Private work at NHS prices

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Published: Sunday, 08 June 2008 10:59
Written by News Editor
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A private dentist in Wolverhampton is taking on NHS rivals, by offering cheap private treatment for all, reports the Express and Star. Dental & Health Studio says it can match NHS prices and still make a profit.

The practice says it is providing a much needed service for people who may otherwise be tempted to save money by skipping the dentist chair to carry out DIY repairs.
Jaswinder Singh Jandu works with Polly Bhambra and her husband Amar, who have spent thousands of pounds turning the run-down doctors on Tyburn Road, Wolverhampton, into a modern private dental practice.
They say they meet patients every day who say they cannot afford to pay to look after their teeth.
A check-up plus x-rays and scale and polish at their dentist is £16, white fillings start at £20 and extractions are £45. A set of dentures costs £198 while tooth whitening is £399.
If the enterprise is a success, it may lead to more dentists following suit, helping the shortage of dental treatment in some parts of the region.
And Mr Jandu says he hopes it will stop some of the horror stories he has come across in his work.
He said: “I saw a patient this week who broke his dentures in half and so he stitched it back together by heating a needle up so it would go through the acrylic.
“People often put superglue on bridges or veneers, they say it tastes awful but they didn’t know what else to do.
“Quite a lot of people come to me who only have two teeth left and they still manage to eat.
“Sometimes they don’t go to the dentist because they are worried about the costs, other times it is because they are nervous after having a bad experience.
“But dentistry has progressed a lot in recent years and we can help people who worry about visiting us.”
Mrs Bhambra said: “The building was an old doctor’s surgery and when it came up for auction we bought it and then set about renovating it. “We knew that we could charge private prices and earn three times as much, but this way we are providing a service to the local community. “We are surrounded by people on a low income so it would just not work to have a practice where we charged a lot of money. “A lot of NHS dentists are full but we only opened in April and so are still taking on patients and the list is increasing rapidly.” Mr Jandu already has his own practice in Bilston and says he is keen to get more nervous patients though the door. “In 1996 I qualified as a dentist and trained in Halesowen and Black Heath before setting up my own practice on Church Street in Bilston eight years ago,” he says. “I’m really committed to providing affordable dentistry to those who need it. The tooth decay rate in Wolverhampton and Bilston is high, while the oral hygiene knowledge is low.” Mr Bhambra, who trained as a dental nurse and is now an examiner for dental nurses, says they are committed to keeping their prices low and standards high. He said: “We have spent thousands of pounds on equipment, such as £9,000 for the cabinet where the instruments are kept and £30,000 for the dentist chair.
“We wanted a clean environment with modern technology for people to enjoy – such as the plasma screen over the chair so patients can watch a film while having an examination or filling.
“When people come to the practice they are shocked because it is quite different to anything they have seen before – there is perfume and aftershave in the toilets and free toothpaste and floss. “If we are not able to become an NHS dentist we will carry on offering the low prices because it is a service we believe is important in this area,” Mr Bhambra also added. To see original article click here
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