iaink

The average minimum wage in Canada is ~$7.60

http://canadaonline.about.com/library/bl/blminwage.htm

hudd

The fellow was skinny as a rake. I know he lived in a trailer with his wife and 3 kids in the bush. He told me he worked 10-12 hrs a day and 6 days a week. So I assume thats how he survived. He did tell me he shot Groundhogs and ate them? Just like grandad did with rabbits in England in the two wars?

Butch Cassidy

Yeah but thats an hour not a year!!!!

iaink

OK, spot the British work...

How many crowns do you see?

hudd

iaink

Are those your teeth?

The first dentist I had in canada said my UK dental work was good.

iaink

'Fraid so.

Didnt show the crooked bottom lot. Didnt want to frighten dbds dog

They are healthy at least. Biiiink makes a good point.

hudd

I am one off those Brits who does not have movie star teeth. My parents were good about making sure my teeth were looked after though.
I would rather that more people have access to dentistry than only the better off having a "million dollar smile".

Investor

I think you are in the minority there. New NHS charges have been brought in to replace the endless price list, and now there are just three;
Band 1 £15.50
Band 2 £42.40
Band 3 £189.00

Whatever treatment you have it will fall into one of these categories. A check-up costs £15.50 and takes all of four minutes to complete !!!
The 'tombstone' mentioned in my earlier post will cost £189.00, almost as much as the real thing!

hudd

In Ontario we paid $50 for a check up for each of us. Family of 4 it would be $200 before any treatment. We a health plan at $78/month we paid about 20% of the charge.
In 2005 we had $825 worth of dental work for the family which I paid $230 towards. Yearly dental plan $936 + $230 (what I paid out) gives you an annual dental spending of for my family $1166.

Unfortunately nothing in life is free. One of my Canadians friend frequently said " ya plays your money now or ya pays your money later". I think middle income people will have to pay for dental either direct fees or dental insurance. We all still have to pay where every you live!!

macadian

BC...don't know. However, here in Ontario visited dentist yesterday to have a filling repaired (it chipped) was 20 minutes in the chair and no anaesthetic required. Cost me $115.00. My own experience here has been that dental cost are horrendous compared to the UK.

windward

In defence of British teeth - I think things are certainly improving. My mates and I, all at uni age, possess reasonably healthy teeth, and those among them who like to pose have had them cleaned/whitened and they're as good looking as any Hollywood A-lister's.

Mine are okay too, though mainly thanks to the vast amount of free orthodontic work I got as a kid while my Dad was in the Army (accident or two on a bike and one pretty horrific one with a clarinet made me extremely grateful for it.)

For the OP looking for BC info this may be of interest: - http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi...1995.tb00192.x

UK info on where water is flouridated and the benefits thereof here from page 6 onwards : - http://www.bfsweb.org/documents/inequal96.pdf

And from the other side - apparently there have been calls in Canada for flouride levels to be reduced: from http://www.actionpa.org/fluoride/ .....

[..] Fluoride acids are among the most corrosive chemicals known. The fluoridation chemicals used in public water supplies are waste products of the phosphate fertilizer industry. If the industry wasn't permitted to dump this waste product into our drinking water, they'd have to dispose of it as hazardous waste.[..]

Oh and my Canadian OH has had all her dental work free as her Dad was a teacher in Ontario. Any chance you're interested in becoming an educator Investor?

edit: @ Iaink - I reckon your two incisors and the one on the right have been crowned. Not a clue which is UK though, they all look pretty good to me....

dingbat

My dental and extended medical coverage is through Blue Cross in BC, via the Provincial Gov employee plan. I need the insurance as there are seven of us. I just had two crowns ($1,724) and had to pay 45% of the bill, even with insurance. A regular check up and clean for my kids plus any fillings would otherwise require a small mortgage. Last time two of the kids needed one filling each in addition to check-ups and cleaning - total bill for four kids was just over $1200. One kids needs veneers after an accident - total cost for a top set will be over $5,000.

CDNReturner

This is a very sore subject for me. I had regular check-ups in the UK. In the 6 months prior to leaving the UK (before I even knew I was leaving) I had about 4 sessions with a hygenist for some private work with specialized cleaning.

Being an original Canadian I knew how expensive dental was here and stupidly, stupidly put off going to a dentist when I got back. Almost a year after arriving I ended up with an abcess. I had bills in excess of $2000 last year, and yes $30,000 for this year, which does not include the $200 quarterly cleaning bills and the $100 in prescription costs each time I have to go for surgery.

When I left Canada in 1980 an individual couldn't buy dental insurance. It just never even occurred to me that you could buy it now.

Not working (trying to start a custom drapery business from home), it's been a hefty chunk out of the life savings!!!!

So moral of the story:

1) GET AS MUCH WORK DONE AS YOU CAN BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE UK.

2) DON'T PUT OFF GOING TO THE DENTIST ONCE YOU'VE ARRIVED.

3) DO LOOK INTO GETTING DENTAL INSURANCE.....ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A FAMILY!

Cathie

Investor

Oh go on windward, tell us the clarinet story!!!!!!!!!

Mans

dbd33
Thats interesting.....how is this done as I'm about to take up dental insurance through Blue Cross ($114pm for family of 4 ... even then claims are capped!)

Rgds
Mans