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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

8 yr old son in constant pain - any dentists out there please?

46 replies

whatkatydidathome · 31/12/2010 10:24

ds (8) needs 4 teeth out (they are hypoplastic). One is completely rotten and giving him a lot of pain (he frequently wakes up at night crying). This has been going on since Sept/Oct time. Our dentist says that they need to be taken out at the dental hospital. Dental hospital has given us an appointment now but not until Feb and say that actually our dentist should do it. He is on constant pain killers and/or antibiotics whilst it is hurting (it seems to hurt for a few weeks and then dies down, then flares up again). Doctor just says that pain management in children is difficult and has prescribed codeine but appears uninterested and kept saying that the dentist should deal with it. Any suggestions? (Son is at dentist again now - we have been to our dentist about half a dozen times, the emergency dentist twice, children's A&E once (because the pain got so bad), dental hospital once, doctors twice but everyone just says that it is someone else's problem. Meanwhile we are squirting in the maximum does of ibuprofen and paracetamol, topped up with codeine at night, and son is still crying and still in enough pain to wake him at night when the cocodamol wears off.

OP posts:
pawsnclaws · 31/12/2010 10:30

Your poor ds, not a dentist sadly but just wondered if the dentist and dental hospital are in communication? Just wondering why the dentist won't take the tooth out, is it an anaesthetic issue? I think you need to find out the reason given by the dentist if the dental hospital are in disagreement with his or her approach.

My ds is also 8 and has a hypoplastic molar which has been cemented a couple of times - I dread it getting worse.

Original poster
whatkatydidathome · 31/12/2010 10:35

the dentist writes to the dental hospital. The letter sits in a pile for about 2 weeks. Then gets read. Then the answer goes off for typing etc etc and then gets back to the dentist about a month later. Dentist says that she is "nervous about dealing with an extraction in a child". Dental hospital say "but this is just an extraction". They have said that it is fine to be taken out under a local and that is what he is booked in for. The dentist keeps having to drain the absesses which keep building up under it so he has had lots of locals now and is used to lying there whilst someone sticks needles and other things into his mouth. The dental hospital just said that they had "lots of children in pain, some as young as 18 months, but can only prioritise mouth cancer and your dentist should deal with it". Dentist says "they are wrong and they sould deal with it as it is a complex extraction (as tooth already rotten) in a child". We are caught in the middle with a child in pain.

OP posts:
TheMeow · 31/12/2010 10:39

Your poor ds :( I'm sure I've heard that if a GA is needed for children thenit needs to be done at hospital not at the dentists.

TheMeow · 31/12/2010 10:40

Sorry I was meant to write more there, I can see a LA is ok so you need to get another dentist if the one you have can't do it because she's too nervous Hmm

Animation · 31/12/2010 10:40

If he's in pain the dentist should DEFINATELY take the tooth out.

If it was me - I'd be going in there demanding that he did.

No kid should be in pain like that.

emsyj · 31/12/2010 10:41

Can you see a different dentist? What area are you in? Can you go and sit at the dental hospital and wait to be seen? Sometimes they will see you if you sit and wait - from what my dentist bro tells me they sometimes will at Liverpool.
It is totally unacceptable for him to be in pain like this. Dental pain is worse than labour IMO. See someone else.

valleyqueen · 31/12/2010 10:44

Do you have an emergency dental hospital or department near you, I know there is one at Kings College in London as my sil was in so much pain she couldn't wait for her normal appointmment.

emsyj · 31/12/2010 10:44

Does he need GA tho? My bro tells me dentists won't use GA any more as they don't have resuscitation equipment so if something goes wrong there's no help for you. Can you go private? Gosh I can't bear toothache, feel very sad fir you and your DS that he is suffering like this - what a crap dentist. I would make a complaint also.

pawsnclaws · 31/12/2010 10:44

So they are both in agreement a local is suitable, or is the dentist saying the fact that it's rotten means he needs a general? Is there another dentist in the same practice who is less "nervous"? Would the dental hospital refer you for treatment to another NHS dentist who is prepared to do the extraction?

It seems a ridiculous situation - those absesses must be agony.

Original poster
whatkatydidathome · 31/12/2010 10:51

we've been to the emergancy dentist - he just said that he could not do anything as it was a child. They are all saying that a local is possible (no one can ever guarentee that an extracton will be okay - even with adults etc as it can always go wrong half way through but they all say that trying under a local is a reasonable approach). He has been seen by 2 different dentists at the local practice - both said that extractions like this (ie already rotten) need to be dealt with by the hospital and the hospital said that because it was "just a basic extraction the local dentist shoudl do it". My impression is that no one cares and that it is more complicated (being a child) and the local dentist will only get teh standard easy-extraction NHS fee for doing it so it is more cost effective to refer and the dental hospital are useless and so inefficient that they simply have an unwritten policy of ingoring/delaying anything that they can so because it is not cancer they just say "he will have to wait".

