Children, dentist and paying for treatment. What happened to FREE NHS care for children?

[Waltzywotzy]

I am lucky that dds haven't needed anything other than regular check-ups which are free on NHS at our dentist.

Our dentist went private about 2 years ago and I set up a dental plan for dh and myself.

Now I thought that the children would get FREE treatments, but I have just paid over £40 for a filing for dd1 (12).

I am mortified. I am shocked because there has been talk or braces for dd2 and on the way home, dd1 said her friend has had to pay over £2k for hers. .

I think I am out of touch here!

bump

You can still get free filings on the NHS so not sure why that is being charged for, but orthodontics are only free in severe cases.

I have to pay £5 a check up for my 3. It is a private dentist..not sure if that makes a difference.

so far as i am aware it should still be free for children even if dentist is private. Was the filling a white one? If so that may be why you had to pay. Braces are a different issue, there is quite a strict eligibility criteria to get braces on the NHS. If your dcs don't meet it you will have to pay.

free even if they're private? don't understand how that works.

my son's nhs dentist was rubbish, he barely looked into his mouth and told us to ignore a couple of decayed teeth.

i paid for a private consultation (only £5) and they referred him to have them taken out (that was free) they were horrified the nhs dentist had told us to just leave them.

It was a white one, but I wasn't given a choice.

I handed the slip to the reception and she asked for payment. I said I thought children were free, but she said only check-ups now that they are a private clinic.

Glad that the check-ups are free. What do you do if you have lots of children? It must cost a fortune.

You can get free orthodontics - we do, but ds has submerged molars which is an unusual dental condition. With orthodontics, if the dentist has given his limit of free NHS treatment he can't give any more, so just try another ortho who may still have some of his quota available and so will take your child on. Don't take what the first ortho says as true - ours said ds had to have all four molars removed, the other (more highly respected locally) one said no, just one.

Because it was a NHS clinic when the children had registered and then they changed it. So the children could still go, IF we went on the dental plan and both dh and I stayed with them.

That's interesting stillenduringsurrey.

and like the name FWIW - I left surrey, couldn't endure it anymore, now in North West.

If you take DD to an NHS dentist it eill be free www.nhs.uk/Healthcosts/Pages/Dentalcosts.aspx

my children see my (fab) dentist as NHS patients and therefore treatment is free

I see him as NHS patient, though he is prvate and NHS

If it's NHS dentist should give you a payment plan before the work is carried out i.e. I needed a filling replaced this week, an "NHS" amalgum filling was the standard 44.60 but a white one was 99 pounds, my choice as I opted for the white one.

Pinkteddy, I'm afraid you are wrong. A private dentist doesn't provide free treatment for children.

There is no such thing as free treatment somebody pays - be it the patient or the nhs. If a dentist is private the nhs aren't going to pay him/her to treat children so they have to charge the pat5ient (or in this case the parent) otherwise they are doing work and not getting paid full stop.

A lot of private dentists do offer free check-ups for children as they are so quick (a goodwill gesture to keep the parents as paying patients) but then obviously will charge for any treatment they need to do for the child.

You can't get on a NHS dentist anywhere near here. Someone I know who moved her within the last 18 months tried everyhwere for her children. It couldn't be done, they were all full. Saying that she would not qualify for the things listed in the gov. site either, but she didn't get that far, just no we are not taking any more patients.

Since the reforms of April 2006 the criteria that qualifies a child for free nhs orthodontic treatment has tightened a lot. Only the most severe cases qualify and even then the orthodontist has a limit to the number of cases he can treat in a set period of time. So 90% of treatment is now private. Best bet is to start saving from birth as it costs around 2k per child per course

I gues nhs funds are needed for more important medical issues than straight teeth, but it amazes me they can find millions to devote to other issues (Olympics for instance). Best hop of my soapbox now before I really start to rant

Waltzy what do you mean about her not qualifying?

ComeOVeneer - I don't know her personal finances, and I know her children qualify, but I know she would not as she would not be on the list that Lapsedrunner linked to:

You are also entitled to free NHS dental treatment if you or your partner (including civil partners), receive either:
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker?s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit Guarantee Credit; or
you are named on, or entitled to (use your award notice as evidence), an NHS tax credit exemption certificate, or
you are named on a valid HC2 certificate.

She's not under 18 or pregnant either.

All the NHS ones here told her they were all full and not taking anyone on.

A lot of private dentists will do NHS work for the children of their patients/clients.

But not all do. For some, it is private all round.

If any of my kids needed fillings, I would pay for private treatment, tbh. As it is, I am happy to supplement their preventative care. With the NHS, they get 5 minutes every 6 months. I am happy to pay extra for cleanings, and sealants.

Squeakypop a private dentist can't do treatment under the nhs for anybody. You have to have an nhs number in order to do nhs treament otherwise you can't claim payment from the nhs so they must be part nhs/part private.

Waltzy they is a difference between free nhs treatment (ie where the patient doesn't pay anything and the nhs foots the entire bill) and being an nhs patient (where you pay nhs fees). Anyone is elegible to be an nhs patient, only those on that list are eligible to free nhs treatment. However being eligiblie and being able to find a place with an nhs dentist are two very different things!

free orthodontics here in scotland

I see, I think, thanks. I do remember paying for treatment on the NHS too. And never having to pay for the dcs because thankfully they never needed anything more than a check-up.

Anyway, all I can hope for is that they have good teeth, or else I'll need a second job. Oh and next year the Easter Bunny can take his chocolate and go jump in a lake! Strikes sweets off this years Santa's list too.

The problem is that in many areas there are no dentists left that offer nhs treatment.
DH's dentist turned private, and even though DD qualifies for free treatment (as a child) and I do (as a pg woman) we cannot receive free treatment there.

My dentist does NHS and private work. When our children are seen for their twice yearly visits, we have to fill out NHS forms. But if they get something like fissure sealants, we pay separately. We haven't tested the system with fillings, but would gladly pay for white fillings.

SHIT !

why did I not know this

my teenage dd has been referred to an orthodontist as she will probably need braces

I just assumed it would be free

Me and the 2 dcs are on a family plan with our dentist and pay £14/month. I guess I should read the small print !!