I am lucky to have found a dental practice last year that took on NHS patients. I went for an initial check last summer and an X-ray was taken and I was told no issues at all.
In March I noticed a swelling on my palate, went back to the dentist who examined me, x-rayed again and she couldn’t find an issue but referred me non urgently to local max fax team. I still don’t have my initial appointment.
i went back to dentist and saw a different one in august who was quite dismissive about the fact the swelling was still present and did the usual counting teeth and advising on flossing and nothing else.
I was getting quite worried by this time as still no appt from the max fax team at my local hospital. I work in a large hospital in London as a nurse so pulled a favour and got an assessment by the head and neck team there and the whole ordeal began! I underwent an x-ray and then CT which has shown a massive cyst in my jaw and bone loss! I’m appalled that this has been going on since March and the dentist at the time assured me there didn’t look like any decay. Biopsies have now been carried out and it be cyst definitely arises from an infected tooth root.
The surgical team want me to go to see my dentist urgently to be assessed and treated for root canal and only then can they book me in for surgery to decompress and then eventually remove the cyst.
I have an appt back at my dentist on Wednesday morning but I’m just so nervous about going there as I’ve really lost trust. I have the option of seeing a private specialist dentist but it’s going to cost thousands which as an NHS nurse I just don’t have. I’m so anxious to get the cyst sorted as it’s causing issues and slowly destroying the bone in my jaw but so worried the NHS dental team will either refuse or it’ll not work. I know it’s a different dentist than who I saw before but a part of me just wants to throw money at the problem and see the private dentist sooner- what do you think? It’s not even clear which tooth the infection derives from but I’m so conscious already I’ve lost so much time as I trusted the NHS dentist and let her refer me back in March