Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think paying £300 for tooth extraction is a joke

119 replies

Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 00:28

So, have had toothache for couple of years in 1 specific broken tooth. Always got by with strong painkillers and oragel. However for the past week the pain was immense so ended up having to go to an emergency dentist who I had to pay £50 just to look and do quick x-ray. So, he told me it's an infected root of tooth and I'd need an extraction but not a basic one as there isn't enough tooth to pull on to get it out. So scrape it to the root basically, a 10 minute job he said. And then proceeded to tell me it would cost £300!! Now i know they're doing a specialised job but really? I cannot find an NHS dentist by me anywhere so can only go private. Is this a normal price for an extraction or am I being completely unreasonable. Fwiw I seriously don't have £300 so am at a loss. Sorry for the long post

OP posts:
Ascendant15 · 13/09/2023 15:12

But you have known about this for a couple of years and did nothing about it. You may not have been facing this cost had you acted sooner, so I am not convinced that you are in a position to argue that it's unfair or too expensive.

Ginmonkeyagain · 13/09/2023 15:13

I would find the money - can you get a 0% credit card or use any savings. This will only get worse. Tooth and gum infections can cause serious and permanent heart damage or sepsis.

MinnieMouse0 · 13/09/2023 15:15

In all honesty I would be concerned at a tooth extraction costing less than £300..!

Original poster
Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 15:17

LauraNorda · 13/09/2023 15:02

You probably paid twice that for your phone.

Get your priorities right.

Goady much. No actually my phone was less than half what that cost and I didn't pay it all in one. I'm not really rich and moaning about money. I'm definitely low income. My priorities are fine thank you very much.

OP posts:
Lovehearts82 · 13/09/2023 15:17

I had a wisdom tooth extracted a few months ago and it cost £103.50. I've just had another wisdom tooth filled and then extracted as the filling didn't work and the filling was £98.50. After 2 weeks when it needed extraction I thought I'd be billed the whole extraction amount but I was only billed £5 which is assume is just the amount between filling and extraction. I'm private. So £300 seems like a crazy amount to be paying to me. Maybe prices differ where you live.

Original poster
Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 15:19

Ascendant15 · 13/09/2023 15:12

But you have known about this for a couple of years and did nothing about it. You may not have been facing this cost had you acted sooner, so I am not convinced that you are in a position to argue that it's unfair or too expensive.

There are a few reasons why I haven't had it seen to before this which I'm not going into but I can tell you straight up I would have never afforded even a standard extraction

OP posts:
Original poster
Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 15:20

Ginmonkeyagain · 13/09/2023 15:13

I would find the money - can you get a 0% credit card or use any savings. This will only get worse. Tooth and gum infections can cause serious and permanent heart damage or sepsis.

No chance credit card as couldn't get finance either and I don't have any savings

OP posts:
Ginmonkeyagain · 13/09/2023 15:21

Can you save up? I mean you would still have to pay for an extraction even if it was on the NHS. I had a tooth extracted on the NHS (a failed root canal) and it was still well over £50.

User19543785 · 13/09/2023 15:23

It's probably more because you aren't a regular patient of theirs on one of the plans they often have

enchantedsquirrelwood · 13/09/2023 15:28

Years ago I had an abscess in a tooth and it was root filled. It then flared up again about 15 years later and the dentist said it would cost about £1000 to do another root filling and was only 50% likely to work. He referred me to a different dentist to have the tooth taken out. They said it would be about £350 and this was in 2006!

In the event I paid closer to £500! I can't remember exactly why but as ever it was more complicated - partly because the tooth had crumbled and had to be dug out rather than your simple twist and pull. It took about 30 minutes to do.

This was all private - my NHS dentist went private years ago.

Anecdotally, I hear that NHS dentists are just pulling teeth out now rather than filling them. NHS dentistry had got over the drill and bill of the 1970s, and now it's back to the 1940s.

User19543785 · 13/09/2023 15:28

I have had some quite simple extractions and it's usually more than 10 minutes, the actual pulling out might take that but overall it will be more like 30 minutes

Original poster
Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 15:28

Ginmonkeyagain · 13/09/2023 15:21

Can you save up? I mean you would still have to pay for an extraction even if it was on the NHS. I had a tooth extracted on the NHS (a failed root canal) and it was still well over £50.

