I recently joined a NHS dentist and attended my first appointment last week. The appointment took approx 10 minutes and I was advised that I did not require any dental work but had quite a bit of tartar build up and would [...]]]> Dental advice wanted – Hygienist not available on the NHS

I recently joined a NHS dentist and attended my first appointment last week. The appointment took approx 10 minutes and I was advised that I did not require any dental work but had quite a bit of tartar build up and would need to make an appointment with the hygienist.

When I tried to make the appointment I was advised that the charge would be £50 as the hygienist comes under cosmetic work and therefore not covered under the NHS. I stated that I didn’t see how removing a tartar build up counted as cosmetic work but was advised that they would remove any stains so therefore it is cosmetic work. They were very polite but are refusing to provide me with any hygienist work under the NHS .. is this correct?

What do I do now?

My NHS dentist has recently had to remove one of my teeth which is in a visible position at the front of my mouth and so needs replacing.

They have offered to do a bridge for the tooth but say I will have to [...]]]> Dental advice wanted – NHS Bridge

My NHS dentist has recently had to remove one of my teeth which is in a visible position at the front of my mouth and so needs replacing.

They have offered to do a bridge for the tooth but say I will have to pay ‘private’ rates.  Can I not insist on having this done on the NHS at a cost of around £200?

“I have recently signed up for NHS work, I need two white fillings – which I know are not covered by the NHS charges – but one side tooth has cracked, it already had a root canal filling from years ago, and is not suitable for [...]]]> Email received from a concerned patient

“I have recently signed up for NHS work, I need two white fillings – which I know are not covered by the NHS charges – but one side tooth has cracked, it already had a root canal filling from years ago, and is not suitable for filling. I have been told I need a crown – but it will cost me £400+.”

“My dental practice has some leaflets that suggest some crown work IS covered by the NHS, since this work is not cosmetic but necessary, can you advise me of the situation and whether this crown can be covered NHS work. the Tooth is on the right hand side, four teeth in from the front tooth, so it shows when I smile.”

There is just no incentive for NHS dentists to do complex and time consuming work such as root fillings. In fact doing root canal work can actually penalise an NHS [...]]]> There are lots of stories in the press this week reporting that tooth extractions have soared by 30% in four years. What a surprise!

There is just no incentive for NHS dentists to do complex and time consuming work such as root fillings. In fact doing root canal work can actually penalise an NHS dentist. A NHS dentist has to achieve his UDA target (he is contracted by his Primary Care Trust to do a set number of UDAs, units of dental activity) and because he is allocated the same UDA for doing an extraction (which might take a few minutes) or root canal work (which might take 1-2 hours) the NHS dentist is of course going to suggest an extraction to the patient.

So what is happening? Patients are having their teeth removed unnecessarily when more complex treatment could have saved the teeth. What a scandal.

The report mentions that the “inexperience and pay structure of NHS dentists” are the cause of a “steep rise in hospital admissions” for “tooth extractions” and that more people are travelling to Europe for cheaper dental treatment.