If you have no access to NHS dentistry, what do you do?

[applegatebanana]

I live in a region with no NHS dentistry. There's no waiting lists to sit on etc. no dental hospitals. No NHS input for children etc. there just isn't any NHS dentists any more - you can get emergency input if you fit the criteria but it's just a patch up job until you see a proper dentist. We were kicked off the books around a year ago as they went totally private and thats the general theme for all here.

I need some dental work doing. I'm just trying to figure out what non NHS folk do?

Prices are around:
Appointment - £100
Hygienist - £85
X-rays - £75
Extraction - £325
Crown - £850
Filling £150-250

How do you pay for it? Is there something I'm missing? Dental insurance doesn't seem to be much of a thing and paying in instalments relies on good credit as it's a finance agreement which isn't something to take on easily.

They have a monthly cost you can pay but that just covers the check up / hygienist and for the 4 of us is over £100 per month and we'd still have to pay for all treatments as needed.

What do you do for private dental input?

DH and I pay a monthly fee each, which includes the children free. His is for check up every 6 months and one hygienist visit a year, I think he pays about £16 a month (which is actually similar to what we pay monthly for the dog to have 2 check ups a year, plus vax, plus parasite treatment).

I pay for 6 monthly for both check up and hygienist, so mine is a bit more expensive.

Neither of us have ever needed any actual treatment so far, but we would get a percentage discount (I think 10 or 15) because we are on a monthly plan.

I went private a few years ago. Best decision I ever made. The standard of care is much better, and they’re a lot more patient with nervous patients, like myself.

My initial first couple of appointments cost a fair bit, as I needed a few x rays, and treatments. However, I now have a dental plan with the practice, and have two free check ups a year, two free cleans, and haven’t needed any work doing, since my first few appointments. Every time I went to the NHS dentist, there was always another filling to be had. Funny that!

Have been Denplan for about 20 years

Yes, everyone I know locally to me who has accessed an emergency dentist via 111 either had their teeth pulled, or went on antibiotics and told to find a dentist.
It sounds like a bit of a postcode lottery as to what you can get.

I’ve been with my dentist practice for 30 years and its been private for 27 years. I have no issues with paying. Im happy to. Im now on a plan for £30 pm and it covers everything. I recently had a root canal on it.

its across the road from my work so ideally located.

i dont understand why people go without a dentist purposely. Its rank. Just go private, its all going that way

Just go private? I am on benefits (it is my only income) and should be entitled to free NHS dentistry. No NHS dentists taking new patients where I live though, and this an issue up and down the country. I can not afford to go private.
I was removed from my NHS dentist during Covid for non-attendance, when they were not even seeing anyone. They are now fully private.

Even people on benefits should have £30 wiggle room a month, if they budget correctly.

If that is a dental plan type thing then your teeth need to be sound to start with.
I need a lot of stuff doing (looking at several thousands £ worth). That would need to be dealt with first.

Thats very true. Not sure what could be done about the fire fighting immediate problem but you could certainly future proof and start thinking about how you'll keep up the good work going forward. Something to aspire to and work towards.

I pay £19.50 a month which covers two checkups and two hygienist appointments per year, then pay for any treatment on top. It was an NHS practice that went private post covid. The care is good so I'm happy to pay for it.

Private dentists are not that expensive in the Midlands. Just go less often and prioritise the costs. You can get payment plans.

I had a run of needing treatment every visit. I gave up refined sugar completely and my gums have been much happier since. Wish I did it years ago.

That is ok if you don't actually need treatment.

Well it seems you don’t have a choice.

we should all be entitled to NHS dental care but it aint happening.

My choice is no dental care, because I can not afford private. I am not "purposely not going and being rank". I can not afford it.

You seem very privileged to think anyone can "just go private".

You absolutely, utterly, genuinely, don't have wiggle room for £30 a month in your budget? You really don't?

I need a lot of work doing. You are suggesting a dental plan, which you need good teeth for.

So whats your plan? Long term?

How have you been managing since 18?

The problem thats happening now is that the longer you leave it the worse it will get and the more expensive it will be to fix it.

How much to fix it all?

I had an NHS dentist, and when life was better I had the most amazing private one. Then I had an NHS one who let me go during Covid for not going when I was not allowed to go.
I had one private appointment as I had an infection but did not meet the threshold to get an emergency appointment on the NHS (was not in pain, or swollen). That was where I was told what I needed doing, and it was going to cost about half of my yearly income. They were also very rude, especially when I had a panic attack in the chair.
I have mental health issue and am autistic, so I tend to struggle with basic self care anyway. I have a root canal that has failed, and was told was not to do with me. I try my best now, but things are falling apart.

You are pretty removed from reality. People do not get it all fixed. They just have their teeth pulled. This is what I had to pay for.

Thanks, that is all I could afford when I did go private. And they charged me double what it said on their website. They said the site was out of date. This was 2 years ago and they still have the old prices on

Giving a misleading price indication contravenes fair trading law.
Esp as it has been brought to their notice so not an unnoticed mistake.
You could report that to trading standards in the local authority where the dentist is located.
Sorry I know it doesn't help with your dental issues.
Some people on here seem to have no idea how difficult life can be on benefits. How the other half lives.

This is intresting, I have been told 250 for a filling yet website says 160. I wondered if different dentists in the practice have differ ent prices.

Does it say from ?
I mean could that be a minimum price for the simplest filling.
Maybe it varies with complexity ?

I don't think £80 for a dental hygienist appointment every 6 months is at all bad. People seem to gladly spend £160+ a year on hairdressers appointments, and I would say teeth are more important than hair.