NHS patient but my dentist is charging me for private treatment?

[hgrtgf3rg]

I'm a new patient at my dentist and registered as an NHS patient. I'm due to have a root canal at my next appointment and was given the paperwork and have just looked at it properly and I'm being charged nearly £400 for a root canal and filling. I'll then need a crown too so God knows how much that will be.

I know my dentist referred me to another dentist in the practice for the root canal so I'm not sure if that's why it's so expensive but I presumed that it would still be NHS prices?

AIBU to be confused?

I had a complicated root canal treatment which I had to pay privately for. I am
An NHS patient but the guy that comes in to do the specialist root canal, you have to pay privately for. Could it be the same? Though they should have explained that to you.

I don't think it ever existed on the NHS. DH had it done 20 years ago and paid full wack

Alternative was extraction

I am an NHS patient but my dentist will occasionally do some work private if he thinks it will result in a better finished job (i.e better materials).
I really rate my dentist and have been with him for many years, I even stayed with the practice when we moved last year as I am quite willing to travel rather than go to a new, unknown practice.
I have had a few root-canal treatments (says nothing good about how I USED to look after my teeth) but all have gone well and I have no reason to question my dentists judgement.
That said, your dentist should have discussed this with you and given you an explanation and a choice.

That's because NHS dental treatment isn't all inclusive or free. Hold on and I'll try and track down the payment guidance... I'm on my phone, could take a while.

Definitely covered on NHS (or was a couple of years ago when I had my last one done).

Don't know if it's different in different parts of the country but here treatment is only free if you are either under 26, pregnant, a nursing mother until your baby is 12 months old, or if you are certificated exempt from payment because of income. So generally the check-up is free, treatment isn't.

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/dental-costs/how-much-will-i-pay-for-nhs-dental-treatment/

It's been like this for decades. You were probably be offered a really small, thin leaflet with the information on it at some point, pointed towards it, told it exists. There should be a copy in your waiting room, in every waiting room.

£400 for tv and filling probably is the NHS price, band 3 treatment. I'm out of touch haven't seen or heard of an NHS dentist since I was a child.

I know it's not a competition, but just to say where I live the local surgery (where I am an NHS patient), is saying depending on who you speak to, what day it is, etc, that they don't have an NHS dentist, that they have no capacity for NHS patients or that the NHS dentists that they have are on leave or maternity leave. I was told to ring back in six months- I haven't been seen in over two years.
Meanwhile adult DC2 was having trouble with a tooth, so went privately. They got an appointment in less than a week for a checkup and X-rays, then went back less than another week later for a clean and filling. It cost over £200.
It's worse than the situation with GPs.

I paid £1600 for a private root canal and crown recently, I think 400 is the discounted price

Nhs cost is £282. We can't know why you are being charged £400. Ask them.

I'm having root canal treatment atm it's costing me 850 privately plus I'll need a crown three months after so I'm told and the crown will cost 900!!!
No nhs dentist around here no choice

Accessing an NHS dentist is beyond difficult in the U.K. and unacceptable. My own dental practice employ newly and recently qualified dentists who advise patients that there are no NHS appointments but they can be seen by the same dentists without delay, privately. I don’t blame the dentists as the situation is not always in their control.

However, where dentists are trained at great expense by the NHS, the government should enable dentists to commit to working in the NHS for a period of time.

It's different in different parts of the country. Different rules and regs in Wales, NI, Scotland and England.

However three things spring to mind...

Firstly you just get a treatment plan and estimate for everything you need doing. And your dentist must stipulate what is private and what is NHS.

To be honest, it's very difficult to justify an NHS root cancel these days. The cost of radiographs, material, digital radiographs, hand files and rotary files, filling materials, magnifying Loupes and rubber dam. It all adds up.

Secondly dentists in Scotland commit to a one year post in the NHS after graduation in order to gain a list number to practice. There are also bursary schemes available to students, where there must stay NHS committed for a period of time. I'm
Sure other parts of the UK have similar schemes.

Finally dentists have had it tough. They SHUT US DOWN. For months. We had no income. We had to rely on minimal grants, ( that didn't even cover my mortgage, let alone my business loan). We've had two years of restrictions. This has lead to massive backlogs, and more complicated treatment.

It's been really really tough. We are still fire fighting, and trying our best to stay with heads above the water