BUPA NHS dental work cost £500!

Perhaps we should all be asking MPs to find dental care for us as per the legislation!

Good point 4all

I visit a private dental practice and of late I have had a terrible bottom sensitive tooth pain. It’s the tooth I had a deep filling in years ago, I would like it out but I’m not too sure as I’m on a blood thinner and I’m frightened to have to stop the blood thinner as I’m sure doing this while having implants may have caused my stroke. Any advice please.

My NHS dentist turned private without any warning. I asked to join Denplan, but I’ll have to have all work done first to the cost of 1k before I can join. I’ve checked numerous other dentist? they’ve all said the same thing.

Like Bamm my dh has a Denplan with his dentist. It is excellent. He pays about £25 per month and only pays extra for lab work..
My dentist of 30 years went private last year. His plan is £17.50 per month and for that I get two check ups/clean plus 3 xrays if needed plus 10% off any work done. I need a root canal and it'll cost me £450.
Last year I approached dh's dentist but they weren't taking any new patients. They did tell me that dh's Denplan was no longer available for new patients.

What have the tory's got to do with a BUPA dentist?
We go to an amazing private dentist, our choice, locally. Our previous dentist was NHS. Again, brilliant, but a bit too far away.
If you don't get any response from your complaint, you should consider going to ombudsman.

My monthly dental insurance I think is expensive. But having read this thread, I'm starting to think differently.

About 20 years ago my dentist went private. I had nowhere else to ho otger than travelling about 30 miles each way to another practice. I wrote to my MP quoting the sections of the National Health Act that covered dental provision. She found me a dentist willing to provide dental service charging local health board for his service at his private costs. I attended about 3 years then a new NHS practice opened up nearby abd I moved there and still going. Perhaps we should all be asking MPs to find dental care for us as per the legislation!

Been to a private dentist for over 20yrs, they did my children via NHS until they were 18 yrs.
I still go twice a year for check up's about £48 each time consequently my teeth are always OK, any issues would be seen in advance.
If I paid Insurance it would cost me far more, in my view worth it.

My previous NHS dentist closed and has since gone private. No NHS dentist taking patients in my area and also my daughter's. I had to register with another private dentist when they closed and now pay £24 a month for two checkups and hygienist visits a year. I recently lost a filling and had to pay £145. It is worth it to me to get an appointment in a reasonable time. During Covid it was impossible to see a dentist NHS or private. I can't really afford it but peace of mind is important. NHS services are being privatised by stealth. GP service is not good and unable to see the one female part time GP without my hopeless GP's permission. At my age I would prefer a female GP but they are few and far between.

SheepyIzzy - 👏👏👏👏👏

I live in the USA. We pay $136 a month dental insurance for me and DH, which covers 50% of dental work, up to $2000 a year each. However a straightforward crown costs $1200 and a hygienist appointment costs $80 after insurance pays out. I’m also in the middle of having two implants done which will add up to $10,000 altogether by the time I’ve paid the implant specialist and my regular dentist. The dental work is excellent but the costs are eye-watering.

Many years ago my dentist stopped taking NHS patients and we joined Denplan ( a dental insurance plan which has different levels of care). For some time I have been on a level where I can visit a dentist privately when away under the plan, but also I have two check ups a year with my dentist and hygienist visits plus x-rays when necessary. I don't pay for any work my dentist undertakes ( root canal, extraction, fillings etc) but do pay for lab work. For example lab payment is £100 for a crown under this insurance.
I pay an amount (fixed by the dentist according to the state of one's teeth) each month. I find this a reasonable cost for the care I receive. I am able to get an appointment as soon as I need care and my dentist is excellent. NHS care is non existent where I live and I find the costs involved for me manageable.
I only wish this could be possible for GP care for a reasonable charge. I am in an area where there is no choice of surgery. The only one that I can use is truly dreadful. You can't make an appointment in person, you can't now use the NHS app for appointments, only for blood work and if you phone you are something like 15th in the queue. I asked for an appointment in August and was put on a list for a phone call from a 'distant' doctor and received a call on 31st October. Six doctors from the practice all left on 1st of April. I believe it is about to go into ' special measures '. What is a person to do? I want to support the NHS but at 77 years of age I now have no named doctor and am told by reception that I can't see one unless in great pain! It truly is a national illness service not a national health service.

I was at the dentist yesterday and noticed that a check up and clean has increased to £25.
There are two other levels, fillings and the like which are more and crowns etc woukd be level 3.
My dh didn’t get a clean, but didn’t mention it, and paid £25 and was out of the door in minutes.

They do. Just as when I was a solicitor telling the client about fees was obligatory before starting work.

spabbygirl Even if they do have a poster saying NHS prices, that's no good if you're not told, or given a choice, as to whether your care is private or NHS

I don't understand how you would not be told. Everyone knows there is NHS and private, so the dentist must give you the choice before treating you.

Read what I posted spabbygirl and tell me why you expect to have the full cost refunded. I have never yet been to a dentist, NHS or private, or indeed any other professional person or tradesman who didn’t give full details of charges up front. If you buy something from a shop you know what it will cost. Dentists have to display their charges - see below. Why did you think the work, which seems quite extensive, would cost £70?

www.gdc-uk.org/standards-guidance/information-for-patients-public/dental-costs#:~:text=However%20dental%20professionals%20must%20make,A%20consultation.

I am sure that I have seen poster in my Dentist waiting room showing a comprehensive list of NHS and non-NHS charges - the practice has both patients.

It is not unreasonable to expect to be inform beforehand just what the charges will be surely?

I hope the OP does get their money back too.

