years on its still ok so who knows.

I do find dentists lie a lot about whats available and what isnt. The Mrs needed a root canal according to her NHS Dentist and her surgery advised that they only do them privately and not on the NHS. A check with the local patient support advised that legally dentists cannot pick and choose what they offer on the NHS and what they do privately and must offer all NHS supported procedures if they offer them to their private clients. They said they do however receive many similar complaints about this and other surgeries.