At both dentists I've used in Canada I've noticed the same arrangement with semi open plan consultation rooms (no doors) and the dentist fliting from one to another, and assistants (pressumably only paid a fraction of the dentist) setting things up. It makes sense for the dentist to only do the things you need them for but does make the high charges even more remarkable. I suppose its business driven and how they achieve the income to which they consider themselves entitled to.

I've not noticed the same semi open plan arrangement in the UK but no doubt they could latch onto it if its to their advantage financially. I'm not sure how the semi open plan arrangement squares with patient confidentiality - you can hear everything thats said in the next bay and there is no screening at the open "doorways". Patients generally must be happy enough to go along with it though.

up until about 3 yrs before i left the uk i had a swedish dentist for about 10 yrs and he was brilliant..i never had any problems with my teeth he was very thorough and any work he did was excellent..since he left..however each subsequent dentist seems to have been worse than the last and any work seem to just fall out within 2-3 months and i would be back having it re-done.

If i go back to the UK I wont bother with the NHS just too costly in the long run.

Ewwww. I really shouldn't have read this thread before my first trip to a Canadian denist (next month).

So I'm going to be in a production line of dentistry, and going to need to brankrupt my medical insurers with the 5 visits it will take. Goodness me!

Just think how high the charge would be if the dentist had to make as much from seeing fewer patients

My physio is all open plan and he does the flitting around whilst he has assistants bit. It can be slightly off putting...........

I'm still trying to recover from my 1st visit to my canadian dentist. I have to have all 3 of my british filings re-done.

I've spent over an hour having my teeth cleaned.

I need to have my root canal tooth removed and an implant.

Oh and 3 wisdom teeth out, one of which is growing the wrong way

And I thought my british teeth were ok!

How much of this is essential work because you are in pain or the work has degraded - and how much of it is Canadian aesthetics??

Well I'm not in pain......the fillings apparently have some decay around them, so need re-doing. Mind you my last NHS dentist did 2 of them and she was pretty rubbish.

The wisdom teeth have obviously always been there my NHS dentists always said leave them alone until they cause problems. Canadian one thinks why wait for a problem when they can come out now.

And the root canal tooth has broken there is a touch of aesthetics here as it's near the back but she doesn't recommend leaving a gap so it's either implant of bridge.

I'm not convinced I needed over an hour of tooth cleaning!

I've used both NHS and private dentists here, i've had much more care and attention at the private ones but thats to be expected. The NHS one I use now is a little hit and miss and most things that I seem to have done are not covered on the NHS anyway, such as white fillings, so I have to end up paying anyway.

I have just had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out, under GA at the Hospital on the NHS, my first venture into Hospital and have to say was very well looked after.

Good luck if you have to get your Wisdoms done!

She's doing it as a bonus then

I'm no expert but I'd say a reason to wait would be that there might not be a problem. No problem, no expense.

+1

I have found my two Canadian dentists both obsessed with the removal of wisdom teeth. I held onto them. I had one removed in the UK a couple of years ago when it did start to finally hurt. Two more are still fine (this is nearly a decade later).

I had this exact same discussion with my dentist nearly two years ago - the tooth broke and they filed it down smooth and recommended an implant or a bridge, both of which would cost a small fortune, and both of which required me to physically sit in a dentist's chair for far too long

The dentist said the tooth may last about 4-6 months without problems but I needed to make a decision one way or the other. Nearly 24 months later, with scrupulous cleaning under the gum line, my broken but non-painful tooth is still there.

I know most dentists are of the "prevention" school. I'm from the "if it ain't broke" school (even though my tooth is actually broken, but you know what I mean ).

There must be a balance somewhere between the UK and Canadian school of thought!

There is, its my dentist , who is British trained, but practises in Canada!!

She hasn't mentioned my wisdom teeth. She has taken a sensible approach to my mercury filings (if they ain't broke, don't fix em) and she took a sensible approach to a chipped tooth (heavily filled edge of tooth)recently

Obviusoly I have still had a load of dental work since I got here, but I don't think it has been work for works sake.

im another $650 lighter this morning after a visit...although i will get back through my insurance.

I might need a new dentist then