Investigation Reveals Huge Differences in Private Check-Up Costs
An investigation carried out by the Daily Mail has revealed huge differences in the cost of private dental check-ups across the UK.
Reporters researching the cost of a routine dental check-up found significant variations, with one clinic charging £95. The lowest was £20. The difference in fees is made all the more incredible by the fact that these two quotes came from clinics just 12 miles apart in Harrow and Harley Street, London.
Although there are competitive prices still out there, the average cost of a check-up at a private dental surgery in the UK has increased by 40 percent in just three years. In November 2013, the average cost was £37 and this has risen to £52 in 2016.
Reporters also discovered significant variations in the cost of other treatments, including cosmetic procedures such as teeth whitening. The cost of whitening, for example, was just £75 in Rotherham, compared to £550 in Cobham. Implant treatment ranged from £799 per tooth to £2,800 per tooth.
Dental experts claim that private dentists are free to charge what they want, as there is no regulation related to setting prices in the private sector. However, patient watchdog Patient Concern believes that many patients are forced to fork out for private care because they are in pain and can’t get an appointment at an alternative clinic.
The Daily Mail investigation analysed data from the UK’s 14,200 private dentists via the Whatclinic.com website.
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