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Original poster

Advice please! DH needs his wisdom tooth out - can't afford our dentists price :(

137 replies

Laiste · 01/07/2025 09:13

Hes been in pain with it before twice. A year ago he signed up with a private dentist and they made him have x rays,and 2 hygiene appts and charged £300 and never got as far as taking the bloody tooth out! Just ran out of money to spend on it and it had calmed down so he left it.

Now it's flaring up again and he just wants it out. His dentist want to charge £300+ to take it out!

Ringing round but no one seems to be taking on nhs patients at all. Yesterday he tried 111 ( google's advice) and they said they'd refer him to Bupa for emergency treatment but this morn Bupa have said starting price would be £80 for antibiotics and extraction not on nhs. 🧐So confused ...

Any advice? Thanks in advance .

OP posts:
DorothyandtheWizard · 01/07/2025 10:12

Laiste · 01/07/2025 10:09

I'm looking for a dental
hospital near us but when i google it it's just throwing up normal dentists near me 🧐 What am i doing wrong?

There are not many dental hospitals- not sure why people think there are!
They are usually but not always attached to universities or part of larger 'normal' hospitals.

Gardendiary · 01/07/2025 10:12

In a similar position with dh, except his treatment is quite a bit more, we will just be taking the payment plan and cutting back as much as possible to pay for it - we have no choice really, you can’t leave infected teeth, it’s too much of a health risk, so really there is no other option.

DorothyandtheWizard · 01/07/2025 10:11

The cost of £300 is about right for an impacted tooth but my dentist (private) charges from £160 for normal extractions.

I'm very surprised that so many posters say their dentist doesn't remove wisdom teeth. I had one removed 40 years ago which was impacted and I needed stitches.

My adult DS had a similar tooth extracted at a private dentist recently.
It's not always a hospital job.

OP maybe you need to look at a private dental plan (insurance) where you pay something like £25 a month so you don't get into this pickle again.

Antibiotics, by the way, don't often clear an infection without the tooth being extracted.

Maybe now you have to grin and bear the cost and put it on a credit card?

Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 10:10

Mammamia16373 · 01/07/2025 10:08

I’ve PM’d you a couple of NHS dentists in the region. Good luck to your DH.

Show quote history

Thank you ♥️

OP posts:
Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 10:09

I'm looking for a dental
hospital near us but when i google it it's just throwing up normal dentists near me 🧐 What am i doing wrong?

OP posts:
Ninkynonkpinkyponks · 01/07/2025 10:09

I got mine out at the local hospital under maxo facial team. Tbh I would be calling dentist’s further away from your house (there’s not area limit) and being prepared to travel eg an hour to an NHS dentist

i rang 13 before I got a dentist!

Mammamia16373 · 01/07/2025 10:08

Laiste · 01/07/2025 10:02

There's a long list of dentist who are 'taking on NHS patients'. But when you ring up either they just aren't (?) or they'll put you in their waiting list which is years long.

I rang 5 of them yesterday.

I’ve PM’d you a couple of NHS dentists in the region. Good luck to your DH.

VelvetUndergrounds · 01/07/2025 10:06

Could you buy the antibiotics from an online pharmacy? I’ve done that before.

Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 10:04

Laiste · 01/07/2025 09:30

I will look to see if there's a dental school near us.

nearest seems to be Birmingham Uni but they have a waitlist like every one else.

This is mad.

OP posts:
Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 10:02

There's a long list of dentist who are 'taking on NHS patients'. But when you ring up either they just aren't (?) or they'll put you in their waiting list which is years long.

I rang 5 of them yesterday.

OP posts:
Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 10:00

Thanks for continuing replies 😊

Rang GP - no, won't prescribe for any kind of dental pain

OP posts:
QuaintPanda · 01/07/2025 09:59

Another vote for a dental hospital.

I also see you live on a border. If that means separate health trusts, it’s worth getting 111 to check emergency provision in both, as one may have better than the other.

I had my wisdom teeth removed under general anaesthetic 7 years ago (two impacted and sideways, one infected), although not in the UK. I got an abscess 3 weeks later in the UK, was staying on the border of two health trusts and the one the computer considered further away (but was easier to drive to) had emergency NHS appointments and a dental hospital.

NovaF · 01/07/2025 09:55

My dentist does not do wisdom tooth extraction and referred me to the dental hospital in London Bridge where it was done for free. Maybe see if there are any dental hospitals where you live. I had a few removed at the same time so not sure if that was another reason to be referred but you never know!

