Asked for Dental NHS Scale and Polish.Told "Go to Hygienist at £25 extra"

brook2jack

The problem is this is a clinical decision and BPE scores on their own don't give a full clinical picture, only looking at you,your medical and dental history can the correct clinical decision be made.

In the end the difference between needing no treatment , a band one or band treatment is purely clinical and with any clinical decision you either trust the dentists clinical judgement or seek a different dentist.

boozercruiser

bob6000bob......"Did I get caught? What should I do"? "Anyway, there were no problems with my teeth but some bleeding of the gums. The assistant couldn't quite work out how to enter my BPE scores so my attention was drawn to the figures. I had three score 2 (clearly not ideal) and one at zero.

I have been sent to the hygenist at a slightly eye watering cost of £48 with the comment that "no more than one trip should be necessary" but the slight suggestion that more visits might be required.

From the other posts I have read, for a BPE score of 2 this is an overreaction. Is the treatment justified by the fact that three quadrants are equally affected?

If not, what should I do".

Now to stir that Hornets Nest! Your story makes my blood boil and is the very reason that I started this post in the first place. As far as I am concerned, yes you have been STUNG and are possibly the victim of the recent times practice some Dentists carry out of sending the 'victim' to the Hygienist at much extra cost instead of treating the patient under the contract and NHS regulations. Please read further back in the posts for details of these. What to do? If I where you I would go back to the practice with a copy of the regulations and request that you be treated under it's terms. In my humble opinion...you are being 'done' M8!

£48.....Blimey!...that's the highest I have heard of up to now....any more for anymore folks?

Perhaps my story may help you? I was also advised that I should see a Hygienist at an extra cost of £28. I requested that I be treated as per NHS regulations, and you will need to read past posts to get the full picture, otherwise I shall be here all evening!.......

So.........Today was my appointment...........6th January 2011....

Dentist "Please sit down" when I was comfy
Dentist "Would you like the gums to be numbed"
Me "Yes please"........two lots of Anesthetic inserted in rear of two front teeth.
Dentist "If I hurt at all, please raise your left hand"
Me "O.K."

So the Dentist started to do two fillings................................

Just as soon as the fillings where done she then proceeded to Scale and Polish doing really good I thought all around my mouth.

After that, believe me or not...she got a Mirror and showed me how nice my teeth looked! Very nice too!

My only 'moan' if you like was that I was around 30 minutes holding my mouth open for that little lot. Not once was I given the option to swill my mouth out. Pretty poor practice I reckon.

After treatment the Dentist said...............

"Come back on the 18th January 2011 for the extraction and in the meantime take and use these"

She then wrote out an NHS Prescription (Free for me) for two tubes of Duraphat 2800 ppm Fluoride Toothpaste and and 21 Metronidazole 200mg Tablets to take one every 8 hours. I am also on a course of 21 Amoxicillin 500mg take one every eight hours.

I asked her what my BPE figure was, and she took another look in my mouth (perhaps she hadn't originally checked them? and don't forget.....this was after the fillings and Scale and Polish) and it was....

V 2 V1 V1 (Well...thats how it looks on the bit of paper she wrote it down on for me).

All in all I was with the Denticare Dentist around 40 minutes, during which she was very friendly and I didn't run into the animosity and difficulty over the cleaning of my teeth (Scale and Polish) that I was half expecting.

Perhaps this was because I had already talked to the Denticare Practice Manager in respect of my check up....OR...it could be that Denticare or the Dentist have been following this post......."well hello there".

If you are guys....now do this for ALL your patients and stop giving Dentists a bad name!

Either way....I dont' care. All I know is that because I objected to being 'fobbed off' to the Hygienist for another £28 when the Dentist could ....and ....should and now has carried out the treatment under the £39 Band 2 (for Wales)

AND....I do not pay that until that tooth comes out on 18th January 2011.

All I know is....I saved myself TWENTY EIGHT POUNDS and got Consumer Revenge (Forum Motto)
And that is what Martin Lewis's Forum is all about...is it not?

I still have the Gum Disease of course and the Dentist said that "It wasn't too bad". I can only use the toothpast, take the medication, and look forward to more Scale and Polishes INSIDE the NHS charge bands.

Best Regards

Boozercruiser.

P.S. Sorry about the large type...but for convenience I wrote the post using my Google E. Mail....and I always use bold print there. I am not meaning to 'Shout'....just an easier read in my opinion...thats all.

P.S. I see that someone above is saying about it's a matter of whether or not you trust the Dentist or not. The problem is that some Dentists can be trusted alright.....trusted to direct you to the Hygienist for treatment they should be doing themselves. It saves them time and money you see. More slots for other patients who can be also be directed to the Hygienist. And so on and so on.

I should add that A couple of vested interest people here have been known attack me as perhaps they are angry with me for exposing what I consider to be a nice little money earning racket. TOUGH!

The profession of Hygienist is of course very honourable and no doubt about it has a part to play in the overall Dental Hygiene for them that want to pay upwards £50 for the priviledge. ME? I am already paying enough through my £39 Band 2 charge not to mention my general taxation of course, which also goes to the Dentist.

