Incredulous about what the dentist said to me.

[GranolaLover]

Bit of background first. I had to go to the dentist about a month ago as an emergency as I had had raging toothache for 4 days. It was the first time I'd been to the dentist in 10 years as basically couldn't afford it as I'm not working,on disability benefits. Have only found out from the receptionist at this visit that I am probably entitled to free,or reduced cost treatment as I'm on a low income. Anyway,I had the tooth removed as the dentist said it was 'past saving'. Fine,no problem with that,just wanted to get of the pain. But I asked him what could be done about my front,lower teeth. I lost one of the front middle ones about 2 years ago,and since then the one next to has moved slightly inwards,hence I have a gap at the front,with a wonky tooth next to it. Thankfully,it is not too visible. I have quite bad tartare build-up on the backs of my front teeth,which no amount of brushing or flossing can get rid of. It is probably what caused the tooth to fall out. I was surprised when the dentist said 'nothing could be done' about my teeth,as I had neglected them! I was and . I thought in these days of fantastic dentistry that something could be done to improve the look of them. I rather got the impression his attitude was 'Well what do you expect if you don't go to the dentist regularly?'. Anyone else experienced anything like this,or had a similar tooth problem to mine,but had it sorted?

My guess is that 3littlerabbits is quite young if she doesn't believe that some dentist were drilling/removing teeth unnecessarily in the 70s. ~I
the end they changed the NHS dental contract so that dentists were paid for having children on the register rather than for fillings etc to prevent unncessary work being done. This obviously led to the opposite problem though (children who needed fillings not getting them)

Fluffywuffy you are being overcharged as our private dentist just did 2 crowns and a filling for my husband for just over £300. As for America, I lived there for a decade and rarely went to the dentist as they always insulted British dentistry, told me I needed 9-11 crowns at $1000 a time and wanted to 'fix my smile'. Back in the UK I use a private dentist as there is no NHS availability, my last visit cost £78 for an exam, cleaning and smal patch to fix a chipped tooth and NO crowns have been suggested for me. By the way, I have a crown that is 35 years old, done in the UK still going strong and American dentists told me that their crowns last 'about 10 years.' I think I was meant to be a USA dentists 'kerching' moment. :-)

I hyst read back a bit about the USA deep clean thing. While in the USA I had deep pocket cleaning. 4 appointments, a quarter of my mouth at a time and the operative was amazed that i refused injections after the first time. It was uncomfortable but not painful. I was warned that eating might be uncomfortable for a few days or even weeks. That turned into 2 years before I was completely without discomfort. Babk in the UK my dentist explained - we don't do that here because all older peoples gums recede a little creating deeper pockets abd when you guddle about in them you risk making them deeper. Also whatever bacteria you clean out is back again the minute you eat anither meal. It's really not worth it unless you have some gum disease that needs attending to and you don't. I will NEVER have it done again.

Well if your teeth are as bad as you make them sound, there probably is very little that can be done to them. It is possible that the teeth that are covered in calculus, it is quite possible that removing it will actually make them looser (as in, the calculus is holding some in place) and that will expose the sensitive part of the tooth, which will be quite painful. Needing tx on those teeth to reduce the sensitivity.

Also, if it is that bad, you have lost a lot of bone support around those teeth, so some of them may need to be removed. That will leave little bone structure for dentures to sit on, and implants possibly wont work due to low bone levels. Add to that no good dentist will do expensive implants in a previously severely neglected mouth, most won't do crowns/bridges either.

My NHS Dentist charges £11 for a scale and polish with the hygienist so might be worth shopping around. A regular NHS scale & polish will not even touch the sides if op's teeth are as bad as she says. Also, many NHS practices (not all) do not have a hygienist who is available on the NHS for the basics, so the dentist will do the basic scale & polish. The higher charge is a more intense scale and polish, usually done by a hygienist and to be honest, will only scratch the surface anyway!

