Dentist charges £???

[fedup2012]

A simple question really. According to the NHS website you can have a whole course of treatment for £209, including band 3 treatments such as crowns and this could include the cost of an extraction.

Does this mean that if I need four crowns (which may be very possible) I pay £209 for the lot or £209 each?

So far I have seen 3 dentists all of whom have quoted different facts and figures (this was a while ago) so this time I want to go back armed with the facts. I assume they will just try and charge me £209 for each crown but I can't afford that.

For the whole lot at my dentist.

It's as much treatment as you can get in 3 months, so if they can all be done within 3 months you would pay £209. If you are getting two done now and two in 6 months you would pay a total of £418

You pay once per course of treatment - no matter how long it takes. So if all 4 crowns were noted at the same initial appointment you would pay £209 in total.

My DH has had to pay twice (although the first time was only the middle band - £50ish?) as he had to have teeth out and then false teeth fitted but had to allow 6 months for them to settle after removal before the fitting for the false teeth. We asked a the time about paying the £209 and it covering all the work and the time restriction was explained then.

I am a dental receptionist. I have been told to tell patients that as long as it is all noted at the initial appointment it is all within one charge. Your dentist has done it using 2 initial appointments as there were 6 months between appointments. He has worked the system - it could have been done within one charge.

Thanks Emandlu, they all seem to be working the system round here, mostly they say they have reached their quota for crowns, they are only able to do a certain number of NHS ones. Is that correct procedure?

I'll be honest - I'm really not sure. I will try to find out for you though :)