Question about NHS dental

Called a local dentist today for a check up and cleaning appointment. First thing they asked was private or NHS, so I said NHS and was told there is a 6 month waiting period.

But I could make an appt. and pay out of pocket.

Does that sound normal? It would be almost 200£ just for a check up and cleaning.

We have Bupa coverage but I don't think it covers dental. Not sure what to do.

Yeah, that's pretty normal - I'm due for an NHS dental check-up this month but I wasn't very organised and should have booked it months ago, so I'll probably have to wait another couple of months or more for an appointment (best thing to do is book your next appointment for 6 months later when you attend the first one).

For now, I would check if your BUPA covers dental, because if so, then you could book as a private patient and it won't cost so much.

Otherwise, if you're not willing to pay out of pocket (and £200 is a lot of money), then you might just have to wait the 6 months for an NHS appointment.

My Bupa plan covers £300 a year for dental so check your policy.  But for comparison, £200 for an exam and cleaning seems pretty high. My dentist (private only, no NHS) is £60 for an exam with x-rays and £54 for a cleaning.  I would call around.

Maybe what's 'normal' is regional?
I phoned my NHS dentist for a checkup, and got an appointment only 2 weeks away.  The checkup was free, and I am now booked in for a scale & polish (cleaning) the 1st week of June, and it will cost £29.00.

Thank you for your replies. I'm going to check my coverage and check with other dentists as well.

Another thought.  My husband recently had a dental exam and cleaning from a Groupon deal.  Maybe check out Groupon.co.uk and see if there's a dental offer in your area.  He was very pleased.

Yeah, there must be region differences.  When I needed my first UK dental appointment, I was given one a few weeks away.

It might depend on how flexible you can be.

I've usually set an appointment with my dentist for at least a few weeks away (Central London) but asked to be called if there are cancellations (they usually happen on weekdays during work hours so perfect for someone who's not working or is flexible with their schedule).

I don't think I've had to wait for more than a week for a cleaning appointment.