I was wondering if there’s a difference in the level of service/skill in private/NHS dentist practises? And if it actually really matters anyway?
Do NHS dentists offer subsidised services for all patients? I’m asking becuse I chipped a tooth during netball a few weeks ago, and had a lot of trouble finding any practise in my town which would take me on as a new patient.
I am also a somewhat nervous patient and recommended a private clinic who fit me in immediately. However after the initial checkup the dentist recommended a crown treatment which totted up to £1K!
My dental cover *should* cover £850 so I need to raise the rest myself. I’m wondering whether I should find another practice that could potentially be cheaper and I could cover the costs entirely through my insurance or should I just bite the bullet and take the cost?
The practice was absolutely lovely but I’m just not sure if I can justify the cost.
7 comments
Yeah, but no.
The problem with the NHS is that doesn’t fund dentists properly. It’s not that dentists don’t want to provide NHS treatment, it’s that they can’t afford to. There isn’t a huge skill gap, because they’re often the same dentists, they just can’t provide NHS dentistry to everyone. A fully private practice isn’t necessarily better (or worse) than a hybrid one, they just gave up the trauma of dealing with NHS funding. The difference isn’t really in skill or experience – that differs between practices, just as much as it differs between NHS ane private.
The real difference is in your treatment options.
For example, I got dentures in November on the NHS. I got to choose the colour. That’s it. If I’d gone private, I could have chosen the colour, the material, the type, I could have had implants, or an implant/denture hybrid, and so on. Going private gives you the best dental treatment if you’re able to pay for it. Going NHS gets you the best value for tax payer money.
In your case, a crown would cost £306.80 on the NHS anyway, so funding the gap in your private insurance ia going to be cheaper anyhow.
NHS quality is just as good as private. But it’s unlikely you will get a spot. I’d pay the 150 and go private. Lucky you have insurance.
In my experience, yes. I’ve gotten the impression that they do as little as possible in NHS dentistry, and put off giving fillings for as long as possible.
Hard to say on anecdotal evidence, but personally I’ve had 2 wisdom teeth out on the NHS earlier in my life, and one out privately 5 weeks ago due to total lack of local NHS capacity
The privately done one took half the time of the other 2 and only a half a day of post-treatment discomfort rather than the week or so of pain rendered by NHS treatment
If I ever need the 4th one out I’m going to the same private guy as it was worth the cost.
You probably have more chance of winning the lottery than getting an nhs dentist in the UK these days.
The NHS dentists have more patients in a day with smaller time slot – a conveyor belt if you will. Private have more time per slot so less patients per day and probably in that way a better service. But you pay for it.
That’s the main difference I have noticed but haven’t done private often.
Anecdotal, had a filling a few years ago done on the NHS, recently went private and they had to completely re-do it.