Teeth and dentists and cost!

Just to mention that it is worth finding out if there is a Dentistry school within travelling distance, there are a few across the country. My friend’s husband had to have extensive work done and attended the School of Dentistry in Birmingham completely free of charge, he went once a week for several weeks and travelled there on the train, he said the students are slow but their work is good and they are closely supervised. A neighbour’s son is training to be a dentist and she says he enjoys the practical work but is often disappointed when patients don’t turn up for their appointments.

I'm fed up with the gap ExDancer though it does prompt some unusual conversations. My hairdresser told me he had false teeth since he was quite young and never takes them
out!

Would that I hadn't taken mine out
Keeping my fingers crossed for the dentist tomorrow. I had better have the payment ready

kitty I don’t disagree with what you say say and
by allowing Dentists to become wholly private businesses we have at least kept them here in the U.K. and those of us who can pay, will.
Before that we were losing them all abroad as the NHS did not allow them to offer the newest technology in dentistry as they had financial restraints.
However private dentistry is for many people out of their reach.

Grammaetto I think you and I are in a similar boat. If the denture made from your original mould still fitted you - why wouldn't a new denture made from the old mould still fit?
I've been walking around with an embarrassing gap in my face for nearly 2 months.
And mine cost me £1100 too!

Tillytrotter but dental surgeries are private businesses. If they cannot get, or do not want an NHS contract, how can the government interfere with their private charges?

Over 20 years ago, my husband was interviewed by the local paper and said that dentistry was being privatised by the back door. It seems he was a prophet.

And, dentists have been made to look like the greedy villains

But Kitty I went to the dentist the very next day so if she had sent off the mould to the lab there and then, the new denture would fit surely?

I think she used a different laboratory and wanted to do her own thing. This has been since early August.

I am not anti Labour, the last Government paid little attention to the Dental part of the NHS.

This is what the BDA have to say about the Government’s involvement in this.

They could either fund more NHS dentists, or oversee the private price structuring.
Not just wash their hands of it all.

Your mouth would have changed since the last impression.

I thought I was one of the lucky ones. My old dentist retired and was replaced by an expensive private one. So I signed up with an NHS dentist but he was doing most things" privately". Ie if you want a white filling or a denture that fits you have to pay.
So I moved to another NHS dentist and have now managed to lose my expensive denture with 4 teeth so asked her to use the same mould, which I was given, and make a new one.
Can't do that. Have to take new impressions and wait 3 months! The cost a little over £1100.
NHS? Of course not . But even the NHS ones would have been £600
I am so cross with myself for losing my teeth. I think I accidentally flushed them away.
Now tomorrow the new gnashers should be ready but will they fit?

I suppose pricewise teeth should be compared to car repairs. At least my new hip and is going to be free and my cataract operation etc etc

But, what has it got to do with the government?

I think the Government should investigate if prices charged by private Dentists are fair and not just a licence to print money IYKWIM.

I want to keep my own teeth as long as possible so will pay whatever to do that.
My mum was one of the generation who had all their teeth taken out by the NHS at a fairly young age, and she said the dentures she was given were the most uncomfortable things ever.

Contact the dentists office and say that you want o make sure that there will be no more to pay. It will either put your mind at rest or you could set up a payment plan.

Surely it was priced at needing the three teeth.

I was in the same position as you Toetoe but my dentist eventually gave up on the NHS and went totally private. As he was in a part of town a long way from where I now live, I chose this new, private, dentist mainly because the surgery was accessible. There are now no NHS dentists in this area.
I decided not to join the insurance plan because at age 85 and with very few of my original teeth left - it didn't seem worth it. I'm glad I didn;t because the present problem has cropped up whilst I would have been still in the probationary period of the 'plan' and it doesn't come into operation until i've been paying into the scheme for 6 months. So I'd still have had to pay full price.
I'll look into adding my name to the toothless list.

Lisaangel10

Yes, it’s his fault and don’t pay any more. Stand your ground and don’t worry.

Most private dentists will let you do a payment plan IF you have to have any more work done in future.

Totally his fault so try not to worry.It’s already taken ages to do and his mistake he should not only get the work done but apologise to you.

There is a group of people called Toothless In England who are lobbying number 10 Downing street with thousands of signatures asking for NHS dentists to return .

I have an NHS dentist she works only 2 days a week . I had a broken filling so went to her . She pushed a piece of filling into the cavity and my follow up appointment was 7 weeks away . During this time the filling crumbled , she couldn't see me so I paid another dentist to put in another temporary filling as I was in great discomfort. I eventually got to my 7 week appointment to be told she was unwell so I had to wait another 3 weeks to be seen . 10 weeks on from my first visit I finally got my tooth done . Sadly because she is only working 2 days appointments are months in between , which can cause awful pain and sensitivity.

I am now thinking it may be better to pay privately and get appointments quicker . I'll have to take out a payment plan . It's frightening the cost.

I don't expect you will have to pay the extra work . It's his mistake . Best wishes to you

Yes, it’s his fault and don’t pay any more. Stand your ground and don’t worry.

Most private dentists will let you do a payment plan IF you have to have any more work done in future.