How do ordinary working people afford major dental treatment costs?

[Heereforagoodtime]

My husband has just called, having been to the dentist, and he needs a back tooth to either be worked on and crowned or removed. The cost of the work is going to be over £1k. I don't know about the cost of the removal but, if he had it taken out, it would mean he'd be without two consecutive teeth on one side. I've just had a look at implants and they are so expensive.

I have a feeling this won't be the last of his issues, either. His teeth are terrible.

How do ordinary working people, who don't get any assistance, afford dental care?!

I get a credit card with 0% on purchases, stick it on that and then pay it off monthly. I also pay a monthly fee to a private dentist to cover my membership, child, my check-ups and hygienist and then get 10% off all treatment if needed.

Although I was recently told I need a root canal and crown, or removal and an implant and nearly cried at the price. The tooth seems to be fine 6 months later though after a course of antibiotics....so I'm seeing how I go.

I’ve had a lot of my bottom teeth pulled at the back on one side as it was cheaper,

Meh it’s only teeth, I’m past the age where I’ll find another partner anyway and the rest of my teeth are ok.

id rather have enough to eat and pay my rent than have perfect teeth

In the last two years we have all managed to get an NHS dentist
Before that I had a tooth removed as it was cheaper

Yeah they must just take financial products to pay it. It's extortionately expensive to go private. I've just found out my private dentist who left the practice has failed to tell me I've got advanced periodontal disease in two molars. Now the new one seems less than forthcoming when I suggested to refer me to the NHS dental hospital?!

I don't have many at the back. I'm missing one at the front and I got a very basic denture for that. Can't afford the fancy ones that stay in!

I’ve been on Denplan for years, since my NHS dentist went private. I’ve paid in £££’s so should have teeth like Judy Murray, sadly I don’t.

I agree.

The problems come when you need substantial work and the money just isn’t there. My teeth and gums are healthy but misaligned and worn down. I need to have them straightened and then each tooth will have to be built up. It’s that or have them all out and dentures. This is complicated by frankly cavalier NHS treatment in the 60s and 70s that left me with unnecessarily large fillings and little teeth to attach them to. Then no one, not even a famous dental hospital, spotted that my teeth were getting worn down because of misalignment and unnecessary orthodontic treatment in my childhood. It was all “you must grind your teeth in your sleep”. I don’t.

I respect my current dentist, who has gone to infinite trouble and sent me to a referral practice to check. But the fact remains that I’m facing costs that I just can’t fund.

Even when people have the money in savings it's not an easy decision.

I'm currently dithering about going ahead with £10K of dental work after a heavily filled tooth broke off at the gumline, taking down the bridge covering the gap next to it from a previous extraction. So now I need the tooth root removed (surgery), 2 implants ,with a sinus lift where the gap was, and then two crowns.

Technically I have the money and can afford it but there is so many other calls in that money (like including building repairs!). So something else will have to give. I'm already not having a proper summer holiday.

But when it's molars which are the main 'chewing' teeth, and a big two tooth gap will affect your bite and you already have jaw problems, it's got to be done. I have weak teeth from an inherited condition so I've literally spent thousands on my teeth over the years - root canals, crowns, fillings (including gold ones!) special nightguards - otherwise I'd virtually have none left by now as the NHS just doesn't cover a lot of that sort of dentistry. It must be awful for people who have to either just have a big gap and suffer the consequences or take out loans. Sorry OP, I totally sympathise with you and your DH.

You save up for emergencies like this. Or put it in a 0% credit card and slowly pay off. I’d be terrified if I didn’t even have £1k in savings… I had that as a student working in a bar part time.

I had to have a tooth removed on Fri that i’d cracked vertically through tooth & root - emergency appt at 9pm, consultation + xray + extraction was £260. We have a dentist locally that opens 365 days of year, appts till 11pm & you don’t have to be registered there for routine check ups etc. Brilliant service!

Do you mind me asking where you went?

No, we don't have pets. Nor do we have anything on finance or hire purchase. We have a mortgage and own everything else outright.

This is with an NHS dentist!!!

Mine all on a credit card....

Is that all it is? I've never had any issues with my teeth - just annual check-ups and two small fillings years ago which were because my baby teeth wouldn't come out (still had two has a teenager!) and I refused to have them pulled out 🤣 - so it's never been a cost that I've had to consider.

I'm usually absolutely on it with money and planning but utter ignorance on this has knocked me for six!

I absolutely agree health comes first.

We're in the sensible finances column (we have a mortgage but own everything else outright).

I was just completely ignorant of this because I've never had any issues with my teeth (annual check-ups, no problems) so it's a cost I've never factored in.

I'm going to look into insurance, now, but it didn't cross my mind before!

Fun story - my Dad didn't visit the dentist for over 40 years (yes, we did moan to him that he should). When he did finally go, in his mid-60s, the dentist couldn't believe that his teeth were in perfect nick. Not a cavity in sight. Just needed a bit of a scale and polish!

Eesh. Sorry to hear you've been through that. Crazy that the most economical way for the state to handle it is wait until it's an emergency!

The amount of dodgy dental practices I've heard of from years gone by. My poor Nan had a cavity in one tooth so they took the lot out (every single tooth!) so it wouldn't happen again 😲

We also think my husband had some bad advice, last time he had a tooth out, so that's added to the complications. It always seems a bit cloak and daggers with dentistry!

I'm NHS too but it's an hour away so it would take up a whole morning just for a check-up.

I have Denplan dental insurance. I think it is about £30 per month but it covers all treatment apart from things like the manufacture of a crown. Not cheap obviously, but no unexpected bills and any treatment I needed is done quickly.

insurance with work. I still pay some of it. My daughter had to have an enamel coating put on 2 teeth at £50 a tooth. Took all of 2 mins and Im pretty sure I could have done it.
Dentistry in the uk is big money.... now it's privatised there needs to be caps. Like vets.

DH will only go to an NHS dentist. I think the maximum they can charge is £250 so what they can do is limited. He was lucky to find one.

NHS dentist if you can find one - both DH and I have stayed with our NHS dentists from childhood - DH goes back home for any checkups. The max you would pay would be £332.10 for band 3 work.

We also have health cash plans through work that cover dental costs up to a certain limit.

Or you save for it and skip a holiday this year.

I have Denplan. It's about £35 a month and covers just about everything.

I could not suddenly find £1,000. Since I can't find an NHS dentist any longer I've had to take out insurance.

How? The most you would pay would be band 3 if it was NHS.