TrolleyDolly wrote:Pants! I just logged on as I saw you'd updated- I was so hoping you'd had some news.... Fingers crossed the postman arrives on Monday
Sorry, I was just rambling in my last post
Update: 4th October
Well it arrived a little while ago this morning.
So my quote is £2900 (for traditional metal braces, upper and lower). If I go ahead my balance will be £2770 because I've already paid £130 for the consultation.
I can either:
- Pay a £900 deposit and then pay 18 monthly payments of £103.88.
- Pay no deposit and pay 18 monthly payments of £153.88
- Pay up front with a 5% discount, making it £2631.5 (instead of £2770)
He has said my treatment will take approximately 18-24 months. If my treatment finishes early, I will have to pay the remainder of the balance at my last appointment/upfront. Soooo, I was thinking of asking them if I could spread my payments over 24 months instead of 18 (I know that sounds cheeky, but it would make it alot better for me), and if I finish earlier than 24 months, then obviously I will still have to pay the remainder of the balance there and then. I'll probably chicken out and not ask as I feel cheeky
He has also said in the letter:
I am also allowing possible attendance during my routine appointment times although of course you could attend independently at my private times towards the end of each day
I was a little confused at first when I read this. But I think it means that during the day he sees his NHS patients (children) and towards the end of the day he sees his private patients? So it seems he is very busy with NHS patients, and fits private patients in at the end of the day? (they close at 5:15pm and my consultation was at 4:15pm).
He has also supplied me with his mobile number incase of any problems with the appliance. He says he uses his mobile number for his private patients.
I kinda had a feeling it would be the highest they charge (the receptionist said they charge anything between £2000 £2900). I was hoping it would have been £2500
so my deposit was a little lower. It must sound like I am never happy!
.
I read on another thread in the Metal Mouth part of the forum that someones friend has to pay for each adjustment/office visit
.
He has included some General Terms & Conditions in with the letter, I will quote about extra fees and maybe someone could tell me if theirs are similar?
The visits and replacing brackes are included in the price and supervision of retention for up to 1 year.
A fee will be charged for lost appliances, those broken beyond repair or requiring replacement.
I am reading that as, brackets that come off will be replaced without charge, but anything broken or needs replacing (like headgear if it's used, retainers etc) will be charged for.
I am happy with the treatment plan and I am happy with him (although at times I did find it a tiny bit difficult to understand his foreign accent and I think he struggled to understand me at times!
). The consultation with this Orthodontist certainly went alot better than my first!
I am quite restricted where I live, I only know of 3 Orthodontists and I've already seen 2 of them. The 3rd is slightly out of town, but my Dentist says he is the Orthodontist at my local Hospital too (for NHS patients) and is only in his private office 2-3 days a week, so appointments might be diffficult. Going out of town isn't really an option, because in the next 6 months I will probably have to sell my car and I will have no transport, and if I can't afford a car, then I wont be able to afford train fares etc.
I need some time to think about it, and possibly a 2nd part of the consultation if they are willing, so I can ask some more questions.