Denplan

hells_2

It sounds an idea but in practise, it wouldn't work. We submit our claims direct to NDP and so whilst my employer is paying the subs for me to them, they wouldn't pay out on another scheme, e.g. Denplan. Tis rubbish I know! We have to get a form stamped at the surgery with a list of exactly what treatment you've had, e.g. x-ray/filling...and the cost next to it (for which we have an annual limit on claims, i.e. 2 examinations/2 scale and polish per year) so i would be paying a) the admin fee, b) the monthly fee and c) whatever else on top, and so I'd be pretty much out of pocket IMO!

Toothsmith

Can't you 'opt out' of this benefit, and have the money yourself to pay your own Denplan?

clairehi

We have recently moved and I have had one checkup about 6 months ago with a local NHS dentist which did not raise any issues. I do have quite a few fillings already and a couple of back molars which stick out but are not causing any trouble.

However I am thinking about going private probably via Denplan as I was not that impressed with the NHS dentist. However the nearest dentist offering Denplan wants £82 for an initial assessment of my teeth on a private basis. It wil cost between £13-36 pcm for Denplan depending on the state of my teeth. I dont think I can afford £36 a month just for myself let alone DH and the kids so I could end up wasting £82.

Maybe I should just try another NHS dentist but I am a bit worried about the level of service given the general view on this forum!

Toothsmith

Very few people are in the 'E' category which is the dearest.

I have over 850 adult Denplan patients, and I have 1 'E' category!

To get into the 'E' category, you will need to have several root fillings, a few crowns and probably gum problems as well.

Most people are 'B' or 'C' categories, which judging by the extremes you give above would be £15-22 per month.

My advice is ALWAYS to pick the dentist rather than the payment method.

Find a practice you like, with charges that are in your affordability, and even if they don't operate Denplan, they are likely to operate some sort of monthly payment scheme.

It IS possible to find a good NHS place. They do exist, it is just with the pig of a new contract they now have, it is heavily skewed towards short simple treatments, and VERY target orientated. A dentist can still practice according to haw he was taught to practice, it is just highly likely he will not achieve funding targets if he does.

Get recommendations from your new neighbours - that is always the best way to find a dentist. Especially from the neighbours with the nicest teeth!

Denplan is the largest of the monthly scheme providers though, and they do TRY to keep an eye on their dentists, so it may well be a good practice.

clairehi

thanks. I will have a good look at the teeth of the other parents in the playground tomorrow morning then! or perhaps not, but I will ask around.

scootw1

I'm going to be going back to my dentist for some treatment before long as I haven't been for a while and think i may need a couple of fillings (one of my old ones is a little bit sharp).

When I phoned they said I need to come in and probably have a scale and polish as I hadn't been for a while. Firstly, what is this? Secondly, I don't have to accept what treatment they recommend do I? I say that as i can't afford £67 for the lot but can afford the check up.

Second point is Denplan. I asked if I could join that to spread the costs and they said I had to be dentally fit, in other words have the treatment first, pay for it and then join. I don't see the point of this. If I am dentally fit then won't I be paying Denplan for nothing then as my teeth would be fine? Can't I join Denplan and spread the costs from now?

i'm going bankrupt next week so can't afford big bills in one go

belfastgirl23

First things first, go for the checkup if you can afford it. If your dentist is anyway sympathetic and you only need minor work then they might be prepared to declare you dentally fit - your fillings might need replaced but not immediately. But they do need to look to see what 'band' you fall into - this affects how much you are charged. We were somewhere in the middle and pay around £35 a month between two of us (this is denplan by the way). No matter what though, it's worth going. As someone else on here said, you will be able to repay bills but you won't be able to grow your teeth back

Also if you can bear to, it's worth telling your dentist your situation and asking for advice. If they are any good they will try to work with you - dentists hate seeing good teeth going bad

scootw1

just spoken to a colleague who is on denplan. he says he pays £17 a month and for that gets all treatment and four hygieneist sessions and two checkups a year. Thing is, I would not normally go to a hygienist so don't see why i should have to pay for them so that leaves me with the treatment. Unless I had a lot done I could not justify over £200 for the treatment ( I know if I needed a lot it would cover it ) as i don't think I need that much treatment. Think I may resort to private healthcare instead, it's cheaper.

Toothsmith

No - you don't have to accept the treatment they recommend, but if you don't, they don't have any obligation to accept you as a patient.

Most people need a clean up (The scale & polish) every six months, so if it's been a while longer since you've been, then I would say you are likely to need one - particularly if you generally needed one each visit anyway when you used to go.

The best way to think about Denplan is that it's like the British Gas service agreement. It's there to maintain things in their present healthy state, not to put them right in the first place.

It's not a savings plan towards your dental costs, but an agreement between you and the dentist whereby if you pay so much per month, he will do all that is necessary to keep your teeth healthy. (So long as you play your part as well and go regularly and listen to his advice, and have the treatment he recommends).

There are sometimes 'extras' to pay for, but basically these will only ever be things that technicians have to make for the dentist, such as crowns and dentures. But in those cases you will only ever pay the technicians bill, not the full private price for the crown or the denture.

So - in the same way you can't sign onto a British Gas service agreement with a knackered boiler, you can't sign onto Denplan with outstanding treatment.

Once you are dentally fit, you will be paying the monthly fee, and the dentist will be providing all the examinations, clean ups, X-rays, future fillings and generally everything that is necessary to keep you dentally fit.

If you are someone who hasn't had a lot of dental work, then you will be in one of the cheaper Denplan categories, as you won't be using much of the dentist's time. If you have a mouthful of fillings, root fillings and crowns, you will be in one of the higher categories, as although you may not always need a lot of the dentist's time, when something does go wrong, it's likely to need a lot of time and expense to put it right again.

I think you need to get into the mindset that you must go regularly to the dentist, even if things don't seem to be wrong to you. Things caught early are a lot easier to fix, and if you only ever turn up when you have a problem, I would suggest that the dentist may be reluctant to sign you onto Denplan anyway.

How does going Bankrupt affect your bank accounts anyway? Can you take out new Direct Debits if you're bankrupt?

Toothsmith

belfastgirl23 wrote:

First things first, go for the checkup if you can afford it. If your dentist is anyway sympathetic and you only need minor work then they might be prepared to declare you dentally fit - your fillings might need replaced but not immediately. But they do need to look to see what 'band' you fall into - this affects how much you are charged. We were somewhere in the middle and pay around £35 a month between two of us (this is denplan by the way). No matter what though, it's worth going. As someone else on here said, you will be able to repay bills but you won't be able to grow your teeth back

Also if you can bear to, it's worth telling your dentist your situation and asking for advice. If they are any good they will try to work with you - dentists hate seeing good teeth going bad

This is all V. Good advice as well!