Sore tooth

TheCatWoman said:

It's not like there's anywhere cheaper either, they all charge the same, should this be another case for government investigation?

This reflects the cost of the medical care these days unfortunately.

The cost has to cover the staff salaries (surprisingly not extortionate), the cost of the offices / surgeries (actually quite high), the cost of the constant training and certification of staff, the machines (really expensive) and materials they use (also steep) plus the insurance to protect the staff from all the litigation that goes on these days (very high).

This is why it costs so much but it isn't greed on the part of the dentists.

I doubt the NHS will consider extending more cover to dentistry as they would then have to shoulder this huge expense too.

Does it or is it more like vets were they bump up the costs?

The NHS needs to sort out how it treats dentists, I've been told that not only do dentists end up making a loss on some treatments, but that they're told what tools they're allowed to use when performing NHS work. The dentist might have a load of up to date kit, but won't be able to use it for NHS work, how does this even make sense?

TheCatWoman said:

The dentist might have a load of up to date kit, but won't be able to use it for NHS work, how does this even make sense?

It is all down to the NHS bean counters - they want all the treatments done using things they can quantify within their budget so if the dentist has a newer bit of kit that may do the job better but cost more, then it is outside the price range and is denied.

It reflects the way health care is going across the world - everything is priced and controlled and eventually only those with insurance can access it or end up paying a fortune.

Big pharma will have strong influences on politicians meaning the laws are pushed in their favour and it will be just like the USA where they make so much money that they can buy anyone who has influence.

I'm surprised the NHS has been able to survive this long to be honest. I do see lots of attempts to make private insurance required for things and I expect this will expand over time to reduce the bills for the NHS.

TheCatWoman said:

The dentist might have a load of up to date kit, but won't be able to use it for NHS work, how does this even make sense?

It is all down to the NHS bean counters - they want all the treatments done using things they can quantify within their budget so if the dentist has a newer bit of kit that may do the job better but cost more, then it is outside the price range and is denied.

It reflects the way health care is going across the world - everything is priced and controlled and eventually only those with insurance can access it or end up paying a fortune.

Big pharma will have strong influences on politicians meaning the laws are pushed in their favour and it will be just like the USA where they make so much money that they can buy anyone who has influence.

I'm surprised the NHS has been able to survive this long to be honest. I do see lots of attempts to make private insurance required for things and I expect this will expand over time to reduce the bills for the NHS.