I feel like I’m being completely mugged off by my dentist, but I’m getting desperate for treatment and on the verge of paying a ridiculous amount for it. Here’s the backstory:
I’ve never really been a “dentist person”, but thankfully my teeth have always been fine. Back in 2020, I noticed a black spot on a tooth, panicked a bit, and found a local private dentist (I live in London and couldn’t get in anywhere NHS). During the check-up he mentioned my cleaning wasn’t great, my gums were inflamed, and that I needed fillings on the first molars on both sides. Then lockdown happened, and I never went back.
Fast forward to September this year. I decided to look into Invisalign, but was told that any issues like fillings needed to be sorted first, and that my gum health needed improving before we could even consider moving teeth. So I booked back in with the same dentist and got the fillings done. He did an X-ray, said nothing had really changed since 2020, and planned to do two fillings plus a deep clean. Just as he was about to start, he then said my second molar also needed a filling - so two fillings suddenly became three at £245 each.
Anyway, it all got done. Since then I’ve been flossing daily and brushing two minutes twice a day because I’ve paid around £850 for 2 X-rays, 3 fillings and a deep clean, and I want to make sure it wasn’t for nothing. I’m also trying to sort out the gum inflammation so we can review Invisalign again in March.
Two weeks ago, I was drinking a cup of tea and felt a sudden sting in the first molar on my right side - the one with the biggest filling. Ever since then, I haven’t been able to eat or drink on that side without sharp sensitivity. I called the dentist and explained it to the receptionist. She went off to speak to the dentist and when she rang back, she said he instantly knew which molar it was because “back in 2020 there was an old filling that had decayed, and because I waited too long, the decay probably spread and I now likely need a root canal”. He never mentioned ANY of this to me in September, so I was annoyed that this was just being thrown at me over the phone.
I booked an emergency appointment anyway (£60 for the exam and X-ray). He showed me the X-ray and said there’s no decay… but that I still need a root canal if the sensitivity doesn’t go away. Root canal = £800. Crown = £1,000.
I’ve come away from this feeling really frustrated. I had no issues with my teeth before going to this dentist, and now I’ve paid nearly £1,000 for treatment and am being told I may need to spend another £1,800. It’s making me think… what next?
I know dentistry is expensive, but I genuinely can’t afford this. What can I do?