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Choosing NHS or private filling???

P

Poppy1234

taking a break from the forum
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
261
Location
Sheffield and Stockport, UK.
I can get a free silver filling on the NHS for a small cavity in 6 months time in a wisdom tooth, or pay £70 for a silver one private.
Now I will always go private for a check-up, because the NHS miss things big time.
And will always go private for a clean, even though it costs me £45, because a private clean will be better than a free NHS 5 min one.

But does it REALLY matter that much who does a small filling?
All 5 of my small NHS ones have lasted an incredibly long time.
£70 is a lot of money to me if the private filling won't really be better or stronger.
 
Ps....NHS say it will take 5 mins....Private say 30 mins....So will private do a much better job??
Can't complain at NHS fillings that have lasted 35 years though! Never had an NHS filling come out, come loose, or need replacing...
I'm just scared of the NHS now, after they have let me down not seeing decay...What if they leave decay in the tooth.....
 
Ps....NHS say it will take 5 mins....Private say 30 mins....So will private do a much better job??
Can't complain at NHS fillings that have lasted 35 years though! Never had an NHS filling come out, come loose, or need replacing...
I'm just scared of the NHS now, after they have let me down not seeing decay...What if they leave decay in the tooth.....

Well the time difference must mean something???? Put it this way the NHS dentists who put mine in in the 1970s were taking longer than 5 minutes! More like 15 minutes plus 10 minutes back in waiting room getting numb lol (those were the days).
In either case it's a calculated risk you take based on whether the extra cost is worth it to you. Both dentists are newish to you so you have no track record to push you in either direction.

The quality of the filling depends on the dentist's skill and to some extent time taken, since I suppose it is possible for someone to do 'less perfect' work on NHS and 'better' on private or am I being too too cynical here?
 
Ps....NHS say it will take 5 mins....Private say 30 mins....So will private do a much better job??
Can't complain at NHS fillings that have lasted 35 years though! Never had an NHS filling come out, come loose, or need replacing...
I'm just scared of the NHS now, after they have let me down not seeing decay...What if they leave decay in the tooth.....

Perhaps they don't rush as much when they work private, they tell you what's going on rather than just treating you like a piece of meat? I know I would feel better if my dentist would take his time and not act like a conveyor belt!
 
Yep, you certainly get treated differently being private over NHS.
I have yet to even find an NHS dentist I like!
If I do, I may trust them for a filling, as it's tiny.
I just think private would maybe only drill out what is necessary, and NHS just drill out loads.
It's only small, so I don't want anyone drilling deep.
Still can't make up my mind whether to get a filling anyway! This remineralisation lark is very boring and time consuming, and may not worlk anyway!!
 
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