Dentist and charges are nothing new 25 years ago i was talked into having crowns fitted privately by a NHS dentist who had taken over the practice they caused nothing but pain and discomfort after many visits to this dentist i went and saw a private dentist who was horrified at the mess the other had made and due to this i had to have all my teeth out fast forward 18 years and sets of dentures later my last set cost me £2000 by my private dentist luckily at that time i just about managed to pay the bill now six yeas later i need them relined as getting loose and hardly any jaw bone left no NHS dentist will treat me and to go private is something i can no longer afford so i have to make do with the loose ones i have with the help of a denture fixative

Crikey!!!! I'm not the only one to have paid an astronomical sum for tooth care! It really should be made clear to people how much they will be charged before the work is done. I've asked for them to refund the whole amount, without a deduction for the NHS so I'll see how that goes. I know lots of people don't go to a dentist now cos it's too expensive. What is really annoying is we've all paid contributions to have NHS dental care and this gov't have removed this service without a mandate, that is what they are doing to the GP service too now, and making the contracts so unworkable drs and dentist won't sign up to them.
I complained to BUPA head office so I'll tell you how I get on, so far I got just one response from Oxford office, I had to email head office when I heard nothing a month later & they seem to be doing something now, 5 weeks on I had an email yesterday saying the dentist was writing a reply.
Even if they do have a poster saying NHS prices, that's no good if you're not told, or given a choice, as to whether your care is private or NHS

I've had both private and NHS and a few years ago a private one offered to 'save' a front tooth by putting on a veneer. I wanted a second opinion and went elsewhere and they offered to clean off the offending brown spot and 15 years later the tooth is still fine, so I guess a narrow escape there. My previous dentist charged privately but not much more than NHS would have cost and my current dentist is NHS and excellent. Having had toothache a few times over the years I think the government is evil in not ensuring everyone has access to good dental care and it stores up problems for later as poor dental health can cause so many other problems like heart disease as well as pain and misery. There are services out there providing unnecessary fashion fixes for slightly less than perfect looking otherwise healthy teeth that could, if funded correctly, keep the nations teeth healthy and pain free. Imagine being a child with toothache and not a single available, affordable dentist - not the sign of a caring society.

spabbygirl

Crikey!!! I went to a private dentist a few years ago & they gave me a print out with everything that would be done at a schedule of appointments and the price of each, that was much more professional. I just think since the Tories don't want the NHS if they get into power again they will probably extend this to the GP service so most people won't be able to afford it

Why do you think the Conservatives, proper name, don't want the NHS. That statement is silly , they could have got rid of it long ago, yes?Remember it was war monger Blair that increased private out sourcing. The private sector works well in the EU, beloved by many on here. alongside state funding, why can't it here.? It does. Provides NHS patients with choice.

bring back the nhs dentistry, people pay into the service, so it should pay out. We are seeing the nhs being systematically destroyed , when is this rot going to end? We were banging pots and pans every thursday in 2020 for the nhs,now we are struggling to see a doctor,the complaints go on and on. Do we want a health system like the USA or none at all?
i live in hope........

spabbygirl

We have no-one taking NHS dental patients round here so when I saw BUPA Oxford were taking NHS patents I thought that sounds great, I can have a nice day out in Oxford & mix it with the occasional paid work I do. So I went for a checkup & the dentist said I needed lots of work done but if I booked an hour appointment he could get the NHS work done. I was fine with that & booked the appt to get the NHS work done. Once that was finished I went to pay expecting it to be about £70 but it was over £500!!!! And an extra £30 as a deposit for my next visit!!! I felt so lousy & my mouth sore I just paid it on my credit card & left. As the anaesthetic wore off I could feel one of my repaired teeth was so high I couldn't chew, cos none of the other teeth were meeting.
I rang and asked for an emergency appt but was told there were none till the following weds, this was Saturday & they were open. I begged for an earlier appt & explained, but was told there were none and I'd have to wait to ring on Monday. I spent the whole weekend unable to chew and almost choking on my food which had to be pureed, so I emailed the practice manager really, really cross now & thinking she'd get my email 1st thing Monday, but I heard nothing and eventually on Monday late morning I rang & got an appt. that afternoon.
This dentist was much more careful & tested my teeth with bits of paper that I had to bite on so she could see how well my teeth were meeting, which the other dentist hadn't done nor did he ask how they felt, and now they're ok. This dentist did say one of the new teeth was very high.
I posted on trust pilot about their service and head office apologised & the practice manager rang and said did I really want to complain and I said yes.
My complaint is two fold, first about the charge, it wasn't NHS charge at all, and the dentist who was very slapdash & more interested in talking to the dental nurse than me.
Over a month later I've still heard nothing except for a brief note from head office saying they'll get back to me. A solicitor said I should have the £500 back plus £100 for the extra cost of driving into them to have their woke repaired.
If the Tories get in again next time this will be what they do to our GP service now - God help us! Am I alone in this type of experience?

What makes you think Labour are any different? Blair OPENED the doors, he said ALL welcome and because of bleeding hearts, not one person except Braverman had the balls to say ENOUGH!! The NHS was created for the people of this country and between those who have no right to be here, and groups that think certain treatments should be done for free, the ALL governments think nothing of bleeding the taxpayers WITHOUT asking us if we'd mind! So Labour win, what then for BIOLOGICAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS? You can probably say goodbye to BIOLOGICAL women ever feeling safe again!

Labour are just as bad and the problem is there isn't a decent 3rd choice!

This says that with NHS work carried out by BUPA in England, the NHS subsidises the cost and the patient pays the rest. I don’t think your solicitor gave you the best advice. www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-care/services/nhs-services

My dentist has changed to private, so prices are astronomical now. I have a very receded gum, which is very sensitive, so keep using Sensodyn. and two horrible discoloured teeth, but it's soo expensive. Know I'm not the only one by far who now doesn't dare use the dentist unless it's really really necessary.