to think that dental hygienists are wildly overpriced

[exse24Londoner]

saw my dentist and he recommended I see the dental hygienist to scrape the plaque off my teeth - as one side was a concern he said an hour would be best.

when I booked in I was told it would be £178!!! for one hour!!!! WTAF??????

I had to see an osteopath the other month & she charge £60 for 50 mins - that 50 mins included a consultation with a healthcare professional educated to MSc level + diagnosis & treatment who has independent accountability.

how on earth can the dental surgery think that £178 is reasonable???? btw I am pretty certain that the majority of the cost isn't going into the pocket of the dental hygienist

YANBU dental care is entirely private here and it costs €85 to see a hygienist.

My hygeinist charges more than the actual dentist at the same practice. go figure

I’d guess there’s a reason for tooth related professionals to be so expensive but honestly they’re all horrific. In Ireland they’re just unaffordable, either you’re well off or have a medical card or you don’t get seen, and people on a medical cards apparently only get minimal help anyway. I don’t have a medical card and amn’t rich so just can’t afford the dentist full stop!!

my dentist keeps pushing hygienist appointments on me.
The first one I had she was very thorough and I felt I had my moneys worth.
The second one gave me a quick clean, told me I was doing a good job and divested me of £75.
Never again.

My hygienist charges £90 and it's only 30 minutes.

Mine isn't quite that much but yes, it's shocking. Every time I book I think it must just be out of the question for many people, and yet they are always booking months ahead. I can get into see my NHS dentist much more quickly than I can to see the private hygienist.

Internet tells me that the general cost of living (CPI) has gone up 34-36% in the last ten years. Over the same period the average dental hygienist appointment fee has gone up 60-70%.

I know that folk will be along in a minute to tell me why every penny of the increase is necessary and justifiable and reasonable. But it doesn’t FEEL fair. Especially as it’s basically impossible to get the same type of care on the NHS, and especially as dental hygiene is so linked to other health problems.

I just checked and mine costs £92 for half an hour so an even more expensive hourly rate. Saying that, I think it's an investment in my health and it's really important to keep on top of it. I go every 3/4 months to make sure I do as much as I can to minimize any issues...

Just before COVID she was charging £50, so yes, a jump to £90 is a lot.

I see the hygienist every 6 months and each time the price goes up. It takes them 15mins for a clean and polish!!

Its pretty wild that its also something that dentists used to do during your usual check up. Not that long ago, my dentist would just poke around, remove the plaque and tartar, give me a polish, and charge a small extra fee on top of the standard check up fee.

Now, it has become an industry. Lots of upselling with air flows and fancy jazz. Its also really horrible, I hate it. I can't understand why, when both my parents had all their teeth in their 90's and only brushed once a day, and never had a hygenist, or flossed, or anything...... Why all this stuff became necessary.

Yes yes and a yes.
They are private so can charge whatever they like.
However I believe you can shop about when it comes to hygienists and may be able to go to a different dentist for one.
Mine is dependant on how thorough she needed to be. £85 for the average one, but if she needed 1 hour treatments that went under my gum line it was about £150.
I thought it was bad, then I heard a friend was being charged £2500 for a similar treatment. My hygienist laughed at this and joked about increasing her prices., but did reassure me she was joking! They can charge what they like unfortunateky as they are private.
Ring around other dentists & see if this is average.

Routine check up here is £59 and the hygienist is £80 for 25 minutes. The hygienist appointment used to be Airflow which is warm water with an abrasive powder mixed in. It removes plaque and stains. That now costs an extra £30 per visit if you want it. The hygienist appointment now is water jet and the metal hand scrape at the end.

I can tell the difference. But is it worth £30? Not yet. I am on Denplan so pay a monthly fee spreading the cost over a year. Our dentist is private only.

My NHS dentist does a 10-15 minute clean and polish every 6 months with my check up. No extra fee. I'm struggling to imagine what would take 60 or even 30 minutes to get rid of?

Completely agree!

Yes, what happened specifically to dental hygienists over Covid? I went the week before lockdown. I remember because I dithered over whether it was sensible to go. That cost £50.

My first appointment afterwards was £90! and now it's c. £130. 40 minutes , and as my Dad complains they spend 10 of that talking!

My dentist tells me to make an appointment with the DH at the end of every dental appointment. I never do. It doesn’t seem to make any difference in the long term.

My dentist also offers this. However, I was recommended because of the gum score, to prevent gum disease. I had appointments every 4 months for a year and it has made a difference - noted at the last check up. I can go back to the usual free scale and polish, although the dentist doesn't use that new Airflow technology which isn't painful.

It's crazy! Like I say at least that new equipment is pain free, but even so!

Never had a hygienist appointment in my life. They don’t seem to be a thing at my dentist. He does the Polish himself. I assume they’re just using it to upsell services at the dentist surgery as I’ve never had any issue with my teeth.

Mine is £70 for half an hour. I go every 6 months (was every 3 months but I’ve graduated 😁) Before Covid I think it was £40. They just kept putting the prices up ‘because Covid’ but funnily enough they never came back down again afterwards.

They are expensive and for this reason I go once a year rather than the recommended every six months

Horribly overpriced. Also often rough and painful. I've stopped going, can't afford it as well as the dentist.

Mine is private and chargers £100 for half an hour. Why would you need an hour to just for a clean.

Why? So that the dental practice is up £200 instead of £100? Can't think of another reason.