NHS Dental charges

Legacy_user

So been having some problems with an abscess and contacted my dentist to see if they had any appointments, which they did a few days later. They took and X-Ray, determined it was an abscess and then give me my options, starting at the band 2 charge for an extraction, or root canal work (~£600) or specialist work, (about a grand).

I went for the extraction, as it's at the back of my mouth, and not really worth paying that money for. Anyway, had the extraction today, expecting the initial appointment costs come off the cost, but I was told it was the full price for band 2 treatment, as the original examination/diagnosis was an emergency appointment and not covered.

Is this allowed within the NHS ruies? I never asked for an emergency appointment, just an appointment, as my regular checkup was several months away, and leaving an abscess didn't seem like a wise move.

Is this dentist pulling as fast one? If so, who do I complain to?

Toothsmith

It is defined as an emergency appointment.

The dentist is correct.

welshdent

yep thats correct. Band 1 urgent is for emergency treatment when you call to say you are having pain/ problems.

Undervalued

Yes, that aspect is no doubt correct.

However what may not be is the "£600" root canal quote! As I understand it, a root canal should have been offered as a Band 2 NHS treatment unless it was so complex as to be beyond the skill and equipment available to a "normal" dentist.

As has been frequently explained on here by the regular dental posters, NHS dentists make a substantial financial loss out of doing an NHS root canal treatment. Obviously this leads to the temptation not to offer the treatment, or only offer to do it privately, both of which are clear breaches of the rules if it was within their capability.

However the contractual arrangements are not the patient's problem!

Obviously I have no idea if this was the case here or what "advice" the dentist offered?

welshdent

We were commenting on the emergency charge aspect. But yes. IF a dentist were to say they cant do a root filling on the NHS but magically can do it privately themselves then they are on shakey ground contractually and ethically. A different dentist within the practice or an external practice is legitimate though if they have enhanced skills or qualifications.

Toothsmith

welshdent wrote: »

We were commenting on the emergency charge aspect. But yes. IF a dentist were to say they cant do a root filling on the NHS but magically can do it privately themselves then they are on shaky ground contractually and ethically. A different dentist within the practice or an external practice is legitimate though if they have enhanced skills or qualifications.

Been ages since I've done any NHS stuff - so I'd be guided by your knowledge Welsh, but would it not also be the case that if a particular tooth was not that important (a further back molar) or had other issues making it borderline whether or not it should be saved - then offering an NHS extraction, or saving it privately if the patient was really keen to keep it would be in order?

But as you said - the thrust of the original question was whether the 'emergency' claim was in order - and that certainly is.

Undervalued

Toothsmith wrote: »

Been ages since I've done any NHS stuff - so I'd be guided by your knowledge Welsh, but would it not also be the case that if a particular tooth was not that important (a further back molar) or had other issues making it borderline whether or not it should be saved - then offering an NHS extraction, or saving it privately if the patient was really keen to keep it would be in order?

But as you said - the thrust of the original question was whether the 'emergency' claim was in order - and that certainly is.

It seems OP is just fishing for a reason to complain now.

Really?

IF the situation was along the lines Welshdent mentioned as a possibility.....

IF a dentist were to say they cant do a root filling on the NHS but magically can do it privately themselves then they are on shakey ground contractually and ethically.

Then I would have thought the OP had very justifiable grounds to complain as he may have lost a tooth that could have been saved due to a dentist's dishonesty?

Toothsmith

Sorry Overcharged - I've misread this thread and thought your reply was a reply from the original poster! So I thought he was looking for another reason to complain! I've edited my reply above to knock off the 'fishing' bit!

So yes - that is right that if the dentist said it needed root filling but would only offer to do it privately, that would not be right, and legitimate to complain about.

From what I am led to believe though, there can also be issues with which molars should or shouldn't be saved, and teeth 'right at the back' (Like the OP described) are not always deemed necessary to be saved.

This would mean that the OP, as far as the NHS was concerned did not need a root filling on that tooth, and extraction was the appropriate NHS treatment, but if the OP really wanted it saved, the dentist could offer to do that privately.

As I said, though, I have never worked with the current silly NHS system, so am not an expert on the full range of possibilities. But part of the problem is that they can be very ambiguous sometimes!

Undervalued

Toothsmith wrote: »

Sorry Overcharged - I've misread this thread and thought your reply was a reply from the original poster!

I think you mean "Undervalued" - although I am sure I often get Overcharged too!

Toothsmith

I really do need to learn to read

welshdent

Regards a non strategic tooth. The sensible line would be yes, private. But I tend to err on the side of caution because you know the world we operate in now! common sense went a long time ago. Our indemnifiers would throw us under a bus. Personally I also do little NHS now too for these reasons!! Only the last couple of years but it is better for me personally