He should have done a scale and polish if clinically necessary It was an emergency appt, not a routine exam. All they have time for is to treat the emergency.

I can't be arsed to look up the payment details atm but some of the disparities between private and NHS fees are HUGE As is the time taken to do the tx, the materials used, the labs used if patients need crowns, bridges etc. Cost of maintaining the premises, staff etc (private dentists pay their staff more than NHS, and they often employ more staff too)

Fluffywuffy you are being overcharged as our private dentist just did 2 crowns and a filling for my husband for just over £300. To be fair, 2 crowns and a filling is nothing compared to a well done root canal and an on-lay/inlay. Also, there are different tiers of private dentistry. I have worked in several practices and they usually breakdown something like

1] fees based on NHS costs + a % on top. Standard lab (for making crowns etc)/standard materials/standard service (in terms of turnaround of appts and treatment), basics like white fillings where possible (amalgam may still be used) crowns, dentures etc. Colour match on crowns/dentures OK.
2] fees based materials/labs used. Better lab, better filling materials (amalgam rarely used), better service (quicker turnaround of lab work etc) better quality crowns, dentures (more time taken to make them feel better/fit better) etc. Colour match on crowns/dentures better.
3] fees based on time, superior materials, superior labs, onlays/inlays where fillings would be done by #1 & 2, veneers, bridges instead of dentures etc. Much quicker service re lab turnaround. Dentures when needed very minimal acrylic, shaped and formed better - much more realistic look. Colour match on crowns/dentures brilliant, usually getting patient to visit the lab for colour match if possible.

And even between the three, some things cannot be compared. I thought the first the private dentist I worked for was good, but the last ones I worked with where far far superior, and cannot be compared!

Excuse spelling errors/extra words, typing too quick!

differentnameforthis Agreed - I suppose I worded it wrongly . My point really is that you don't have to pay as much as £1000 for a crown. I should have allowed for the root canal better. :-(

My adult daughter gets disability benefits and, although she gets free checkups, she doesn't get free visits to the hygienist. This costs around £50 which I happily pay for her. Personally I don't believe that dental checkups are enough on their own.

Dental care is very expensive but I think you need to invest in a hygienist session to get rid of as much tartar as possible. Then you should use a tartar control fluoride toothpaste and those funny little brush/ stick things (or floss) to clean the plaque between teeth.
If you don't take action now, you may get gum problems. Act now, while you can.

This may have already been said but if you’re on benefits you are not entitled to any cosmetic treatment. Maybe he meant that?

Ultimately its you who is responsible for your teeth. Nhs dentists dont offer full treatments. Extractions are often overused as they get very well paid for them by patients and NHS. Fillings, brudges etc cost a lot and leave dentists with minimal profit
If your teeth were neglected for a long time I expect very expensive gum treatments are needed, maybe even you got bone loss from infections and need bone grafting . Implants, bridges, crowns.
No NHS dentist will take on that. But they should repair cavities (with black fillings) and pull all damaged beyond saving teeth. If dentist is prosperous he probably even can offer some bridges.
Ultimately starting working saving up etc can probably give your oral health back

Finding a decent dentist is a minefield. I thought I’d cracked it until he decided to keep pushing private treatment rather than NHS (I was registered as an NHS patient). Apparently I needed work doing on my back molar but, according to him, it’s not possible to fill that far back and I needed an inlay at the cost of thousands. Funnily enough the tooth was already filled.

My crown needed replacing and, because a previous dentist had crowned it so badly, he wanted to remove the tooth and for me to have an implant. There was no way I could afford that so he grudgingly said it could be crowned but would probably only last a couple of months at the most and would have to be metal. He was pushing a gold crown but I insisted on an NHS one for a third of the price. Three years later it’s still there and I’ve got a new dentist!

There’s so much rubbish on this thread.

