Costs of private dental care in Ireland? Obscene?

Just comparing it with prices in The Netherlands, as an example (Turkey being apparently cheaper again).

I think they have standardized costs?

Wat Kost de Tandarts? | Tarieven en Vergoedingen (tandartsjanvangalen.nl)

Root canal on a molar:

Wortelkanaalbehandeling per element met 4 of meer kanalen	€ 295,68

Compare that to Ireland, with an endodonist you'd be looking at 1200.

For a crown:

Kroon op implantaat	€ 281,60

In Ireland?

More like 1000?

Is this "Rip Off Ireland" spilling into the health care system?

The majority of insurance policies don't even meaningfully cover dental.

If you require a moderate amount of dental work (root canal and crown, or extraction and implant), one would be looking at what, 5 large?

And that's for just one tooth.

More extensive work, be prepared to take out a second mortgage.

Can't something be done on this matter?

igCorcaigh

Extortionate here, tbh.

Dental care is health care. Why has this country negelected basic health care for so many?

Vestiapx

My dentist charges less per hour than my mechanic. If we are saying my dental health should be subsidised by the govt I agree and I get why my mechanic isn't but on a skills and insurance paid per hour basis I don't find the dentist exhorborant

satguy

The dentist here in town thinks he is a brain surgeon ,, and thinks he should paid like one.

But they are really like ink printers ,, they hang around all year,, and when you really need one to do a bit of work,, they let you down,, big time..

Any reason why the government can't step in and regulate pricing?

I mean it's obviously required.

…….

We'd probably have mass departure of dental graduates then, lol.

mazdamiatamx5

Very high suicide rate in dentistry. Can't blame 'em.

extra-ordinary_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641489#Comment_122641489

Takin everyone's money aint easy!

mazdamiatamx5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641493#Comment_122641493

Taking? It's a specialised profession which most don't want to go for even if they have the points. Hence, the high prices.

Nobody likes going to the dentist.

Thespoofer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641489#Comment_122641489

Not sure I fully understand the point. Is this true ?

beachhead

Had a filling in an unnamed country renowned for its dental schools and expertise.Cost me e18.22 at exchange rate in April this year.Haf to wait 24 hours for an appointment.Same at home would be e100+

irelandrover

I'm not sure the prices are all that different. I know I paid 870 for mine in the Netherlands. And it looks like it's gone up since.

The price above is per element. Not for the whole treatment.

Mav11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641602#Comment_122641602

in an "unnamed" country

Why the secrecy??

beachhead

Because most of the people on boards don't want to know.Naming it would open up the rant or rants to come

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641624#Comment_122641624

Which tooth?

Did you have it done with a dentist or endodontist?

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641438#Comment_122641438

Because government doesn't regulate pricing for anything.

The real question is why basic dentistry services aren't available to all as part of a public health service.

whatever.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058369848/costs-of-private-dental-care-in-ireland-obscene

€1,500 I was quoted last summer before the price of the crown

And that was from a "Dentist" who was too cheap to maintain his own office and instead worked like a travelling salesman from rented rooms

FarFarcical, extortionate and ridiculous

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122642691#Comment_122642691

I'm hearing/reading prices may be more affordable in the 6 counties?

Has the "rip off Ireland" ethos contaminates the cross border region as of yet?

StudentDad

The cost of most things in this country is obscene. When I can go online and renew my house insurance/car insurance/cat insurance with ANY insurance provider in the EU from Finland to Greece etc. etc. then we may get somewhere. As long as this little island is treated as a wee bubble that happens to be a member state of the EU we're not going to have any progress.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641438#Comment_122641438

No need to regulate prices.

Simply allow more people to train to be dentists.

The high points is a sign of massive latent demand from people who want to train to be a dentist.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643887#Comment_122643887

Firms across the EU are free to offer insurance here, and they do.

I believe AXA is French?

And Allianz is German?

StudentDad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643908#Comment_122643908

Yes, you're right. However, as I said above, the market in this country is treated like a small little bubble, in which, it's residents are fleeced. It needs to be one big EU bubble. Can't see it happening anytime soon though.

gipi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643816#Comment_122643816

About to start dental treatment up north - probably a root canal. Price list includes £90 for initial assessment, £200 for investigation to see exactly what can be done and £600 for a molar root canal. Slightly cheaper, but not cheap.

Didn't get to the price of a crown yet.

Photobox

If you think Dental treatment is expensive here, you should see periodontics, im at the severe end of gum issues and its so costly to keep on top of it. It's heridary and I have no choice but to fork out..

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643816#Comment_122643816

Subsided under the NHS.

I got a wisdom tooth out in Newry. 90 quid versus 300 in the Republic. That was 10 years ago, no doubt it's doubled in price here.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122644123#Comment_122644123

Subsidization?

I would have no beef if the Irish government did something similar.

Prices in the north have gone north significantly however over the last 10 years.

whatever.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643816#Comment_122643816

Yes it is cheaper in the UK and considerably so, you will benefit from the NHS partially covering practice costs and the dentists supplementing their income via private patients ie you

A crown is around £500

whatever.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122646743#Comment_122646743

A screenshot from a belfast practice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122646797#Comment_122646797

Crowns do seem much cheaper for sure.

Cost of implants has increased over the last 10 years however. Maybe some clinics are cheaper, but formerly they used to be about half the price of the south.

Some NI clinics do keep their costs as they were, or aim to.

Others……

The reality is teeth are super important.

Hate to say it but there's no shortage of dentists out there that are straight up scammers, recommending and doing unnecessary work etc.

This kind of pricing is prohibitive, it's aimed at draining bank accounts, not ensuring patients have optimal dental well being.