OP posts:
emsyj · 31/12/2010 10:56

Go to another practice. If you can afford it, go private. Could you do that? You are clearly not going to get anywhere with your current dentist. I am angry on your behalf!

Original poster
whatkatydidathome · 31/12/2010 10:59

We tried other practices - they will not accept new patients. We haev also tried private - same story - "we do not do extractions of adult teeth which are rotten on children as the NHS deal with this kind of thing"

OP posts:
Animation · 31/12/2010 11:15

I think you have to make a BIG fuss about how much pain he is in, then they have to prioritise and do something straight way.

Whether it's the dentist or the hospital - they need to liase with each other directly on the phone -and decide WHO does it.

Acute pain is an emergency situation.

FabbyChic · 31/12/2010 11:18

Your dentist may not do it as your son needs to be put to sleep to have the teeth taken out.

Get onto the hospital and ask them to urgently bring forward the appointment tell them that he is screaming in pain constantly, that he cannot eat and that it is causing him problems at school because he cannot go.

My son had five out at age five, but only a specialist dentist who would use sedation techniques would do it.

Some dentists refuse to do it because of the problems that could be encountered, your GP is right it is a dentist problem.

Original poster
whatkatydidathome · 31/12/2010 11:21

but how do I make a "big fuss"? I'm not the shrinking violet type Grin have asked for stuff in writing (they just asy "no") have threatened to complain/sue etc but thre appears to be no one to complain to and the lawyer said that you cannot sue because no one has done anything - just if they have done something that they shouldn't. It appers to no one has to treat you with dental stuff.

OP posts:
Original poster
whatkatydidathome · 31/12/2010 11:21

FabbyChic the dental hospital say that he doesn't need to be put to sleep.

OP posts:
FabbyChic · 31/12/2010 11:22

You have the option of going private, if my son was in that much pain I would pay for the treatment.

shinyblackgrape · 31/12/2010 11:22

Sorry to hear about this. DP is a dentist and has confirmed that dentists don't do GA work now in the surgery.

One option is to get an emergency appointment and to see if the dentist would do an extraction using a local anaesthetic but DP would be quite loathe to do that for a young child patient and I would think that your own dentist may feel the same. It can be very distressing for them.

If you can't get an emergency appointment, you should go to A&E and see if one of the hospital dentists can see DS. If you are near Newcastle then it could very well be DP's lovely sister who sees your DS!

pawsnclaws · 31/12/2010 11:28

This is awful - have the dental hospital examined your ds? I have no idea whether your dentist is right that it is a complicated extraction due to the fact that the tooth is rotten, but I'm clutching at straws here and wondering if the hospital don't know this?

Either way you can't leave your ds in pain like this, and I wouldn't be happy with him taking maximum doses of painkillers for a condition that can effectively and quickly be put right.

Long shot, but is your MP any good? I'm not a natural complainer, but this has to be resolved.

emsyj · 31/12/2010 11:34

Agree you should present yourself at hospital/dental hospital and not go anywhere til it is resolved. He is in pain, he IS a priority. My bro does on call duty over Christma and new year every year covering parts of Liverpool and he ALWAYS attends to treat patients who are either bleeding or in pain. Outside the on-call hours any patient who is in pain or bleeding is advised to go to the hospital.

Animation · 31/12/2010 11:35

You have to just turn up - either at the dentist or in A@E.

No time for letter writing.

Your son is in a LOT of pain and needs emergency treatment.

differentnameforthis · 31/12/2010 11:40

Drs rarely do anything for toothache, you are lucky they gave you painkillers...your poor boy!

Excuse my language but your dentist is fucking useless, leaving a child in pain for months....that is failing in his duty of care! You need to see another dentist or ask for a referral to dental sedation clinic.

Where in the country are you?

differentnameforthis · 31/12/2010 11:44

Talk to the practice manager! I can't believe they numbed him up, but didn't even attempt to take the tooth out! This is just wrong.

racmac · 31/12/2010 11:46

I cant believe this - i think that you need to go as high up at the Hosptial as possible - have you contacted PALS? I think they would cover dental hospital.

I would also be contacting your local MP - see if they can help - they will love something like this - they will help - tell us where you are and we can find the MP details for you

differentnameforthis · 31/12/2010 11:48

General Dental Council

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