Denplan

Tomthumb

I used to go to the hucclecote road dentist - they were lovely! St James's behind Tesco Quedgeley were nice too, I haven't been since moving up here though

Toothsmith

tomstickland wrote:

I phoned them today for clarification and finally got to speak to the dentist who told me that the receptionists were wrong and I couldn't expect Denplan to pay for anything. I can understand this - it's an insurance plan and I've fallen out of its rules by non attendance etc. I'm not bitter about it. Just wanted to confirm that this is indeed the case.

That is the case Tom.

Denplan is an agreement between you and the dentist by which you pay so much money a month, and he looks after your teeth.

You must let him look after your teeth though!!!

If you don't go, and it goes a bit pear shaped, he is perfectly entitled to ask you to pay to get 'dentally fit' again before the agreement can resume again. It is written in the contract and Denplan do a very good, clear, plain english contract.

(I'm not emphasising this for your benefit Tom, you seem to realise all this. I'm just making it clear to any other readers that are also on Denplan, or any other scheme, that it is still important to keep visits regular)

tomstickland

Thanks for the confirmation on that.

they were lovely! St James's behind Tesco Quedgeley were nice too,

This is the St James practice.

TBH I'm so grateful that the pain is being sorted, combined with a realistic view on the last five year, plus the Denplan rules being clear that I don't feel bad at all. I'm committed to getting a grip on the dental situaion and I see being realistic about the cost as being part of the committment. I suppose I've turned a personal corner in my life in the last year or two and this is part of it. I want to prepared myself for the future - before I used to drift along aimlessly.

Sadly no beer at the moment because of the antibiotics. LOL.

Tomthumb

Small world I was really impressed with st James - it's very posh when you walk in! Glad the pain's sorted toothache is grim! I'll be watching Cheltenham this afternoon - Newcastle Utd at Whaddon Rd, they won't know what's hit them!!

Jen

tomstickland

The St James surgery was noticeable more plush than my last visit (5 years ago LOL), and even then it was more plush than before. I remember when it wasn't even there - they were in a converted bungalow in the Hollygrove estate.

Aark

I went to the dentist today for a check-up and I have an appointment in June for some work that needs doing. My dentist says that I should have a check-up once a year.

In order to guarantee that I will be able to see my dentist in future, he says that I would need to join his Denplan Essentials scheme. Otherwise, he may or may not have time to see non-plan patients in the future as he tries to reduce his work load.

I am basically happy to join the Denplan scheme, which costs £7 per month for one dental examination, scale and polish each year and also covers any necessary X-rays. The leaflets I have been given also suggest that there is an element of supplementary insurance cover and that there may be discounts on any dental treatments required in future.

The receptionist at the dental practice told me that there was no point in signing up to Denplan now as it would not cover any of my current treatment and I would be paying out over the next year for no reason. I thought that I would be able to confirm this either from some of the leaflets or from the Denplan website but I haven't found anything.

Can anyone confirm if Denplan Essentials is paid in arrears of treatment, as I have been advised, or if it is paid in advance of treatment. In a nutshell, when do I need to start paying for a June 2007 check-up?

If Denplan is paid in arrears, aren't the dentists running the risk of not getting their money if people cancel the direct debits? Presumably you have to sign some sort of contract for the year.

sinizterguy

IMO once you have got your dental condition stable - i.e. once you have had your major work done, its worth it to sign up to denplan - it covers the basic checkup etc and keeps you out of the NHS system which say that some patients can be seen as little as once in year-and-a-half or two years.

Toothsmith will probably make a visit here to make a more detailed post.

Toothsmith

I would ring your practice and check on this. I think the receptionist is wrong.

Denplan are normally pretty good with staff training and support for the dentist's team, but this lady sounds like she has got hold of the wrong end of the stick.

To be covered, you should have signed up after your check up, otherwise you will be charged privately next time, and non of the insurances & discounts will be valid until you are signed up.

dora37

Hi,

I took my 2 older children (I've got 3 - 15,12 and the youngest is 4) for their check up. This was after me having to chase an appointment - 3 months overdue! And then them ringing up and putting it back by a month.

Oldest teeth are fine (never had a filling!) and younger one needs a small filling (1st one)on a milk tooth, which he has to return for in a couple of weeks.

The atmosphere in the dentist was very icy - the receptionists sounded like they were treading on eggshells, I suspect with the dentist. As we were waiting for a follow on appointment the dentist came downstairs at 4.30 with his bag and jacket, said a sullen 'bye' and left!

My younger son is medically approx 18mths behind on his physical growth which is also reflected in his teeth (still lots of milk teeth remaining) and has been told that once they mature will need quite a bit of orthodontic work. He is very nervous about it and frankly I don't think the atmosphere at this dentist is going to help either.

Right now for my question!! Due to having to have major remedial work on my teeth (bad experiences in the past), I sought out a private practice and I have had root treatment, extractions and will eventually progress to implants. The atmosphere at the private practice is at the other end of the scale, however that is obviously at a price!

To register my children there I would have to pay £45 each for an initial appointment, £10 thereafter for check ups and 50% of any further treatment, bearing in mind the orthodontic work on DS2.

How does Denplan work? Is it any good? Would it cover my children for any future work?

Any advice would be welcome!:)

Toothsmith

There is a Denplan Kids scheme, but not all dentists offer it.

The kids product is also very flexible, and can be set up to work more or less how the dentist wants it to.

For example, I have a kids product which is quite a bit less expensive than the Adult one, but it doesn't include ALL treatment, as I find kids don't need much treatment these days especially if you spend a bit of time educating them - and their parents - and their grandparents! About what they should and shouldn't be eating and drinking an at what times of day.

So my Denplan for kids is age related and goes from about £4 per month for 2-5 yr olds up to about £10 per month for 15-18yr olds.

I have a friend who has her Denplan kids scheme set up so that the categories offer different levels of cover and the parent can choose which one they want.

What you will have to do is to ask this dentist how the scheme at their practice works - if indeed they offer it at all. Some places just put the kids in the lowest adult category.

Then, work out what your yearly expenses are likely to be with children on it and see how that compares to what your guess of their likely needs is.

It is highly unlikely that any policy will cover orthodontic work anyway, but most orthodontic work can still be done on the NHS, and it is most likely that you will be refered to an NHS orthodontist to have this done.

One thing to consider about having your kids on Denplan though (Or the majority of other similar schemes) is that there is a seperate insurance cover that will pay up if your kids have any accident which damages their teeth, or if they have an emergency whilst away from home.

This cover can be very useful if needed, and I think the statistic is that one in 6 kids will do some sort of damage to their teeth during childhood. It may just be a slight chip off the enamel, it could be a full blown skateboard smash that damages all the front teeth!

Get the figures from your dentist, and compare the costs.