Just starting to get annoyed by the amount of money I've had to fork out in the last 3 years due to a cock up by a previous dentist.
Now I now alot of dentists work really hard and do it for their patients and job satisfaction. But…. Some are just out to make a killing.

As a person on a low income with gum problems, I find it outrageous that I'm charged £18 per 10 minutes to have work done which is a necessity to my health.

Small rant (apologies to people with bigger problems) but it really does make me throw my dummy out of the pram.

Perhaps you should contact your local MP.

invalid script

you didn't use the <rant> </rant> tags!

Sue prior dentist.

Have to say I agree, it would boil my **** too.

Don't throw the dummy out of the pram if you've got gum problems.

Low enough to qualify for help towards (or fully for) dental costs?

A mate is a dentist. You try studying for 7 years, getting yourself tens of thousands of pounds into debt, then either work for someone who'll take 50% of your fees or put hundreds of thousands of your (or your bank's) money on the line to set up and staff a practice – then decide how much you think is reasonable to spend 10 minutes working inside the mouths of the general public.

Lol at Higgo.

simon_g I am very familiar with how dentists become qualified as I have worked for many (surgeons as well) over the years.

I myself am self employed (that's why I don't qualifiy for any help)and I know all about overheads, problems with cash flow etc.

However In my line of work I visit customer's houses and I've never ever experienced a dentist that lived in a house that wasn't on the large side (read very large).

Dentists will not be first against the wall when the revolution comes, but they will not get particularly bored waiting for their turn.

big dummy – it wont be that when you lot get tooth ache during the revolution 😆

True revolutionaries get their dental work done by the butcher in the time-honoured fashion.

Fancy dentistry is a bourgeois affectation popularised by a clique of self-important sadists with massive mortgages and sinister smiles.

and I've never ever experienced a dentist that lived in a house that wasn't on the large side

In the interest of fairness, my next door neighbour is a dentist and he lives in a very modest 2.5 bed mid-terrace for which he paid £160k. He drives a 5 yr old Honda Civic.

He drives a 5 yr old Honda Civic.

Then he may live. Although he will need to be sent to a re-education camp for some time.

😆

OTOH they haven't made enough money yet to get me to poke around in other people's mouths looking for revolting bits 🙁

I tend to agree…

EWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww 😮

I've never understood why we have to pay for dentists and opticians but not other things. And I'd have less objection to paying a bit less, if I had to pay for other medical care because at least then its a bit fairer (especially if those on low incomes / long term health conditions can be subsidised further / free). I appreciate the NHS needs money, but the amount they charge for just a check up these days is ridiculous (and they wonder why people don't always go every 6 months!)

yukkkkk

M_F – Where did you get that picture of my mouth?

I'm guessing that your neighbour is one of few who work solely for the benefit of the patient.

OTOH they haven't made enough money yet to get me to poke around in other people's mouths looking for revolting bits

I never though I'd say this, but I agree with SFB…

I've never understood why we have to pay for dentists and opticians but not other things.

Essentially, NHS Dentistry is a misnomer – NHS dentists (like most GPs) are technically self-employed subcontractors. About 25 years ago, the government deliberately changed the dental contract in such a way as to make it economically unviable for dental practices to remain in the NHS, in order to reduce the amount of public money spent on dental care.

Result: most dentists are private (& thus the cost to the individual has gone up as it's no longer free at the point of use); those that do take NHS patients generally have limited slots (but take private patients over & above); the Nation's teeth are awful.

Andy

A mate is a dentist. You try studying for 7 years, getting yourself tens of thousands of pounds into debt, then either work for someone who'll take 50% of your fees or put hundreds of thousands of your (or your bank's) money on the line to set up and staff a practice

How is this any different from any other highly skilled profession? Does your mate complain about the hard set of circumstances they have to muddle along with? Sounds like they're pulling your leg.

All skilled professionals have to invest a lot of time and money in building up their career. Then they often have to spend a significant amount of time making somebody else rich while they gain experience. Eventually they will find themselves in a position where they're earning a fortune, have a brand new car every year, a massive house, lots of holidays.

Oh hang on sorry, non-dentists may have to scratch that last sentence.

