Dentist Treatment

squirrel_pigeon

moneydesperate_x wrote: »

I am with denplan and have been for about 3 years now.
My teeth are not very good (not through any fault of my own apparently) and I already have 2 crowns at 30!
I have only recently had one of these crowns done and denplan covered the £375 cost of the crown, which being on a strict budget was a life saver for me.
I agree with everyones comments, I think it depends on how good your teeth are.
It works for me as ive had a lot of work done and i just couldnt afford to pay for it out of my own budget pocket, so i pay £20 a month to denplan.
If after a year i dont have as much work needing doing I would consider cancelling it and going it alone!

I looked into Denplan a while ago as my NHS dentist retired but because my doctor as a child misdiagnosed my asthma as bronchitis for 7 years I was constantly on antibiotics and this has really damaged my teeth. They're not Shane McGowan stage or anything and look ok but they're weak and tend to need fillings/molar build ups every couple of years.

I was quoted £600 by a Denplan dentist to get them up to scratch before they would cover me. No way can I afford that!

I love the NHS and I'm really proud of it but the dental treatment in this country is appalling. The fact that we are even having this discussion...

If you decide to go private, not only do you have to consider the monthly payment but the first payment can be too high. My NHS dentist was happy with my teeth so how someone can decide he needs £600 from me I don't know (ooh - apart from the fact that he needs to finance his St. Lucia holiday home...is there a cynical/sarcastic smiley?)

If you do decide to go private, shop around.

debrag

I was wondering about that if I need say 2 fillings or root work (my teeth are that bad by the way) would I need to have that all sorted before I could join Denplan? If so then so=urely theres no point joining if my teeth are fine afterwards.

moneydesperate_x

debrag wrote: »

I was wondering about that if I need say 2 fillings or root work (my teeth are that bad by the way) would I need to have that all sorted before I could join Denplan? If so then so=urely theres no point joining if my teeth are fine afterwards.

I joined Denplan after my NHS dentist went private, but I had to have a checkup with an NHS dentist to ensure my teeth were ok before joining, (or if not they put the monthly price very high) and if anything was flagged up it was done on the NHS before joining Denplan.

I joined about 3 years ago so i dont know if this procedure would have changed as there is such a shortage of NHS dentists now? Maybe they just ask for a report on your teeth now?

debrag

• Decide which plan is best for you. You can read about the plans available in the Products section of this website
• Use our Find a dentist facility to locate the nearest practice to you, offering the plan that you want
• Phone the dental practice you choose to find out if they are accepting new patients. If they are, make an appointment for an initial assessment to join Denplan. You will need to pay for this assessment which is to establish whether you need any treatment before joining the plan and what fee category you should be placed in. Patients are placed in one of five categories A – E, depending on the level of their oral health
• Complete any treatment you need to become ‘orally fit’
  
• Begin your Denplan contract

Does that mean I'd be paying for my treatment then joining or having treatment and paying through the plan?

Toothsmith

debrag wrote: »

I was wondering about that if I need say 2 fillings or root work (my teeth are that bad by the way) would I need to have that all sorted before I could join Denplan? If so then so=urely theres no point joining if my teeth are fine afterwards.

But your teeth won't be 'fine' afterwards.

They'll need regular check-ups, clean and polishes, and all the work that they will need from then on will be covered by the monthly payments.

debrag

True true.

My main reason for the plan I'd have to pay for.

I should just take the plung and see what I need doing

Toothsmith

squirrel_pigeon wrote: »

My NHS dentist was happy with my teeth so how someone can decide he needs £600 from me I don't know (ooh - apart from the fact that he needs to finance his St. Lucia holiday home...is there a cynical/sarcastic smiley?)

The NHS in dentistry is a volume thing. You can just about keep your practice in profit if you keep the people mooving through your chair at pace.

Fillings, thorough clean ups, crowns, root fillings, all slow you down.

I'm afraid it is pretty common these days to get patients from NHS practices who need shedfulls of work doing just because the problems haven't started to hurt yet, so the previous dentist has decided to 'just watch it' and wait for things to develop.

Toothsmith

debrag wrote: »

True true.

My main reason for the plan I'd have to pay for.

I should just take the plung and see what I need doing

No - the main reason for the scheme is to enable you to develop a long-term relationship with a dentist who can then plan for your long-term dental care. Not just a check-up by check-up basis.

Actually put into practice some long term aims, and really get a preventative program going.

Yes - you should take the plunge!

Toothsmith

redrabbit29 wrote: »

What I'm worried about is going to the private dentist and them quoting about £5000 just for some fillings and other work. My teeth aren't bad or anything - never get many tooth aches (or I would have been to the dentist), brush them twice a day, don't eat much sugar, etc... but I am worried about a HUGE amount of work needing doing.

I think this is very unlikely if you think your teeth are fine - and you don't actually want a heap of unnecessary cosmetic work done (Which is as it should be!!)

The best way to find a dentist is to get some recommendations.

When you have 2 or 3 possible practices, DON'T ring up!! GO AND VISIT!

It makes all the difference. Go in and ask for a practice information leaflet, or a fee guide, or both. Ask how long you would have to wait for a check up appointment. Ask how long you would have to wait if you were a regular patient and you had a problem. See how helpful the staff are. See how comfy the waiting room is. See if it's full of people who look fed up as if they've been waiting hours.

Are the magazines new, or from 1962?

All these things could never be picked up just from a phone call.

You will see the fees (Or you should) and you will also see what sort of service you will be getting for the money.

Ask plenty of questions. If the staff are too busy to bother with you - then don't book an appointment. If they seem friendly and helpful, then that's the sort of place you want.

A bit of legwork will really pay dividends.

Good luck.

debrag

One of my local denists is open 11-15:00 :eek: and no Sats, another is 9-15:00 and half day Sat. I shall be checking up on all this week.