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Dental plans - The Cost

(21 Posts)
Franbern Mon 02-Oct-23 11:13:18

I have always attended NHS dentist. In my 80's now, I do look after my teeth. So, my last four annual checks ups have all resulted in N Treatment required.

Hwwever, my dentist is no longer taking NHS work and neither is any other dentist in my town. Not sure as to how legal it can be that NO NHS dentist now in my town for any age of patient

However, I dare not just do nothing with regard to teeth so will need to look at some sort of dental plan and am wondering as to what sort of cost this involves.

As I am on Pension Credit, I pay very little towards the costs of dentist at present. So, it is all quite a blow to me. Be grateful of people could give me someidea as to how much I will need to budget motnhly for straight forwardare (annual check up, occasional filling, tooth extraction.

downtoearth Mon 02-Oct-23 12:17:56

I am in the same position Fran, in order to book an appointment with a new dentist- my old NHS one took me off their books,I had to pay £ 75 up front to book a check up,and then treatment on top.
My appointment is on Friday,I will be asking about dental plans.

B9exchange Mon 02-Oct-23 12:25:53

Try contacting your local ICN (Integrated Care Network) ans insist they find you an NHS dentist. See www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist/ and scroll down for links to find your local one, and what to do if you are still having difficulties. Good luck in your search.

Smileless2012 Mon 02-Oct-23 12:27:27

Hi Franbern. We pay £36.54 monthly for us both to get 2 check ups and 2 hygienist appointments a year but anything else is extra.

I've just been this morning and need a filling replaced and it's going to cost £144!!! One of Mr. S's. caps broke a couple of weeks ago and to have it repaired was £66; a replacement cap would be £600 so fingers crossed he wont need one.

Eirlys Mon 02-Oct-23 12:32:25

I pay around £27 a month for my Dental Plan. Free check up and hygienist. For the last two years have needed no treatment. During lockdown payments still taken but no access to dentist!

emmasnan Mon 02-Oct-23 12:42:01

My husband and myself have a joint dental plan and pay £28 a month. This gives us check ups and I think up to 3 x rays a year.

I had a front crown replaced last year and it was £400. My husband was charged £95 for quite a difficult extraction this week.

Outofstepwithhumanity Mon 02-Oct-23 13:46:08

I pay £14.50 a month to Practice Plan. I get two free checkups per year plus scale & polish. There is a reduction on any treatment, but it’s still eye warteringly expensive.

Outofstepwithhumanity Mon 02-Oct-23 13:46:47

Wateringly!

MrsKen33 Mon 02-Oct-23 13:54:18

B9exchange that would not work in Wales. No NHS dentists anywhere near me.

Dickens Mon 02-Oct-23 13:56:47

Franbern

I have always attended NHS dentist. In my 80's now, I do look after my teeth. So, my last four annual checks ups have all resulted in N Treatment required.

Hwwever, my dentist is no longer taking NHS work and neither is any other dentist in my town. Not sure as to how legal it can be that NO NHS dentist now in my town for any age of patient

However, I dare not just do nothing with regard to teeth so will need to look at some sort of dental plan and am wondering as to what sort of cost this involves.

As I am on Pension Credit, I pay very little towards the costs of dentist at present. So, it is all quite a blow to me. Be grateful of people could give me someidea as to how much I will need to budget motnhly for straight forwardare (annual check up, occasional filling, tooth extraction.

Could you travel further afield? There might be another NHS dentist willing to take you on.

If you've looked after your teeth, there shouldn't need to be too many visits.

dentalchoices.org/find-nhs-dentist/

... they list NHS dentists that are willing to take on new patients

Fewer and fewer NHS dentists - inevitably, they will ultimately cease to exist.

It seems also that more and more people are 'going private' to see a GP - maybe this is also the thin end of the wedge.

Look at all the number of procedures and treatments that are now no longer available and for which you have to pay.

The writing is clearly on the wall. For those on a low-income, the outcome will be inevitable.

pascal30 Mon 02-Oct-23 14:05:12

I pay£16.50 per month for 2 checkups and 2 cleans,thenget 10% off any further treatments needed which are very expensive.. We are told that dentists cannot survive on the money given by government so maybe we should all be petitioning them and hoping that the next lot will take notice

BlueBelle Mon 02-Oct-23 14:51:49

b9exchange If only it were that simple my very large practice now has 2 NHS dentists with 40,000 patients each
There are no other NHS dentists in a very very wide area My friend travels 120 miles to keep her old NHS dentist
There are simple NO NHS dentists taking on any patients in my county or the adjoining county
It’s a complete catastrophe

Oldbat1 Mon 02-Oct-23 15:12:14

£30 a month each with Denplan. 2 check ups 4 hygienist visits any fillings any extractions i had a bridge last year - only have to pay for lab work.

