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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To tell you all to take care over your dental hygiene!

115 replies

Cheapprimarkbra · 04/04/2020 21:38

Folks... Please look after your teeth extra carefully over the next few months! Part of my molar randomly fell off this afternoon. Rang Dentaline (out of hours dentist) and no dentists are able to work in the lockdown, even for emergency treatment for the most severe pain! Totally understandable of course, but scary nonetheless. The lady on the phone literally quoted this: "You are either critically ill on a ventilator or you won't be seen". Very sobering and brings home again how much we take for granted. 🙏

OP posts:

CustardySergeant · 04/04/2020 22:11

I have just looked at the website of my dentist and this is the message

"Although routine dentistry is no longer permissible due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic situation, urgent care is still available by ringing the practice number during our opening hours of 9 am to 1 pm & 2 pm to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday.
Please leave your full name and contact number as the answer machine will be checked regularly during those opening hours.
Thank you very much for your support during these difficult times."

so not all dentists are refusing to see urgent cases.

IPityThePontipines · 04/04/2020 22:15

Nice scaremongering OP. They aren't going to be leaving people with dental abcesses and the like, anymore then they would leave someone with a broken leg.

Here is the message from my dentists:

"We will be offering an emergency dental service to support all of our patients through this difficult time. The practice will continue to offer emergency dental advice for dental emergencies for as long as we are able to do so. If you have a severe dental emergency, please contact the practice on..."

TeaAndBisquits · 04/04/2020 22:15

You are only allowed to be seen by the new urgent care centres that are currently being set up.

You'll need to call your current dentist to be triaged over the phone and then, if a severe dental emergency, being sent to the centres to be triaged again (when the care centres are up and running)

If definitely not ideal, but the dental professionals have been explicitly told we are not allowed to see patients unless in the designated urgent care hubs.

Pishposhpashy · 04/04/2020 22:17

I spoke to my dentist on Thursday because my wisdom tooth was infected and I needed antibiotics - got them no bother. They're doing video consults too.

Nooch · 04/04/2020 22:18

My dentist rang me on Friday. He said whilst they have cancelled all routine and cosmetic work they are still open for emergencies.

TeaAndBisquits · 04/04/2020 22:19

Yes, we can advise, assess and prescribe antibiotics if needed.

We're doing all we can to help patients remotely and you will definitely not be left in the lurch as patients as the OP suggests!

gordongopherthe3rd · 04/04/2020 22:20

I had some dental work done the day before the lockdown started, they said then that they had no idea what would happen the following week but that the had been told there was provision for emergency work for both private and NHS patients. Either way I was glad to get in before it all kicked off.
OP you are being very mean to be scare mongering like this. - be careful it's rock solid.

Original poster

Cheapprimarkbra · 04/04/2020 22:20

Apologies - really didn't want/mean to scaremonger! Just startled by the blunt statement from Dentaline as they really did tell me that no dentists were operating! There was nothing on my dentist's site to tell me otherwise. Glad to hear that's not the case, and will ask for this thread to be removed as I don't want conflicting information.

OP posts:

PurpleDaisies · 04/04/2020 22:21

This is a really unhelpful post. You can still get emergency treatment,

nowmorethanever · 04/04/2020 22:22

Mine are doing urgent treatment. My routine checkup was cancelled but DP’s appointment to investigate toothache went ahead.

TooOldForSims · 04/04/2020 22:23

Yeah right.

Thisisworsethananticpated · 04/04/2020 22:23

Sorry OP
Take faith from
Others posts here
That said I just cleaned and flossed my own after your post , it’s true x

nowmorethanever · 04/04/2020 22:25

Serious question: if Dentaline are not working, why are they answering the phone? You’d think a recorded message would suffice!

headispounding · 04/04/2020 22:26

It won't just be during the lockdown surely, it will be for the duration of the life of covid19. Dentistry is really high risk while covid is in the equation hence why only specialist centres with full scale PPE can do treatment. That risk won't change just because lockdown is released a bit.

TeaAndBisquits · 04/04/2020 22:26

OP, Thankfully you've just been given misinformation.

It is a very valid point though to look after your teeth and oral health in the coming months, it's good advice. Everyone should be looking at these things differently now.

SharonasCorona · 04/04/2020 22:27

So much stuff I should have done pre lockdown, dentist, haircut, eyebrows...

Original poster

Cheapprimarkbra · 04/04/2020 22:27

@nowmorethanever They are apparently giving advice over the phone! But you need an initial assessment for that advice, which I didn't pass as I didn't have a)swelling bigger than the size of a golf ball or b) a facial injury. Got my temporary filling paste in now. Hope it holds!

OP posts:

cardibach · 04/04/2020 22:29

OP what you say the woman said makes no sense at all. Nobody visiting a dentist needs a ventilator. It might make sense for hospital based dentistry, but not ordinary stuff. They don’t have to choose between ventilator patients and you.

Stefoscope · 04/04/2020 22:34

I'm confused, if someone was critically ill on a ventilator how and why would they be having dental treatment?

Original poster

Cheapprimarkbra · 04/04/2020 22:38

@stefoscope No idea... That is quoting exactly what the lady told me on the telephone. It was all a bit shocking and baffling, but now I'm regretting writing this on here as some people have said treatment is available, contrary to that phone call! So, I have asked to remove this thread as I think it's not very helpful in the end as hoped!

OP posts:

quarantinevibes · 04/04/2020 22:39

Oh come on.. the op was trying to give a helpful reminder to take extra care atm and not miss flossing and mouth wash etc. As it will be much harder to get an appt. I don’t think the intention was scaremongering. It’s a scary time for everyone as it is.

Original poster

Cheapprimarkbra · 04/04/2020 22:42

@quarantinevibes Thank you - I certainly wasn't trying to scaremonger and I now massively regret not flossing! My dentist was right about it all along... Who'd have thought?!

OP posts:

Chillicheese123 · 04/04/2020 22:43

The last thing the nhs needs is people in hospital with sepsis from dental infections. Emergency dentistry is very much on the cards.

pleasepleasepleasehelp · 04/04/2020 22:44

@Cheapprimarkbra Shameful scaremongering.

My neighbour lost a filling last week... it came out when she bit on a nut. Must have been a bit loose anyway, and was not picked up when she had her check up 4 months back.

She was in pain with it as the nerve was exposed, and she called the dentist, who told her to come in first thing the next morning. Long story short, they refilled it. They are cancelling all routine stuff, but will do anything that is causing pain, or may cause infection!

STOP THE SCAREMONGERING.

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