Do the British have bad teeth?

[K]

If those are the options, then I guess it's "none of the above". Still resisting the rainbow search engine's lure...

[Tannin]

60-odd and still have all my teeth. Went quite a few years recently without visiting a dentist, largely because I absolutely hate it. Next week, next month, soon, real soon now. If there was an Olympic competition for procrastination, I'd be a contender.

But a few months back I went to a new one - my previous bloke had got sick of waiting for me to come back and retired - and she was great. I needed quite a bit done. She is young, happy, gentle, very careful and thorough, and always relaxed and cheerful. For the first time in my life, I actually like going to the dentist. What a difference finding a good one makes!

[K]

Do you have dental coverage, i.e a dental health plan?

[Tannin]

Yep: it's called a "savings account". It paid for everything.

No, I don't have any form of private health insurance. It is crazy, crazy expensive for what you get. I flat out refuse to pay that much for so little. The problem is that it is designed to pay for high-risk individuals and priced as such. And the companies make vast profits. Not at my expense, thankyou,

PS: so far as dental coverage goes, I would get no discount, but I don't take sugar in drinks, practically never drink Coke or any other soft-drink, never use sugar when I cook, mostly avoid processed foods, and don't much like deserts.

My most expensive dental episode was years ago when I had root canal therapy on a front tooth. In today's money, it would be a couple of thousand, maybe three. I paid $5 for the game of indoor cricket, $2000 for the dentist. Ouch!

(No, although I usually fielded at silly mid-on, I didn't get hit by the ball. I ran in to field a ground ball dropped a third of the way down the pitch. Both batsmen were running for a sharp single, and the wickie ran in to field it too, all of us watching the ball and not each other. Multi-way collision. Next thing I knew I was lying on the ground looking up and saying "WTF just happened?" I must have copped a shoulder or an elbow or something. I finished the game though, and played again the next week. My dentist sent his daughter to private school for a year, or maybe put a deposit on another Beamer.)

[K]

Yes, it's a problem, what should or shouldn't have (some or more) Medicare coverage (for example). Eye-care, dental work, psychology, etc...

(You realize private school fees are now $30k-40k per year, right?)

[stui magpie]

I'll resist the temptation to Google "Sam Fox"... (Who is Sam Fox?)

My ex girlfriend, page 3 topless model, pop singer.....

[swoop42]

FMD.

Between you with your VB singlet and David with his chai latte no wonder stereotypes exist.

Still got me buggered how you ended up in HR as I swear you should be a boilermaker or plumber.

[stui magpie]

Builder or sparky, although I can do basic plumbing work too. not as good with metal work but I'm learning.

[Tannin]

I'll resist the temptation to Google "Sam Fox"... (Who is Sam Fox?)

My ex girlfriend, page 3 topless model, pop singer.....

Quite a good looker, Stui. Bit flat-chested but none the worse for it. Lucky you. But tell me, who is the girl on the right?

[Tannin]

There is a relevant headline in today's Age, I see.

We're paying $834 million more for health insurance. But we are getting less for our money.

[Skids]

There is a relevant headline in today's Age, I see.

We're paying $834 million more for health insurance. But we are getting less for our money.

I'm with Medibank, have been since I started my apprenticeship in 1983.

I pay just over $200/month. I think it's reasonable value for money. I go to the dentist regularly (tells me my teeth are excellent for my age), Kel & I both get 2 pair of glasses annually, I go to the physio on a regular basis & they contributed $4500 for my youngest daughters dental work.

I guess it is expensive, but believe it's well worth the money... just in case.

We all pay house, contents and car insurance and the chance of your house being written off would be pretty slim I reckon.

If I didn't have it, I'd pay almost the same amount via an increased Medicare tax

[HAL]

How do you like the dentist tells him or her his or her teeth excellent for his or her age Kel he or she get 2 pair of glasses he or she go to the physio on a regular basis they contributed $4500 for his or her youngest daughters dental work are excellent for his or her age Kel he or she at the dentist tells him or her his or her teeth excellent for his or her age Kel he or she get 2 pair of glasses he or she go to the physio on a regular basis they contributed $4500 for his or her youngest daughters dental work are excellent for his or her age Kel he or she ?

[stui magpie]

There is a relevant headline in today's Age, I see.

We're paying $834 million more for health insurance. But we are getting less for our money.

I'm with Medibank, have been since I started my apprenticeship in 1983.

I pay just over $200/month. I think it's reasonable value for money. I go to the dentist regularly (tells me my teeth are excellent for my age), Kel & I both get 2 pair of glasses annually, I go to the physio on a regular basis & they contributed $4500 for my youngest daughters dental work.

I guess it is expensive, but believe it's well worth the money... just in case.

We all pay house, contents and car insurance and the chance of your house being written off would be pretty slim I reckon.

If I didn't have it, I'd pay almost the same amount via an increased Medicare tax

I'm with NIB, bit over $100 a month just for me.

I've used it for physio, dental, it helped out when the kids got braces (and the orthodontist put a down payment on a new Merc ), when my daughter had elective surgery to have all her wisdom teeth removed, but it really paid off when my son had a tumor in his knee age 12.

It was a benign collection of abnormal blood vessels that would randomly make his knee swell up painfully, but we didn't know that at the start. With the private insurance I could bypass the public system and elective wait lists (12 year olds aren't renowned for their patience or perspective), get all the tests and have surgery organised in a private hospital before the kid mentally melted down with the stress

Our public health system works well in making sure everyone regardless of means has access to essential treatment, the private system and health insurance covers the gaps and actually reduces the public elective waitlist to those who need it.

[K]

"Medicare does not cover:
examinations for life insurance, superannuation or memberships for which someone else is responsible (for example, a compensation insurer, employer or government authority);
ambulance services;
most dental examinations and treatment;
most physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, eye therapy, chiropractic services, podiatry or psychology services;
acupuncture (unless part of a doctor's consultation);
glasses and contact lenses;
hearing aids and other appliances; and
home nursing."

https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health ... dicare.htm


But it does cover an optometrist's eye exam every two years, for example.

[stui magpie]

Thanks Sandra Sully.