To wonder how people pay for dental work?

[HollieTalbut1997]

I recently found out a check that I needed some very pricey dental work - removal of 2 wisdom teeth which is costing almost £500. This got me wondering what on earth people do when they require dental care! Thankfully I have some emergency savings but appreciate that many don’t.
I used to be with an NHS dentist but it changed to being a private surgery a year or two back. There is one other NHS dentist in my area but has a super long wait list and I’ve not heard good things…

Does anyone have denplan? Would be interested in your thoughts and whether you feel it’s good value.

I went eight years without a dentist. Luckily I had no issues but I would have been screwed if I had. You can get truly emergency care on the NHS even without an NHS dentist, but any remedial work you have to pay for.

I was quoted £30 for a silver filling or £175 for a white one.

Lots of ppl have savings >>> £500.

I have Denplan. It's fairly pricey, at about £35 a month - however, I'm getting on and my teeth are naturally pretty poor. Despite my best efforts I've had to have quite a lot of expensive dental work done - root canals, extractions, partial denture etc so it has been worth it.

I can only see my teeth getting worse/more costly to look after so I'm resigned to accepting that I just need monthly insurance to afford it.

My dentist is NHS but suggests when I may want to go private for a treatment (or part of treatment).
Been with them for nearly 30yrs and trust them implicitly.

My OH has been with Denplan for longer than I have known him. Not a filling in his mouth but does wear a mouth guard at night.
Pays £54/M with no additional costs for treatment.

We have savings which we use for this kind of thing but I appreciate many people are living hand to mouth and don't have the luxury of a financial buffer.

I drive 5 hours to Sussex from Somerset to see my old dentist who is half the price of my Somerset dentist. I am considering going abroad for dental treatment. Im just researching it first. I don't want white teeth I just want all my fillings replaced.
I can't afford Somerset dentistry.

A lot of people have funds to cover it, a lot get it all free.

Denplan at £30 per month.

I have a NHS dentist. I had all 4 wisdom teeth out and I’m sure it cost £40. I remember thinking is there a 0 missing here!!

I spend loads at the dentist. I actually am lucky enough to still have an NHS dentist but obviously there are still costs for fillings and extractions, and NHS doesn’t cover more complicated treatments. I ringfence some of my savings for healthcare, which includes dental work and other things I choose to have, like mole scans.

Next dental treatment is going to be two implants costing around £5000 and no, I haven’t got enough. I have about £1500 in my savings to get me started. The treatment will take place over a period of several months and the dentist said I don’t have to pay for it all at the start, so I’m hoping I can save some more in the next couple of months. Any extra will have to come out of my ISA which is annoying because that’s supposed to be part of my pension.

How does denplan work as you get older and you’ve had some work already? Does it go up and up each year?

Who gets it all free?

Where we are there are no NHS dentists, I haven't seen a dentist in 5 years and have to pay privately for my children. You can't even been seen as an emergency around here on the NHS, it's pay or suffer in pain with dental problems.

We have something similar to Denplan and yes it does. We are £80 per month basically to stay on the books of a dentist.

No NHS spaces in the Highland region for years, so NHS is unavailable here.

They struggle and they suffer. They go through endless cycles of pain, infections and if they can get them, antibiotics and then if they finally get a dentist, they go for the cheapest not best option - extractions so that there aren't issues in the future.

Despite oral health being strongly linked to general health, it is allowed to deteriorate utterly without intervention or help.

I recently had one wisdom tooth out and it was NHS band 2 price … about £75 I think..Your quote seems too high

Some health insurance cover removal of wisdom teeth - without separate dental plan.

I just can’t afford to go. In Ireland and don’t earn enough to afford it but I work so don’t have a medical card (but even people on medical card can only get bare minimum done anyway!) Funny I’ve awful teeth but am never in pain so I manage. When I finally have to get them done I’d guess they’ll all go together

Thanks @chipsticksmammy

i've had a lot of issues with my gums, my fantastic thankfully NHS dentist, thinks its generic. I flip between NHS and private depending on what needs to be done

i dont understand how the, albeit stretched NHS, doesn’t prioritise access to a dentist, people need teeth! Decay is also linked to many other health issues

If you genuinely have no savings and can’t afford it then you just don’t go. You stay in pain and then when it gets really bad you rock up at an and e and they give you antibiotics and possibly remove the tooth if it’s in danger of causing you serious health issues.

Anyone on Universal credit with earnings less than a certain amount gets it free, many pensioners on pension credit get it free, many on a low income with an HC2 certificate will get some reduction .

I have Denplan Care, because my teeth are in good condition I don’t have to pay that much, it’s less than £25pm and covers most things. I have a credit card or bank of dad for anything else. Bank of dad has better rates though.

I get my teeth done when in spain or poland, cheaper and better than the uk, I do have a good fairly priced private dentist here if needed. dont bother with dental insurance as it only covers a few check ups etc, waste of money, looked into all the policies, dont cover major work so waste of time. NHS dentist locally only does check up and small fillings....wont do crowns etc on nhs as says funding has finished for the year etc.

Only if there's a dentist who has an NHS contract near you, otherwise it's private and they pay for it.

I was due a check up at my nhs dentist next month, an appointment I made a year and a half ago (it was the soonest they could fit me in). Had a letter today to say it’s been cancelled as the nhs dentist I see has left and they can’t find a replacement.

I’m now looking at private plans as I really don’t want to leave it much longer before having my teeth checked. Can’t really afford it but I’ll have to make it work…