GK Dental is a mixed dental practice which means we provide both NHS and Private dental treatments in order to offer our services to as many people as possible. This is because some of the treatments highly demanded are not usually available on the NHS, therefore, we try to accommodate our patients with private options to increase their range of choices.

• At GK Dental, as an NHS patient you will always be treated with the same care as our private patients. The Government however does impose some restrictions that we have to adhere to.
• NHS treatments need to be functional and not for cosmetic reasons.
• NHS treatment is designed to be cost effective for the taxpayer and each NHS clinic works with a fixed NHS budget. Hence why we naturally use more cost effective materials and laboratories. 
• We must follow government guidelines for recalling patients which could mean you may not be entitled to a check up or clean as often as you want. 
• NHS cleaning is designed to ensure gum health and treat what is clinically necessary such as gum disease and not to specifically remove all stains or for cosmetic reasons. 
• Appointment availability may be limited. You may not be able to get appointments outside school or work hours. You may also not be able to see more experienced dentists or specialists who choose to work outside the NHS.
•  Some treatments are not available under the NHS at all or in certain cases eg. cosmetic treatments / dental implants or certain preventative treatments eg. fissure sealants for low decay risk patients.
•  Tooth whitening is usually not available on the NHS.

• Cosmetic treatments are not available on the NHS. This means the materials/treatments which produce the best appearance are often not used. Private treatment will always give you the best possible functional but also cosmetic result. 
• Appointment times are more flexible within private treatment and thus easier to manage with your own lifestyle and needs. 
• Private treatment allows us complete freedom to provide the very highest standard of treatment with the best possible materials available. We have no funding restrictions like we do with the NHS and therefore, we can focus purely on quality of the treatment. 
• Longer appointments to allow plenty of time to complete your treatment at a more relaxed pace. 
• Certain treatments are not always available on the NHS eg. Teeth whitening
• Orthodontic treatment for patients over the age of 18 is usually not available on the NHS and invisalign is usually not offered on the NHS

To conclude, NHS dentistry is designed for functional treatments, whereas private dentistry is a combination of both functional and cosmetic treatments. Our dentists will always present your options to you without pressuring you to choose one over the other.