Is it right that private dental prices can vary by hundreds of pounds? Not only have we found huge price differences, treatment charges aren’t always displayed clearly. Are you a fan of private dentists?
We’ve heard from lots of people sharing their experiences of private dentists, from smiling saints to sneering sinners.
One woman’s smile makeover brought in quotes all the way from £12,000 to six times that, but many have been eager to laud their dentists for fair practice and pricing.
When we investigated private dentistry last year we found that their prices varied wildly. We sent mystery shoppers to 423 private practices – they discovered you could pay anywhere from £250 to £518 for a basic crown.
The treatments included in a check-up varied too, with 56% of practices including the cost of an X-ray and just 19% a scale and polish. So it’s really important to find out what the price of your check-up involves before you get in the chair.
What’s worse is that these prices aren’t always displayed clearly, with our mystery shoppers finding that only seven out of 40 practices showed their costs at the surgery.
Another issue reflected by our postbag is how difficult it is to know the quality of the treatment you’re getting, since problems can take years to show up. Some people have even expressed that they’re happier with treatment they’ve had abroad.
So what do you think? Are private dentists heroes or villains? And – especially as more of us sign up for cosmetic treatments – how can we know what quality we’re getting?