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Private Dentistry

Description

Private dental care is an ever-growing industry thanks to the growing prominence and accessibility of cosmetic treatments. Many also turn to the private sector for routine dental treatments and checkups.

What is the appeal of dental care provided by a private practice, and what can private patients expect from a trip to their new dental surgery?

We’ve produced a complete guide to private dentistry, what treatments they offer, and where to find your nearest private practice to answer these questions and more.

Portrait of smiling dentist in dentist’s office

What is Private Dentistry?

Private dental care is accessible to anyone willing (and able) to pay for treatment given by a British Dental Association certified private dentist.

With that in mind, while NHS treatment only involves medically necessary procedures, private practices offer a broader selection of complex treatments to their patients. These include cosmetic procedures such as tooth whitening, dental implants and veneers.

Crucially, however, alongside this broader range of treatments, private dentistry often provides many logistical advantages over that of NHS dentistry.

For example, private dental care patients can expect access to more flexible appointment times, longer appointment sessions, and the option to revisit the same dentist for each of their sessions.

What Services Do Private Dentists Offer?

Check-ups

Routine private appointments, or check-ups, are generally scheduled to take place every 6 months. This enables your dentists to conduct a thorough review of your current dental health and thus maintain an up to date picture of your overall oral wellbeing.

Orthodontics

Orthodontics is a specialised branch of dentistry that involves the preventative and reactionary treatment of misaligned teeth and jaws.

A typical orthodontic treatment plan will involve the application of a temporary or fixed dental brace designed to pull teeth into position gradually.

Cosmetic dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is typically defined as dental practices that are utilised purely for aesthetic benefits.

For example, a patient may have a tooth whitening procedure, have a dental implant or bridge placed to fill gaps or even have veneers fitted over their natural teeth to create a perfectly aligned smile.

Teeth whitening

Teeth whitening involves the removal of stains and discolouration of teeth via means of bleaching.

The ultimate aim of this procedure is to lighten and brighten tooth colour, thus yielding a healthier, more attractive smile.

The safest and most efficient teeth whitening treatments use whitening gels to gradually increase the brightness of a patient’s teeth over a period of weeks.

Root canal treatments

Root canal treatment is a dental procedure used to treat infection located in the central region of a tooth.

Therein, bacteria are removed from the middle of the tooth, known as the “root canal system”, under local anaesthetic. The root canal is then sealed with a crown or filling.

Restorative dentistry

Restorative dentistry involves the diagnosis and treatment (both preventative and reactionary) of tooth structure and dental tissues with the ultimate aim of restoring functionality.

As such, treatments include dentures, dental implants, bridges and the repairing of traumatic injuries to the oral area.

Wisdom tooth removal

Wisdom tooth removal is one of the most common procedures in the UK and involves the extraction of the wisdom tooth (or 3rd molar) under local anaesthetic.

The need to extract wisdom teeth can occur as a consequence of infection, abscess or pain caused by the emergence of misaligned or infected wisdom teeth.

Emergency appointments

Private dentists provide appointments for those who require emergency dental care.

Should the need for emergency care arise, you can call your dentist and arrange to attend one of the designated emergy slots kept by the surgery for such an eventuality.

If you require emergency care outside of surgery hours, call your dentist, and the surgery voicemail should direct you to your treatment.

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Frequently asked Questions

Is private dental treatment worth it?

Absolutely. Private dental care has numerous advantages for patients who are willing to pay for their treatment.

Waiting times are short, appointment times are numerous and flexible, and the number and range of treatments available make going private an appealing alternative to NHS dental care.

Can you mix NHS dental treatment with private treatment?

Of course. Many patients visit their NHS dentist for their routine check-up, a medical treatment plan or even free dental care (if they qualify) whilst utilising private dentists generally for cosmetic procedures.

On that note, it’s important to remember that NHS dentists won’t provide cosmetic treatment unless it is for medical reasons.

For example, if your tooth has become discoloured due to nerve damage or death, NHS dentists might provide a tooth whitening service for you. However, if you simply wish to have your teeth whitened for cosmetic reasons, private dental care is the only route.

What are the benefits of private dental care?

There are many factors that make private dental care all the more appealing.

The benefits include, but are not limited to:

The flexibility of appointment times.
Longer consultations.
Access to more treatments.
Shorter waiting times.

Are private orthodontics better than NHS?

As a general rule, the NHS utilises private orthodontists to provide orthodontic dental care services to their patients.

As such, if an NHS patient is under the age of 18 and thus qualifies for free orthodontics on the NHS, then that patient will be referred to a trusted private practice without additional dental charges.

To conclude, private orthodontics are NHS orthodontics and thus cannot be classed as being better.