Why is dental care so expensive?

I sometimes wonder why I can see a doctor, be referred to a consultant, be admitted to hospital and undergo surgery without it costing me a penny, but, if I need dental treatment, it’s pay all the way, and at prices that, although fixed by the NHS, are high enough to deter people on a low income from seeking treatment (e.g. a £50 filling).

When the Government increases the old age pension in line with inflation, the Pension Credit people see fit to reduce their contribution on the grounds I now have an increased income.

On a lighter but still puzzling note, why do the purchasers of pubs find it essential to immediately change the name?

Hence: “The Rock” became “Trawden Arms”; “Shepherds Arms” became “The Duke of Lancaster”; the “King’s Head” becomes “The Wallace Hartley”; the “Golden Ball” became “The Spinning Mill” (was there ever one?); and worst of all, a pub that had been known for over 200 years as “The Hole in the Wall” became “The Craik” and then “The Market Street Tavern”.

Puzzled pensioner

Colne