Cheers!

welshdent

They are being more than nice to you booze. The 39 is meant to be paid up front according to the regs

boozercruiser

welshdent wrote: »

They are being more than nice to you booze. The 39 is meant to be paid up front according to the regs

That's something I didn't know Welshdent. Thanks.

Actually, I wouldn't have minded paying today at all. I was just given the option, so decided to opt to pay when my treatment was completed.

And yes, overall they where VERY NICE to me today. No complaints on that score.

By the way Welshdent. I would appreciate your thoughts in respect of that BPE score I was given after todays treatment. Even now, I don't really understand them.:)

Thank you in anticipation.

brook2jack

A bpe score is six numbers or x and numbers. As we've said before in isolation it is meaningless without actually seeing you in person and in the context of a thorough examination.

Moreover different dentists can and will give slightly different bpe scores on the same patient and the same patient can have different bpe scores on different days.

It is merely a rough snapshot of how healthy your gums are.

However scores of ones and twos indicate that with good oral hygiene on your part you should be able to get healthy gums . However as I said it is only a snapshot and meaningless out of context.

brook2jack

Ps duraphat toothpaste is not for gum disease it is a high fluoride toothpaste to help combat tooth decay / erosion. Ditto the antibiotics are more likely to be for the tooth that needs to come out amoxicillin is not prescribed normally for gum problems.

I have no vested interest in NHS dentistry , all my adult patients are on a private scheme and pay for two hygienist visits a year apart from some who see her much more often and a small proportion who are meticulous and rarely need a visit.

The difference is that privately , with an informed patient I can provide whatever treatment we both agree is in their best interest whereas on the NHS you are limited by rules, regulations and economics which limit preventative work eg you cannot get a sports mouthguard for a child on the nhs, and non essential scale and polishes, though they feel nice and make teeth look better are not available on the NHS. See previous (many) postings. A dentist cannot and should not offer a scale and polish to everyone on the NHS.

boozercruiser

Brook2Jack "A bpe score is six numbers or x and numbers. As we've said before in isolation it is meaningless without actually seeing you in person and in the context of a thorough examination.

Moreover different dentists can and will give slightly different bpe scores on the same patient and the same patient can have different bpe scores on different days.

It is merely a rough snapshot of how healthy your gums are.

However scores of ones and twos indicate that with good oral hygiene on your part you should be able to get healthy gums . However as I said it is only a snapshot and meaningless out of context."

So the old addage that you can do anything with numbers holds true, even in Dentistry then? In any case, it does seem that on my particular BPE score which it seems to me took her about 15 seconds to do, as a very rough guide there is not a lot wrong.

Brook2Jack Ps "duraphat toothpaste is not for gum disease it is a high fluoride toothpaste to help combat tooth decay / erosion. Ditto the antibiotics are more likely to be for the tooth that needs to come out amoxicillin is not prescribed normally for gum problems."

Thank you for this very interesting information, which the Dentist did not offer.

I understand that the prescribed toothpaste cannot be purchased over the counter, so the Dentist must think it is best for me to have it for the help combat tooth decay/ erosion. (The packet says 'Treatment and prevention of Dental Caries') Perhaps I have been prescribed it, and even the Antibiotics as a sop to shut me up?

In any case...I am happy to accept anything that may help me keep my teeth!

boozercruiser

If I may move off the Hygienist discussion for now.....could my nice Dentist friends give an opinion on........

I have to go back to the Dentist on 18th January because the Dentist says that I have a rear tooth which needs to come out.

My missus says that it is the third back molar which is broken. She reckons that my Wisdom Tooth didn't come through. "Well, that figures" did I hear someone say!

I don't have any tooth ache at all from it, and I even use it for the eating process sometimes.

I am a bit tempted just to pay £39 for my treatment up to now and perhaps wait until if and when the tooth gives me some toothache.

Is it possible to say if that is a stupid move or not?

Thanks in anticipation.

brook2jack

Yes do wait until you get toothache.

NHS dentists are under no obligation to see you if you are not under a course of treatment even if you have toothache so you will have to wait weeks plus until there is a free appointment, all the time with toothache, unless you go to one of the LHB clinics run on a Sunday where you will be given antibiotics (cost £12 emergency treatment) and still have to go to your "own " dentist for the extraction and pay £39 again because you did not follow their advice.

Or follow your dentists professional advice and have the tooth out before the above.

Ps a third molar is a wisdom tooth.

boozercruiser

brook2jack wrote: »

Yes do wait until you get toothache.

NHS dentists are under no obligation to see you if you are not under a course of treatment even if you have toothache so you will have to wait weeks plus until there is a free appointment, all the time with toothache, unless you go to one of the LHB clinics run on a Sunday where you will be given antibiotics (cost £12 emergency treatment) and still have to go to your "own " dentist for the extraction and pay £39 again because you did not follow their advice.

Or follow your dentists professional advice and have the tooth out before the above.

Ps a third molar is a wisdom tooth.

O.K.....I gather from what you have to say I would be stupid to wait until I get toothache...and to have it out as advised.

O.K. Advice taken. I will keep my appointment and have it out.:D