What to do now-bloody dentists

[Grimble69]

So I wanted to explore having dental implants, so I booked an implant appointment with a dentist practice that looks as if that's what they specialise in.
In the meantime (yesterday) I had a check up with my regular dentist who said everthing was fine but to see the hygenist as planned.
So today I saw the implant dentist who apparently is a fan of implants. He said my teeth weren't near implant stage but I needed 6 fillings and ideally see a periodontist.
The two dentists can't both be right can they? So now I don't know what to do. I don't want to go to implant dentist because I didn't ask for a check up I wanted to discuss implants,even if that discussion was a brief ' no need for that now'. Also it was a drive away. Do I need yet another check up with a 3rd dentist?
I really wanted a proper conversation re implants NOT a check up.

If you need fillings you need fillings that's totally separate to you having an implant

Yes I understand that but why didn't the dentist I saw two days ago say the same?

Probably because your dentist is nhs and the implant dentist is private and spent more time looking at your teeth. How much time did each dentist spend looking at your teeth?

Have your teeth disintegrated in 2 days?

The Dentistry system in the UK is bloody awful.

Is the one who said you needed 6 fillings private? Some are less scrupulous than others. 3 years ago I was new to a city and attended private dentist, was told
I needed 3 fillings and a root canal. Was suspicious at the speed of the diagnosis and went to get a second opinion at female owned highly recommended private dentist. She said two fillings and NO treatment on the area first guy recommended root canal, 3 years on all is well and no treatment has been needed on the area that was going to be root canalled

Ask to see another dentist in your own dentists practice for a second opinion. Did both dentists take xrays?

Where does the implantologist say you need the fillings? Anyone who's doing implants should also do a check up to make sure you are suitable for implants

The best bet is to get your own dentist to refer you to an implant dentist. If you just book an appointment with a dentist who does implants obviously they will do a check up because they will think you are coming to them as a regular patient. It needs to be a straight referral from your dentist and a conversation between both professionals

NHS dentist said x-rays were up to date. Private did x-rays.

They spent similar time looking at teeth. I was hoping for a proper conversation with implant dentist, there's only so much I can get on the internet.

When I made the appointment I asked for the implant appointment, plus my notes said 'check up yesterday'. I explained which teeth I wanted implants for, he just needed to look at those. My teeth arn't great, I know that so I was trying to sort something out privately.
I do have trust issues re dentists.

Oh and I didn't think NHS would offer implants so I didn't ask for a referral from them.

Wish I hadn't bothered with the implant dentist. I nearly cancelled thinking it was a silly idea.

Wish I hadn't bothered with the implant dentist. I nearly cancelled thinking it was a silly idea.

Opinions do vary at what point filling is required, private tend to recommend earlier in my experience and I'm suspicious as they charge per filling so more money.

I have a new nhs dentist (I know, a miracle!) so await how many dozen fillings I need, at least 3 I think!

The NHS don't offer implants but your regular dentist should make a referral to the private implantologist asking for them to see you for implants, that way its much easier to get a conversation going about potential work required

Its possible the xrays picked up some decay not visible to the eye.

Oh and I didn't think NHS would offer implants so I didn't ask for a referral from them.

I've had implants myself @Grimble69

AMA

@DIshedUp Quite possibly he did yes, still 6 is a significant increase on 0 48 hours earlier. I was really pleased after seeing NHS as I do try and look after my teeth not having had the best start.
@ThisIsStartingToBoreMe Thank you. Implant dentist won't do what I suggested. I wanted implants for my molars even though I still have them. They are heavily filled and I wanted implants to avoid having them refilled and worrying about them all the time.

I've had implants myself @Grimble69

AMA

Who to trust? NHS playing time catch up after covid or private needing to make profit?

It is yes, its probably a good idea to check in with your actual dentist or one of their colleagues to discuss it. There are differing opinions on when a tooth needs a filling and its much easier to take a watch and wait approach on say a deficient filling if its your own patient who you know is a regular attender and has been stable for years. Its impossible to say without seeing you but I wouldn't get disheartened

You cannot really have implants for existing teeth that don't require extraction. If the time comes and the teeth need to come out/have a root canal then yes removal and implants is an option, but you cannot morally extract sound teeth. Once you have removed the tooth yes you can place an implant but that implant has a lifespan, it will eventually fail and need replacing or worse case fail and no replacement is possible. Implants are not teeth and do not behave as teeth

The NHS don't offer implants but your regular dentist should make a referral to the private implantologist asking for them to see you for implants, that way its much easier to get a conversation going about potential work required

Its possible the xrays picked up some decay not visible to the eye.

@DIshedUp Thank you, that's the conversation I wanted to have. I should have left implant dentist at that point not allowed him to go inspecting and x-raying. I only allowed it because I'd been given the all clear the day before so wasn't expecting any issues.
I think my usual practice is very busy now, catching up after covid. I didn't see my usual dentist, looks like he's left. Shame we'd built up a decent relationship.

