Many patients are confused about the difference between private and NHS dental treatment so we have outlined some of the differences below.
The common assumption is that private dentistry is more expensive but this may not always be the case and usually the service and treatment outcome you receive is better and unrestricted.
Private
- Cosmetic treatment is not available on the NHS. This means the materials/treatments which produce the best appearance are often not used. Private treatment will always give you the best possible functional but also cosmetic result.
- You are able to have private appointments at anytime a practice is open including in the evening after 5pm or on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays
- Private treatment gives us complete freedom to provide the very highest standard of treatment and materials. We have no funding restrictions and focus purely on quality of the treatment.
- Private work such as dentures, crowns, bridges and implants are usually sent to different private laboratories where named experienced technicians hand make the item. There is also usually more flexibility in returning items from a private laboratory quickly.
- Appointments are longer to allow plenty of time to complete your treatment at a more relaxed pace.
- Certain treatments are not always available on the NHS eg. dental implants
- Tooth whitening is not usually available on the NHS
- With private treatments you can request your treatment to be performed by a specialist and be given quick and easy access eg. a difficult extraction
- Orthodontic treatment for patients over the age of 18 is usually not available on the NHS and invisalign is usually not offered on the NHS
- Your dentist will discuss your treatment options and costs and give you a written estimate before you commit to any treatment.
NHS
- NHS patients are treated with the same care as our private patients though the government does impose some restrictions and fixes the patient charges nationally.
- Treatment needs to be functional on the NHS and not for cosmetic reasons
- NHS treatment is designed to be cost effective for the tax payer and each NHS clinic works to a fixed NHS budget so naturally this means more cost effective materials and laboratories are used
- We must follow government guidelines for recalling patients which may mean you may not be entitled to a check up or clean as often as you want.
- NHS cleaning is designed to ensure gum health and treat what is clinically necessary eg gum disease and not to specifically remove all stains or for cosmetic reasons
- Appointment availability may be limited. You may not be able to get appointments outside school or work hours. You may also not be able to see more experienced dentists or specialists who choose to work outside the NHS
- The government imposes limits on the amount of NHS treatment each practice can provide and the contracts are usually Monday to Friday 9-5. Once a clinic reaches its NHS limit they may not be able to offer any more NHS treatment until the next financial year.
