Is my dentist pulling a fast one? I have been going to the same dental surgery for over twenty years and have seen a variety of dentists in that time and have been happy with the treatment. Now I am not so sure. Am I right or wrong?
Here’s the timeline
October 2025 – appointment with dentist for my six monthly check up, all good. Carry on seeing the hygienist.
December 2025 – regular appointment with hygienist for the usual jet wash of my teeth and prodding of my gums.
“You need a filling!” she says and points it out to me on an x-ray which was on my record from some time ago. “Don’t worry, I’ll speak to the Treatment Co-ordinator to arrange it for you”
By the time I walked downstairs to the reception desk, the Treatment Co-ordinator was waiting for me, having reviewed my recent record. She said she would be able to authorise me seeing my regular NHS dentist earlier than planned and for the work to go ahead.
This was interesting, it seems there is a new role in the process, something I hadn’t come across before. Hard to know what to make of this. Can hygienists say whether a filling is needed? Is the co-ordinator a dentist of some kind? What is behind the role, I mean really behind the role?
Nevertheless, I made an appointment to see my dentist for a check-up, which had been brought forward. Nothing urgent I thought, no pain etc.
February 2026 – appointment with dentist for a check up. This is a new dentist to me, she was providing maternity cover for my regular dentist. She says, in addition to the filling identified by the hygienist, I need FOUR fillings. Yes, FOUR fillings! Apparently these are all small and can be done in one 45 minute appointment, costing £75.30.
Question
Should I go ahead with this? My instinct is yes, I should. I have always followed the advice offered to me. However, going from having absolutely no issues to needing four fillings does seem a huge step. I think she said something about preventative, maintenance treatment.
Am I being over treated? Are these fillings necessary? What are “maintenance” fillings? Apparently one is a “glass ionomer” material which, according to Dr Google is for small fillings.
Second opinion?
Better they pull a fast one than pull a tooth. Go and see another dentist, for a second opinion.
I was quoted, casually, GBP 4k for an implant about a year ago, as a pre-molar had broken in half, after root canal about 20 years ago. The price shocked me, so I went and saw another dentist for a second opinion. The new dentist said 2k. At a later date, on a second visit to the new dentist, I explained the situation, and he said he knew the person leading the other practice, knew they wanted to retire shortly (getting long in the tooth), and suspected he had given the command from on high to start charging more. I felt quite shocked. Then the new dentist started giving me pressure to get the implant done…
A few months later, meeting with a friend, he told me he had been invited to a party, where the host happened to be a dentist. The house was massive, and the dentist was boasting he was charging 4k for an implant! Different dentist, same strategy.
I think the government is going to be doing an investigation into dentist pricing.
https://www.bda.org/media-centre/utterly-perverse-dentists-slam-call-for-inquiry-into-private-dentistry/