Gum disease - How do the dentists charge?

alison999

pennymakespounds wrote: »

Toothsmith .. thanks for the excellent reply .. i really do appreciate .

My dentist had been saying for up to a year that he would give me longer hygenist appointments in order to get them the best possible before referring me to gum specialist . ..

I have continually been saying .. "as i do have fairly sensitive gums / teeth .. what more can i do" ..

I was somewhat shocked at the initial assessment from the specialist who said he thought they were very bad .. my brushing was useless etc ... I keep thinking my dentist/hygenist should have been tougher on me if that was the case.??



Each visit he checks/scores a handful of teeth ... for plaque and bleeding .. do seem to be getting from "two point something " down to "zero point something".
,

the score thing may be him checking the pockets in your gums or it might be your denplan health score thing. for some reason i could never get my head round those (maths, lol) but i think the lower the score the worse it is? toothsmith will know... as for your hygienist being tougher on you i know a few that wouldnt dream of saying to a patient "your brushing was useless", they'd probably just say you should try harder or something.

pennymakespounds

alison 999
the score is to do with the amoubnt of plaque he finds .. and the amount of bleeding when he scrapes it off ... apparantely 3 is worst and 0 is best .

my standard hygenist ... i'm not worried what words she uses .. i just need to know the truth !!... on the one hand i've not been told by her..or the dentist .. that my gums were anything like as bad as the specialist says . .. i was very taken aback by the specialist .. and i don't think i should have been .

msmicawber

Got to say, pennymakespounds, I had an excellent hygienist a few years ago who showed me in a mirror how to floss and brush and it's been very useful. I smoked in those days (stop hyperventilatng, Toothsmith!). But I used the same technique to teach my children as well as to care for my own gob ever since.

I felt ashamed and irritated as I was in my late 30s (now late 40s) and was grumbling that fashions in brushing etc. change every few years and you do your best only to get told years later that you've trashed your gums by your rubbish technique ... and he agreed, but assured me that I'd keep gum disease at bay with his advice. Well, I carried on smoking until recently, but kept up the regime and both my dentist and hygienist have told me that I'm lucky to have survived with so little damage considering my 40 a day habit for 25+ years. I did indeed get gum disease and have reduced bone density in my jaw, but not as bad as it could have been.

afm_2

alison999 wrote: »

i think i'll leave this one to toothsmith or anyone else that might want to help you. i put up with that kind of talk enough at work, i dont need it here too. i was asking you those questions because i was trying to help you but nevermind

I've replied to them. I just don't see your point in asking "why" and saying that I don't have to do what the dentist says. It looks like your making it my fault. I'm sorry if that's wrong but that's what it looked like to me.

Anyway, I've contacted NHS, my local PCT and someone that gives free advice on what to do when we are not happy with the service that was provided by the dentist. So far, NHS has replied saying that : "Any dental treatment is available on the NHS provided it is required to maintain your oral health.". Also, they say that the £25 was a private charge and that must have been because the dentist thinks that the scale and polish was a cosmetic need and not clinically necessary. As the dentist told me clearly that I have gum disease and that I have to see the hygienist to treat it, then I think it must be considered a clinical need.

Let's see what the others say. I'll write another post when I get their replies. It might be useful for other people with the same questions as it looks like many people are being sent to private when probably they shouldn't.

Many thanks for your replies!

red_bertie

My OH and I have read up on NHS bands and yet we both come out of our respective dentists completely confused -

red_bertie

.. to continue [:mad: cat knocked keyboard!] £85 for a remove/replace rootfill, £45 for an extraction, £160 for a crown .... there seems to be no correlation.
I understand that I have to pay some of and certain treatment is [paid] private [I know Toothsmith doesn't like using this word], but bl**dy hell does it have to be so confusing.

RB

Toothsmith

afm wrote: »

As the dentist told me clearly that I have gum disease and that I have to see the hygienist to treat it, then I think it must be considered a clinical need.

I agree 100%

Toothsmith

red_bertie wrote: »

.. to continue [:mad: cat knocked keyboard!] £85 for a remove/replace rootfill, £45 for an extraction, £160 for a crown .... there seems to be no correlation.
I understand that I have to pay some of and certain treatment is [paid] private [I know Toothsmith doesn't like using this word], but bl**dy hell does it have to be so confusing.

RB

I don't really understand what you're saying.

Are you in England or Wales, where the new treatment bands apply,or in NI or Scotland, where it's still the old system with different charges for different treatments?

The figures you quote above are not English or Welsh NHS treatment costs.

If you are an NHS patient then all necessary treatment should be provided within on of the 3 treatment bands.

Cosmetic stuff can be provided privately at extra charges.

If you're private, then different things attract different charges - can't see why that's confusing, it's just like every other service you buy, or bit of shopping you do.

Peas cost £x Breakfast cereal costs £y servicing your car costs £z People manage with that confusion OK!

red_bertie

Well Toothsmith I must be dummy from NI :rolleyes: yes I understand I have to pay for cosmetic dentistry. I and OH are registered with NHS dentists, but I think [and I can understand the time vs cost ratio] that we are referred for treatments that are categorised as specialist [i.e. take own dentist too long to do, or he doesn't have equipment etc.].

RB

MrsJ2008

Oh this is really appropriate for me. I am to dentistry what the elephant man was to medicine! I have extra long roots on my teeth, had 3 root canal work, braces, 50 million filings (I used to live on Ribena), wisdom teeth removed, etc, etc, and i'm still only 32. I gave up smoking 3 years ago as it was causing my abscess. I miss it like hell but it was either give up the evil weed or end up with dentures!!!

I have last week found out that I have the beginnings of pockets forming in my gums. I have a deep clean scheduled in a couple of weeks when my dentist told me that we can go through my options in more detail but until then he has left me with the knowledge it is likely i'll need a deep clean every 3 months to keep everything under control.

My dentist is worth every penny and i'd paid more for the fabulous service he gives me, you dentists are fab x