NHS Charges 2012

NHS Dental Charges are changing from 1st April 2012, the new fees are listed below.

Band 1 course of treatment – £17.50
This covers an examination, diagnosis (e.g. x-rays), advice on how to prevent future problems, and a scale and polish if needed.

Band 2 course of treatment – £48.00
This covers everything listed in Band 1 above, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or if your dentist needs to take out one or more of your teeth.

Band 3 course of treatment – £209.00
This covers everything listed in Bands 1 and 2 above, plus crowns, dentures or bridges.

Urgent treatment – £17.50
When you need to see a dentist immediately, also costs £17.50.

These are the charges that we collect on behalf of Warrington Primary Care Trust for the NHS dental treatment you receive. They are set nationally for all NHS dental practices in England.

If you are in any of the following groups, you do not pay dental charges. You just need to sign the appropriate form at reception following a dental check or treatment.

• Children and young people under 18, and those under 19 in full-time education at the start of treatment. (People living in Wales aged under 25, or 60 or over, get free dental checks – but not free treatment.)
• Women who are pregnant when treatment starts and those who have had a child in the last 12 months. (You need to show form MAT B1.)
• People and their dependants who receive Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.
• NHS in-patients and out-patients for treatment carried out by the hospital dental service. (But there may be a charge for dentures and bridges.)
• People who are Community Dental Service patients. (But there may be a charge for dentures and bridges.)
• If you have an NHS tax credit exemption certificate.
• Some war pensioners – If treatment is connected with the pensionable disability.
• People on a low income who have a certificate HC2 (use HC1 form to apply – available at reception). If you have an HC3 certificate you may get some help towards the cost of dental treatment.
• People who receive income related employment and support allowance (this does not include contribution related employment allowance)

Please bring proof of entitlement when claiming help with the cost of NHS treatment.

Toothache and Sinusitis

Patients quite often attend with pain in their upper teeth also complaining of problems with their sinuses situated just above.  It can be difficult to ascertain what is the cause of the pain as it manifests as poorly localised aching.  Where patients are unsure whether the pain is dental or from the sinuses we welcome you at an urgent care appointment.  Often teeth need to be thoroughly investigated to exclude them from the diagnosis.  More information on the link between the two has been published on the British Dental Health Foundation site.

Some 9 million people in the UK suffer from sinusitis which is an inflammation of the lining of the sinuses. It is often caused by a viral or bacterial infection and symptoms include a blocked or runny nose, pain and tenderness in the face and a high temperature. Often the teeth may also appear to ache.

Read more at the British Dental Health Foundation

Christmas Opening 2011

All the team here at Birchwood Dental Practice would like to wish our patients a very Merry Christmas.

We hope you don’t need us over the festive period but if you have that one toffee too many we will be available apart from the weekends and bank holidays.  For out of hours details please click here.

National Bruxism Week

Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) affects over 6 million people in the UK alone.

Signs of Bruxism can also be spotted by aching muscles, limited opening of the mouth migraines and persistent headaches, and Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, recommends a visit to the dentist if you come across any of these signs.

To find out more have a look at http://t.co/IJMjZYLK and if you’re worried you may be grinding your teeth please do make an appointment to see your dentist.

Need Ibuprofen for toothache? Be careful if it’s Nurofen

NHS choices reports:

Many newspapers have reported today that some packets of Nurofen Plus have been found to contain the wrong medicine. A warning has been issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is advising people to be extra vigilant if taking Nurofen Plus pain relief tablets.

To find out more visit http://t.co/oxBT6rQ