Dental Insurance Plans

[Zachlain]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if anyone can recommend some good reasonably priced dental insurance plans?

Also, I work full-time and have a salary that is greater than the cut-off for getting free NHS treatment. Does this mean that if I visit a dentist, I am visiting as a private patient (i.e. is a person classified as an 'NHS patient' only if they satisfy criteria for free NHS treatment?).

The insurance will mainly be used to take care of costs associated with routine examinations etc.

[dojo]

dont know about salary cap etc.

I think that the NHS dentists put you in bands depending how many fillings etc you need... my mate didnt go for ages and needed like 8 or 9 fillings and a crown, cost him £210 for the lot (on NHS)band C I think which was top band.

Problem with NHS is you have to have metal fillings, you can pay for upgrade to white but then may as well go private.

BUt often private dentist will have certain amount of NHS spaces. Round here its impossible to get on NHS list.

My plan (and its only for my practice) means I pay £9 a month but I get 2 free check ups and hygienist appointments a year and 25% of any work needed done.

Maybe worth ringing round a few and seeing what plans they have.

[Flibble]

Can't speak for insurance plans (I've never seen any that I considered worth the money), but for NHS if you're above the free income limit it means you have to pay a fixed cost for treatment.

The full details are here:
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/dent...

Checkups and simple stuff is £17.50 a visit though, so if your dentist is accepting NHS patients it's well worth it as that's a lot cheaper than a private checkup.

I've had a mixture of NHS and private work done at my dentist and the only difference seems to be how much he charges me.

[Zachlain]

Thanks guys.

So it seems the sensible approach is to phone some local dentists and get a grasp on the different prices they charge, see if they accept NHS patients, and then get booked in for a checkup.

[Driller]

Flibble said:

The full details are here:
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/dent...

How the fk is any dentist supposed to do even bad work whilst being paid those sorts of fees?

[Oakey]

What do you charge Driller?

[Zachlain]

Ok, what I have found out today is everyone in the UK is a NHS patient.
People who have to pay will have their treatment fall into one of three bands.
The first band starts at £17.50, and the third band is £209.

Hope that helps to anyone else in the future.

[Driller]

Oakey said:

What do you charge Driller?

More than that

[Zachlain]

Just been to the dentist for check-up.
I am very pleased that I keep my record of having no fillings ever!

I have had some mild pain in the rear of the right bottom jaw for the last two weeks. An x-ray revealed wisdom teeth beginning to appear on the left and right bottom jaw. he dentist said to leave things as they are and if it gets worse then come back. Is this the right course of action?

How do I manage the mild pain?
I get married in May, and dont want complications arising at that time.

[MacGee]

Driller said:

Flibble said:

The full details are here:
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/dent...

How the fk is any dentist supposed to do even bad work whilst being paid those sorts of fees?

we just do lots of them!

[Driller]

Australian trench?

[Nimby]

SWMBO and I are boomers from the post-sugar-rationing, pre-fluoride generation so have plenty of fillings and crowns. We're with Denplan and it's about £17 a month for me and £15 a month for the missus who has better teeth. That coveres pretty much everything - checkups, hygenist, white fillings and crowns - and we get to see a dentist we like when we want.

[Flibble]

Driller said:

How the fk is any dentist supposed to do even bad work whilst being paid those sorts of fees?

Isn't the idea that the patient pays that much and the NHS pays the rest of the charge for treatment?

[retreat]

Dentist gets an extra 20% or so on top of the patient fee
Not a massive amount extra.


















Worms, can, huge...

[pilchardthecat]

Driller said:

Flibble said:

The full details are here:
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/dent...

How the fk is any dentist supposed to do even bad work whilst being paid those sorts of fees?

They don't. Describing the treatment at my NHS dentist as merely "bad" would be giving them far too much credit. Dangerous and/or criminally negligent would be more apt.

[Craikeybaby]

My NHS dentist is great, but if I had private cover I wouldn't have had to wait 7 weeks to get a broken wisdom tooth removed!

[Oakey]

The problem is, what is your average joe meant to do? Private fees are pretty high from what I remember and the NHS fees are seemingly too low. Is there a middle ground? What would be a reasonable rate that is attainable to the masses?

[Flibble]

My NHS dentist is also great, but he does private work as well so I guess that helps cover the cost of the NHS stuff.