To think that if you are immunosuppressed you should get free dental treatment

[Fuckinellitsme]

I've just had to make yet another emergency dental appointment because I think I have an abscess.

I'm on immunosuppressant drugs for RA. Lowered immunity can cause dental issues such as abscesses and other infections which can in turn be very dangerous for those who are immunocompromised (whether due to illness or medication). One of the side effects of my medication is bleeding, sore, receding gums, for example. I'm fastidious about dental hygiene but my immunity is out of my control.

AIBU to think that if you have lowered immunity you should be able to access regular checkups and scale & polish sessions free of charge? My dentist is no longer offering s&p on the NHS, only privately, which costs £120 a time. I've been recommended to have them every three to six months to reduce the chance of infection, but there's no way I can afford that. People on low incomes just can't. Finding the money for dental care when you're dealing with lifelong chronic pain/health conditions or receiving treatment for any number of illnesses which reduces immunity should be the last thing you have to worry about.

Sorry if I'm not making a lot of sense, but PAIN!

£120 for a private hygienist visit is outrageous. Where do you live? I go to an award winning dental surgery in the City of London and they don't even charge that much (they charge £90).

There’s no such thing as free dental treatment, only treatment paid for by someone else, ie higher rate tax payers.

Different countries take different views on how much those in high paid jobs should fund those in low (or no) paid roles.

My view is that taxpayers in UK are now expected to pay for too much, precisely because people think it’s ‘free’. I don’t have a particular problem for taxpayers paying for urgent dental work on someone who can’t otherwise afford it. I do however get very annoyed about the millions of pounds spent on sex change drugs (particularly when they’re for confused children and the drugs actually cause medical harms in later life).

Anyway. I think there should be a rethink of what medical issues the taxpayer does and doesn’t pay for, it’s got completely arbitrary. Why should the taxpayer pay for your teeth, or a sex change, but not to fix my broken womb?

@Skysblue

There’s no such thing as free dental treatment, only treatment paid for by someone else, ie higher rate tax payers.

Different countries take different views on how much those in high paid jobs should fund those in low (or no) paid roles.

My view is that taxpayers in UK are now expected to pay for too much, precisely because people think it’s ‘free’. I don’t have a particular problem for taxpayers paying for urgent dental work on someone who can’t otherwise afford it. I do however get very annoyed about the millions of pounds spent on sex change drugs (particularly when they’re for confused children and the drugs actually cause medical harms in later life).

Anyway. I think there should be a rethink of what medical issues the taxpayer does and doesn’t pay for, it’s got completely arbitrary. Why should the taxpayer pay for your teeth, or a sex change, but not to fix my broken womb?

Everyone pays taxes, not just high earners.

As I've said - it's not just 'paying for my teeth'. For those who are immunosuppressed, dental infections can be very dangerous, even fatal. And we're far more prone to them. If someone can't afford to pay for essential treatment, the outcome could be very grave indeed.

Definitely not akin to a sex change!

£120! Wow. Have type 1 diabetes and one result is I need to see the hygienist every three months as I get a lot of build up. But I pay about £50 or so at the private practice. I get my meds for free which I think is amazing so not expecting free dental treatment too. I couldn't prove causation anyway.

If your dentist is saying that the scale and polish is clinical necessary, this is funded by NHS. They are actually breaching the contract if they are telling g you the only way to have a clinically necessary treatment is to go privately. Report to NHS England and the GDC.

Your mouth is affected by menopause too. There was this whole thing on it on Womams hour, it leads to more tooth’s problems.

I must have spent 4-5k on dental charges since menopause. The majority NHS. Dental charges are too high.

Had no idea this was the case! You learn something new every day!

YANBU. It doesn't make sense to me that teeth are not classed as Healthcare - they're a part of your body!

100% we should. If people that are pregnant or don’t work get them free then we should. Thanks to 3 years of constant steroids my teeth are shocking. And it’s me that has to pay. It’s completely not fair. Either no one gets it free or they look into it further.!

Get a dental plan?

Pregnancy exemption wouldn't cover a scale and polish. I think it is pretty unusual for that to be deemed clinically necessary, though sometimes is done as part of other treatments at the same time. Has the dentist said a regular scale and polish should be part of the clinical treatment plan?

Whilst I see what your saying op. The medical world would not agree
First there’s a huge number of people who are under the ‘immunocompromised’ umbrella some due to meds,some to inherited conditions, some due to both and probably loads of other things.
That’s a lot of ‘free’ treatment- That ‘free’ treatment is expensive to the person paying for it I.e the taxpayer - people already feel they pay too much tax
Not everyone who is immunocompromised will have those side effects - should they get free treatment too? Why?

Also the go to for infections is antibiotics ..

@flippertyop

Get a dental plan?

They don't cover you if you have a pre-existing condition which affects your teeth.

@Heatherjayne1972

Whilst I see what your saying op. The medical world would not agree First there’s a huge number of people who are under the ‘immunocompromised’ umbrella some due to meds,some to inherited conditions, some due to both and probably loads of other things. That’s a lot of ‘free’ treatment- That ‘free’ treatment is expensive to the person paying for it I.e the taxpayer - people already feel they pay too much tax Not everyone who is immunocompromised will have those side effects - should they get free treatment too? Why? Also the go to for infections is antibiotics ..

Everyone who is immunosuppressed is at far greater risk of infection than those who aren't. And once you have an infection, the risk to health is also far greater. Antibiotics aren't always the answer. Surely prevention is better than ending up in hospital on IV antibiotics anyway?

I pay taxes, so does DH. I'm not sure why people are suggesting that it's not free because tax payers pay for it, when we're tax payers ourselves!

I do think that yes, whatever the reasons for your immunocompromised status, you should be able to access dental care whatever your financial situation. Particularly when severe dental infections have the potential to be life threatening.