NHS versus Private Dentist

We didn't have a choice. We moved house and there was only one NHS dentist in town and he was oversubscribed. Having said that, we have been more than happy with the dentist we chose and are still with her 20 years on.

We do not have Denplan, we pay check-ups and occasional fillings from income and we have a building society account we pay a monthly sum into for all other dental and health expenses.

Thank you everyone. Do think luck comes into it a lot, where I live it all seems to be private as NHS not taking more patients.

I don't think I've ever been to a private dentist and, so far (touch wood, I have been happy with NHS treatment.

My NHS dentist is fantastic - he takes time to explain everything and his partner is the hygienist who is a lovely lady. He was the dentist who referred me to the private one for all the implant work I had to have done 3 years ago - there was no treatment available on the NHS other than having dentures. That treatment was amazing and as it took 9 months I got to see the private side as well - both excellent. Due to all the work I've had done my Denplan is £25 a month which seems a lot compared to what others have quoted. What with that with that and £25 a month for my contact lens prescription and the £400 I've just had to fork out for new glasses (complex short sight prescription) my teeth and eyes cost me a fortune . No idea how I'll pay it when I retire in 2 years time!!

I took Trisher post to mean that paying privately doesn't necessarily guarantee rranged a good dentist. And the converse.

There seems to be no shortage of NHS dentists round here they have about 8 or more dentists at my practise and still advertise for NHS patients there are other practises all seem to be taking on too
I ve just had similar trouble Terribull six months of a reoccurring cyst after a root canal (clean out twice ) and loads of antibiotics I ve had it extracted a difficult extraction plus the x Ray showed a root left behind next door to it so both have been cut out and stitched and I m pain free and lump free now so Good luck with yours and yes that bill would have made me faint too luckily mine plus two fillings was NHS

Terribull.

I had that problem. PPP and Denplan both refused to pay for my treatment. The dentist was good enough to only treat the one tooth, telling me to have the other (last back tooth) removed. I think I paid about £500.

I think you're right Trisher . I do think though that some private practices are better equipped ( or more modern) , it's where our money goes I guess

Having read through the other posts, I wished I had been more aware of dental insurance, we have private health insurance but dental work isn't covered

I had root canal treatment a couple of days ago. I have what my dentist thinks is a cyst. When my dentist went into the canal to drain the infection he met a "dead end" and could only partially get rid of dead tissue and infection etc. yuk! I think the cyst has gone down somewhat since then, I have a follow up appointment scheduled beginning of June. He has told me I might need more root canal work, or possibly the tooth may have to come out and I would need a new tooth. The initial charge for the work the other day was £700 gulp!. I couldn't find an NHS dentist in my town, but have tracked one down a couple of miles away and have made an appointment there and am hoping I can get any further treatment through this NHS dentist. I have never had to have major dental work since the practice I'm with went private, the bill was a bit of a to say the least.

Good post trisher! It sometimes depends on whether they can get an adult NHS contract.

My dentist is both nhs and private, best of both worlds, great dentist, chose what you'd rather pay for when possible.

It's pot luck I have relatives who are dentists and who were involved in training dentists. If you mention a name they will go "Oh he/she is good/alright" or simply pull a face. NHS or private it is the same. Of course some procedures can't be carried out under the NHS anyway.

We first went to a private dentist many years ago and took out an insurance as it was worth every penny. Both of us had Dentist-phobia and wouldn't go but needed some things doing. What we found was that we were given lots of time and made to feel at ease which perhaps certainly at that time where we lived the NHS dentist didn't have the time for. Our current dentist is absolutely wonderful in every way but it does cost. We pay £100 a month jointly for dental treatment, new specs, osteopathy, chiropody and a few other things (Simply Health) but we have had the policy for a very long time so I think this is good value.

My previous NHS dentist (who was very good) changed to private and introduced Denplan, we stayed for a couple of years because there were no other NHS ones here. So we ended up paying three lots of Denplan (not the cheapest rate) for basic check ups and clean, I think my son had one filling. Rather an expensive job, but exactly the same dentists doing the work.
When a new chap opened NHS surgery we switched to him. He's lovely and his practice has grown so that there are now four people working there.
Two of the local practices that had changed to all private have also started taking NHS back, people are always trying to get into NHS ones.

