Why do the British have bad teeth?

[Titus]

It's a generational thing, I think. Fluoride in the water.

There is no flouride in the water around here.

 

[Tubby Mondays]

It's not free on the NHS simply because you are over 65. You still need to be in receipt of one of the means tested benefits. If of pension age that would need to be Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. Many pensioners presume they can get free treatment because they get free prescriptions and sight tests.

My old job was recovering the NHS charges and applying the Penalty charge when people incorrectly claimed free treatment. If you have a Band 2 or 3 NHS treatment you will get a £100 plus you will have to pay the cost of the original treatment. The penalty charge is not waived even if it was an innocent mistake I.e confusion about your benefits and/or failing to read the form you signed at the surgery.

You worked at the DPB/Dental services in Eastbourne then?

 

[beorhthelm]

There is no flouride in the water around here.

there is no flouride in most the water in the UK, only something like 15% of the population mostly around the black country and Tyneside has it added to the water.

 

[Kittyhawk]

Its only free on the NHS if you are exempt from paying because you are a student, on certain benefits, over 65, a nursing mother etc. Other wise if you are an NHS patient you should be paying £17.50 for a check up and little bit of a clean, £48.00 for things like fillings or £209.00 for false teeth and crowns.

Correct and beware if they get it wrong, as they just have with my Girlfriends crown that's £209 down the swanee...got the peg wrong and went through her gum, attached it anyway and left her with an infection. The dental ombudsman has told her she has no recourse so she is now in the process of paying privately to get it sorted....gonna be much more than my ST....sigh.

 

[Aadam]

Correct and beware if they get it wrong, as they just have with my Girlfriends crown that's £209 down the swanee...got the peg wrong and went through her gum, attached it anyway and left her with an infection. The dental ombudsman has told her she has no recourse so she is now in the process of paying privately to get it sorted....gonna be much more than my ST....sigh.

Same with my sister, her infection spread through her jaw and cheek and she now has to pay for a bone graft from her chin to correct the problem caused by the NHS dentist.

 

[public school boy]

Same with my sister, her infection spread through her jaw and cheek and she now has to pay for a bone graft from her chin to correct the problem caused by the NHS dentist.

this makes me feel a bit better. Just back from the dentist. Going to have to spend £700. This includes a filling, descaling, cleaning, the check up and new crown plus peg.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

I

My old job was recovering the NHS charges and applying the Penalty charge when people incorrectly claimed free treatment. If you have a Band 2 or 3 NHS treatment you will get a £100 plus you will have to pay the cost of the original treatment. The penalty charge is not waived even if it was an innocent mistake I.e confusion about your benefits and/or failing to read the form you signed at the surgery.

What is the legal position if somebody refuses to pay the penalty charge?

 

[METALMICKY]

What is the legal position if somebody refuses to pay the penalty charge?

Not a good idea, because you will get a surcharge applied and then the cost of the issue of a County Court claim. If you ignore that you will then get a CCJ that will stuff you. You can only appeal by going to a civil hearing where you will invariably lose. Trust me on that because because I attended on behalf of the NHSBSA who was the claimant.

 

[Hatman1234]

For years the Americans have said that the British have bad teeth.

Because it's cheaper for us Brits to buy 94 cases of 12x500ml Coca Cola bottles than it would be to have a Tony Blooming check up!