Are we being ripped off for UK dental treatments?

We are all often guilty of assuming that the health care we receive will be without fault, putting our teeth in the hands of true professionals who would put our needs before any notion of financial gain or personal arrogance. But is our legacy of dental treatment as cherished and competitive as we would like to believe. We have seen recent reports suggesting that some cracks are starting to appear in our dental service and with recession reaching it's endless tentacles out into all walks of are dentists beginning to pass on their financial woes.
The cost of being treated in the UK has sky-rocketed in the last five years and many people are now choosing to look abroad for some of the standard procedures which have been previously affordable in this country. Here is an example of dental malpractice highlighting some of the concerns that are starting to make people question the quality of dental treatment in this country, or rather starting to question the value for money that local services offer:

A Dentist who left a pensioner unable to eat and in constant pain after botching her implants was allowed to carry on working, under supervision, yesterday.

Steven-Bal Sharma, one of the UK's top false teeth specialists, charged the 70-year-old almost £9,000 for the treatment and then "belittled" her when she complained that she could not chew properly. (Source: The Scotsman)
Now I'm not saying that this is a widespread situation, or that we are entering what the media may refer to as a widespread epidemic of poor dentistry, but living in a society based on choice we should nmot be so overloaded with options that we always revert back to the safety of what we know. Have a look, don't get ripped off.