yorkiegirl Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 i never mentioned the uk economy in my thread...that you kindly pointed out! i was simply saying that i think its discusting charging $150 to look at my child's teeth and clean......australia is so expensive, its unbelievable...but for some strange reason people wont admit it...you may get more in you pay pack...but there's nowt to show for it at the end of the week. you no what drives me nut's....( people who have been brainwashed into thinking that australia is the bee's nee's..... And I am certainly not brainwashed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkiegirl Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 It is expensive here, we get paid a fair bit more to make up for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 people who have been brainwashed into thinking that australia is the bee's nee's..... This is the most ridiculous statement I have come across if people like something they are brainwashed, come on, do you really believe this:swoon: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkiegirl Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Couldn't find emoticon for banging head against a brick wall so this will have to suffice--------:arghh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Just got back from north of england and I can tell you got a rootcanal done for 230 quid. dont know what your papers say but i know what the dentist charged. You obviously didn't read my post properly. Never mind. It wouldn't suit your agenda anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I haven't read all the thread but surely people can't be falling out about dentists can they:wub::laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Nah, not really. Don't forget the Brits are renowned throughout the world for their magnificent teeth! Ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 i never mentioned the uk economy in my thread...that you kindly pointed out! i was simply saying that i think its discusting charging $150 to look at my child's teeth and clean......australia is so expensive, its unbelievable...but for some strange reason people wont admit it...you may get more in you pay pack...but there's nowt to show for it at the end of the week. you no what drives me nut's....( people who have been brainwashed into thinking that australia is the bee's nee's..... Is Australia not the bee's nee's? Well I am disappointed. We were taught at school that there was nowhere as good as Aus. There was no need to leave Aus as we had everything. Mind you we did have to pay for dental back then as well. How dare they charge that kind of rate for a 30 min check up. Have you had a look how much it costs you to have your car serviced at a dealership? Probably takes them less than that to do your car service and you will be paying more than the dentist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkiegirl Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 And don't even get me started on Real Estate agent fees:mad: You could probably get a mouth full of crowns for the amount that they charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fisheys Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 It has been quite interesting to read these threads. The difficulty I will have is in keeping this short, but I will try to reply to any responses / retaliations that come in.The first question to answer is “do you believe that the government knows best, or do you?” In the UK the answer seems to be the former, whilst here it is the latter. So if you want a “cradle to grave welfare state,” then it’s the UK for you, not Australia. If you want to take responsibility for yourself, and your family, keep more of your wages, and choose how you spend your own money, then Australia really is the “bees knees.” I saw the thread about the price of orthodontic treatment, now if it was available free, you go ahead don´t you? Yet if you have to pay for it, then you decide to spend, or not spend your own money. (The government would have no such qualms about spending your money). Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Australia does not have a one trillion pound national debt, and the UK does, that is worth repeating, our children will have to pay a trillion pounds, plus about as much again in interest, in their taxes because the last UK Government have already blown it. That is a cool 17 grand for every breathing UK citizen, or once you take into account the number of children, pensioners, benefit claimants, and asylum seekers in the UK, then about 35 grand for every working person. I have heard, but do not know, that in the UK you can even get Working Families Tax Credits despite trousering 60 grand a year. Great if you can get it, but absolute economic madness.This flags up the next problem, which is what happens when a country with a lavish welfare state like the UK goes bust? Lets look at what happened in NHS Dentistry. By 2006 the last government realised there was a problem. A new NHS Dental Contract was brought in, that severely restricted access to NHS Dentistry, whilst neatly putting the blame on “those greedy dentists.” The government commissioned, on average, 1.5 units of dental activity for each man, woman, and child in the UK. For the “non anoraks” amongst you, that is a check up, or check up scale and polish, or check up scale and polish and X Rays for you every 8 months, but no more visits inbetween; or, a course of treatment involving fillings and / or extractions every 2 years, but no more courses inbetween; or, a course of treatment involving crowns, bridges, or dentures every 8 years, but no more courses inbetween. To try to keep Jo Public onside, the government reduced the maximum patients charge from over 330 pounds, to 189 pounds.This meant that dentists had to take the real world, difficult decisions that frankly the government