We had no choice at our previous address for many years as it seemed impossible to access NHS dentistry. In 27 years we attended two private surgeries, one was OK, the second excellent. After moving areas we joined an NHS practice. The treatment is comparable to that received in our previous, excellent surgery. Our dentist is young, enthusiastic, gentle and respectful. He understands that older patients are more likely to have had negative past experiences. He is also very skilled. I guess to an extent it's luck, but I wouldn't write off NHS dentistry.

My NHS dentist is fantastic, nothing is rushed and she always goes through every option that is available.She really is fantastic and 1000x better than the R.A.F butchers dentists that i used to have to suffer.

My dentist said he'd stay NHS but a few years later told his patients costs led him to go private. I stayed with him as the cost of a veneer and bridge on the NHS was more than my annual Denplan fee. NHS dentists aren't easy to find around here and I'm fortunate to be able to pay the monthly fee. I have two check ups annually, 4 visits to the hygienist. I needed an urgent appointment recently, was seen within the hour by another dentist at the practice. The surgery is a pleasant place to visit, the staff turnover seems non existent. I do hope the NHS generally doesn't go this route though because my health issues would probably rule me out of any private insurance.

I went private a few years back, but have now gone back to NHS. My dentist was also under the Denplan scheme, and I paid £9 a month, but after the basic inspection and any hygiene work needed (I do not have a lot of teeth), I had to pay for anything which needed doing which was very much more than NHS charges. The private dentist was absolutely lovely, saved two teeth for me, unfortunately however, he was three flights of stairs to climb which I found quite difficult, so after considering the £108. per year for very little 'free' treatment I returned to me old NHS, and had quite good treatment there recently.

My dentist back in Oxon had been NHS for years but then went private. Since he was a very good dentist I stayed with him and felt it was "worth it" not to have the hassle of finding a non-existent NHS dentist in the same area or of having to travel quite a distance to one somewhere else.

Apart from a few years in Oxon though, I've always had an NHS dentist and have no complaints about any of them or any of the treatment I've received. Of my three daughters, only DD2 has ever needed any treatment, and that wasn't until she was well into her thirties, so my kids don't have opinions about dental treatment except to be glad that they live now rather than, say, a hundred years ago.

No I don't think you get any better treatment but I do think it's out of most people's league I couldn't justify spending thousands on myself when I could get it for a hundred or two fifty top whack my friend went to another town to spend a lot of money on a top private dentist but her implant / or crown I can't remember what it was came out and necessitated more visits I notice she is attending a nearby NHS dentist now

I posted about my diminishing teeth a few days ago Been with same Dentist for many years. not alot of choice here, he is ok , not brilliant, but honest enough I feel. He was NHS then went private so we have a joint Denplan too.

If any of you saw my other post you wil know that I am to have a full upper denture. All I need to pay is the lab fee, and that has been quoted at £150.

Am still fed up about this, my teeth are being removed in stages, had two out last Thursday, another two at the end of May. Not happy, but I must say there was, and is no pain from the extractions, just a bit of a sore mouth where the injection went.

Luckylegs I do think there is an element of luck in it too, My neighbour here goes to a new NHS Dentist which has set up in town, she says she is a Polish Lady, and she is very pleased with her, pleased with what she has done to her teeth, and also says she is gentle and pleasant too.
I wish you the best with your choice

I'm an NHS patient. My current treatment is complicated and because of cost my dentist had to get prior approval. 4 root canals, 2 crowns, a root removed from my gum, 2 minor fillings.

This is capped at around £250.
My dentist is about 6 years graduated and I couldn't ask for better.

Jane10 My husband also has Denplan. He pays £16 per month. This covers what you have mentioned. However it does not cover any lab work required. It covers all the dentist's work but he would have to pay the lab for a crown, denture etc

We have a private dentist who is excellent. I had to be assessed before setting the premium and it was set at £8 per month. This actually seemed cheaper than NHS and allows for 6 monthly check ups, dental hygienist once a year plus any treatment I might require including emergency. The premium has crept up to £9 a month but still strikes me as excellent value. DH was assessed as £17 pcm but his teeth weren't in good condition. I think the company is called 'Denplan' or something like that.