To think Dentists are greedy and disgrace

[Thisismynamenow]

I have a hole in my tooth (thanks pregnancy for the poor teeth!)

My nhs dentist has apparentpy cancelled their nhs contract to go private (without telling patients) and not a single dentist within 20 miles is willing to take on nhs, but everyone can offer same day private appointments.

I know the nhs is underfunded but it's disgusting dentists are allowed to be only private, they should be made to be half nhs!

My tooth is killing me, I can't afford the £400 I've been quoted for the filling (it's a tiny hole, literally a pin hole!) And the hopsitall will only pull it which I don't want. Its annoying me more as i currently have a maternity exemption which I can't use.

Aibu to think dentists are greedy, and that it shouldn't be allowed?

£400. is the price of a private root canal filling here (40mins outside London) get a few more quotes. NHS dentistry is very poorly paid and quite often the NHS charge is not enough for dental practices to pay their overheads for example; staff, labs, specialist waste services, equipment and sundries. The government are to blame they have effectively privatised dentistry, complain to your MP.

it is absolutely true, prevention is way better than cure when it comes to dentistry. That’s obviously excluding accidental damage to teeth or gums.

Of course your teeth will be better if you look after them, but saying 99% of dental problems would not exist if people 'looked after their teeth better' is rubbish. No way is the amount that high. If you're going to spout stuff like this, at least make it remotely believable, like 50% or so. 99% is laughable.

They aren't greedy they are hugely over worked

Extremely high rates of suicide in the profession

If the NHS won't pay them they don't make a profit. They are a private business. You don't see restaurants being told to give 50% of people half price rates. The gov doesn't pay them enough to do it!

This feels like a massive “we don’t actually care about what our users think”. Just suck it up until is changes back.

Incredibly disappointed.

I don’t think for one moment that the hygienist is earning £75 for that appointment. The one making the money is the chain that bought the practice.

However my point is that the hygienist is now unaffordable for many. Who makes the money is rather a moot point.

Would love to know which provider this is? We can only find plans which give allow one checkup and then 10% off any treatment. So really not 'insurance' but rather a 'small discount plan'.

@Notsoyummymummy2 I brush, mouthwash and floss my teeth twice a day as recommended by my former dentist. I also cut my sugar down when pregnant because my grandmother lost all her teeth due to her gums after being pregnant.

I had fantastic teeth prior to being pregnant since then they've hurt and had issues since, which a private dentist that I had to pay £50 to just speak to said it was most likely pregnancy related.

You have absolutely no right to insinuate I have poor dental hygiene, you don't know me or my hygiene habits.

I'm happy to take the loss in terms of not fully understanding how nhs dentistry is contracted and therefore blaming the wrong people (dentists not government),.

But I'm not willing to allow you to think I'm deliberately rotting my teeth by not brushing them.. Prevention doesn't always stop all issues and unless you are my former dentist then you have no clue.

How much do they get? I have no idea and am interested.

@bookbuddy before they're willing to fill my (tiny) hole, they require a £50 check up, x2 £15 x-rays and a £65 hygienist appointment. The filling is from £120 for a silver filling but because its visible I want a white composite one, which they suggested is much more expensive.

I now realise its not the dentists fault. Though I'm willing to die on my sword saying my particular dentist is disgraceful purely for not having the balls to tell patients theyre cancelling their nhs contract. They just cancelled and told everyone to rebook, forgetting to mention they're now private patients.

I am slightly in love with my dentist at the moment. My daughter face-planted onto the playground yesterday and destabilised her two front teeth not to mention cutting her lip badly. We were in and out of the minor injuries unit within 20 minutes - nothing short of a miracle and then seen as an emergency by our lovely dentist who said she’d just finished her shift but would wait if we could get there straight away. She spent nearly an hour pinning my poor DD’s teeth and I am unbelievably grateful.

But I hear you on the NHS side of things - it’s tricky. You really ought to get private dental insurance if you can in any way afford it.

You could argue skin cancer is preventable by wearing sun screen or diabetes by maintaining a healthy diet, do you also berate and shame people for getting diagnosed with that?

I maintain good oral hygiene, yet still have the need for fillings. Some genetics are just bad.

@Thisismynamenow even a white composite filling should only cost £120. My Dentist is NHS and charges £85 for a white composite filling in a back tooth if you would prefer to pay for one privately rather than have the NHS amalgam. I think your dentist IS greedy

There are many different types of white composite filling! You can never be sure if you’re comparing like with like

Agreed.
So tired of seeing people being blamed for needing services. Always used as a smokescreen to hide the fact the service is not fit for purpose. People aren't waiting in A&E in pain for hours because of chronic underfunding and poor administration, it's because Dave was careless with his power tools, Margaret eats too much and Sally couldn't be bothered to google her toddlers rash. Apparently.

£400 for a simple filling as you’ve described is very expensive. That’s what I paid for my root canal. Is it that they won’t put amalgam in because you’re pregnant and are saying it needs to be a different one?

I recently had a replacement white filling in my back tooth (the private dentist said white filling would hold the tooth together better). I paid £120 and that is in an expensive area, just outside London.

This is the sort of bollocks statement that has dentists charging whatever the fuck they like. MANY different types? Rubbish. A few, maybe, all the same sort of price. Small ones less money, bigger fillings, a bit more. It's white composite, not crushed diamonds.