I need to address the shit state of my teeth….. any idea on costs?

[vipersnest1]

I don’t need my arse handed to me on a plate and haven’t posted in AIBU thanks all the same!
Well, I had a wake up call last night when I lost the entire corner of a molar just eating crisps. The pain was through the roof as the nerve was exposed. I did manage to get an emergency appointment and have a temporary filling this morning although I have to go back in two weeks to get my tongue checked as the dentist was concerned, so please be gentle.
I also have acid erosion on my premolars and incisors in my top teeth, likely due to dry mouth brought on by the medications I take. The broken tooth has brought it home to me that I need to sort out my teeth, but like most people I don’t have an NHS dentist.
Could anyone give me an idea of what it’s likely to cost please? I haven’t asked the dentist to look yet so would appreciate an idea - the pre-molars are quite badly eroded.
Thanks if you have read this far.

It sounds like you have been through a lot lately OP.
Did the dentist think you'd need root canal treatment? I had this years ago but really can't recall the cost.

I recently had to replace the crown on top though. I'm with an NHS dentist and the options I was given (roughly)
£300 ceramic. I think this was on the NHS option.
£800 Zirconia
£900 another type.

Ceramic was the type I'd been given privately 12yrs ago, but she said they are rarely used now as not as strong as the other 2 types. Obviously, if you don't need root canal treatment or a crown, a filling alone would be much cheaper.

I haven't helped in actually answered your question, but a hopeful bump for you.

Root canals are more expensive than extraction,

I had a molar taken out recently for about 300.

wisdom tooth extraction (complicated) 400

A lot of dentist publish their prices and are quite transparent in term of costs. Book in an initial consultation and get a list of treatment you need and prices. They will also do you a payment plan. Good luck op.

Thanks for the reply, @JDM625. I don’t know what I need yet as the dentist won’t touch it for at least three weeks as she wants to let the nerve settle and see how it responds. She couldn’t rule out needing an extraction as it depends on the nerve. My tongue is a whole other story which I can’t even begin to deal with yet.

Xylitol is really good for dry mouth and teeth. You can get mints or melts or just a big bag of it, crunch it and swish round after eating like a mouthwash

@Octavia64my wisdom teeth are long gone - I had them out in my 20s due to two of them being impacted.

@Clinicalwasteit’s a case of which is more economical at the moment as I know I need a course of treatment - the surgery I went to today (my former NHS dentists) has a Denplan subscription which cover for a yearly checkup plus X-ray and then offers a discount on treatment. 😵‍💫
I know I’m going to need to throw some money at it to get it sorted though.

you really need to join an NHS dentist, it would save you A LOT of money. Even if you don’t have an NHs dentist in your area, go and register somewhere else.
Private dental treatment is painfully expensive.

@lovegoodlovegood, thanks for the thought but I’m a teacher so I can’t chew gum etc. I’ve tried the gels and they don’t last long enough.

I’ve just had root canal and having tooth rebuilt with a white filling. NHS. £400.

@Gabitule, there aren’t any in my county let alone my local area.
Just to add, when I was calling round this morning, having been given a reference number by 111 last night, several of the people answering my call were unbelievably rude.
Its a sad reflection of the state of dental care, not that I came in here to make a political point, though.

@ExitPursuedByABare, if I could access that (if the nerve in the tooth responds appropriately), that’s what I will go for.

Ignoring the dental treatment which i won't comment on but if you want an exceptional dentist in london PM me (he isnt cheap)

If you are serious about making a change with your teeth go and get an decent electric brush, floss, interdental tepes and maybe even a water pick.

In terms of toothbrushes I have seen massive improvements to my gum health with oral B Io - the old models and new models have very little difference a Io4 or 5 is as good as an 8
It's about £100 but we'll worth ot for my gum health.

Dentists are the biggest money making scandal of this decade. Those prices are fucking disgusting and unjustifiable.

Sorry to hear of your problems here. I'm not a fan of finance and credit etc , but when it comes to this , I'd set up one of their payment plans and get it done asap. They'll soon find you a slot when you're parting with your money on their private terms

I had a root canal and crown about 11/12 years ago. It cost about £1200 from memory. My last filling (two teeth next to each other) was about £370?

@vipersnest1 if some of your problems arise from medical treatment, could you ask to be referred to your local dental teaching hospital?

Good pun.

I live in rural East Anglia. I use an oral B toothbrush and actually do look after my teeth as much as possible!

I am watching with interest and this is something I will try and give advice about too.

I currently take ADHD medication and I have noticed the dry mouth etc as well. I am just beginning to look into the tooth health issues.

As others have suggested, I managed to find an NHS by chance some miles from where I live. I have a follow-up appoitment later this month. I know I will need some major work done. We lost our NHS dentist local to me and I had not been for a while. Sending my support and sympathy for when this sort of thing happens - and the wake up call after. I have a long up and down history of dental care.

At the moment, I am doing whatever I can to give my teeth attention. I have resisted so far buying too many gadgets on Amazon as that is what I will often do. I am flossing daily, electric toothbrush etc, and researching the dry mouth stuff as much as possible. I recommend looking at youtube videos and regular check in with the dentist/family etc as needed as you work out next steps.

There isn’t one in my county as far as I know - I have looked in the past due to knowing about the erosion for some time.

This is 💯 true

My DH had part of a molar break off due to impacting wisdom teeth a few years ago
Our dental surgery told him it was a 3 month wait time for an appointment.

I went crazy because I pay £££ for his private fucking medical and dental plan which he never thinks to use and made him call back.
As a private patient he was seen 2 days later.

He needed 4 teeth removed. Nhs waitlist was 12-18months he had it done privately within a month

@AdversePossession, like you I floss when needed, use a sensitive / enamel protection toothpaste and use an electric toothbrush. I also had a water flosser but didn’t find it any better than flossing with tape. I really do try!

@LivingLaVidaBabyShower, I am very familiar with NHS waiting lists (see waiting time for nerve ablation in my lumbar spine etc). I’m prepared to spend money but don’t have health insurance - the premiums would be prohibitive given osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, hyper mobility etc.
Sadly I will have to pay the full private fees, however they work out, but I do feel that there should be some NHS provision somewhere.

I had quite a lot of work done on my teeth last year (phobic so I only go if I really have to!). I go to a private dentist. I had mainly composite fillings which cost between £170-£280 per tooth, I would say based on the size of the filling needed. I had a glass ionomer in a front tooth (£91) and 2 straightforward extractions at £170 each. I had it all done under sedation and it cost just under £2,000, but a quarter of that cost is sedation, and it was a 1.5 hr session. Dental work ain't cheap!

111 should refer you to a nhs dentist for some emergency work but then you will have to sort it out yourself later. I called 111 some years ago and was directed to a dentist appx 2 hours away, and would only look at problem, no treatment...waste of time, i was going to spain in a few days so had the tooth removed over there for £60. The other problem we have in uk is the nhs funding for complicated issues often runs out fast so a nhs dentist wont do the work on nhs and offer private option. Or offer a very long wait...maybe a year on...

What do you think highly-qualified clinical professionals deserve to be paid? After the costs of running a surgery, paying their nurse and other staff, professional insurance, materials and their student debt? Dentists don't work in the NHS because it pays too little to keep the doors open let alone earn a wage.