What happens at dentist if you have treatment but no money to pay after?

[HighlyOptimistic]

Need emergency dental treatment wisdom tooth acute pain.

Furloughed on about £200 month absolutely zero money in bank until next pay day. Nobody to borrow from, work won’t sub me, don’t have credit for loans, not eligible for free dental.

If I just have the appointment and afterwards present my debit card for payment, it will be declined as there’s about £3 in my bank, what happens next?

Will dentist just invoice me? Keep my bank card as security? Call police?
I have no way of paying but the pain is making me nearly faint and I’m already at the limit of how many paracetamols I can take in this 24 hour period.

I’m not trying to defraud or steal, I just genuinely have no money in my bank until pay day in 2 weeks time (work pays early at Christmas so it will be Christmas Eve , too late to wait).

Is there a dental receptionist or dentist/assistant on here that can advise?

I don’t want to risk saying before my appointment I can’t afford to pay as they won’t take me in. My whole face is throbbing. I’m not wasting A&E time as 111 said only go if you’re having breathing difficulties. I am but that’s me trying to keep a panic attack away because of the pain (I’m managing the panic attack).

I went to the dental hospital when I had not long moved to a new city. I had to pay but it was a nominal amount.

I tried to go back to the dental hospital a while later and they refused to see me as I was registered with a dentist.

Go to A&E

Go to A&E OP. It’s not a waste of time at all. Teeth problems can lead to all sorts.... endocarditis and things like that.

Can your DH not help? Are you as a family out of money - nothing in 12 yr old’s piggy bank to raid?

And is there no one who would lend you £25 in real life?

@NoSquirrels

Can your DH not help? Are you as a family out of money - nothing in 12 yr old’s piggy bank to raid?

And is there no one who would lend you £25 in real life?

She doesn’t mention a DH or a partner in the OP, which is her only post. Why assume she has one?

Or a 12 year-old? Where are you getting this from?!

@CheetasOnFajitas, Advance search.

Do you have a regular dentist who you have been seeing for years, and knows you to be a decent and responsible person? If so, I would call them and explain your predicament.

I am certain my dentist would not leave me in avoidable pain. She would be massively pissed off if I lied and then defaulted though.

Advance search. Not assuming.

@Hunnihun2

Go to A&E OP. It’s not a waste of time at all. Teeth problems can lead to all sorts.... endocarditis and things like that.

A&E will not remove wisdom teeth on the spot and in a pandemic no one should be going to A&E unless it's vital and toothache no matter how painful is not.

You need to find a dentist who will see you and tell them upfront you have a debt issue until pay day.

And in future, register with a dentist and build up a relationship with them. They will be more sympathetic in future if you are short of cash and need treatment.

If you are seeing a dentist for an emergency appointment who you have never seen before they may ask you to pay for the appointment upfront. Then pay whatever else is owing depending on what you have done afterwards.
If you are seeing your regular dentist with whom you have kept up contact for check ups etc the chances are they will let you pay when you can.
Otherwise, ring 111 and get an appointment with a drop / dental access centre.

@HighlyOptimistic If you have a DH who is working, why can't he pay for your treatment?

Go to a and e

Can’t your DH pay?

If there is any possibility your wisdom tooth is infected they will put you on a course of antibiotics first and then depending on the services your dentist provides refer you to have the tooth removed. So even if you get an dentist appointment they may not remove the tooth today

@NoSquirrels

Advance search. Not assuming.

Might be nice to say in your post where you fit the info then, instead of confusing other posters who have replied based in information given here and have less time on their hands than you!

Where you got the info.

So sorry to hear that you're in this situation. It must be horrible. I've had dental issues in the past and I am very aware of how horrendous the pain is.

There are 2 options as I see it:

1. Go to a dental hospital if you live near one. Might have a wait, but they shouldn't charge as it's a hospital. I wasn't charged when I had to go.

1. Go to A&E. Some hospitals have maxillofacial surgery departments and A&E docs can get them to come see you ASAP.

Good luck OP. I hope you feel better

To answer a few questions:
I’m not on benefits so not entitled to free treatment. I owe an overpayment of child tax credit so not entitled to universal credit help either.
I’m furloughed on minimum hours contract so barely £200 month take home.
No dental hospital nearby. Nearest city is 50 miles away.
All dentists run a private practice, then take on both fee paying clients and ‘NHS clients’. Fee payers have access to more experienced, qualified dentists. Non fee paying clients still access excellent care but don’t enjoy quicker appointments and some facilities, etc. Dentist himself told me this.

I’m just going to turn up and do the whole have treatment then ask for invoice when card is declined. I can’t risk asking for instalments or anything in case they say no.

I don’t want to go to A&E they’ve better things to be doing, the catching Covid risk in a hospital environment, and 111 said not to anyway.

Thanks for Orajel recommendation that sounds like it might be good (Benzocaine ingredient is similar to Lidocaine which is what dentist gives you for numbing when doing fillings so it’s got to be better than paracetamol).

I’ll be sure to update later this evening with news of how it went, in case it helps anyone else in similar situation. I do appreciate dentists need to earn a living (even though they’re above the £90k salary bracket !) so I’m not trying to defraud mine, I just literally only have £3 in my bank until the 21st Dec.

No 12 year old has no piggy bank money !
And DH wouldn’t pay if it was the apocalypse and the last dentist on earth

(Wish there wasn’t Advanced Search on Mumsnet always feel very judged if someone searches out I hate the colour purple and uses that against me in a thread somewhere on why I like the colour Orange, makes it feel like we have to change usernames and be devious every time want to post a question).

And DH wouldn’t pay if it was the apocalypse and the last dentist on earth

Why not? Does this mean he can afford to but won't? Because if that's the case I'd be selling something he'd bloody miss if he couldn't even sub me £20 odd quid.

I would not tell them until after the appointment as it might cause delays.

For any other situation yes, but not if you are in a lot of pain. Get rid of the pain at the earliest possible moment and worry about the money afterwards.

If you are triaged over the phone and given a prescription there may be no charge. Currently a lot of dentists are still only triaging over the phone.

Wtf ? Your DH could pay but won't ? Even with his wife in agony with no access to funding ?
Seems like your teeth are the tip of the iceberg OP