Tooth extraction subsequent dentures. 2 separate payments

welshjenni

I need to have several teeth removed and the dentist has told me that I could have 'temporary' dentures but that the permanent dentures would be done about 5 months after gum healing has completed.

This is fine, but I am concerned that the permanent dentures cannot be included in the payment band with the extraction due to the time frame. I even suggested foregoing the temporary dentures and just have the permanent ones but that made no difference to the costings.

Surely extraction + dentures= 1 course of treatment.

Just because it needs to be split time wise for healing and to ensure a good fit shouldn't mean that I should pay twice, should it?

I live in Wales so charges are less than in England but still £43 for extraction and £185 (+increase in dental charges after next month) for dentures, whereas I was expecting a total of £185

Is this correct?

welshdent

It is correct. You do not HAVE to have the second set. They may be ok for you after the gum heals or you may be able to have them relined for a band 2 charge to make a bit more snug. However you would be having 2 sets of dentures made for 2 courses of treatment therefore 2 charges.

You could have the extractions and no denture for a band 2 and then the dentures made 6 months later for a band 3 but either way it is still 2 courses of treatment. I dont think any dentist would be making you the second dentures "free" because they are simply too expensive to have made to give away freebies routinely.

xbrenx

I would've thought you'd pay the band relevant for the denture which would include the extraction. £185?

THEN you'd pay for the second (permanent) denture which would be another £185?

So may way you'd end up with a total of £370 - maybe you should keep quiet

When I had my partial denture, it was done straight after the extraction and the dentist said, if it needs adjusting as gums heal then he'd do it but there was never any suggestion of two dentures.

Of course I could be completely wrong.

Hope that helps

mal4mac

Could you live without dentures for five months?

From what you say, the dentist doesn't think the temporary dentures are necessary. If so, a good compromise position might be to have the extraction & one set of dentures under the one fee.

Actually, if the dentist doesn't think you need temporary dentures then do you *need* dentures at all? The NHS is only meant to support clinical need. Should the NHS be paying for your dentures? The WHO suggest having 20 teeth remaining is sufficient to maintain function and, "In the UK population, among people with more than 20 teeth, the use of dentures falls sharply."

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/how-many-teeth-do-we-need-1871933.html

welshjenni

Thank you for your replies.

After the extractions I will have no back teeth so going without dentures at all is not an option. To be honest I am not sure that I could manage without the temporary ones either but was prepared to try in order to save money. I shall certainly need permanent ones.

@welshdent I wasn't looking for a free set of dentures, rather I hoped that the permanent set could have been included in the cost of my initial band 3 treatment/payment IF I were to forgo the temporary ones ie extraction + 1 (permanent ) set of dentures. Presumably the cost of providing temporary dentures is the same as providing permanent ones?

What I was trying to say was that 'teeth out + dentures in' should be one treatment even if - because of healing - there is a time gap in the 2 processes. Otherwise, temporary dentures aside, no-one would ever qualify to have extractions and dentures together under one Band 3 payment.

He didn't say anything about relining the initial set! Can you tell I know nothing about dentures!!

mal4mac

What exactly do you mean by "back teeth"? The shortened dental arch, the minimum to maintain "adequate function" according to WHO may involve extraction of all molars, leaving "only" all incisors, canines, and pre-molars. Nice picture here:

http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v189/n7/fig_tab/4800770a_F8.html

brook2jack

A dentist under the NHS has a contractual obligation to finish courses of treatments and send them off within two months. They cannot keep a course of treatment open for six months or more in between treatments as would be the case if you are waiting for healing after extractions to make dentures.

You will either have to pay two band three charges or a band two and band three charge if you don't want an immediate denture.

Relining a denture is a band two charge and if you have a fair few teeth out can best be described as a medium term fix with a new denture being needed eventually anyway.

mal4mac

"Dentist or dental practice confused about appropriate charging for dental treatment and then missing opportunities to correct mistakes.

Mr A's story

At an appointment with his dental practice, Mr A and his dentist agreed that Mr A should have all his teeth extracted and he should have dentures. He was referred to a local hospital for the extraction. When Mr A went back to the dental practice to be fitted with the dentures, he and dental practice staff disagreed about whether this should be considered as a new course of treatment.

We concluded that, according to the rules, the extraction, the appointment where this was discussed and the fitting of the dentures, should all have been charged as one single course of treatment, regardless of whether Mr A was referred to a different practitioner during the course of treatment. We also concluded that the dental practice missed a chance to correct the mistake when Mr A challenged it. We asked the dental practice to apologise and make a payment to Mr A to recognise its failure to apply the NHS dental charge correctly. We also asked it to review the rules about NHS dental charges.

Patients' confusion

Patients did not understand that they would incur two NHS dental charges for what they considered to be one course of treatment.

Mrs G's story

Mrs G's dentist extracted four teeth from the front of her mouth and fitted an immediate (temporary) denture. Mrs G says that at a later appointment, the dentist told her that her gums would shrink and she would need to pay for a replacement denture once that had happened. She was unhappy about this because she felt that she was being asked to pay twice for a single course of treatment. We concluded that, according to the rules, an extraction and fitting of immediate dentures, and the provision of permanent dentures, count as two, separate courses of treatment."

http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/reports-and-consultations/reports/health/what-does-our-work-say-about-nhs-dental-charging

welshjenni

Again - thanks for the information.... I am resigned to having to pay two bills.

mal4nac (sorry I don't know how to tag) - I will be left with just 6 upper teeth and 7 or 8 in the bottom (all in the front - no gaps) Goodness I will look a right sight lol

mal4mac

My parents had full dentures by their early fifties and looked great! Perfectly aligned teeth, without any fillings...