to think private dentists have us over a barrel?

[ginghamstarfish]

Just moved area and no NHS dentists in the whole county. DH just went for a checkup with a private dentist. No problems, but over 2 years since last checkup due to pandemic etc. Lo and behold he's come home with a 'treatment plan' which will cost £400. I had similar a few years back, went to a private dentist who was offering free checkups, told me I could set up a payment plan for all the treatment I needed (had no problems, x rays fine). Then went to a NHS dentist who said there was no problem, and there hasn't been since then. I find it hard to trust what private dentists say .... as clearly you'd have to pay another one a further £100 for a 'new patient' checkup to see if they said the same.

Ah I like mine. I have a plan that covers my twice yearly check and a twice yearly scale and I get 20% off treatment. They haven't tried to suggest I need to do anything, and now I've asked about having a troublesome wisdom tooth out they've clearly priced and been up front and sensible.

Apologises, i was going on the band 3 rate.

However, if people want to know why we have no NHS Dentists.....its down to the Govt not paying the appropriate rate.

Fill your up with the wrong fuel and the RAC etc will charge you £300 for 30mins work .... (pls don't ask how i know this lol!)

Yet people and the GOvt think its ok to pay a dentist few pounds for extensive treatment with knowledge gained over many years and at great expensive.

They are now doing this with similar effect with nurses and AHPs.

I wonder if in a few years time we will have posts complaining of the cost of a Hernia op etc and that many areas of the country don't have an NHS hospital..........

Yes, this is kind of what I mean and object to, it does all seem outrageous compared to other skilled professional work. If you need work done, then you have to pay up nothing else you can do, but it's rather that it is known that some dentists tell patients they need treatment which is unnecessary (it comes up in the news from time to time that dentists have been struck off for this). i have experienced this and know others who have too. It perhaps needs more regulation?

I wonder if in a few years time we will have posts complaining of the cost of a Hernia op etc and that many areas of the country don't have an NHS hospital..........
possibly but without healthcare many people will be too sick to work, businesses wont be staffed, the millionaires and billionaires need people to work for them to keep them wealthy, they need people who have paying jobs who will buy thier products and keep them wealthy
how will the govt stay in power if the wealthy donors stop donating?

That doesn't bother them with 7m people waiting for nhs treatment or millions taking time of or not working because of dental issues.

Not everyone will be ill, huge numbers will still earn good money, will pay for insurance, poorer unhealthy people are no good to billionaires... and does it hold back the USA ?

Plus when has this Govt shown any foresight?

Plus when has this Govt shown any foresight?
I know, and it'll be a while before rich rishi runs out of money so why should he care🙁

They’ve spent years studying and training, it’s a business they’re running, if you don’t like it don’t go, same as any other shop/service.

Fundamentally why the UK has such, across the board, shite services... our leaders don't use them... never will... don't care.

Is it really the same as any other service?
If the govt decided not to fund education or healthcare any more and the only option was private which most people couldnt afford would you still say 'if you don’t like it don’t go'?

Unfortunately it’s because NHS dentists just aren’t paid well for the work they do. I have had dental issues for 15 years, my NHS dentist wouldn’t fix it as it’s not causing enough pain. I went private and had it treated and realised I hadn’t been closing my mouth properly for year, I now have a clicky joint.

My son had dental issues that we were told by NHS we’re purely cosmetic and wouldn’t cause any issues, moved him to my private dentist and they sorted straight away before it caused too many problems and I now would never go back to a NHS dentist. You get one set of teeth, I can’t wait for issues to become too serious before treating them. NHS dentistry is reactionary and private preventative imo.

Its nothing like the same as any other business... its part of National Health Service and is supposed to be available to all and free for under 18's... that bit is in law.

Yet we have allowed the govt to run down nhs dentistry, the govt did it because we let them.

even now.. with just 2 years to go to the next GE, it's still not an election issue.... so expect no change whoever wins.

Wouldn't even minds NHS fees being higher, as at least I wouldn't feel unnecessary treatment was being proposed. My last two NHS dentist visits - in the last year - cost £18 for a tooth out, and £26 for a tooth adding to existing partial denture. Ridiculously low.

It's fairly obvious though which proposed treatments are nice to have and which are important for oral and overall health though or you could ask. Reality is that it's just not worth many practices while having NHS patients, it's sad but don't blame them at all. Raising the bands won't be enough at this point tbh. The emergence of private GPs etc will continue to rise as well as the exodus from the outdated and failing NHS continues.

"I'm afraid that many British people have no idea of the true cost of medical/dental treatment and medications."

It doesn't mean that private dentists aren't also ripping people off.

When I was pregnant with my youngest, I broke a tooth and was told it needed a crown, at about £800. Being on Mat leave, I couldn't afford that, so went to the nearest NHS dentist to get the crown. They said it didn't need a crown, just a filling (back tooth). Did it for under £50. 16 years later, it's still there and all good.

Heard many similar stories of unnecessary treatment.

Off topic but I got an emergency amalgam filling for £26 which I thought was really reasonable - my cat got a tooth out that week too and it was just under 900 flaming quid. Yes - 900!! but hey - he got his nails cut when he was under too - what a bargain!

I told my dentist and she laughed and said she was in the wrong job!

Yip. And private GP will be standard within a decade I reckon. I mean lots of people are using the now but I think the majority of people will be within 10 years.

I believe the only thing enshrined in law is access to a GP - everything else is just “principles” and well intentioned statements. And although enshrined in law, if the GP service is crap, people will be prepared to pay to be seen at a time convenient to them, by a lovely unrushed doctor in a nice suit in a nice surgery. It’s privatisation via the back door and it’s already started.

Thatcher started it when she allowed people to buy their council house for a pittance, giving life long labour supporters like my parents a hard on at the chance to “own their own house”. What they didn’t see was she was simultaneously privatising care of the elderly and giving less well off workers like my folks an asset to sell to fund their future care.

tories need to go slow with “the NHS” so they are privatising less sexy services first but the destruction of the NHS as we know it is one of their key aims.

"I'm afraid that many British people have no idea of the true cost of medical/dental treatment and medications."

I'm afraid the British public have no idea what a racket private dental care is. I've had private dental care since I was 16, as I've moved so often, so it's been difficult to get NHS care. 37yrs of it, my teeth are a mess, twice I've fallen into the hands of cowboy dentists, I'm 53 with a mouthful of crowns, many of which I didn't need, I've had three bridges and in the end have lost most of the lower teeth from one side.
DD was quoted for massive dental work which involved pulling her wisdom teeth forward with a brace, into gaps where they said the teeth needed removing. Turns out she has no wisdom teeth, so the idea was quietly dropped. The teeth that needed removing have been filled and are still fine years later.

I have little faith in private care.
One thing I will recommend though, if you have no choice but to go private is, Simply Health Insurance. They are fab, no hassle, easy to deal with. We have a few policies with them.