Unicorn34 · 01/07/2025 09:55

If you go onto the NHS website you can look up local dentists currently taking on NHS patients.

Katemax82 · 01/07/2025 09:55

I was in this position a year and a half ago. One of my back teeth had broke and was badly infected to the point i was quite ill. To see the only nhs dentist would have taken months and I was worried id get sepsis so I had to go private. My husbands health insurance only covered £150 and it cost 250 for that tooth out. I was told of a wisdom tooth on the other side needed a filling and that would be another £100. I left it as I couldn't afford it now that tooth is broken but I had a baby in March so I finally found a dentist (but its a "dental therapist " who can't do extractions ). I got referred for an extraction which I'm going to today in a town 20 miles away. But God its such a palaver!!

Coffeeishot · 01/07/2025 09:54

beforetherain20 · 01/07/2025 09:51

They can - I’m with a private dentist and waiting for a referral but for hospital they’ve said 3 years wait…
im now waiting for sedation rather than GA!

Show quote history

It was just her dentist im sure other dentists offer different services but they definitely didn't offer"something" im sure it was sedation or recovery time,

hididdlyho · 01/07/2025 09:53

I'd look for another private dentist and try to get an NHS referral, you may have to wait a while, I was on the list for nearly a year. If he's in pain and they're impacted I'm not sure why it wouldn't be covered by the NHS, unless it's a regional thing? I just had my 2 lower wisdom teeth taken out under GA on the NHS. My DH also got referred on the NHS to have one of his out under LA a couple of years ago.

Londontown12 · 01/07/2025 09:52

Laiste · 01/07/2025 09:13

Hes been in pain with it before twice. A year ago he signed up with a private dentist and they made him have x rays,and 2 hygiene appts and charged £300 and never got as far as taking the bloody tooth out! Just ran out of money to spend on it and it had calmed down so he left it.

Now it's flaring up again and he just wants it out. His dentist want to charge £300+ to take it out!

Ringing round but no one seems to be taking on nhs patients at all. Yesterday he tried 111 ( google's advice) and they said they'd refer him to Bupa for emergency treatment but this morn Bupa have said starting price would be £80 for antibiotics and extraction not on nhs. 🧐So confused ...

Any advice? Thanks in advance .

That’s insane amount for antibiotics I go private and when they gave me a prescription for antibiotics and took
them to get filled it’s cost a couple of quid !! Way less than nhs prescription!!!! I was shocked ! But I guess paying privately some things are cheaper go to dentist and get them to refer u to a hospital for extraction say I wanna be knocked out because your too scared !! Then it will be free

beforetherain20 · 01/07/2025 09:51

Coffeeishot · 01/07/2025 09:46

My sister had this, her wisdom tooth removed at the hospital I think her dentist didn't do the sedation or something.
I think he should ask about dental hospital referral he is allowed to say he can't afford their prices and they can refer him on.

Show quote history

They can - I’m with a private dentist and waiting for a referral but for hospital they’ve said 3 years wait…
im now waiting for sedation rather than GA!

Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 09:51

will ring our GP myself in a min !

OP posts:
InsaneInTheMamBrain · 01/07/2025 09:50

I was always, eventually, given Metronidazole for my wisdom tooth infections. You can buy it from online pharmacies, I think. Please note- I am not a dentist or a doctor! It is strong and you must not drink on it or it can make you very ill, but it always worked quickly for me.

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/dental-abscess/prescribing-information/metronidazole/#:~:text=For%20dental%20abscess%2C%20prescribe%20a,mg%20three%20times%20a%20day.

Metronidazole | Prescribing information | Dental abscess | CKS | NICE

Metronidazole, Prescribing information, Dental abscess, CKS

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/dental-abscess/prescribing-information/metronidazole/

ChocolateGanache · 01/07/2025 09:50

Ask if you can pay in instalments?

Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 09:50

I'll get him to ask his dentist for referral cos of prices and see what they say !

OP posts:
Katemax82 · 01/07/2025 09:49

slapmyarseandcallmemary · 01/07/2025 09:31

Do you not have an out of hours dentist you could access via 111? Or a dental college nearby?

Emergency dentists don't do extractions according to when I rung 111 when I was in the same situation

Original poster
Laiste · 01/07/2025 09:49

Northants/Oxfordshire border

OP posts:
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