Visgir1 Mon 02-Oct-23 15:21:50

My dentist went private 20 odd years ago, not a hope of NHS. However they continued to see my children until they left school on the NHS.
I just pay for check ups around £45 plus dental Hygienist around £60, only as I have got older do I go to Hygienist .
Before I went PAYG my dentist told me not worth doing Dental plan as I had a couple of crowns which loads your cost each month , she suggested cheaper paying as you go.
Get an approx estimate from your dentist, might be worth just saving you money in a sperate savings account?

welshgirl2017 Mon 02-Oct-23 15:34:18

MrsKen33

B9exchange that would not work in Wales. No NHS dentists anywhere near me.

Same here MrsKen33 - I did sign up to a plan that was £9.50 per month in 2020 and £12.50 for husband - this provided us with 6 monthly check ups and scale and polish (not 'free' as some state - we are paying for it with the 'plan'). Anything else is charged....massively in my opinion. At the beginning of this year the 'plan' fees went up exorbitantly to nearly £40 a month for us both - so I stopped it! Still looking for an NHS dentist....in Wales - they don't exist any more :-( For the 2 years previous to cancelling the 'plan' I had not needed treatment or scale and polish as I look after my teeth meticulously - just hoping nothing major goes wrong.

dogsmother Mon 02-Oct-23 15:38:55

Interesting costs. I’m with simply health and pay £30 ish for two us but this covers just one checkup and scale and polish per year.

Sparklefizz Mon 02-Oct-23 17:54:14

I have found Denplan brilliant. Your dentist assesses your monthly payment.

My dental practice is the very best I have ever attended. I've had a lot of problems with my teeth due to my many health conditions so naturally my premium has increased despite the tremendous care I take with my teeth, but I have always found that at the end of the year I have had my money's worth, with excellent and almost immediate treatment in emergencies.

Floradora9 Mon 02-Oct-23 21:44:43

I pay £42 per month and get four hygienist appointments ( I hate going so only go twice ) two check ups and all routine things like fillings and root canal treatments are free . I was tempted to go on a lesser plan which cost less than half of this but you only get a discount off treatments . I got a list of charges and got cold feet about changing .

Shinamae Mon 02-Oct-23 21:51:21

Floradora9

I pay £42 per month and get four hygienist appointments ( I hate going so only go twice ) two check ups and all routine things like fillings and root canal treatments are free . I was tempted to go on a lesser plan which cost less than half of this but you only get a discount off treatments . I got a list of charges and got cold feet about changing .

Root canal free?….Wow…..

Casdon Mon 02-Oct-23 21:51:48

welshgirl2017

MrsKen33

B9exchange that would not work in Wales. No NHS dentists anywhere near me.

Same here MrsKen33 - I did sign up to a plan that was £9.50 per month in 2020 and £12.50 for husband - this provided us with 6 monthly check ups and scale and polish (not 'free' as some state - we are paying for it with the 'plan'). Anything else is charged....massively in my opinion. At the beginning of this year the 'plan' fees went up exorbitantly to nearly £40 a month for us both - so I stopped it! Still looking for an NHS dentist....in Wales - they don't exist any more :-( For the 2 years previous to cancelling the 'plan' I had not needed treatment or scale and polish as I look after my teeth meticulously - just hoping nothing major goes wrong.

It would work in Wales, there is the same obligation to find you an NHS dentist as there is in England. However, also as in England, there’s no distance limit so the nearest available dentists could be say, 40 miles from where you live.
It’s pretty dire everywhere in terms of NHS treatment. I’ve still got an NHS dentist (I’m in Wales) but they no longer do checkups, just urgent treatments.

Callistemon21 Mon 02-Oct-23 21:52:36

Sparklefizz

I have found Denplan brilliant. Your dentist assesses your monthly payment.

My dental practice is the very best I have ever attended. I've had a lot of problems with my teeth due to my many health conditions so naturally my premium has increased despite the tremendous care I take with my teeth, but I have always found that at the end of the year I have had my money's worth, with excellent and almost immediate treatment in emergencies.

We're with Denplan and it has gone up to about £17.50 per month each now.
That covers two checkups including X rays, two hygienist appointments and 10% off treatments.

It also covers you for emergency dental treatment if you need it on a trip abroad.