F*cking, c*nting NHS Dentists. What a waste of time and money.

[theSuburbanDryad]

Last year dh had a filling come out. We went to the emergency dentist who put a temporary filling in and told him to get it sorted within a month. We register with an NHS dentist (we knew it was an NHS dentist as it had a massive great banner saying "NHS Dentist!! 1000's of places available!!") who pokes around in his mouth (minus mask, gloves or apron! ) and then says, "Oh no, i couldn't do this work on the NHS as it costs too much." We complain to the PCT. We hear nothing.

Fast forward a year or so. We have registered with several NHS dentists, who all have waiting lists. Dh is now in horrific pain as the temporary filling has come out and we think the nerve may be exposed. So yesterday I made him an appointment with the emergency dentist in our new area. We went along this morning full of hope and joy that the problem was going to finally be solved - even if meant removing the tooth! They take one look at him and refuse to treat him as there's an infection and if they inject the gum it will spread the infection.

Now - I'm not a dentist, but it seems to me that if there's an infection there anyway, why not inject the gum, do the work and then give anti-biotics to combat the infection? Bearing in mind he'l
Hideous pain with no end or treatment in sight: Priceless.

For some things there's money. For everything else, there's the NHS.

Cocksuckers.

did they give antibitics

A local infection could be spread through his blood and make him seriously ill

The rest is all crappy though!

Sounds like an abcess. I've had them and they do need to clear up the infection first because otherwise it is a waste of time doing the filling. You are just sealing the infection in and it will come back again. They are very very careful about it ime. I have had them twice and the first time the AB's didn't clear the infection, I ended up with the gum boil and had to have the extremely expensive root canal work done again. Not good.

The AB's will deal with the pain and then he can get the tooth fixed.

Yes they gave anti-biotics but no prescription for painkillers. Knobs.

Flame - if he's on the anti-b's won't they deal with any infection anyway? Because what happened to dh just now would be like someone coming into me with red eyes and me going, "Oh no, i can't possibly see you - you've got red eyes and I'm too much of an enormous, hairy cock."

God i'm fuming.

Oh yeah - I forgot the best bit. When dh came out of the "treatment" room, he said, "Same old fucking story. Waste of fucking time." and the receptionist goes, "I don't have to put up with language like that, thank you. Especially in front of your little boy."

Wish i'd turned around to her said, "He wasn't talking to you, and I'll decided what's appropriate language in front on my little boy, you sanctimonious butch."

Yes, far better that they make the infection spread, isn't it? Because then you can blame the dentist for making the infection worse!

Also, many times the local won't or barely works when a bad infection is present.

Sandcastles - dh asked if they could do it without the injection. He's thinking about yanking the tooth out himself he's in so much pain right now. He was quite happy to sign a waiver to say that he had told the dentist to do it. Surely from a medical ethics pov it's better to sort a patient out in the long term rather than send them away still in extreme pain with no hope of treatment? Because even when the infection is cleared up, there's still no hope of getting it sorted!

Dentists rarely give scripts for painkillers as a routine, unless you have surgery or extractions.

I am SO pleased I no longer work in NHS dentistry...ALWAYS the dentists fault!

i do feel for your DH, i was in the same situation with massive pain.

my lovely NHS dentist said I had to have a course of antibiotics first before he could do anything because of the infection spreading.

he then tried root filling, allsorts but eventually i insisted he pulled it out. only to find a huge abcess that he said would never have cleared up with anti-biotics or root work.

if i were you I'd find another dentist and tell him your DH INSISTS on having the tooth out because its making him suicidal.

I have so much sympathy have had this with ds last week, eventually got him seen but he was left in agony for 24hrs

Now me i am in agony, have a swollen face, can't eat, hurts to swallow.

I phone to get a dentist there is nowhere to go, i have no one & have to get through tonight then phone at 8.30am to fine out where the hell i can be seen.

In the mean time they told me if my breathing gets bad or my kneck swells to go to A & E miles away!

It's all a shambles, i do know that if there is an infection they don't do any work until they have treated the infecion, i know i am going to need antibiotics but i can't get hold of any today, even tried the doctors.

I also had to go to work this morning & back again tonight as there is absolutly no one avaliable to cover me as 2 people just "did not turn up to work" today

But taking the tooth out with an infection present is still not ideal.

It is likely to be very hard, near on impossible to remove a tooth with no local, the patient will be writhing in pain & it will impossible for the dentist to retain a good grip on the offending tooth.

Waiver or not, it is just a risk that any dentist will be loath to take, because a waiver of sorts will not be worth the paper it is written on.

