Dental bridge work?

Question

Why does my dentist say I will have to pay for private treatment for a dental bridge, he says NHS will class it as cosmetic work and he will only thing he can no on the NHS is give me false teeth (they are my front teeth), Obviously I don't want false teeth. I feel really aggrieved as it is not as if I have not looked after my teeth, they were knocked out by a lad years ago and the bridge I have now needs replacing.

Bridge work is listed on NHS poster, I wonder in what circumstances you are allowed to have one fitted on NHS.

This work will now cost me £1,500.

Answer 1

Rules and rules, NHS or other agencies in any given country. And when those do not work in our favor, obviously we feel bad. The price £1,500 is just about reasonable in UK. But for the one who is a little bit adventurous, numerous dentistry options are available in low cost countries in Thailand, India, Dubai, Singapore, etc. Google search for bridge work dentist India or crowns & bridges India or same in other countries. Contact the search results and you will probably be happily surprised by the prices offered. Fly one weekend and come back the next. Good luck.

Answer 2

I'd check with another dentist- don't say you've already seen one as they are not supposed to contradict each other-

The NHS dental scheme is appaling in the UK now- we used to have a service we could rely on and now you can have your teeth pulled out and that's about it-

I have a white filling (done abroad) which has cracked and the NHS won't pay to have a small amount of resin put back in BUT will drill the whole thing out and replace it with amalgam!!! (it would cost far more in time and materials to do this)

This (amongst other things) is the reason why I am planning to leave the UK permanently!

Answer 3

It is quite disgusting to think it is probably easier to get a s*x change on the NHS than decent dental treatment. You could always verify this with your local health authority, but I know it is often the case that bridges, crowns and implants are not made by the NHS dental technicians.

My advice would be, if you need new bridge work done and have to pay for it, go privately to someone who specialises in bridge work and dentures. The reality is it wont cost you much more, if at all, and you'll have a superior set of teeth. Generally a specialist will use the best technicians and as it is considered cosmetic work, will give you a better colour match and fit for the teeth.