Dental Insurance. What happens next for dental patients with the NHS?

A recent change to the way the NHS charges patients has caused big problems - and dentists are reacting by leaving the NHS in their hundreds. Dentists are not happy with the new changes and feel that they weren't consulted properly on the matter. It all hit the headlines when the Daily Mail found that, just 3 days before the deadline, as many as 7 out of 10 dentists had either not signed up, or had signed a temporary agreement with their local authority which was under dispute? This means there's nothing to stop these dentists from going completely private this July.

Many dentists feel that the new changes were rushed through and they fundamentally disagree with them. Although the changes simplify things from the patient's point of view, they are actually quite complex and dentists say that they were not given enough time to consider them in full before the deadline. As a result there has been a lot of uncertainty and resentment surrounding these changes.

So what exactly are the changes? It's all about the way patients are charged through the NHS. At the moment, there are around 400 different dental charges that apply to all the different kinds of dental work that can be done. The new system does away with all the separate charges, consolidating them into just three separate charges, as follows:

?Check-up - - 5.50
?Fillings (irrespective of the amount needed) - - 2.40
?Complicated work including crowns and bridges, no matter how short or long the treatment, or how many teeth are involved - - 89.00

Dentists are of the opinion that this new simplified charging system will discourage patients from seeking treatment for more serious issues, which Dr Anthony Halperin from the Patients?Association supports: I'm concerned that many patients will wait until they need multiple treatments to try to get value for money. If that does happen, it is likely we will see a significant rise in tooth decay.

It's a real possibility that up to 16 million patients could find themselves without the option of NHS dental care. Seeking private treatment is not necessarily easy either, as dentists have allegedly started to become picky about who they will take on as a patient. The situation could develop whereby if you're not well off or equipped with dental insurance, no dentist will take you on.

It's best to consider your options, and dental insurance is not as expensive as you might think. The internet is the place to look for the cheapest deals, and simply by searching under the term dental insurance?you will come across reams of companies offering good deals. We think the best ones to aim for are the dental insurance brokers - they usually get the best deals and they can offer you independent advice. At the dentists you will see flyers promoting dental insurance for specific companies but the dentists are not insurance experts, so do not assume that they are the best people to go to for advice and to buy your insurance.

The costs of dental insurance vary depending on your age and general requirements. There are a wide range of policies available and it really is essential that you seek advice before buying. The broker's strength is that they'll be able to look at all the policies out there and see which is best suited to you. Take Western Provident for example, it costs - 2.48 per month if you're aged between 18 and 49, and - 5.90 per month if you're aged between 50 and 69. For the money you'll be insured for up to - ,000 a year for emergency dental treatment, although each claim can only go up to a maximum of - 50. You'll also be able to claim up to - 50 a year for routine matters such as fillings, check-ups and seeing the hygienist, although the insurer will only pay 25% of each claim.

Another option is the capitalisation scheme. Dentists favour this scheme because it gives them carte blanche to bring your teeth up to an excellent standard, without it costing you the earth. Before signing up your dentist will assess your teeth and put you in a category of treatment group, depending on how much work you need doing. The worse the state of your teeth, the higher your premium will be to cover the extra work. Looking at Denplan, charges vary from between - and - 0 per month - so it's not that expensive.

The final option is the composite cash plan, which covers all aspects of your health. Naturally, this is the most expensive option as it covers all manner of treatments including the optician, physiotherapist, chiropodist, treatment at the hospital etc - but the payouts are a bit stingy so we don't generally recommend these.

Until you know for certain what is happening with the NHS dentists, it may be a good idea to look into the cost of dental insurance or a capitalisation scheme. There will be an inevitable rush to register as a private patient if the NHS deal falls through, so it's best to act now rather than later.

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