There isn’t much clarity as to what the differences in the treatments offered by NHS clinics and privately owned clinics unless external research is conducted by the patient. The most common preconception of private dental care is that it is more expensive, however this isn’t necessarily always the case.

In terms of restorative dentistry and preserving the teeth the patient already has, treatments don’t have much variation in terms of whether the clinic is public or private. The main differences between these two types of dental care is with the amount of time allocated per patient. With NHS clinics, there is such a large clientele that it may be harder to book an appointment, resulting in longer waiting times for an appointment. With private clinics, there is a lot more freedom in choosing when you would like an appointment and for how long the appointment will need to last.

The main purpose of NHS dental treatment is to treat patients as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Treatments from the NHS are also centred around functionality of the teeth, rather than the aesthetics of the mouth. This means that for any cosmetic treatments, a dentist from a privately owned clinic will need to carry out these treatments. As a result of private clinics offering cosmetic-based treatments, higher quality materials may also be used to achieve the best looking teeth possible. All in all, privately owned clinics have much more freedom when it comes to the materials and labs they use, as they have no government funding that they need to stick by.

Despite there being slight differences between the two types of clinics available, the main aim of both public and private dental care is to help people with any problems concerning the teeth find appropriate treatment so that it doesn’t affect their day-to-day life.