So yes, the children's-hospital situation isn't exactly a resounding statement that the Irish government are adept at managing finances re health care.

But government aside, insurance companies couldn't step in, a dental council could discuss measures to regulate fees;

Something, no?

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643816#Comment_122643816

I'm sure it has and why not.

Potential-Monke

Ya'll can get dental appointments? Public or private, i can't. Not that I could afford it anyway. And I'm pretty sure the last lad fucked up my mouth. Went in with no pain and all of a sudden I have receding gums and that's why I can no longer eat with the right side of my mouth since my last visit...

Unnecessary dental work being recommended also; forced-upon, in some cases.

Another scourge of the dental industry.

Annual check ups should not be optional, but compulsory.

If the government was subsidizing dental work, they'd be a step closer to that to reduce future costs…… kind of like health promo's to reduce the burden on the health system.

And no one wants to talk about it but, accountability for dentists that do subpar work.

The suing is very poor when it comes to low quality dental work (i.e. dental malpractice).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122648375#Comment_122648375

This is the other unfortunate aspect of dentistry that no one likes to either acknowledge or discuss.

The response tends to be, "well, at least it didn't happen to me".

Dentists are surgeons of the teeth. All surgeons were not made equal, and things go wrong.

With a surgeon of less expertise and interest in their position, the probability of things going wrong more frequently, of course increases.

Something goes wrong in your 30 minute dental appointment, it can leave a lifetime of pain or discomfort, as well as compromised function.

And what's your recourse?

Not a whole lot, if anything; suing for dental malpractice or incompetence gives shockingly low return on investment and ultimately, it doesn't reverse the problem.

All things considered, really an aspect of health care that is terribly overlooked, insufficiently regulated……… is it any wonder dental anxiety and aversion to dentistry is as common as it is?

Vote4Squirrels

I was quoted 18,856 euro for a full set of dentures including the removal work etc.

I will embrace my gummy smile instead …!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuKK38INpiQ

No idea if this is legit, but NI clinics are offering crown for less than half of ROI clinics.

Wonder if they actually deliver on this?

jsd1004

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643904#Comment_122643904

Why do people want to be dentists? They are not saving lives. They are looking into other peoples unhygienic mouths. It is a dirty unrewarding profession (good money though). They do it for the money.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058369848/costs-of-private-dental-care-in-ireland-obscene

It's been like that for a long time.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641438#Comment_122641438

A Fianna Fail/Fine Gael government?

🤣

506972617465

Dublin quote for 1 root canal and 1 crown in Dublin 2 years ago - €1.800

Fixing ALL my dental problems (2 root canals, 2 crowns, 2 implants including 1 tooth extraction, fixing other minor cavities, I think 4 of them, tissue transplant palate > gum to rebuild it; lock, stock & barrel, x-ray, all other possible care) in Poland - €4.800

I won't judge, but the choice was obvious.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122766917#Comment_122766917

Woah, you must have done your homework quite well before that.

Obviously you went ahead and made the trip, everything went as planned?

There's typically a waiting period in between the implant and crown placement, as well as root canal and crown placement. Did you return after some weeks or just make it an extended holiday?

Would definitely be interested to hear the response of Truly Dental group to this comparison.

I thought this would be an appropriate (and factual) quote, just to emphasize the gravity of how things currently stand:

"Other correspondence seen by RTÉ Investigates from the Dental Council refers to regulation in its sector being so weak that a cat getting its claws clipped at a vet has greater protection than a dental patient in Ireland."

From an article published earlier this year, including malpractice reports from RTE investigates:

https://www.rte.ie/news/investigations-unit/2023/1108/1415459-dental-council-warns-govt-patients-are-being-left-at-risk/

"Complaints have also been received about clinical governance standards at a branch of a chain of dental practices where there are concerns about upselling and patients potentially receiving more treatment than necessary."

If this were scrutinized across the entire practice of dentistry, waiting lists would probably be cut in half (at a minimum), overnight.

The Dental Council of Ireland has also raised concern that dentistry is the only healthcare profession in Ireland where there is no legal requirement for individuals to complete continuing professional development.

Absolutely shocking, not least of all as it's a practice which absolutely requires CPD, upskilling and revision of competence, constantly.

"It is clearly not in the patient’s interest that dentists can walk out of dental school and over the course of a full and long career, never be asked to demonstrate to the regulator how he or she has been keeping their knowledge and skills current."

An integrity deficit reflected also in extortionate dental costs.

………

"It is very much the view of the Dental Council that regulatory reform should be approached urgently, constructively and collaboratively without being triggered by patient harm and distress, or by adverse media coverage."

That would be very uncharacteristic of policy reform in Ireland, at least based on historical precedent.

Government response?

In a statement the Department of Health stated it remains committed to reviewing the Dentists Act 1985 saying it "is considering the necessary timelines required to deliver a robust, evidence-based modern regulatory framework".

Translation: maybe in the next 20 years some time, but we wouldn't want to upset the applecart, so don't expect anything meaningful if it does happen.

If you look around even a little, the extent of malpractice would make you lose your lunch, and probably get a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th opinion on recommended dental work, before ever committing to a procedure again.

Dental malpractice isn't held to account, as there's no payout, it's not worth a patients time or effort to file a court case, therefore there's no meaningful deterrent to continue engaging in said malpractice.

I don't even want to discuss what goes on as thinking about it literally makes me sick.

Teeth don't grow back, and literature and studies increasingly point to many chronic health conditions, starting in the mouth, starting with oral and dental well being.

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641601#Comment_122641601

They always look down in the mouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641624#Comment_122641624

Implant crown in Ireland is typically 1200 to 1500?

Kroon op implantaat € 281,60