I went with Mrs NBT when she visited the dentist last week. Since our previous visit, it looks like the dentist traded in his Range Rover sport for a Ferrari (private reg kind of gives it away)…

In the interest of fairness, my next door neighbour is a dentist and he lives in a very modest 2.5 bed mid-terrace for which he paid £160k………………..

…………………..which was a bargain compared to his chalet in Verbier and summer retreat in The Caymans

Shelter, education and food are also basic human needs. Should their professionals not make money? Should the only people who make a lot of money be the ones who make things that are totally unnecessary? ❓

How is this any different from any other highly skilled profession?

I think that's the point he's making: they're just the same (actually, more skilled imo) than accountants, lawyers or engineers but no-one ever wants free tax consultancy or divorce lawyering or car design from the state.

Besides, either you pay for dentistry in cash or you pay for it through higher taxes. There is no such thing as free healthcare.

Having said all that, if I could go back in time, I'd make the 7-year old me pay attention in maths and sciences classes so I could qualify as a dentist and swim in money like Scrooge McDuck.

…………………..which was a bargain compared to his chalet in Verbier and summer retreat in The Caymans

lol but no – but he is thinking about renting it out and living in a similar property with his student girlfriend in Newcastle.

I think it's fine.

(private reg kind of gives it away)…

DEN 230?

very droll, samuri 😉

lol

supply and demand innit 🙂

Absolutely no way would I do it or consider becoming a dentist. Grim, some people really don't have any concept of hygene when it comes to their mouth (just down from their **** brain and eyes).

pick your own hours, self-employed, decent tax breaks, don't have to talk too much to the bloody public, move wherever you want in the country (and pretty easily around the world). should be a great job, even if you do have to look in people's manky mouths. I mean, it's got to be better than being an ob/gyn or proctologist!

Funny how 'people' seem to see 'the money' that professionals earn and then pour scorn onto them (or say 'corr I'd love to do that'!).

Yet don't see the proceeding years long training/studying and the various redtape and costs of setting up a practice and the costs/bills. Does everyone think patients are all well-behaved?

What next? Airline Captains are paid 'shed loads' and 'visit exotic destinations'? 🙄

hora – Member

What next? Airline Captains are paid 'shed loads' and 'visit exotic destinations'?

Oh do shut up Mark, or at least think before opening your mouth. You *CHOOSE* to fly places (or not if you're scared of flying), but you only get one mouth and one set of (adult) teeth, so you need to look after them

Wrong end of where I'm coming from on this nbt..

I don't begrudge anyones hardwork to get to where they are at. D

I don't mind paying a lot to visit someone to look after something in my body that I only get one set of and can cause a lot of pain if I'm not careful. It's less than I pay on maintenance on my car each year. On the odd occasion I need something large doing I accept that I might have to pay a lot (though I do think white filling costs are insanely high really, despite the above statement) but I hope they will do it properly, unlike 60% of mechanics.

Is it ethical to make large sums of money out of people when it comes to health?

in a word NO.

Healthcare & Education should be seen as basic human rights. Dentists, earn far too much as do lots of other professions, and all this b@ll@x about 7 years study – well boo hoo. No one forced them to do it (or maybe mummy and daddy did).

Why does one profession hold more value than another ? All workers are cogs in the machine of society and as such should be of equal worth. Obviously due to greed and self importance the majority of todays [failed]capitalist[/failed] society as we know it cannot accept that they are not better than other people, so change will take time.

We have a minimum wage, why not also have a maximum ?

There are countries in the world where ALL health care and education is free. Why not here ?

Dentists, earn far too much as do lots of other professions, and all this b@ll@x about 7 years study – well boo hoo. No one forced them to do it (or maybe mummy and daddy did).

Interesting comma placement 😀

I'm not sure any of them are whinging at the 7 year thing, just pointing out that after 7 years of study there is a fairly hefty bill to pay, hence the costs, not looking for sympathy. I studied for 8 years for my job and I'm not on anything like a dentists wage, but I can see where they are coming from. I know a recently graduated dentist who actually has less take-home pay than I do after 2 years in someone elses practice!

You know, if you really want to whine about people who are paid too much, I can't help thinking that there are professions less deserving than frickin dentists that keep your *head* in good condition and enable you to *eat*. I mean, it's kind of a basic human need and it's also pretty complicated to do right.

It's not like selling shamwows or kicking pigs' bladders around!

There are countries in the world where ALL health care and education is free

No, there aren't…think about it.