Friends dental query. Any dentist's here?

[Purplesphere11]

So my friend has an abscess and has been confirmed today at a dental appointment. He has been told he needs to go back in two days for a clean at the cost of £70 which he cannot afford. He's a carer and doesn't have the money. They said without the clean they will not treat the abscess and will kick him off their NHS list. Can anyone advise please?

Does he think he shouldn’t have to pay?

Never heard of this before, being forced to get a clean before they treat an abscess. Sounds unethical to me. Does he want root canal or extraction?

My husband had an abcess and had to take antibiotics for a week before he went back for a root canal. They said this was to get rid of the infection before they did any invasive procedure.
What is your friends dental hygiene like? Maybe the absess is in a pocket in the gums?
The hygienist appt could be to clean out the gum line but I would have expected the infection to be brought under control first

Thank you all. This what perplexed me. I'd have thought they would've treated the infection first rather than delaying.

Yes I agree, abscess can be dangerous if left, can cause big swellings etc. You could ask to speak to the manager and mention it sounds unethical or you could get a 2nd opinion by calling 111 and asking to see an emergency nhs dentist. Be aware there would be a charge of around £27 and they can only do certain treatment e.g they couldn't finish a root canal or do a permanent filling.

Thank you. It's not the cost it's their approach. I think it's unethical tbh.