Just because someone’s on disability benefits and not working doesn’t mean they get free or reduced dental treatment. I don’t. I have to pay full cost for mine.

The dentist sounds absolutely awful. There’s no need for that whatsoever. I worked for one like that once, he thought he was some sort of king. His chairside manner was vile. I lasted a week before I walked out. I just couldn’t stand it. There’s many reasons why people don’t attend the dentist, and if you can’t treat them without siting in judgment then you’re in the wrong job.

People who get free treatment are entitled to crowns on the NHS, it comes under Band 3. I’ve had 2 NHS crowns and, will be having another shortly.

If the OP’s teeth are covered in tartar and there’s a clinical need for them to be cleaned then the dentist should have done it or referred her to the hygienist. The dentist should have done the emergency treatment on the day and suggested the OP came back for a routine appointment not put her off seeking treatment for a few more years.

@fairycaravan I thought if you are on benefits you are entitled to band 1-3 for free. Whilst on maternity I received everything free except for cosmetic (understandably)

someone not all benefits qualify you for free dental treatment.

A hygenist will get rid of tartar.

You might fight that an electric toothbrush will get rid of it, i've got superdrugs own brand one it was pretty cheap and it got rid of some tartar on my botton teeth.

My dentist I had as a child, filled all my molar teeth by the time I was 18. I had a check up every 6 months and he always said I needed work even though I had no tooth ache. When I moved and went to another dentist, low and behold, no fillings needed. Ever since I have only had work done when necessary. That dentist ruined my teeth.

I too am a child of the 70s and have a mouthful of fillings. Everyone did!

I agree with differentnameforthis that if tartar is very extensive it is not good to remove it, as it is holding loose teeth in place. Mil was in a nursing home for a few years and her teeth became very gungy (yeeeugh). Bil got the opinion of several dentists as he refused to believe they couldn't be treated, but even ones who charged £££ said that the teeth would probably fall out if the tartar was removed.

The issue with your lower teeth sounds cosmetic so probably the dentist was saying that you would need to pay privately to deal with them.

Agree with fairy caravan so much rubbish on this thread. I’m also surprised at how dental fees seem to differ across the county. NHS treatment is not cosmetic and when they scrapped “fee per item” and brought in the new “UDA” system things changed quite a lot. In my experience, teeth that previously needed root canal treatment “couldn’t be saved” and if they could be saved it meant a private referral to a specialist at £750 a pop. Anyway, if you are fortunate enough to find an NHS dental practice who will register you I would maybe ask to be transferred to a dentist who will be a little more sensitive to your situation. Hygiene treatment is very often on a private basis now too (they don’t get paid enough/ earn enough UDA’S for how long it takes) but they should have at least offered you a standard scale and polish which is included in band 1. Maybe google NHS dental fees to find out exactly what is included in each band and if you do qualify for free treatment.

My Dad had teeth pulled as nothing could be done. They were rotten. I think you meant what can I do to improve my smile and he thought you were asking what you could do for actual teeth (nothing). My dad ended up with an excellent bridge.

No one is saying the OP doesn't deserve treatment - just thinking that they need to take responsibility and not blame the dentist for not magicing an extra hour and doing a full mouth make-over in an emergency appointment.

Also the reason nhs treatment is so much cheaper than private is that it it HEAVILY SUBSIDISED by the NHS. NHS dentistry costs a lot of money (materials / lab technicians / staff / sterilisation). Dentists in 2018 do not hate patients and wake up trying to make them miserable.

Ask to speak to the hygeinist

I was told I needed a tooth taking out by an NHS dentist, but then a private dentist did root canal for me and sorted it out. I paid in instalments.

My son had wonky teeth and I had to pay for his braces, they said they only free if it effects the bite.

I assume all those having a go at the OP about not looking after her teeth properly so what does she expect are regular exercisers and healthy eaters who are not overweight. Nobody would dream of saying you're fat and lazy so what do you expect to somebody needing medical care.