My dentist would like £150 for a white filling for DS - id this the standard rate?

[Kerfluffle]

Apparently, they are able to fit a silver filling on the NHS but not a white one for the area of the mouth in which he needs it. The surgery is really grubby and the dentist is extremely heavy handed.

Could anyone recommend a private practice in London with more reasonable rates and cleaner conditions who offer both NHS and private? Thanks

I thought whether you pay or not depends on the placement of the tooth? If it's a lower tooth (i.e. visible when you open your mouth) then they would have to use a white filling under the standard NHS treatment charge.

£110 4 years ago up north so this seems fine to me price wise. Not bring heavy handed or dirty though - that’s clearly a different matter!

My 17r old had a white filling in a back tooth for free! Nhs dentist.

I thought all under 18s had free dental treatment? I know mine do

Where in London are you now?

Whether the NHS does a white or amalgam filling depends on where the filling is.

That is a really good price though OP. I paid £295 for a white filling in London last month.

All of my children have had white fillings on a variety of teeth top and bottom molars with no charge.

I have now managed to find another dentist taking NHS patients! Perhaps I wasn't casting my net wide enough before.

I called a private clinic this morning who told me that the charge could go up to £800 for just the one filling 😂

The difference between pricing is because you’re not comparing like with like

Ex Dental Nurse here.

You're not just paying for the materialswhich are night and day in terms of NHS Vs Private btwyou're paying for the 5 years of medical training, experience and further training it took for the Dentist to be able to carry out the procedure.

Always baffled at patients who think they can get top quality treatment for peanuts.

I understand your point but this is kids dentistry. Some of the posters said that they have received the white fillings for free for all of their kids. It would be fairer if we were only charged the difference in the actual price of the silver product compared to the composite product. The rest is covered by the NHS anyway.

I'd be very concerned about 'equipment caked in dirt and grime' Why are you going there? Find a different dentist.

Currently going through a lot of dental work privately and my dentist charges between £79-119 depending on complex/simple and i think area of the mouth. South wales.

Do not let anyone near your son who doesn't have a spotless surgery. Seriously.

I was £160 recently for a white filling, 3 xrays and £10 toothpaste but live in a cheap cost of living area compared to London.

It's £100 in my practice in north of England

I got my white filling free too as a teenager. It was a front tooth though, and the damage was due to a physical accident rather than lack of care (not suggesting your sons is!!) - maybe they just did it for free because of that?

That is a good deal

I had a white filling on bottom back tooth for £80 and silver NHS on top back tooth. The white filling is more cosmetic than NHS one. My thinking was you can't see fillings in top teeth but in bottom lol hope that makes sense.

You can’t top up the NHS fee. It’s either an NHS or a private filling. Composite fillings take more skill as well and are much techniques sensitive.

You say young teenager… what is the exact age? If he is 14 or under then the use of amalgam is prohibited unless it is clinically necessary which is obviously isn’t if they can offer a private composite filling. If he is 15 or older and it’s not in a front tooth (canine or incisor) they are able to place an amalgam or offer the option of a white filling that you pay for. Sometimes a composite filling is the only appropriate option and some dentists prefer not to use any amalgam but guidelines are that they can use it.

The price itself isn’t bad for private filling. The link below explain the guidance for amalgam.

www.sdcep.org.uk/media/j1xb3si5/sdcep-dental-amalgam-discussion-points.pdf

DS as a teenager was charged £80 for a white filling or free for silver filling. This was a few years ago though (just before covid).

Lots of misinformation here.

No dental surgery should be grubby. The waiting room might be in need of re decoration but the surgery itself must be clean. Change practice if you don’t think this.

If a procedure is being done privately then the dentist cannot claim anything from the NHS. You are paying for a professional’s time and expertise. £300 per hour so £150 for 30 minute filling doesn’t sound unreasonable for London. I would charge around £100 and am in the North.

However how old is your child? Amalgam is no longer used on under 15s or pregnant women unless there is a clinical reason. A clinical reason would be a filling below the gum or inability to keep it dry (usually this is due to patient coperation being lacking).
A composite wouldn’t stick in those situations regardless. A private one wouldn’t magically work better than an NHS one,

Over 15, then amalgam would be used on molars and premolars on the NHS. You can opt for a private composite at a cost of however much your dentist wants to charge. I never seem to see posts like this comparing the price of plumbers but it’s the same- independent self employed contractor!

Your dentist cannot charge the nhs for your filling and charge you £5 for a compule of private composite! That’s gaming, it’s against the rules and will get you struck off.

My private dentist charges between £100 and £250 for a white filling depending on the location and size of filling. This is in the South East. They see DS as an NHS patient, but I don't know what they would charge for nhs treatment that goes beyond an inspection.

I gave up on NHS dentistry for me a long time ago. NHS dentistry isn't free, and the private dentists seem to give you more for your money.

I find it frustrating how expensive basic self care is though. Too many people are being priced out of basic dental care as well as optician and audiology services.

We paid £175.00 for a normal metal one for my daughter, and we are on South Coast! (private dentist)This seems fairly standard to me Im afraid!

£120 is incredibly cheap for a white filling in London, assuming it's a posterior toorh A filling on a teen is the same as an adult, it's not kids dentistry. It does take longer to place a white filling than an amalgam, as the technique is different and material costs are more expensive, so it's not the same procedure. Bear in mind your fee has to include surgery maintenance and upkeep, staff costs, material costs, gas/electric. It's not just paying the dentist

However if hes under 15 amalgam is prohibited as being phased out, so he should be offered a white filling.

I was not tiring to spread disinformation 😮 but the actual sinks/protective glasses, lamp lens and seat were covered in sticky stuff accumulated over many years. The glasses had little jumper fibres stuck all over them. I would describe it as a bit like the stuff buried at the very bottom of my DS' rucksack when it is due a wash. The dentist herself was in full PPE and keen to be seen spraying everything and quickly wiping over in seconds. Unfortunately, it doesn't shift the stuck on grime at all.

Anyway, I am hoping never to return there!