My Dentist is Going Private What Can I Do?
Any dentist considering private dentistry will likely ask themselves if the NHS has a future. After leaving the NHS, it’s unlikely that any private dentist will ever turn back.
While budget cuts and the government are to blame, the only person to suffer is the patient, who already is struggling in this NHS dental desert to get appointments or register as a new patient for affordable dental care.
So, what do you do if your dentist is going private or can no longer accommodate you with an immediate appointment?
Here's what you can do
It might feel nearly impossible to get on the list of any other NHS dentist, but the government is considering a Budget boost for rural dentistry in 2024. In the meantime, you could still try phoning around locally to see if a dentist can take you or try to book urgent dental appointments through 111.
However, we must be honest. There are very few NHS dentists remaining, and this might be impossible, as some areas of 120,000 do not have one NHS dentist available to help. However, we can only hope the outlook changes in the future.
Almost every dentist offers practice plans, which offer patients the chance to pay a monthly subscription fee (of different prices and levels), which will pay for them to have a check-up, a hygiene appointment and restorative treatment.
For example, you could typically pay £18 per month for 2 dental check-ups, 2 hygiene visits, and 2 x-rays per year with reduced fees for fillings, extractions, crowns, bridges etc (up to 20%). Practice membership plans will vary from practice to practice, but it might be a way for you to seek dental care without facing huge costs all at once.
Some practice plans also include discounts on cosmetic dentistry treatments.
These days, dental finance is an accepted and easy form of payment, which helps patients spread the cost of their dental treatment over 12 months using 0% finance with no deposit and no additional cost of credit. For example, often, if your bill is higher than £250, you’ll have the option to take out dental finance. Subject to acceptance.
Most practices, like ours, accept dental insurance - and many plans exist now that even include cosmetic dentistry. From £11.55 a month, you could take out a dental insurance plan that covers routine care, treatments and emergencies, whether with a private or NHS dentist.
The cost for a new patient check-up at our practice is £75, and £65 for an existing patient.
As costs with NHS practices have been kept so low for many years, patients often feel like they’re being ripped off when it comes to paying for private treatment.
Private dental treatment costs are priced fairly and reflect the cost of running a practice without funding and operating a business simultaneously.
While understandably, the jump in cost for some families will be difficult, there are options to help make check-ups and treatments more affordable.
