(blimey, it’s been a while)
Mich got a letter from her dentist today – they are no longer going to be NHS so she has to decide one of 3 options.
- pay a tenner a month which will cover 2 checkups and 2 hygenist visits and allow her to make emergency appointments if needed. You also get a bonus 20% discount on anything else needed
- pay £32.50 a year to remain on the books and then pay for appointments (20 quid a shot). Also need to have an xray (more ££) to go on record (I assume the ones taken as an nhs patient evaporate or something when they go private). This also allows you to make emergency appointments as long as they have space (ie, no one paying more than you gets there first). You must make at least on paid for appointment each year else they strike you off
- piss off elsewhere
They strongly recommend option 1. But they would really wouldn’t they.
Option 2 seems like a real con. £32.50 a year for bugger all. Apparantly the charge is for an insurance policy that gives you worldwide emergency dental treatment (is that not covered on your travel insurance?).
Option 3 is tempting.
Oh, all of these options also have a £7.50 admin fee to set up. Bastards.
Actually, thinking about it I think I’d pick option 2. I’d then go find a the most remote arseendofnowhere place I could and ring them from halfway up a volcano to get my moneys worth from my “worldwide emergency dental insurance”. Mind you, I bet they have small print to exclude volcano induced teeth incidents or something. Apparantly they will continue to see the kids on NHS terms but will re-assess this in April.
Apparantly my dentist is currently not making new appointments while they consider their position so I guess I’ll be getting something similar.
So, what do others do? I presumed that a private dentist just charged when you went – none of this yearly insurance crap. Does she just have a real bastard dentist or is this a normal scam?
Seems to be the standard scam tbh. I got struck off when i was 18, but managed to hang on as an NHS patient till i left uni as i was “still in education”. Since then i’ve done nothing, and i’m a bit worried my teeth are all going to fall out. There doesn’t seem to be an NHS dentist in kent accepting new patients.
My parents went to the same dentist as I, and when he went private they went for option 1 and have got decent value out of it due to teeth which are rotting quite well
I’ve been with my private dentist for about 5 years now (after lapsing with the NHS whilst at Uni). I just pay for the treatment as I need it, he doesn’t seem upset if I miss skip the odd 6 monthly checkup and I can get an emergency appointment same or next day everytime. He does offer some plans but they aren’t compulsary. He isn’t cheap, but I guess he needs to pay for all his dentist toys somehow
Paul now calls me the “thousand pound mouth” because I couldn’t find an NHS dentist when I chipped my tooth in the summer.
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Research Blog on UK Dental Treatment
We at The Patient Connection are currently running a research blog or online discussion on the subject the use of private dental care in the UK. We are seeking the opinions of both people have had any dental treatment in the UK either privately or on the NHS.
In particular we are interested in your experiences with specialists
We would love it if you could share your story and your thoughts on using private dental care.
To participate please go to
http://www.thepatientconnections.com/blog.asp?uid=39
The blog is anonymous and easy to use so I’d like to thank you for your contribution in advance.
Best wishes
Belinda
The Patient Connection
Belinda.shale@thepatientconnections.com
PS Please email me if you have any queries about the blog or any of our projects.