That's the plan. NHS extraction is £70.70. Though I don't know if that is just basic or also surgical extraction as I need the latter

OP posts:
HeatherMoores · 13/09/2023 15:28

There should be a community dental clinic somewhere near OP for emergencies. What do you think they do with homeless people with dental emergencies? Obviously they don’t pay.
You’ll have to turn up screaming in agony. I’m not sure if they’re referral only though.

enchantedsquirrelwood · 13/09/2023 15:29

OP can you find a dental A&E near you? They will take it out.

Original poster
Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 15:30

HeatherMoores · 13/09/2023 15:28

There should be a community dental clinic somewhere near OP for emergencies. What do you think they do with homeless people with dental emergencies? Obviously they don’t pay.
You’ll have to turn up screaming in agony. I’m not sure if they’re referral only though.

I believe you do have to turn up screaming in agony but I don't know where there's one near me as I'm in a semi rural location and don't have a car

OP posts:
Original poster
Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 15:34

enchantedsquirrelwood · 13/09/2023 15:29

OP can you find a dental A&E near you? They will take it out.

I will definitely have a look, though didn't come across one whilst searching for emergency dentist

OP posts:
ActDottie · 13/09/2023 15:38

That’s the going rate, I don’t think it’s that extortionate

pickledonionsjar · 13/09/2023 15:39

No it's not a joke, it's an essential health issue and should be prioritised above all else. Possibly if we prioritised an education where people learnt to think then maybe those educated people would understand the benefits of a healthy population.

Flopsythebunny · 13/09/2023 15:39

Tiredjoanna · 13/09/2023 00:45

wow that just seems so much. for what he told me is 10 minutes of work😅

It isn't just 10 minutes work though is it.
However many years fees at dental school /university
Premises
Equipment
Staff costs
Utilities
Insurance and professional fees
Ongoing training
And a host of other expenses that come with running a business. I that's before they even pay themselves a wage

Lizzyinatizzy · 13/09/2023 15:41

If it makes you feel any better (it won’t but I’m still traumatised so I’m sharing anyway) my cat broke her tooth and needs it taking out and the vet wants…. £961!

ChristopherTalken · 13/09/2023 15:41

Just so you know, because at no point was I told when I had two back teeth removed, that eventually you WILL need an implant because the opposing tooth will have nothing to grind into and eventually will start coming down out of the gum affecting other teeth.

I would ask if there is an alternative to removal. Both NHS dentisis just pulled the teeth each time - you might find a private dentists is more willing to look at alternatives.

fetchacloth · 13/09/2023 15:46

SlipSlidinAway · 13/09/2023 00:38

Just checked my dentist's website. They're private and always seem really expensive to me. They charge £165 for a simple extraction and £275 for a surgical extraction.

They charge £83 for a new patient consultation though.

And that's why dentists won't work for the NHS. It simply doesn't pay.
I think it's time that the NHS reviewed the dental contract.
We are paying vast amounts of tax and national insurance towards these services and for what?

Bluepiano · 13/09/2023 15:47

It cost me £482 to have a wisdom tooth extracted not including the appointment and X-rays before hand. I was referred to the NHS but after waiting 3 months, hearing nothing back despite chasing and getting a tooth infection, I had to pay. Dentistry is ridiculous in this country

PhilMitchellsleatherbomber · 13/09/2023 15:48

PearTreeBoat · 13/09/2023 04:04

You may be in the chair for only 10 mins (providing all goes straight forward) but the time dedicated to your appointment is much more for starters. Once your tooth is out and your wound packed up and you are sent on your way, the dentist will type up your notes. Meanwhile the nurse will be sterilising all equipment and sanitising the room, then she will need to set up for the next patient (as they would have done prior to your appointment).

You then have to consider the costs of the equipment and other overheads, all consumables used and the staff. For your appointment they'll be a receptionist, a dental nurse and the dentist. Dental degrees are classified as a medical degree, the cost and time alone is much higher than your average 3 year degree.

All these costs are factored into the price of your appointment, it's not just the "10 mins in the chair" that you pay for.

Agreed no one ever seems to think of the overheads.

Justgorgeous · 13/09/2023 15:51

I had an infected wisdom tooth. I rang a local NHS dentist and he saw me as an emergency. It was £22 for X-ray and extraction.