To think dental care is expensive and wonder what will happen with Universal Credit?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

My NHS check up today cost £21, with a filling booked that will be another £50 (for amalgam) or £150 (if I go for white filling) plus a session with the hygienist for £50. Dentist also strongly advises I buy a water pik flosser thing that costs around £60 as my gums are dodgy.

I'll grumble and cough it all up because I have awful anxiety about dental stuff so will do whatever I can to stave off any more fillings - but what about people who literally cannot find the money?

Dental care is bloody expensive and adds up, and it's fucking misery when teeth go wrong somehow and start hurting - but when so many folks are depending on food banks, the dentist is hardly going to be a priority for them. Meaning discomfort and pain and possibly dangerous infections down the line.

Wtf are people supposed to do?

Not fall for his/her sales platter for a start

Sales patter? You mean you think I should just not get my filling?

I saw my xray, I need a filling!

People have been struggling and unable to afford dental care for years and years anyway.

Universal credit isn’t going to change that.

do what they do now and scrimp to find the money or leave it as long as possible im afraid

i never understand those that can get free treatment dont and dont seem bothered by manky teeth

i get free treatment and make sure i go nothing worse than dental problems

I know people have been struggling for years, but I did think with JSA it was free for things like fillings?

You get an NHS fees exemption card. We have them.

why are the entitlments changing??

Well you could just buy teepee brushes instead of a water flosser and not get a white filling...

Don't have to fork out for a water floss, just learn to floss better and more often with your inter dental brushes & tape. That should be plenty. I would recommend an Oral B electric toothbrush though.

No, my gums bleed at times (and are tender) with the little floss things I use at the moment. I'm chronically ill and at a higher risk for infection, so I need something better.

But plenty of people have problems with their gums, it's not just me. Leaving out the water pik or the white filling it's still £120 to fix what's going on.

It is free for people on certain benefits/a low income and I don’t think there are any plans to changes that, are there?

There are a variety of benefits that entitle you to completely free treatment (ESA, universal credit, pension credit guarantee, under 18 or 18 in full time education, jsa income based, tax credits, pregnant)

For those on low incomes they can apply for a hc2 certificate which is means tested (you only pay what you can afford up to based on your earnings so you may have to cover the first £50 for example and nothing above). You ask the receptionist for the forms and keep the receipts and get reimbursed

Also the dentist can do a s&p as part of your treatment without seeing the hygienist so that £50 isn’t worth it unless you’re after stain removal which isn’t covered on the nhs. They’re perfectly qualified to clean your gums without needing to see a hygienist and it is covered in band 1 and 2 treatment.

The water flossers are amazing but not absolutely necessary if you are flossing normally or using interdental brushes - they also go in the sale regularly for Black Friday so I’d hold off on that until the sales

There is no such thing as "free". Someone else pays.

I read that there were roadblocks for people on Universal Credit when it came to prescriptions and dental visits.

@Sammy867 that's a great idea to wait until Black Friday, thank you!

My dentist doesn't do a scale and polish though. I know they probably should, but they funnel you to the hygienist instead. As mentioned, I have a chronic illness so I'm concerned about maintaining my health, plus I turn to jelly in there as get so nervous, so not going to argue the point.

Why is it so much though? Usually when you get a filling it’s all one cost. So my dentist just charges the £50 total which includes the check up, X-rays and filling and he always does the white (didn’t even realise they still did the amalgam?).

We should be grateful though for the dental care in the UK. I lived in the US for many years. Just a check up was at least $250. I avoided the dentist for 10 years there because I just couldn’t afford it if I needed anything done so what was the point. I needed a root canal and crown a few years ago (which cost me the £200 something it does on the nhs). My friend in the US needed the same $3000 for one tooth (she actually needed two done but ended up having the second one pulled because it was cheaper, she’s late 30s and missing a tooth already). So though it’s not “free”, we are very lucky to have the system we do have which makes dental care affordable to most.

I think things are different outside of Scotland, but yes a dentist should perform a scale and polish if you request it. However you've said your gums are really bad so seeing a hygienist is in your best interest as they do a longer, better clean sometimes with special equipment - unfortunately this does also cost more as well.

Band 2 dental charges 59.10 covers all band one stuff too so you won’t pay band 1 (21.60) and band 2 if it’s identified at your check up that you need further work then you will pay the band 2 charge only for it all.

I also agree that they only do white fillings now they won’t charge you extra.
And the nhs charges I think are reasonable compared to what you would have to pay privately for treatment.

Yeah I did think the initial check up fee usually went towards whatever treatment you end up having, but I don't think this is the case with this one.

My gums are not really bad, as in they're not receding or infected or constantly bleeding - but I don't want them to get that way. I'm type 1 diabetic and they bleed when my blood sugar is high. So hygienist it is.

Really? Are they meant to do white fillings now by default even for a pre molar?

That definitely wasn't what I was told today. It was £50 for amalgam or £150 for white. Tbh I don't really care as it's not really visible I just want the most durable and long lasting.

I appreciate that waterpiks are quite expensive (mine was 50 quid) but really I have found mine to be much better than using dental floss
if your gums are sore I would recommend using salt water in it I found that more effective than just plain water

Extra charges for white fillings where I go. It was Oasis, now Bupa.

Bupa is private though not nhs charges
I would check with your dentist op - seems like you are being charged private treatment charges not nhs?

It really depends on your dentist and the area you live in. In areas with very few NHS Dentists you will most likely get the basic of basic dental care - which ranges from pull them all out to leave whatever teeth you have in place until they need pulling.

I lived in a 'posh' area and the only NHS Treatment I could get for years was provided by new qualifiers who did really look down on me for being NHS; the probs with my teeth were because I was 'poor' and didn't know how to look after my teeth.

Eventually the NHS did find and resolve my impacted molars and everything improved. Even descaling was part of my treatment.
But then I moved. Back to the bottom again.

I hope to be able to have the money to pay for having my teeth descaled again but I've taken being 'poor' as a better choice to make sure DS (ASD) has a shot at life. MY teeth being a bit shit is worth it.

Universal credit does NOT entitle you to free dental care. You have to have your income assessed and renew the hc1 certificate every year. Lots of people switching to universal credit are going to be caught out.