Got a buildup and a temp crown done a few weeks ago on a tooth that potentially needed a root canal. I was SO happy when they told me I didn't need the root canal (Thats another $1,000) So they put the temp on and while I was wearing it I had major sensitivity in the tooth and pressure when I bit down on something. They cemented the permanent crown on the other day with temp cement and told me if after a few days the tooth still hurt I would need the root canal. (Guess they didn't have high hopes and don't feel like drilling through a brand new crown) Isn't that a b**** though? I felt like I cheated death when they told me I wasn't going to be out another 1k. Now I find out that is more than likely not going to be the case.

boohoo =(

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I too always cringe when one of us go to the Dentist.

Can someone that has National Health Insurance please describe what type of coverage you are provided and the cost of Dental procedures such as Crowns and Root Canals?

This is a very interesting topic of discussion for those of us that don't have National Health Insurance.

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Canada has universal health care which, oddly enough, does not cover dental work UNLESS it is actually performed in the ER.

My daughter had a fall, damaging several teeth. In the ER, in Ontario Canada, they placed temporary caps that were covered by the provincial insurance. She will have to pay to have the MAJOR dental work done on her own now.

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~ Kyenta

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~ Kyenta

Kyenta:

How do people afford Dental Care without insurance?

A lot of people don't afford it.

When I lived in Ontario, we paid totally out of pocket. I made sure my children had check ups and dental care but I usually did without unless I got into major pain. By then, the solution was often a root canal and/or crown...very expensive.

When I went to University, the school required us to carry dental insurance. At that time, I was able to take my boys for major restorative work as well as have my own preventive care. The annual maximum, per person, was $1000, so we did what we could within that parameter.

Now, I live in Utah and have excellent insurance through work. Unfortunately, as a health care provider, I see the downside of the US insurance system. We get many clients at work who are uninsured or underinsured, limiting the care they get. It is satisfying to work for a non-profit healthcare system that has a large charity foundation to assist these people, but it's tough. Many are too proud to ask for assistance.

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~ Kyenta

We are extremely lucky to have the NHS (National Health Service) here in the UK.... a filing costs I think £45 but not sure of a root canal - I hope I never have to find out

I really don't like the Dentist - not sure anyone does actually lol but some of my friends are terrified (im not THAT bad though)
My last filling not sure what happened but I was in pain for 3 weeks after it (am lucky I only have two v small fillings at 34yrs old) I had to have it re done and something put in between the tooth and filling - sorted it though but my god was I in pain

Hope you get everything sorted.

Personally, I hate the Dentist! They should all be locked in small cat baskets and thrown in a river!
Having had crowns fitted as a teen, I then didn't go for @15 years - When I did it was to have the remains of a broken back tooth repaired where my wisdom tooth had broken up through it! Pah! (I pulled the wisdom tooth out myself rather than see the dentist!) I now go every 8 - 9 months, and 'touch wood', haven't needed treatment since that repair!

The NHS system supports everyone in the UK, unless they elect for private treatment. The difficulty is nowadays, hardly any dentists take on NHS patients, because their rates are capped! The unemployed, however get pretty much everything free..... and benefits!

As asked above, the price varies by bands, and each band has options within it. These are presently as follows:

Band 1 course of treatment: £17.50
clinical examination, case assessment and report
orthodontic case assessment and report
advice, dental charting, diagnosis and treatment planning
radiographic examination, including panoral and lateral headplates, and radiological report
study casts including in association with occlusal analysis
colour photographs
instruction in the prevention of dental and oral disease including dietary advice and dental hygiene instruction
surface application as primary preventive measures of sealants and topical fluoride preparations
scaling, polishing and marginal correction of fillings
taking material for pathological examination
adjustments to and easing of dentures or orthodontic appliances
treatment of sensitive cementum

Band 2 course of treatment: £48.00
non-surgical periodontal treatment including root-planing, deep scaling, irrigation of periodontal pockets and subgingival curettage and all necessary scaling and polishing
surgical periodontal treatment, including gingivectomy, gingivoplasty or removal of an operculum
surgical periodontal treatment, including raising and replacement of a mucoperiosteal flap, curettage, root planning and bone resection
free gingival grafts
permanent fillings in amalgam, composite resin, synthetic resin, glass ionomer, compomers, silicate or silico-phosphate, including acid etch retention
sealant restorations
endodontic treatment of permanent or retained deciduous teeth
pulpotomy
apicectomy
extraction of teeth
transplantation of teeth
oral surgery including surgical removal of cyst, buried root, unerupted tooth, impacted tooth or exostosed tooth and alveolectomy
soft tissue surgery in relation to the buccal cavity and lips
frenectomy, frenuloplasty, frenotomy
relining and rebasing dentures including soft linings
addition of tooth, clasp, labial or buccal flange to dentures
splints (other than laboratory made splints) in relation to periodontally compromised teeth and in connection with external trauma
bite raising appliances (other than laboratory made appliances)

Band 3 course of treatment: £209.00
laboratory made porcelain or composite veneers, including acid etch retention
inlays, pinlays, onlays and palatal veneers, in alloys containing 60% or more fine gold, porcelain, composite resin and ceramics
crowns including any pin or post aids to retention:
- full or three-quarter crown cast in alloys containing not less than 33⅓% fine gold or platinum or palladium
- full or jacket crown cast in alloys containing stainless steel or cobalt chromium or nickel chromium
- crown in porcelain, synthetic resin and other non-metallic crowns
- full or jacket crowns in alloys containing not less than 33⅓% fine gold or platinum or palladium, or alloys containing stainless steel or cobalt chromium or nickel chromium, with thermally bonded porcelain
- jacket crown thermally bonded to wrought platinum coping
- prefabricated full or jacket crown, including any pin or post retention bridges including any pin or post aids to retention:
- bridges in alloys containing 60% or more fine gold with or without thermally bonded facings
- bridges cast in alloys containing stainless steel, cobalt chromium or nickel chromium, with or without thermally bonded facings
- acid etch retained bridges
- bridges in other materials
- provision of full (completed) or partial dentures, overdentures and obturators in synthetic resin or metal or both synthetic resin and metal, including any cast or wrought metal components or aids to retention
- orthodontic treatment and appliances
- other custom made applications excluding sports guards

I am a UK dentist and the pricing here I would say is very fair for the patient.
As stated above treatment is in bands, however it doesn't matter how much treatment you need you only pay one fixed price.
For example if you need a crown, that would be band 3 and £209. However if you needed 10 crowns that would still be band 3 and £209.
A root treatment is band 2 and £48 but if say you needed 2 root treatments and 10 fillings you would still only pay £48.

May be someday the U.S. will become more Socalist in its thinking and provide us with a nice Dental plan similar to yours. At this time, profit is the only motivator that is considered with in the U.S. health sytem.

Your health system is very efficient and data shows that you provide better and more services at a lower price. In our "free market system" the amount of care that is provided is low compared to the high cost of providing these services. The Doctors and Hospitals here are the main catalyists behind our inability to adopt a more socialist form of health system.