This is a complaint email I sent to NHS England this evening. I have no idea whether anything will come of this email, but I strongly feel that dental pain management on the NHS is woeful and dangerous.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I'd like to raise a complaint about a number of services I have had the misfortune of dealing with over the past 24 hours. These are:
out of hours Dental Access
Lane Health Centre
Dental Access
I realised that I had developed an abscess on the roots of my wisdom tooth on Saturday afternoon when I had an onslaught of horrific pain.
The site of this pain is a wisdom tooth which in March last year was subject to two failed extractions. The failed extractions had meant that I was left with the roots of the tooth in situ. The gum has subsequently all but grown over the roots leaving a small hole.
Up until the abscess which developed on 15/2/14 I had had no trouble with the roots.
On the morning of Sunday 16/2/14 , after a night of no sleep and hellish pain, I telephoned the out of hours service. They advised that I telephone back after 8am or ring 111. Preferring to deal with a local service, I telephoned the out of hours service at around 11am when I knew I could get there.
I was given an appointment for half an hour later. I paid £18 pounds for 3 minutes of the dentist's time. He prodded my abscess, told me it was full of pus and prescribed Amoxicillan. I requested that he prescribe some pain relief but he refused saying that he didn't do that. Instead I was told to take over-the-counter Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. No advice on dosage was given. I left and collected my prescription.
I believe this is against practice guidelines:
(See British Dentists' Journal article Re: Paracetamol and toothache overdose www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v203/n1/full/bdj.2007.583.html)
I arrived home and attempted to eat some soup so that I could take the ibuprofen safely, but I was unable to open my mouth and cope with the unbearable pain. I had to just take the Ibuprofen anyway as the pain by this point was horrific.
Looking forward to being able to request adequate pain relief from my GP meant that despite having no sleep I managed to make it through the night of 16/02/14.
I telephoned my doctor's surgery and the receptionist seemed hopeful that I could be given help. She told me she would have the GP telephone me back. After an hour the receptionist telephoned me back stating that the doctor had said they couldn't get involved with a dental issue as it might be seen as "stepping on the dentist's toes". I use quotation marks here because that is word for word what was said. I was very distressed by this point and stated that this was why many people had lost their lives due to accidental paracetamol overdose and toothache. The lack of pain management support for dental treatment is appalling. I then rang off very upset, distressed and ultimately still in a world of pain.
(See link provided here for one of many newspaper reports of a death by paracetamol and toothache: www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/10572341.Wirral_man_died_after_taking_accidental_overdose_of_painkillers_for_toothache/)
I then telephoned the 111 service and described my problem. They were very sympathetic and gave me the number for ### Dental Access - which they told me to contact.
I telephoned ### Dental Access and spoke to an extremely rude woman who told me that "dentists don't prescribe pain relief".
Please see link below which details drugs that can be prescribed by a dentist:
(I grant you the link is Scottish but I imagine the England guidelines for drugs which can be prescribed by dentists are similar:
www.1000livesplus.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/1011/1000%20Lives%20PB%2002%2002B%20-%20SDCEP%20Drug%20Prescribing%20for%20Dentistry.pdf)
I then telephoned 111 again who again were very kind. They put me onto a nurse who was lovely, but at a complete loss of what to do for me. She said that dentists can and do prescribe pain relief and she couldn't understand why my GP surgery wouldn't either. The only advice she had for me was to go to walk-in centre at ### - 3 miles away, or call the out of hours doctor out after 8pm. Both costly solutions for the NHS when compared to the writing of a prescription by a GP, I am sure you would agree.
I am a 30 year old professional. who has at many times during this process, been treated like a child who doesn't know what they are talking about.
I demand a full explanation of the NHS dental policy on pain relief, a full explanation of the NHS policy on GPs and dental pain and guidance as to how this complaint will be dealt with including a timeline of dates stating when I can expect action by.
Should your response not be satisfactory or in a timely manner I shall be referring the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen.
Again, I reiterate, the lack of empathy and management of pain by dentists is not good enough and is going to cost more lives if it is not rectified and the whole system overhauled.
So aibu? If so why? If not, what on Earth can be done about it?