Paying for PPE at dentist...

I’m not with Denplan, can’t afford it, and beginning to think the dentist is becoming an unaffordable luxury.

I had an email 3 weeks ago saying dentist would be charging for PPE in addition to usual dental charges which are astronomical.

There’ll be a lot of folk about with poor teeth over the next few years me thinks ?

PPE for each patient and time to wash the chair etc down (so fewer patients per day) is expensive. I'd rather pay for it and know they're not cutting corners. ( And yes I too think our Denplan is expensive)

Wow Elaine1 - that would have shocked me and I confess I'd have been much less sympathetic. Mine was in forMOT and service this week, as ever, the cost was astronomical. I'd damaged the suspension on a pot hole, this didn't surprise me because I remember hitting the thing, which was disguised by water.
the car was cleaned and sanitised but I would have been irritated had that been added to the cost. I was told it would be totally wiped down before I picked it up and expected that at no extra cost.

I'm with Denplan too and at £26 a month I'd have to seriously think about cancelling it if I receive such a letter. I have 4 hygienist visits a year and an annual check up for the fee - I have had a lot of dental work hence the high cost. What with my teeth and eyes I'm expensive to keep

Not dentist but my car had a recall and on arrival at Mazda Dealership I was asked to pay £9.50 for car to be sanitised before and after the work was done. I complained online while I was waiting as I felt it was quite a lot for sanitising stuff and also was not warned and didn't have my purse with me. At the end they waived the fee.

I'm with you crafty one. My hairdresser has been able to claim the government support because she pays tax and is an honest broker. Nonetheless, she's been out of work, the salon still needed maintaining, she's kept in touch with her staff and clients. She opened her own salon 3 years ago, is young and hard working. I'm more than happy to support her by paying a bit more towards PPE and the fact she can't see her usual number of clients daily because of social distancing.
I do feel, we're all in this together.

you could also say that paying for PPE at the hairdressers is unfair but is it? This stuff has to be paid for and personally I am more than happy to pay for anyone using fresh PPE for me. Why on earth should they be out of pocket?

We’re with Denplan, too, but not heard of this, so far. My dentist has been in touch to say they’re planning how to proceed and will be back in touch soon.

I've got a dental plan with SimplyHealth and have asked them twice about a refund but so far have only been told they are 'thinking about it'!
I looked on WHICH who say you are only likely to get a refund if you ask - it won't just be offered.
No news from dentist regarding reopening, but thankfully I haven't needed any treatment just check-up and hygienist. Don't know if he will charge extra for PPE.

I'm with denplan have not been told of any extra charges for PPE. Have appt booked for Aug with dentist followed by hygienist, should have seen hygienist in June but practice delayed it to follow on from my normal check up.

Im with Denplan, not heard anything from our dentist yet.

My podiatrist has increased her charges by £3 to cover PPE. I'm very happy to pay that. She cleans all the surfaces between clients, takes your temperature on arrival and uses full face cover. Wild times indeed

A friend who is in Denplan was invited in for an overdue manual scale and polish. She wasn’t charged for PPE.
Husband has toothache so will be going tomorrow. We are in the dentists own plan so it will be interesting to see if he’s charged for PPE but I doubt he will be.

Our dentist is NHS but I do pay for crowns privately as I think they are superior. Checkups are NHS though. We have a health insurance which is very cheap and pays back a percentage or dentist, optician etc

My Dentist still cannot give a date when they will be open. They are cautiously saying maybe the end of this month. I had a filling appointment cancelled in April. It is now worse and I have to be very careful when eating.

Our dentists surgery was taken over by BUPA and since then costs have risen and risen. We were charged an extra £7 each for PPE when we had our check ups last week. We were in the chair about 5 minutes each at £74 each - thankfully we have insurance.

I pay nearly £18 a month with PracticePlan and get two check ups and 2 hygienist appointments in the year + 20% off any treatment.

My May checkup was cancelled and I've heard nothing yet except a general email to everyone to say that they are catching up with treatments and dealing with emergencies. They've now been open a month,

I've asked to freeze DD until I catch up with the agreed treatments. Practice Plan said yes but the dentist hasn't agreed it with them and they have to. I've now paid 9 direct debits and still no sign of a check up.

Can't get through on the phone and my last email (10 days ago) hasn't been answered. Surely they should know approximately when they can start check ups again

Agree with MawB. I was expecting a refund.

Denplan is just insurance. Your dentist sets the fees and recoups it from Denplan. Denplan sets your payment on what you are costing them. So if your dentist is adding the cost of PPE Denplan will pass it on.

I get four checkups with dental hygiene Maw. Beginning to think I'm getting a bargain!

I'm with Denplan and I haven't heard anything, but I agree with MawB, a refund would be more in order after 3 months with no dental services.

OP - you get post on a Sunday ?)

I think this must be down to your particular dentist.

I'm with Denplan and haven't had to pay anything extra for my visit to the dentist.

I’m with Denplan too and I think that’s a cheek!
For the three months of lockdown there were no dental services available so I was thinking a refund for that period would be in order.
I’ll be doing my sums and seeing whether the “treatment” I am getting (two check-ups a year plus a hygienist ) might not be better value if I just go private.