@DIshedUp Thank you, that's the conversation I wanted to have. I should have left implant dentist at that point not allowed him to go inspecting and x-raying. I only allowed it because I'd been given the all clear the day before so wasn't expecting any issues.
I think my usual practice is very busy now, catching up after covid. I didn't see my usual dentist, looks like he's left. Shame we'd built up a decent relationship.

It’s possible both may be right. The NHS may wait until your teeth are more of a problem, where a private dentist may be more willing to treat at an earlier stage.

Regardless, it’s clear that you did not get along with the private dentist so there’s no reason to go back him/his practice for treatment. There’s plenty of other private dentists that you can ask for another opinion or discuss implants

I don’t think you need to return to a NHS dentist because they’ve already said your teeth are fine for now, so it’s doubtful any work would be undertaken by the NHS

Your regular dentist didn't take xrays presumably because you'd had them within the last couple of years so it wasn't time to have them again (there's guidelines on timing of xrays based on risk factors eg your diet, previous work done etc). However without xrays it can be hard to diagnose if you need fillings or not. Often with the naked eye you can only see gaping holes or decay in teeth.

Then the private dentist took xrays and that probably showed decay in those 6 teeth which is why he recommended fillings. How deep those fillings need to be I can't say, and different dentists will intervene at different stages- eg if the decay is only the early stages then they will suggest to monitor, but others may want to fill straight away. That's not necessarily one dentist being lazy and the other being money-grabbing, it's just a difference in clinical judgement because truthfully there's no right answer.

In terms of implants, dentists won't just take out relatively healthy teeth and replace them with implants just because you ask for it and if it's not clinically justified, because that's unethical. Implants are for existing gaps, or as a replacement option for teeth that are so broken down they need extracting. It doesn't sound like that is your situation. You can't go to a dentist and ask to have teeth removed and replaced with implants simply because you can't be bothered to look after your existing teeth. Are you in any pain with the teeth you want replacing with implants? If you look after them then they won't need refilling. Also if you were to get implants you still need to look after them carefully as well, otherwise you could develop other diseases such as peri-implantitis (disease of the gum around the implants).

Your regular dentist didn't take xrays presumably because you'd had them within the last couple of years so it wasn't time to have them again (there's guidelines on timing of xrays based on risk factors eg your diet, previous work done etc). However without xrays it can be hard to diagnose if you need fillings or not. Often with the naked eye you can only see gaping holes or decay in teeth.

Then the private dentist took xrays and that probably showed decay in those 6 teeth which is why he recommended fillings. How deep those fillings need to be I can't say, and different dentists will intervene at different stages- eg if the decay is only the early stages then they will suggest to monitor, but others may want to fill straight away. That's not necessarily one dentist being lazy and the other being money-grabbing, it's just a difference in clinical judgement because truthfully there's no right answer.

In terms of implants, dentists won't just take out relatively healthy teeth and replace them with implants just because you ask for it and if it's not clinically justified, because that's unethical. Implants are for existing gaps, or as a replacement option for teeth that are so broken down they need extracting. It doesn't sound like that is your situation. You can't go to a dentist and ask to have teeth removed and replaced with implants simply because you can't be bothered to look after your existing teeth. Are you in any pain with the teeth you want replacing with implants? If you look after them then they won't need refilling. Also if you were to get implants you still need to look after them carefully as well, otherwise you could develop other diseases such as peri-implantitis (disease of the gum around the implants).

Your regular dentist didn't take xrays presumably because you'd had them within the last couple of years so it wasn't time to have them again (there's guidelines on timing of xrays based on risk factors eg your diet, previous work done etc). However without xrays it can be hard to diagnose if you need fillings or not. Often with the naked eye you can only see gaping holes or decay in teeth.

Then the private dentist took xrays and that probably showed decay in those 6 teeth which is why he recommended fillings. How deep those fillings need to be I can't say, and different dentists will intervene at different stages- eg if the decay is only the early stages then they will suggest to monitor, but others may want to fill straight away. That's not necessarily one dentist being lazy and the other being money-grabbing, it's just a difference in clinical judgement because truthfully there's no right answer.

In terms of implants, dentists won't just take out relatively healthy teeth and replace them with implants just because you ask for it and if it's not clinically justified, because that's unethical. Implants are for existing gaps, or as a replacement option for teeth that are so broken down they need extracting. It doesn't sound like that is your situation. You can't go to a dentist and ask to have teeth removed and replaced with implants simply because you can't be bothered to look after your existing teeth. Are you in any pain with the teeth you want replacing with implants? If you look after them then they won't need refilling. Also if you were to get implants you still need to look after them carefully as well, otherwise you could develop other diseases such as peri-implantitis (disease of the gum around the implants).