Dental plans

[rainonsunday]

I need a check up plus a scale and polish - I’m wanting this more than the check up. Teeth are generally fine, had work done before.

I doubt I’ll be seen by nhs so willing to get a dental plan.

Any tips or anything?

Im finding it hard to get a local dentist accepting patients, any way I can adhoc book a dentist?

Sorry im from overseas so don’t know the system .

My dentist only charges £40 for a check up and scaling, OP. If your teeth are well looked after and you never need further treatment, it might be cheaper to just pay up front for your check ups twice a year, rather than pay into a plan.

@Babdoc

My dentist only charges £40 for a check up and scaling, OP. If your teeth are well looked after and you never need further treatment, it might be cheaper to just pay up front for your check ups twice a year, rather than pay into a plan.

I agree. Some years ago DH thought it would be a good idea to sign up to denplan - it really wasn't, they were awful.

@Babdoc

My dentist only charges £40 for a check up and scaling, OP. If your teeth are well looked after and you never need further treatment, it might be cheaper to just pay up front for your check ups twice a year, rather than pay into a plan.

Where?

Because a check up and scale&polish are usually a lot more in the NW

I've not had mine done since 2019 - I think it was more like £40 for the checkup and then maybe £30 for the scale.

I pay £20 a month with BUPA for 4 hygienist appointments and 2 dentists in a year

I've just checked the website, the checkup is now £48 and the hygienist has gone up to £60. I think they do have extra costs due to covid (polishing teeth = spray!), there might be a shortage of people willing to do it.
The one I go to is a bit away from where I live, for historic reasons - I can pm you the details if Leyland is any good to you.

There isn't really a "system" for dental care in the UK as such. If you need a dentist you just need to ring round the surgeries in your local area and find one that is taking on new patients. Let them know you want private treatment as very few of them have NHS spaces.

Most likely you will have to sign up as a regular patient rather than going in on an ad hoc basis. They will probably want to sign you up to their dental plan, but there is usually an option to pay as you go if you don't want to commit to a regular payment.

If your teeth are generally OK don't bother with DenPlan. In the industry its known as 'managed neglect' according to my dental nurse SIL.

My dentist is in Scotland, OP. He has reverted to doing the scaling the old fashioned way, so as not to generate potentially infected aerosols. Although he has installed state of the art ventilation, for when aerosol generating procedures are unavoidable, such as for fillings.

I am in Berkshire and paid £263 for a check up, an x ray and hygienist (using the spray cleaning thing) - been going for 20 years so don't want to change - I then paid £110 for a filling to be redone - I shall be eating baked beans all month! Dentist no longer takes new people with dental plans as does not cover costs now that extra time and equipment is required due to Covid