Dentists-What Do People Think Of Them

[gollob]

I had a tooth break and it left a sharp piece which was pushing up against my tongue. So I went to a private dentist who took under a minute to file it down . The bill was £100 . So that was the equivalent of £6000 per hour.
They also arranged for me to see a hygenist and sent me an E Mail saying it would be £220 for one hour , which I promptly cancelled.
Is this the normal price or was I being ripped off

[Canary42]

My hygienist charges £56 per session which can vary between ten and twenty minutes.

[barry1010]

I think those charges are reasonable - the dentist can't work on paying patients for one hour solid so couldn't charge £6k an hour. It's unusual for a hygiene treatment to quoted by the hour, usually it is a set price.

[davebro]

My dentist charged £52 (fixed private fee) for an extraction which took 2 dentists 3/4 hour to do & 2 follow-up visits to deal with subsequent infection.

[janzman]

I am reminded of an occasion back in the 1970's when my television was not working properly. I called a tv service company and an engineer came to my house. I told him the problem, he took the back off the tv had a look then took from his tool case a long thin screwdriver which he then located a screw deep in the back of the tv which he gave a small turn and the picture was then perfect. He charged me £15 for the repair (remember 1970's) I asked him how he could justify £15 for ten minutes work and he said , 'you're not £15 for my work on your tv you're paying for me to know which little screw to which he give a small turn.

[ummmm]

dentists have overheads as well. Who do you think pays the bills and reception staff.

[ichkeria]

Whenever I’ve been to a private dentist they’ve been full of suggestions as to what I need doing with my teeth and of course I am naturally suspicious that they’re just after money - fairly or otherwise.
£220 for a hygienist is robbery in my opinion. They’re not all that expensive

[ichkeria]

It’s not the amount of time which is necessarily the issue though. As the story of the screwdriver illustrates

[woofgang]

As I understand it, at the moment they have to deep clean the surgery between patients as well as using appropriate ppe. That certainly would put the price up. I am a bit surprised bu the hour with a hygienist. My appointments are usually 30 minutes and I couldn't tolerate any more than that.

[Maydup]

I’ve only ever had NHS dental treatment but it’s been fine and I appreciate the cost savings.

[DTCwordfan]

My last hygiene session (in early lockdown this year) was £42......but this is Cornwall and we rival Israel for thrift.

[andy-hughes]

Janzman has the point exactly - it's not the few minutes it took your dentist to file the tooth that you pay for, it's the correct tool, and the experience and expertise used to operate it that you paid for.

[bluemoon1]

Dentists-what do people think of them?
I for one don't trust them having had a dentist do a so called extraction and later finding bits of the tooth that were supposedly extracted turning up in my gum up to ten years later after further teeth had "fallen out"?

Is this a normal price or was I being ripped off?
I don't know but probably the latter.

[david small]

Ripped off. I had a similar sharp piece irritating my tongue. I got a short abrasive nail file and did it myself.
Periodically it returns, out comes the file, all gone.

[andy-hughes]

bluemoon - //
Dentists-what do people think of them?
I for one don't trust them having had a dentist do a so called extraction and later finding bits of the tooth that were supposedly extracted turning up in my gum up to ten years later after further teeth had "fallen out"? //

I don't think you can brand all dentists as unprofessional because you endured one bad experience.

I had an extraction done when I was twenty-one, and had to go back and have bone fragments taken out that should have been extracted at the time.

The experience have me a phobia that needed tranquilisers to get be in the building, never mind up the stairs into the room and into the chair.

That lasted over fifteen years until I found a great dentist who was wonderful, and I stayed with him until he retired.

I now have another excellent dentist whom I trust implicitly, so you have to take the chance and let another dentist over-ride your bad experience.

The alternative is to lose all your teeth.

[bluemoon1]

I don't really care what you think.

[Cloverjo]

I don’t like the way they sneak in charges without asking or telling you.
I went to a new dentist last week and he did a couple of unnecessary X-rays and charged me £25. He also charged a fiver for “Covid compliant non-aerosol treatment” whatever that is.

[Cloverjo]

That was plus the £100 or whatever just for a checkup.

[andy-hughes]

Blue moon, an exchange of experiences and opinions is what makes the site work.

If you are not interested in a post, then fine - you don't need to clutter up the thread by saying so, why not just ignore it.

[naomi24]

And no need to clutter up the thread by telling other people not to clutter up the thread. ;o)

Night all. Happy dreams.

[naomi24]

PS. I like my dentist. Not cheap - but I like him.