There is a lot of discussion about the cost of dentistry. I was curious, and informally on social discussions, I have asked many practitioners what it is that makes them stay within the NHS.
The most common answer by far was along the lines of "I owe it to my patients, where will they go if I go private?".
A large part of this discussion is about affordability. The fact that private care is more expensive than the NHS. This is about sustaining an affordable NHS dental service whether it is through our own resources (financial) or will (emotional).
I fully understand that.
On the other hand, the discussions about the pros of private care are about the higher quality, more time, and sustainability amongst others.
Therefore I went to think about the affordability for patients - the NHS does help keep costs down but what are the true costs of dentistry?
Invariably there are the real tangible costs - the time for the procedure whilst the patient is there and the fixed cost of running a surgery (materials, bills, staff salaries, etc).
However, I wondered 'what about the hidden costs?':
- the hidden cost of improving technologies and materials in dentistry that need investing in - both in terms of tangible physical things and the training (or CPD as some call it) to use these things
- the hidden cost of an increasingly regulated environment that means more time on compliance paperwork and related things
- the hidden cost of an increasingly medicolegal aware environment and GDC related environment needing more time to take better historied, more immaculate detailed notes and undertake more efficient consent
Surely the cost of dentistry itself has gone up. These hidden costs haven't been accounted for?
By trying to help these patients by keeping the costs down, who is absorbing these hidden costs?
How much are they?
Who is aware of these?
Who has brought these hidden costs in without realising their true cost?
Surely a discussion needs to be had here.
Let's put it this way, the price of fuel has skyrocketed recently. I went to fuel my car. I said to the cashier when paying my bill, can't you find a way to keep the cost lower? He told me "if I could, I would. However you may not have a petrol station in a few days".
It was his next line that struck me - "it's not me who set the prices and the conditions. I just have to live with what's sustainable to feed my family and keep my sanity".
What are your thoughts?
More thought provoking blogs at https://www.dentinaltubules.com/tubules-live/blog and I have since added another related blog called "the cost of a crown" at https://www.dentinaltubules.co...