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Dental charges
New NHS dental charges are
still too high.
Although children, pregnant women
and people on benefits or very low incomes are
exempt from dental charges, at present the fear of
big bills for dental care discourages some people
from seeking treatment until they have a major
problem that they can't ignore.
An overdue shake-up to the system of
dental charges will change things by providing
clear, easy to understand information about
dentistry charges. The new system also has the
advantage of making clearer the distinction between
NHS and private treatment, so consumers will see
more clearly when they are being treated on the NHS.
New
dental charging system begins in April
Costs
In England:
On 1 April 2006 a new system of
NHS dental charges came
into force. It was designed to replace the confusing
system of dental charges, which often means that
people do not know how much they will be expected to
pay towards their NHS dental care before their
treatment begins.
There are three standard charges for all NHS dental
treatment for people who normally pay for NHS
dentistry. They are as follows:
-
£15.50 - covers a routine examination and
preventative care, such
as x-rays.
-
£42.40 - covers all of the above plus
additional treatment, such as fillings, root canal
treatment or extractions
-
£189.00 - covers all of the above plus
more complex procedures, such as crowns, dentures or
bridges.
-
£56.50 for people who need to have dentures
repaired or replaced.
The maximum that anybody will pay for a course of
NHS dental treatment
will therefore be £189.00.
Those who are currently exempt from NHS dental charges
will also be exempt under the new system.
Your local dental practice or primary care trust will
have more information on the new charges.
Proposed charge levels for Wales are currently under
consultation.
The new system proposed for England
and Wales is simpler and easier to understand,
meaning patients will no longer have to brace
themselves for charges they have no way of
estimating. A complete course of dental work will
fall within one of three price 'bands', depending on
the complexity of the treatment.
But before the new system is
introduced, consumers will need clear information
about what it means for them. Many amongst the
public, the media and the profession are not clear
that in future people would pay either the Band 1
charge or the Band 2 charge or the
Band 3 charge for the whole course of treatment.
Dentistry in Scotland
Across Great Britain, more than half (55 per cent) of
people who tried to register with an NHS dentist in the last two years
said they found it difficult. In Scotland the figure rose to 76 per
cent, suggesting that Scots may be finding particular problems in
accessing NHS dentistry*.
In February 2005 the Scottish Parliament's Health
committee published research into the crisis in NHS dentistry in
Scotland. They reported that only 52 per cent of Scots are now
registered with an NHS dentist, with a third of dentists in Scotland no
longer able or willing to take on children as new NHS patients.
The report also said that it seemed 'most unlikely' that
the Executive would be able to deliver the new free dental health checks
which have been promised.
In March 2005 the Scottish Executive announced its new
Action Plan for Improving NHS Dentistry, with £150 million of new
investment over the next three years. The plan provides for 200 extra
new dentists by 2008, reform of the fees structure to encourage dentists
to remain in the NHS, the largest children's tooth brushing scheme in
Europe and a reform of patient charges.
Private dentistry
There is currently a huge disparity in cost between
dental practices and prices are seldom on display or in any way
explained.
The government recommendations, which follow the Office
of Fair Trading investigation into the sector, are a step forward.
Dentists will have to follow standard commercial practices and clearly
display prices for certain types of treatment, enabling patients to
compare practices and make an informed choice. The government has
acknowledged the need for an easily accessible and effective procedure
for dealing with complaints about private dentistry, which should be up
and running soon.
In Scotland, private dentistry is to be regulated by the
Care Commission, with the intention of jointly regulating all dentistry
in Scotland. The Government will discuss action in Wales with the Health
Inspectorate Wales and the Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social
Services Regulation and Improvement Authority. |
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