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Original poster

Dentist help

11 replies

Losingthewill12 · 13/08/2022 02:15

Hi all, I’m hoping for some help here please…

What do you do when you don’t have a dentist but you have sensitive teeth and need to see a dentist? Obviously it’s not an emergency but they can be painful. I can’t afford to pay private and can’t find a dentist. I’ve already contacted nhs helpline twice.

also I’ve seen nhs banding prices, how does that work? Can I pay the nhs banding although I get free nhs dental care? Or would it be private costs? I could afford to pay the banding charges

many TIA

OP posts:

Soonberaining · 13/08/2022 03:25

Quite honestly Sensodyne toothpaste is really effective on sensitive teeth. I broke a front tooth in half and couldn't bear even air on it. I used the toothpaste generously and it worked.

I've not worked in the NHS for years, but as I understand it, if you are eligible for treatment to be free, it's free. Banding is when you have to pay. Private dentists run their own systems and can give you a full quote.

Bickles · 13/08/2022 05:12

If you are exempt from paying NHS charges then an NHS dentist will not charge you anything. The banding only applies if you pay.
Privately the exemption and NHS banding is completely irrelevant. The dentist sets their own fees in the same way a plumber would for example. They are an independent contractor and can decide how much to charge based on their overheads.
However the way things are at the moment it is nearly impossible to get taken on as a new NHS patient. If you are near a dental school you could try and get student treatment perhaps?
Otherwise ring around privately to find the cheapest one (they will differ). Sometimes the price isn’t that different to NHS banding, unless you need lots of treatment.

PinkButtercups · 13/08/2022 16:48

You phone 111 and they'll either book you an appt with your nearest NHS Dental walk in clinic or tell you where the nearest one is.

If you're exempt from paying for NHS Dental charges then they won't charge. Depending what benefits you're on because not all of them entitle you to free dental work. UC is not covered until free.

PinkButtercups · 13/08/2022 16:48

Didn't mean to put until.

Blanketpolicy · 13/08/2022 17:10

Until you get to dentist use sensodyne daily 2-3 times, rub it on and leave it for a bit before brushing

Original poster

Losingthewill12 · 13/08/2022 18:51

Thank you, I’ve been using sensodyne for a couple years now switched to corsodyl and it was worse. There’s no dentists near me accepting nhs patients and it’s not an emergency so I can’t use 111 service

what patients pay the nhs banding prices? Doesn’t make sense to me why they have nhs banding and private.

OP posts:

JimmiChoux · 13/08/2022 18:59

If you have an NHS dentist and you are on some sort of benefit then the treatment is free. If you work and have an NHS dentist, you pay. There are three bands of charges depending on what work you have done with an NHS dentist.

Lolloped · 13/08/2022 19:05

Lots of people pay for NHS dental care - it’s only free for under 18s, 18 and in education, certain benefits, low income or maternity exemption.

Private is totally separate to NHS and you pay for what you want. Some treatments aren’t available on NHS such as purely cosmetic work and they can use more expensive materials and often can offer more treatment options and longer less rushed appointments. A lot of NHS dentists will offer private treatments to their patients for an extra charge.

Original poster

Losingthewill12 · 13/08/2022 21:02

I am entitled to free nhs dental care, I’m unemployed and on uc. But if I were to pay for the service what would I pay nhs banding or private? As I don’t have a dentist and they only offer private then is that the private costs I’ll be looking at or the nhs banding? It’s going to be unaffordable if it’s private costs

OP posts:

Lolloped · 13/08/2022 21:08

If you are entitled to free NHS care then no NHS charges will be taken from you if you register as an NHS patient. You simply sign on the form that you are exempt from charges, similar to free NHS prescriptions or eye tests. If you decided to pay the NHS charge when you don’t have to it would make no difference to the service offered or to the dentist, only leave you out of pocket.

If you register with a dentist as a private patient then you will be expected to pay what they tell you the prices are. They should tell you the cost of the consultation and the cost of treatment before doing anything. This is usually more expensive than NHS banding, and can be very expensive if a lot of work is needed.

Bickles · 14/08/2022 06:22

If you find a dentist who will see you under their NHS contract and you are exempt (eg on eligible benefits) then you pay nothing. If you see that same dentist under the NHS but are no longer on benefits you pay NHS bands.
If you can’t find a dentist to see you under NHS contract then you will be paying privately. Even if you are on Universal credit they will still charge you. They can charge whatever they want, the same as your plumber can. They have nothing to do with the NHS and set their own fees.

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