to think £53 for a hygienist appointment is pretty steep?

[floridadreaming]

Moved to a new part of the country - the south west from the midlands and used to paying around the £30 mark for a hygienist session. Went today and the appointment lasted 15 mins and I was faced with a £53 bill. I was a little shocked and the receptionist just mumbled 'didn't anyone tell you the price when you booked?' And looked accusingly at her colleague as if to say 'this again'.

I don't mind paying. I get it's private and they do a thorough clean but £53 just seems a bit of a piss take. It's too much for me to have done regularly now

Around £80, private practice in London.

£72 for ours.
My dh is seeing one and it's costing £770 for 6 sessions.
It's called a deep clean.

I'd love to see the hygienist and have a deep clean but whenever I've asked my dentist about it, he's said that I don't need it. He said that I clean my teeth thoroughly and that you only really need to see a hygienist if you're unable to clean your teeth properly. I have no idea how true this is, but two successive dentists (from different surgeries) gave told me this now.

Mine is £28 in a pricey part of Manchester so yes £53 sound pretty steep to me.

I have a gag reflex and find it really hard to clean one back tooth in.particular. That's the one I'm having surgery on. Had a deep clean under anaesthetic and it was excellent. But this one pocket is still inflamed.
At 57 I want to keep my teeth.

@papayasareyum It depends on what your dentist does at your regular check-ups. It could be that he's doing a quick scale and polish himself, in which case he's right, you don't need to see a hygienist if you clean your teeth correctly.

You also may have teeth that don't have any areas that are too small / hard to reach to be effectively cleaned at home, and you may be able to floss between all of your teeth effectively (including back teeth) - many people can't as the gap is too small. And you have to be hyper-vigilant because as soon as you get even the tiniest bit of hard plaque you can't remove it yourself.

NHS practice in London £97 here.

£40 here but my mum has just switched from one in Leeds which was £96 a session.

It's crazy to vary from £28 to £95 for the same procedure across the country.

My dentist does a scale and polish at the end of every 6-monthly NHS visit. My previous dentist didn't do this, and would refer me to a hygienist, which at the time I couldn't afford, so just didn't do.

Are there other things hygienists do besides scale and polish? I always leave feeling squeaky clean.

NHS patient West Yorkshire mines £68 a time ☹️ And they say I have to come each quarter I'm sure it's too much and too often but I've rung at least 30 other dentists and none are taking new patients 😡

A hygienist gets right under the gum line. Far more than a scale and polish
..mine takes 30 mins

That sounds pretty unpleasant

No, £35 is the private charge, I see. My dentist has raised the cost since I last checked it's now £40.

I pay £17.90 a month for 4 hygienist visits and two check ups so about £35 per appointment. It also includes X-rays and 20% of any treatment.

Because I go 4 times s year the hygeist appointments are quick but having being doing it for 3 years it has made a big difference my teeth. Stains just don't build up and I haven't had to consider any whitening.

It's £50 at my dentist's (NHS dentist, but you have to pay full price for the hygienist) Central London.

Mine was about £54 for 30 minutes, but last time I went she only charged me around £36 because I only needed 20 minutes of work (north west England). So I guess it depends how long you get for your money as it whether or not it's good value!

£49 in Cambridge

Does anyone know if this cost would be covered under free dental treatment whilst pregnant?

I doubt it

Kate544

No it isn't. I asked! Lots of things are covered but not the use of a Hygenist.

^^ I was told it's largely due to not scraping gums during pregnancy as they bleed more easily and are more sensitive.

£40 at a private dental practice in Leeds (they were excellent actually!)

Ooh Hoisin which one?

£45 for 30-40 minutes. West London. It's a private service, necessary, and done twice a year.