Scooby Roo

Thanks to Tony Bliar and his campaign to push everything into the private sector my Dentist has just gone due to the new changes to the NHS. Thanks a bunch ya b'stard :angry:

There are no surgeries taking on NHS so I'm resigning to having to pay.

The basic package is for check ups, x-rays plus hygene visits and 10% discount on all other treatments for £12.69/month

Next is the same as the basic plus routine treatments and 65% discount on comlplex treatment.

They both include UK and Worldwide dental cover up to £10k and my littlun will be covered in whichever package I choose.

Now my teeth and my wifes teeth are in good nick but I have no clue whether this is a good deal or not..........your help is required.

Cheers

Roo

hades

IIRC when I had a few, fillings were anywhere from £30-£75 ish. Root canal was £300 per tooth, caps and things probably more besides. I think a regular check-up and hygiene was about £25. The prices for the more serious work are perhaps 3 years old. This was from a private/independent dentist (think she claimed something back from the NHS to part-subsidise the private costs or something)

Do the sums yourself depending on how much work you guess you might need.

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

If poss always try and "pay as you go" for private dental treatment......it cuts out the "middle man" (Denplan etc !!)

Midlife.....

Iwan

I'm paying about £14 a month all-in with Denplan, no hidden extras.

pslewis

You do know that Lab Fees are NOT covered don't you????

For example, if you need a crown you will have to pay for it ... any bridges, basically everything will have to be funded bar the dentists time (but then you have already paid £168 a year haven't you?)

All you need do is to put the DenPlan money into an account, earn interest and draw from that when and if you need work .... it will work out cheaper, it has to, or DenPlan would go bust!!

Pete

stilover

Well. I need a crown doing. Price ????? That will be £1000 sir.

pslewis

I need one doing too, big molar crown, price?? £95!!!

Only a sucker pays more

Pete

stevie_c

Same, just have to pay extra if any hardware is requires, crowns, caps etc.
I know it adds up, but this way I actually keep my appointments! Check up every 6 months and hygienist every 3.

I think you should be able to opt out of parts of the National insurance payments if you pay for private health care, same as state pension opt out if you do a private pension...

suprabeast

only a sucker doesnt look after their teeth well enough that they need dentist work done..

Brushing well is much cheaper

Petem95

I was using my local dentist until about 18months ago. Theyre private, and I didnt think anything of paying £30 for a check-up and £160 for a white filling - but when a filling fell out, and they said they'd have to remvoe the tooth a do a 'bridge' or some crap like that - they quote £800!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say I changed dentists to an NHS one, and got the same tooth removed for £50. Also check-ups are something like £5.

Level of service appears the same. Ok the dentist is foreign, but I dont see that as being a huge problem.

StickyMicky

i have always said this scince i left school and had to pay for dentist work

always brush 2 times per day, once per week floss and mouthwash when needed
all was well, until last month or so when a filling that was done as a child packed up and a section of my tooth fell off

now i am not on a dentist list, my old dentist has a 12 month waiting list to get back on his books, other locals are not doing nhs work, and the bill to fix my tooth private is upwards of £370

Cupramax

i've just had a root canal done, well I say done... on the third visit now and cost £385 so far with one more visit to check for any infection and put a final filling in so probably £450 total.

PS just to add no hope of gettin an NHS dentists round here

weapon69

We must be lucky then! We've got a brilliant NHS dentist in Kent and i thought we were in one of the most densely populated parts of the country!

DJ140

I had a bridge fitted last year, 2 teeth, installed price was £130 under the NHS.

If you have decent teeth, Pete's suggestion of saving the cash sounds good

SiPie

Currently on Denplan @ circa £16 a month

Just had 23 appointments dating back to 6th August 2004 for route canal treatment on the same tooth.......dentist talking some pish about a lateral canal etc etc but beginning to think I know more about dentistry than this clown.

Have to ask yourself how much the dentist gets paid from Denplan every time you visit ? Certainly raises my suspicions. The fact that he's just bought a new EVO IX FQ 340 added to my fears

Brough this up with Denplan when I asked if they could recommend a dentist in my area who actually knew wtf he was doing

They recommended that you don't change dentists midst treatment.....

Dental rant over

Scooby Roo

24 visits in just over 2 years

At least your getting value for money

SiPie

Scooby Roo

Everyone I have mentioned this to can't believe it ......

It feels to me that the root is actually cracked, nothing really left above gum, but dentist feels tooth can be saved.

The dentist says he can't see a crack in the x-ray so shows it to me and asks if I can see anything

He tells me that he has "never seen such a problematic tooth as this and constantly assures me that he will sort it eventually as he is determined and doesn't want to have to take it out"

Any dentists on here care to comment...he says there are two canals with lateral canals, hence the continuing pain (I'm through the roof when th emetal pointy spike or even paper points reach a certain point in the canal ???????)

stilover

I was given the choice of either Root Canal work, or having a crown done. After doing some research on the internet about Root Canals, there is NO way I'm having that done. Spending hours in a dentist chair having all that work done, and after all of that, if one single bacteria is left in the canal, the hole tooth will fail. Extraction after Root Canal treatment is not very easy.
Going to go the Crown way. Although sinse he drilled deeper and filled the tooth with an antiseptic filling, its really gone down to about nothing. Going to give it another week, and if its totaly gone, then I just want him to put a normal filling in.
Will save about £950. If it comes back, then I'll have the crown done.

Holy Ghost

i pay £38 for my six monthly check-up and ultrasonic clean/polish in a local private practice. if your teeth are in good nick, it's not a lot; if not, then it's cher-ching for the dentist.

Luan Pra bang

Go to Poland have few days holiday and its still cheaper than here

DocJock

SiPie

Your dentist gets a payment from Denplan every month whether you attend or not.

Re your current problematic tooth, I am not going to begin to 2nd guess a diagnosis/prognosis over the 'net.

DJ

SiPie

Fair comment

Thanks for explaining the way he gets the cash from Denplan, appreciated

pslewis

Yep, thats how I understand it .... DenPlan is an Insurance Policy and the Dentist is the Insurance Broker - they get monthly commission.

Therefore their basic monthly income is essentially fixed - they would probably love it if no-one came to see them at all!!

Pete

StickyMicky

had a look at denplan on the net last night and i noticed that my old dentist (on a 12 month list to get back on his books) is also doing denplan work

can i join denplan, get the work done on the cheap and then "leave" ?

Scooby Roo

LOL Good plan I'm sure they have thought about that one

pslewis

The Dentist gives you a check-up before the contract on DenPlan starts .... all work has to be completed, THEN they will take you on!

Pete

MattOz

I pay £12.50 a month at my local dentists. That gives me 2 checkups and 2 hygeniest visits in the year. Also get 20% reduction in any treatment that needs doing.

Matt

ewanrw

£10/month with Denplan plus cost of any work needing done. The g/f pays £15/month as she has had root-canal problems.

I thought I would have been more as I had Orthodontic work done when I was younger.

And all this reminds me, I need to make an appointment.

ewan

pslewis

I wish everyone would please wake up to this 20% Discount ballony

Thats 20% off a cost that you have no idea how much it should be in the first place!! So, don't kid yourselves!!

Pete