Dentistry: A patient's rights

Your teeth are a valuable asset and it is worthwhile investing in their care. It is, however, important that you're aware of your rights and obligations as a patient. Irrespective of whether you're a private patient or have medical insurance, ultimately you're personally responsible for payment for dental services.

A few years ago, the Competition Commission ruled that any list, or even guideline, regarding reasonable or average fees for dental services constitutes price-fixing and isn't allowed. Thus, there's theoretically no longer such a thing as a usual fee. This is supposedly in the interests of you, the consumer!

So how does this affect you and what can you do to ensure that you are getting a fair deal?

• Find a dentist you trust and with whom you feel comfortable and at ease.
• Don't be shy to ask what the dentist intends doing and how much it's going to cost, before treatment commences.
• If you're unsure about proposed treatment, for financial or other reasons, ask your dentist if there are alternative options.
• You're entitled to a written cost estimate. If you belong to a medical aid fund, you may submit this to ascertain what benefits your scheme allocates for the particular service/s.
• If you're still not sure, it's your right to go to another dentist for a second opinion on both the treatment and the cost. (You will naturally be expected to pay for the second opinion). You may also request copies of your clinical records and X-rays but could be required to pay a copying fee for these.

Be aware that in recent times many medical schemes have vastly reduced their cover for dental services or have lumped them together with other modalities as general cover. In some instances part or all of your dental cover comes out of “savings”.

With this information, you will hopefully be able to make an informed decision about what you want and can afford for your personal dental treatment.

- (Health24)

Source: The Dental Ombudsman