Dentist rude…sen

[TheOpalFox]

The dentist rang and I explained about my son being too scared of the dentist and he won’t be going back for root canal treatment while fully awake, without help and she was really rude!!! Saying things like, he will be okay. Just bring him ? No he won’t? He’s wet himself, been screaming the house down and won’t stop shaking, so he needs sedation!!!! Root canal isn’t nice as an adult, never mind an sen child with special needs
Just upset me how she was like just bring him, he will be okay?
I’m sure he will be but he can’t cope with it!!!

More awareness needed :(

Other than taking longer, it's no different to a filling. But I understand for someone ND this is a massively stressful situation.

You're going to struggle if it's NHS in the nicest possible way, without paying for private treatment/sedation he'll be waiting a very long time for GA for RCT. In the interim he'll probably gave recurrent infections which whilst painful also risk is cardiovascular health/risk spread of infection into jaw/other teeth.

Extraction would be an option depending on position of the tooth but that would be more traumatic and painful afterwards than RCT.

Is private an option? I expect it'll cost around £2k including sedation.

You should be able to get him referred to SEN dentistry on the NHS, where they can give sedation for the work.

Can you ask around for recommendations for a dentist who specialises in anxious patients or those with send? It might be a case of visiting the dentist little and often to desensitise from the panic.

Didn’t sound to me like they were ‘rude’

Sounds like she has no experience of SEN kids so not rude just ignorant. I took mine to a sedation clinic they were brilliant with DD but it was private

Depends on the area - I quite regularly refer people in because of my job but it's not commissioned across our whole operating area. Also have to have clear evidence why the need can't be met by mainstream dental services.

I can't see where they were rude.
It must be really difficult for you with a child with such a phobia

He may surprise you. Dentists are used to SEN.

I cannot see where they were rude. Lacking understanding of sen yes but I do not think they were rude. Did the dentist ring when you cancelled the appointment? Are they concerned about what will happen if your son does not have the treatment?

Can I ask how much it cost plz? Thank
uou

@TheOpalFoxit was 250 including tooth extraction. That’s down south in the Tring sedation and dental clinic. The cost depends on how long they need sedating for.

I had dental sedation, cost about £800. It's conscious sedation, not a general anaesthetic. You can still respond to instructions, but importantly it does't lay down any memories, so your ds would not remember any of the treatment.You might want to check with specialists that with his SEN, this would be OK for him

If ds is OK actually visiting the dental clinic, and would be OK the the process of sedation (needle in a vein etc) then please find out if this is an option, even if you have to go private. It was a complete game changer for me, enabling me to go back and have other treatments when needed.

It is hard to find dentists who really understand dental phobia, many think it's just a bit of anxiety and some calming music will do the trick. They should never tell anyone with a dental phobia that 'it'll be OK' that's like throwing spiders at someone with arachnaphobia! It's tantamount to abuse.

It might be worth asking if the community dentist service would see him - I see them, and there are a lot of children with SEN seen there.

OP what I will also add here is I took her for check ups every 6 months so she got used to seeing the Dentist for that and started her with the hygienist early teens. But definitely needed the sedation clinic for the extraction.

@TheOpalFoxalso the children’s sedation where I went did not get done with a needle it’s via a small nasal mask and they can pick a smell/flavour if you go private.

There will be sen nhs dental services in your area. My dentist didn't know about this and acted like I was crazy re my daughter, but she did a bit of digging and got her referred to the peadiatric dental service at St George's hospital in Tooting. This offered general anaesthetic but actually my daughter had her tooth out with gas and air.

You are totally joking. I am quite happy with a filling but a root canal definitely not. They have to put a ‘dam’ in your mouth to stop infection. I asked if I could have it without the dam and was told no. I felt I couldn’t breathe.
The last time I needed a root canal treatment, I went to a specialist and he made a slit in the side of the gum and did it from there. This evolved stitches in the gum and cost several thousand pounds.

I did forget about the placement of a dam, thank you for highlighting this. I guess for one with sensory issues this would add to the stimulation.

Here is info about what they offer at St George's. I imagine other hospitals around the country offer similar - St Hellier hospital in Epsom has a similar service.

https://fis.wandsworth.gov.uk/kb5/wandsworth/fsd/service.page?id=OayIu0YwZsc

I work in a dental practice. They won’t carry out the treatment on someone who isn’t compliant. The dentists I work with are always happy to use an appointment to build familiarity and confidence. This may have been what she meant by ‘bring him in, anyway.’

Go see your GP and ask for a referral to.the community dentist.

OP - I want to say I know how you feel. We have experienced three dentists (same practice just keeps being sold) and each one didn't try to understand my sons SN needs - rude, impatient, let him down badly. We were referred to the community dentist, better but a very sketchy service. Not tried the private route (not sure money necessarily equals patience and understanding with SN patients). You have my sympathies - hope it works out.

My husband is totally dentist phobic. The dentist we go to doesn't do conscious sedation but another one does, one day a week only. So he was referred to the one that does. I think it cost about £75 on top of the rate for the extraction.

Speak to the receptionist, ask them what options you have.

£75 for sedation? Where is this?
i cannot believe it would cost this little

how old is your child? GA will cost a fortune, my 3 year old nephew had to have a silver crown and it cost £2k because of General Anaesthetic. Good luck