In Spain, where we have medical care for almost everyone, we do have dentists on the public payroll. However, they are limited in what they can do. For example, they extract teeth in preparation for surgeries. Public health dentists are also available for other types of extractions if the tooth can’t be saved and they are available to examine patients who went to a private dentist and something went wrong. It’s very limited. If you want a root canal, a crown, a cavity filled, etc. you have to pay a private dentist. Basically, if the public health system considers a dental procedure elective, you have to go to a private dentist for the procedure. The public health system considers pretty much 90% of dental procedures elective. Personally, I think this is unfair. I don’t think a root canal should be considered an elective procedure. It saves a person’s tooth, which is necessary for eating. Then again, imagine how complicated things would get. You’d probably have to wait on a waiting list for a root canal, then go to a private dentist for the crown.

Also, it’s important to note that private dentists are not nearly as expensive as American one (I’m originally from the USA), My last recent root canal with crown included cost me about 300 euros. We don’t rely as heavily on dental insurance here, so the prices are reasonable. When I get my teeth cleaned with a checkup, I pay 70 euros. It’s wonderful.