They have a process to follow and like it or they have to follow it. Too many rules, too many risks!

Ah - i thought you might be a dentist Sandcastles!

What do you think about the joker who was poking around in dh's mouth with no gloves or mask then? Was that our fault too, because of course dentists are never to blame, are they?

The whole system is fucked. I have an abcess that I can't get treated. I phoned our local PCT to find an NHS dentist, and went to one that I was told did NHS treatment, who did x-rays etc, and then charged me over £50 for the privilege and laughed in my face when I told him I was told that he was an NHS dentist. Cock.

Sandcastles you are a dentist arn't you?

I have never had painkillers from the dentist. Only time I had them was from the surgeon (doctor) who took out my impacted wisdom teeth

Really, the AB's do work at getting rid of the pain.

The trick with over the counter painkillers (after experience with vile impacted wisdom teeth) is to take them regularly. Don't let the pain take hold again. Miss a dose and the pain will come back.

Sorry you have to deal with this though - dental pain is the worst.

Dental Nurse, theSuburbanDryad.

Sandcastles - i do agree with you about the waiver. I've had patients offer to sign waivers when they've been out of date with their checks so they can get contact lenses or whatever.

I'm just so angry. It was their attitude as well - no "Sorry". No, "I acknowledge you're in pain, and I really regret not being able to do anything about it, but you'll have to go away and take these anti-biotics, and here's a number to call so you can find a dentist to do the treatment when the infection's cleared up."

Just an attitude of, "We can't do anything. Fuck off."

I mean, why go into a medical profession if you couldn't give a fuck about your patients? What's the point?! It's not like NHS dentistry is especially well-paid, which is presumably why dentists are doing dirty tricks like putting themselves as NHS dentists and then charging patients for private work. Or charging them for the checks then refusing to do any actual work!

Annoying for you understandaly, but, my experience of an abcess was extreme. Went to a and e I was in so much pain I could bare it no longer. Was told it was an abcess and they couldn't do anything till it cleared up so prescribed antibiotics, but, because I was in total agony they injected pain killer (dont know what) straight into my gum. Within 16hrs the infection had spread like wild fire all over face, down my neck and swelled up my tounge. Was rushed to hospital and was hooked up onto an antibiotic drip. Was a very close call. They removed the tooth the next day. I wonder now if the infection was caused by that jab??? I'll never know.

No, theSuburbanDryad a dentist looking in your mouth with no gloves/mask is not your fault & yes, some of dentsits are at fault.

But you need to understand that the majority of dental surgeons are doing the best they can on a contract of rules that is so flawed, IMO it is NOT entirely their fault.

The glorious Government have changed the rules & regulations so many fecking times in recent years, I am actually surprised that ANYONE would want to be an NHS dentist, tbh.

And I am sorry, theSuburbanDryad but when they are met with your attitude, is it really any wonder? The dentist was under no obligation to see you, especially if you are not registered, they did so out of goodwill & got no thanks from you.

Meant spread of infection

ScoobyDoo, a dental nurse, not dentist.

theSuburbanDryad, if a dentist tells you he is treating you on the NHS & charges you privately, then you can report him. It is my understanding that dentists are no longer allowed to combine treatments, they have to be NHS or Private.

Trouble - how awful for you!! That sounds like a real nightmare! He's dosed himself up with dihydracodiene now and is lying on the sofa repeating, "I feel all floaty" over and over.

Bit worried about how he's going to get to work tomorrow though, he can't drive like this!

trouble18524, sounds like they gave you a local, the same they would if they were planning to do treatment.

And your end result is the exact reason that locals shouldn't be given when infections are present.

NHS have zero tolerance policy on aggression, so your DH effing in front of the staff is not on, however angry he is.

phone NHS direct. they can refer to emergency dentist

some dentists might be crapola, but not all.

we see a private dentist who is actually very reasonable. DS had abcess, so needed tooth removed, cost £25. and £3 for private script for ABs .

Sandcastles - they are an out of hour's dentist, based at the hospital. It was my understanding that they do have to see you, if you are in pain and cannot be seen by your regular dentist (if you have one).

Our attitude was peachy until they basically told us to fuck off! I repeat - why go into a medical profession if you don't give a toss about your patients? I work in optics and i do genuinely care about the optical health of the people i see every day! And i deal with NHS patients on a daily basis (when i'd far rather see private patients all the time, if i'm totally honest!)

I never though of it like that before I read this thread. I just assumed it was a bad infection, never realising the jab could cause it to happen. I'll be more aware in the future.

did they tell you to 'fuck off' or were they just telling you they could not help due to the possibilty of complications