were too spineless to do. In the meanwhile, any number of government “Spin Doctors” were all over the media claiming that the average dentist received gross pay of 160,000 pounds a year. Jo Public hears this, and quite rightly, thinks of their own pay packet, and thinks this is the gross salary paid to the dentist, who need only pay tax and national insurance out of that sum. In fact they paid all their bills out of that, staff wages, laboratory bills for crowns. bridges, and dentures, materials, gas, electric, water, business rates, accountant fees, telephone, insurance premiums, etc., etc., etc. It just proves the old adage that there are “no votes in dentistry.”When patients couldn´t find an NHS Dentist they blamed the dentists, not the morons who brought the scheme in.So I think NHS Dentistry is cheap in the UK, but only for the 50% of us that can get it. In terms of the costs of treatment here, I haven´t been here long enough to be certain, but I do have a couple of thoughts. In a free market economy, the market will set the price. If any business charges too much, anywhere in the world, competitors will move in and kill you off, or your customers will go elsewhere. That is why people in Europe go to Hungary for Dentistry, and why people here go to Thailand, or Singapore, and its why I love Ryanair. Based on my knowledge of the running costs of a UK Dental Practice, at around 125 pounds an hour, or A$190, the charge of A$150 for half an hour seems reasonable. It doesn´t matter who is in front of you, your nurse, electricity company, telephone people, taxman, people on benefits etc., still want their money, so you pass it on to your customer. So the answer to the original question, is A$150 reasonable, is, yes it is. I sensed an undercurrent in some of the threads, I am sure you know who you are. It was upsetting, and deeply offensive. The Aussies seem to have your measure, read the bumper stickers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakesh1977 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hello everyone, reading the post has been interesting. Perhaps as a dentist myself I might be able to add some thoughts. I have work in both NHS and private practice in the UK and now working and living in Australia. Just one quick point to remember is that there's 'cheap' and there's 'good value'. You get what you pay for. Shop around by all means. But from my experience, patients aren't just paying for the filling, but the knowledge, care and professionalism of the health care providers. The 'real' cost of health care, whether its dentistry, optometry or even general medicine in the UK has been hidden away behind the great brand of the NHS. Australia has no such system so the true cost becomes transparent. The shear scale of expenditure on health care in the UK by the government is frightening, but then for a population of 70 million, a huge amount of tax payer money is available to spend on healthcare - but it's never enough. People don't take care of themselves anywhere enough and preventable health problems are draining vital funds. In Australia, we have a much much smaller population, a lower number of tax payers yet our healthcare system is first rate. We can't expect the same level of 'free' care when there are few people paying into the system. The thing people need to realise is that dentistry is Australia operates largely on insurance and its the insurance companies that dictate fees for the vast majority of practices. The other issue is the fact that nearly 95% of ALL dental problems are preventable. Good diet, home care and a sensible approach to healthy living is a great money saver! People don't just get cavities, they are 99% man made! Yes there are times when problems arise which are unavoidable and for patients who can't afford treatment we do have a decent government and hospital system. For those who can afford it, first rate treatment is available including advice and preventive treatment to stop it recurring. If people stop to consider that a filling which costs $250 has a life expectancy of 10 years or more in constant use its a reasonable price. The unfortunate thing about teeth is that we have on average 28 of them unlike our eyes and ears etc... so cost can mount up if poor hygiene and diet are present. People spend a lot more annually on junk food, sugary drinks and alcohol. People needing glasses will happily spend a lot more on designer frames and lenses which last a lot less than 10 years. So, yes I agree, dentistry is expensive. Its a very skilled profession. We aren't there just to fill teeth and take your money. $360 annually for two hygiene visits and an annual check-up's is a very reasonable cost to keep you healthy. The mouth is the entry point to your body and so it's a worthy investment. How much are shoes, clothes, sunglasses, jewelry etc.??? My advice, shop around. Talk to your dentist about costs. Haggle if you have to. But please respect ALL the health care professions. We have worked incredibly hard to train, gain knowledge and treat our patients with respect and dignity. Tarring an entire profession due to the greedy actions of a few is not helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakesh1977 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 There are economies of scale to consider. I'm not saying that dentistry isn't expensive - it is. But for the most part, the vast majority don't need implants or large one off treatments like that. But for people living in Singapore, the professor will be expensive too - exchange rates play a small part too. If nothing goes wrong, the monetary savings are great. But life isn't simple. Things have and do go wrong and patients won't readily fly off to see the dentist abroad. What's right for one isn't for another. You can buy anything on this planet cheaper than the price you see on the high street. You also have to take the risks and benefits