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General health

private vs nhs dentist

6 replies

vanfurgston · 25/07/2011 13:17

i m confused about which to opt for is there a difference between the quality of care?

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catsareevil · 25/07/2011 13:18

A private dentist will be able to offer a greater range of products and services. They will have longer to spend on procedures (because it is being paid for at a higher rate).

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LIZS · 25/07/2011 13:20

You are more likely to get a quick appointment or on Saturdays with private than NHS and practices with NHS spaces can be harder to find. Also you'd have to pay additionally for NHS treatment such as white fillings, hygienist etc which may be included on a private plan.

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supadupapupascupa · 25/07/2011 13:26

NHS you pay to a maximum of £40 odd quid per treatment, so if you have a problem which requires antibiotics, 3 or 4 visits, filling, extraction etc, you only pay once. MUCH cheaper. Not had a problem with appointments either, you might have to wait until the end of the day but if it is an emergency you should still be seen.

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vanfurgston · 25/07/2011 13:45

thanks for the info. is it possible to do the initial consultation private and then wait for the treatment on the nhs?
i called the practice up and the nhs appointment will b somewhere in the end of oct whereas the private i can get tmrw. i m worried my tooth will b irrestorable by oct

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catsareevil · 25/07/2011 14:39

You should be able to do that, but you might find that you have more options with private treatment, especially if a tooth is at the limit of being saved.

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sprinkles77 · 25/07/2011 15:07

The main difference between the two is the options available to you. The quality of the work should really be the same, a check up is a check up and just because you have it NHS is no excuse for pathology to go unnoticed. However, your options will be much more basic if you go NHS, lets say you have a broken molar tooth, on the NHS you would probably be offered a patch up, a new amalgam filling or possibly a metal crown or extraction. Privately you could have all of these, or a tooth coloured filling, tooth coloured crown, gold crown. Privately you will probably have better quality / more aesthetic materials and more time spent so possible better longevity and more time for anaesthetics to work well and to feel less stressed. NHS treatment should still be basically satisfactory, i.e. usually pain free (not always possible even privately) and stable.
Really, if you are worried that the tooth will be unrestorable come october, and the dentist cannot see you NHS for a check up before then, it is also unlikely she will see you for NHS treatment before then either. It might be possible for her to do something temporary to tide you over till you have NHS treatment in october, but this might be a false economy.

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