NHS vs Private Dentists

Nobody ever looks forward to visiting the dentist for fillings, but if you want to have a bright smile, it is a necessary evil you need to deal with. However, which one is better ‘“ dealing with the NHS, or paying for the costs associated with visiting a private dentist? That is exactly what we will try to discover here.

First, what exactly is the NHS? Also called the National Health Service, it is a publicly-funded health care system, which operates in England. If you’re a resident of the United Kingdom, you can have dental care services for free, or with very minimal costs involved. In addition to dentistry, the NHS also offers in-patient care, long-term health care, and ophthalmology services to patients.

As the name implies, a private dentist is a dental clinic which is not affiliated with the NHS ‘“ but still provides professional dental care for patients. So what’s the difference between the two? The existing issue regarding getting dental services from the NHS versus private dental clinics is the price, the speed of service, and sometimes even the quality of dental care that you will receive.

In the UK, most general dentists offer both NHS and private treatments. The problem that most patients encounter when looking for NHS dental services, is the availability of one ‘“ especially for the more specialized dental treatments. White fillings on back teeth, cosmetic implants and white crowns on molar teeth, are some of the services that you can only book through a private dentist.

Another difference between NHS and private dental services is the quality of materials used. Private dentists offer a pay-as-you-go scheme for the dental treatments that they provide for their patients ‘“ while the NHS requires you to pay a monthly fee for the care. Finally, even if you are an NHS patient, you can still opt to be treated as a private patient if you wish.

Summary:

1. NHS are dental treatments offered by the National Health Service – accredited clinics in the UK, while private dentists offer dental treatments which are exclusively for patients.

2. NHS treatments are typically less expensive, while private dentist treatments are a bit more expensive.

3. NHS treatments are more difficult to schedule due to availability issues, while private dentists have a more flexible schedule for private patients.

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