Cheesebiscut I would be worried about those prices as well! My NHS-I paid £198 for 2 visits a checkup, extraction, quick cleaning, retainer and a followup. My dentist said I should get a full cleaning once a year for £30.
For wisdom teeth you should pay £198, then £30 for the cleaning, then whatever extra for the pain medication after.
That being said- I am looking at getting a dental implant- and since it is considered cosmetic, it costs about a grand, bridges cost about £500. If the cleaning is considered cosmetic, they could charge you whatever they feel like. I am sure you could find a cleaning for cheaper elsewhere though.
I haven't have my wisdom teeth out either- they have just started to grown in. I had them checked out by my NHS dentist and he said they didn't look like they would get impacted so he wont get them taken out. My dentist in the States, however, recommended that I get them extracted because I do not have enough space in my mouth for them and they will move my other teeth to make room. Sure enough- I noticed the past few weeks my some of my teeth are slightly shifting. I wear a retainer 24 hours a day right now, so I don't think my teeth will get too crazy, but I am worried about getting my dental implant and then my teeth shifting, since I will no longer have to wear the retainer. After 2 years (& $3000) of braces, I really do not want to go back to having crooked teeth, but there is nothing the NHS will do as extraction to keep teeth straight is not necessary. Does anyone know if I will have any more luck going private?
*Plus really want my DH to stop making "you are really going to look British now" jokes.