and see if they are right for you. If the opinion is that ALL dentists in Britain, Australia, USA etc... are there to rip their patients off and the cheapest ones on the planet are the honest ones, then it doesn't matter how many facts / figures are presented, your opinion will not change. My previous point was that yes dentistry and general healthcare is expensive in Australia. Smaller population, high cost of goods and services just to buy equipment and materials etc..but people do have a personal RESPONSIBILITY to ensure they look after themselves to prevent problems in turn reducing their own costs. The reason people are so unhealthy in the UK and the NHS is such a money drain on the nation is that for too long cheap even free healthcare has been available taking away personal responsibility to be healthy. If it goes wrong, the NHS will sort it out. No, the tax payer will pay more to treat preventable diseases. Doesn't work that way in most countries of the world. Just a simple fact. Eat fatty foods, drink too much, smoke too much, develop heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, tooth decay...and the health service picks up the pieces. So when people move to a country where free everything doesn't exist, it comes as a shock. Perhaps not such a bad thing if it makes the younger generations take better care of themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckiNick Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 ive used Noble Dentist I was a member last year. You can literally choose your dentist from the list provided and go and show your noble dentist card. I think it cost about $40 to become a member but there is No waiting period . I had to go and didnt even have my proper card just a print out and that was fine. Its not mega savings I had a check up , xrays clean and a filling and prob saved $100. I do need my wisdom tooth removed and some dentists dont apply the noble dentist fee for this...so ive been putting it off. I think in the long run if u needed a few fillings etc it could save a nice sum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucysdream Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hello everyone, reading the post has been interesting. Perhaps as a dentist myself I might be able to add some thoughts. I have work in both NHS and private practice in the UK and now working and living in Australia. Just one quick point to remember is that there's 'cheap' and there's 'good value'. You get what you pay for. Shop around by all means. But from my experience, patients aren't just paying for the filling, but the knowledge, care and professionalism of the health care providers. The 'real' cost of health care, whether its dentistry, optometry or even general medicine in the UK has been hidden away behind the great brand of the NHS. Australia has no such system so the true cost becomes transparent. The shear scale of expenditure on health care in the UK by the government is frightening, but then for a population of 70 million, a huge amount of tax payer money is available to spend on healthcare - but it's never enough. People don't take care of themselves anywhere enough and preventable health problems are draining vital funds. In Australia, we have a much much smaller population, a lower number of tax payers yet our healthcare system is first rate. We can't expect the same level of 'free' care when there are few people paying into the system. The thing people need to realise is that dentistry is Australia operates largely on insurance and its the insurance companies that dictate fees for the vast majority of practices. The other issue is the fact that nearly 95% of ALL dental problems are preventable. Good diet, home care and a sensible approach to healthy living is a great money saver! People don't just get cavities, they are 99% man made! Yes there are times when problems arise which are unavoidable and for patients who can't afford treatment we do have a decent government and hospital system. For those who can afford it, first rate treatment is available including advice and preventive treatment to stop it recurring. If people stop to consider that a filling which costs $250 has a life expectancy of 10 years or more in constant use its a reasonable price. The unfortunate thing about teeth is that we have on average 28 of them unlike our eyes and ears etc... so cost can mount up if poor hygiene and diet are present. People spend a lot more annually on junk food, sugary drinks and alcohol. People needing glasses will happily spend a lot more on designer frames and lenses which last a lot less than 10 years. So, yes I agree, dentistry is expensive. Its a very skilled profession. We aren't there just to fill teeth and take your money. $360 annually for two hygiene visits and an annual check-up's is a very reasonable cost to keep you healthy. The mouth is the entry point to your body and so it's a worthy investment. How much are shoes, clothes, sunglasses, jewelry etc.??? My advice, shop around. Talk to your dentist about costs. Haggle if you have to. But please respect ALL the health care professions. We have worked incredibly hard to train, gain knowledge and treat our patients with respect and dignity. Tarring an entire profession due to the greedy actions of a few is not helpful. Well said!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 $150 for a check up & clean doesn't sound unreasonable to me. Of course I'm still in the UK but I don't think I'd pay any less since I'm in one of the parts of the UK that only has NHS dental cover if you're a benefit claimant. That said I don't bother with a UK dentist and instead fly to Latvia (it works out cheaper even when you include the Ryanair fees). I guess I won't be able to do that from Australia so it was good to read about Singapore as an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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