P2L

Most Insurance covers you for a max of $500 per POLICY per year.

ballsrburning

oh ok that explains it then thats a complete wast of time. Really can't see the incentive of having insurance now.

mickey_d

If you don't turn up for your 6 months/1 year check up they can throw you off the register, we have all recieved letters, via our last uk address confirming this!!!
I was taken off my previous dentists list after I cancelled an appointment, after being his customer for 31 years!!!
It's all in the big scheme of changing to private only practices

Patrick2007

Dont get me wrong great place N.Z.i cant wait to get back myself but the dentistry needs to be seriously looked at.out and out extortion if you ask me.its a wonder its not a nation of people with rotten teeth!!!!!!

luvwelly

Not sure any Western country has got a perfect dental health model (Sweden maybe?). Well NZ has always had a free school dental service (admittedly with a slightly dodgy history in some respects) so just as in the UK, the idea is to give 'free at point of use' access to children from all income groups to at least give them a good start dentally. Don't think braces on teeth etc is routinely covered anymore in either country whereas when I was a child in UK it was.

People forget but NHS dentistry was never totally free for all adults - it was free only to adults in certain income groups/situations and there was an upper limit to what the rest were expected to pay towards a particular course of treatment. Not that different from the weird 3 band system they have recently introduced.

Does anyone else know if you had an accident here in NZ and say all your front teeth were knocked out...would implants to replace them be covered on the special catch all accident cover (forgotten the acronym for it) or does it only cover true medical? Or maybe NHS-style they'd only cover you for dentures !

Kiwiprincess

Dental work would definitely be covered.

Example: My (idiotic childish nutter) ex boyfriend was playing “fights” with a friend of his. The friend accidentally knocked two of his teeth out.

The repairs were paid for by ACC. From memory the cosmetic stuff wasn’t and he ended up having a few problems with his teeth which couldn’t quite be put down to the fight but most likely would have been the result of it. But, generally yes, if there is an ‘event’ then ACC would pay.

The same idiot also tripped one day (I suspect he had a couple of beers but he denied it) and fell through a window. Those bills were also paid for – physio, doctors visists, etc.

Apparently he has grown up in recent years though!

pangor

ACC will cover dental work but you may still have to pay something, depending on the state of your teeth before the accident. For instance for implants the latest guidelines say that if you have an unrestored gap elsewhere in your mouth they will not pay for implants for the accident. And if there was pre-existing decay in a damaged tooth ACC will say you contributed to the amount of damage and the amount given will be reduced say to 75% or 50%. So . . . get to your check ups !

A few things heard about a dentist down the road from us ( he is gone now )

Patient, while having a tooth extracted -

Doctor, "I know you have put jabs in but it still hurts "
Dentist, " Well, hang onto the chair then "

And, patient in chair for filling, dentist sits down, gets everything ready then turns to his nurse and says " ok, what do I do now ? "

peter

Pete n Shell

If you get a community services card its cheaper

themeggies

.


Dont you haveto be on a low income to qualify for one

I have just been quoted $1050 for a cap on a tooth that was broken in half after an accident at work,AC will pay $700 ,I have to fork out the difference but my company may pay that as it was caused at work and they are insured.

simonmarkellis

that sounds a right touch there...

Pete n Shell

I have no idea, have not needed any work done yet. We just went off what a friend told us who happens to be a dentist.