In article ,
Andy Champ writes:
On 27/02/2013 21:32, Fred wrote:
If I have the fillings, they are sufficiently far back that the NHS
will only pay for amalgam fillings. I did wonder about asking for
white; more for reasons of vanity than anything else. I would have to
pay for these privately. I was quoted £80 per filling, so £160 in
total. Is this the going rate for white fillings. I am in the
Midlands.

I've just had a filling done in plastic, because of the drilling:
Amalgam holds in place because it's a tight fit. They have to drill a
hole that is wider at the bottom. The modern stuff actually sticks, so
they can drill out only ... err... the bit that has decayed around the
previous filling. As this tooth is more filling than anything else I
wanted to preserve as much as possible.

That's what I have done too.

The plastic (a resin/quartz mixture) does bond to the teeth, but that
bond is more susceptable to attack than the boarder around mercury
amalgam fillings, so they don't work as well in people still suffering
a high rate of decay, but should last longer if decay has been eliminated
(and if necessary can be repeated more often because as you say, less
tooth has to be drilled out).

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 27/02/2013 21:32, Fred wrote:
Hi,

I've moved area so had to register with a new dentist; it was
impractical to travel back to see my old one. The new dentist asked to
X-ray my teeth, which I have never had done before. He was surprised
when I said this and said that it is recommended to have an X-ray
every two years. Is this true or does the NHS pay the dentist
handsomely for X-rays; is it just a money spinner for the practice? I
always thought that it was best to have as few X-rays as possible?

He showed me the X-rays and said they showed that I needed two
fillings. Not being an expert I couldn't tell, but he said that it was
a lighter shade of grey where I needed the fillings. Again, I'm not
that convinced but OTOH he's the dentist, not me; perhaps I should
trust that he knows more about this than I do!

If I have the fillings, they are sufficiently far back that the NHS
will only pay for amalgam fillings. I did wonder about asking for
white; more for reasons of vanity than anything else. I would have to
pay for these privately. I was quoted £80 per filling, so £160 in
total. Is this the going rate for white fillings. I am in the
Midlands.

Sorry to be off topic, just curious what you all thought? TIA
DIY answer: use a dremel and epoxy putty?

I am not a dentist and am an NHS dental patient

The NHS charges are here

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNH...l-charges.aspx


The band one charge includes x-rays so they are not the money spinners
you seem to think.

It is certainly good dental practice to do x-rays from time to time.
Since the new dentist has no access to your old records he needs to
start from scratch and it is prudent for him to make a full examination
so he knows what he is dealing with.

If decide to have the work dome privately then you have to pay the full
cost not just for the extra cost of the filling materil.

--
Regards Peter Crosland

On Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:54:21 +0000, Peter Crosland
wrote:

The band one charge includes x-rays so they are not the money spinners
you seem to think.

I didn't mean money spinner as in getting money from the public, I
meant getting money from the NHS. That list shows what the public pay
the dentist for each activity; it doesn't show what the NHS pays the
surgery for the same work.

Some time ago I read an article that suggested that a scale and polish
did not do much for mouth hygiene and that they were only being
offered to generate income, so I was thinking along these lines.

I am not a dentist, so I do not know what/if the NHS pays for these so
they may not be money spinners, I was just suggesting they could be.

I was an old school "only go if the tooth is black or it hurts"; it
seems that I need to enter the 21st century, so I will follow the
consensus and book the fillings. Thanks.

On Friday, March 8, 2013 1:05:16 PM UTC, Fred wrote:
On Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:54:21 +0000, Peter Crosland

wrote:



The band one charge includes x-rays so they are not the money spinners

you seem to think.



I didn't mean money spinner as in getting money from the public, I

meant getting money from the NHS. That list shows what the public pay

the dentist for each activity; it doesn't show what the NHS pays the

surgery for the same work.



Some time ago I read an article that suggested that a scale and polish

did not do much for mouth hygiene and that they were only being

offered to generate income, so I was thinking along these lines.



I am not a dentist, so I do not know what/if the NHS pays for these so

they may not be money spinners, I was just suggesting they could be.



When the dentist's NHS contracts changed, I stopped needing a full scale and polish for some reason ...
Simon.

On 27/02/2013 22:00, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:32:12 +0000, Fred
wrote:


I have, in the past, used waterproof epoxy putty as a tooth repair
when a filling came out, the stuff used for instant repairs to water
pipes etc. I couldn't be arsed to make a special appointment, and it
lasted several months before my next visit to the dentist, who was
suitably appalled! You can get temporary filling stuff from a chemist.

If it was an epoxy that is based on a bisphenol-A, there is some
evidence that this is an endocrine disruptor...

I would not choose to do that.

--
Rod

On 27/02/2013 22:27, Tim Streater wrote:


You never had x-rays before? I wouldn't trust a dentist that didn't do
them regularly (every year or so).

And does your dentist provide a thyroid collar/guard?

Indeed, does your dentist even have one available?

--
Rod

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:56:44 +0000, polygonum wrote:

On 27/02/2013 22:27, Tim Streater wrote:


You never had x-rays before? I wouldn't trust a dentist that didn't do
them regularly (every year or so).

And does your dentist provide a thyroid collar/guard?

Mine does.

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
My posts (including this one) are my copyright and if @diy_forums on
Twitter wish to tweet them they can pay me £30 a post
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

"polygonum" wrote in message
...
On 27/02/2013 22:27, Tim Streater wrote:


You never had x-rays before? I wouldn't trust a dentist that didn't do
them regularly (every year or so).

And does your dentist provide a thyroid collar/guard?

Indeed, does your dentist even have one available?

--
Rod


Mine puts a sort of large lead tabard affair over me when he uses the
panoramic machine.

Arfa