sario
Newbie
Posts: 1
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« on: October 07, 2010, 03:04:44 AM » |
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I have been a dental nurse for 20 years. I was always an advocat for the NHS until about 11 yrs ago when things started to change. What the public don't understand is how little we actually get for providing you with the treatment. Overheads in a dental surgery are huge. We have staff wages, gas, electric, water, rates, continuing professional development (compulsory), registration for ALL staff (compulsory) & materials. Yes, this is the same as in every business, however for any dentist to do a good job they will need good equipment & good materials. When you break down your £45.60 (which is the current band 2 charge to the patient) it covers as many fillings as you need, along with your examination, xrays, scale & polish, root fillings & extractions. The actual surgery time it takes to do a good job on these treatments FAR outweighs the £45.60 you are paying. A qualified dental nurse will cost more than that for the dentist to have in the surgery for a day, let alone factoring in all the other costs.
If you have been offered NHS dental treatment then you should consider yourself very lucky. The treatment that HAS to be provided on the NHS has to be adequate - not great or aesthetically pleasing, just adequate. This means that we can use materials that are a reasonable price, but won't give you a Cheryl Cole smile! Private treatment is here for the people who care about their teeth, appearance & their health. I am sure that most people wouldn't think twice about spending several hundred pounds on their car, but something which has the ability to cause heart disease, bad breath & pain (amongst other things!) is neglected & the cost baulked at. Maybe you should chat with your dentist about why they offer you private treatment before "discussing" the whys & wherefores of something you know little about.
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