Teeth straightening etc

Frontera2

For various reasons my teeth are now crooked (Parents wouldn't let me have a brace when I was a kid when the Dentist said I needed one) and generally covered in plaque (parents wouldn't buy me toothbrushes etc....looooooong story). Now I want to get something done about them. Surprise surprise, massive lack of NHS dentists in the area. Also, I've hardly got any money to even buy a toothbrush, let alone get it sorted. I am however, thinking of using next years tax (April 2007 :eek:) which would be hopefully around 5k to put towards it. :j

Anyone any ideas how it could be done cheaply? I have thought about going abroad (I'm a keen traveller, after having an injection in my bum this summer in Syria, I'm not so scared about foreign practicioners) if it would clinch me getting it done and not being able to afford it here. I'd rather take a small risk than the damned things end up falling out anyway.

Any ideas anyone?

Toothsmith

Words almost fail me!

How WHAT could be done cheaply???

You don't even know what, if anything, is wrong with your teeth.

Parents wouldn't buy you a toothbrush?

How old are you now????

Hardly any money for a toothbrush now? Yet you are a taxpayer, and have 5K put aside for tax.

1. Get a handle on your priorities
2. Go and see a private dentist in this country.
3. Make a committment to attend regularly and look after them.



OR

Have them out and get a denture.

Frontera2

Well I know they are in dire need of a brace! Also need 2 fillings (They wanted £90 a filling last time I saw a dentist and that was when I was on £400 a month!). Am 21 now and trying to get to grips with them. And the reason I can only just afford a toothbrush is due to a) big mortgage b) Debt to National Insurance people, both of which really have to at the moment come first.

Though at least I *do* brush them now. The 5k is what I will *hopefully* get from next years tax when I get it back from the tax man. This year's tax is going in it's entirety to the damned National Insurance people in Cardiff which in theory goes to getting an NHS dentist ( )- ha, like that will happen!

Toothsmith

No-one 'needs' a brace.

It will not improve your health, only your appearence, so why should the taxpayer pay to make you look good? It didn't contibute towards Ann Robinson's face-lift, why should you be different!

It is done on the NHS for kids, but done at that time tends to be a bit more straightforward, and can be more successful.

That is a lifestyle choice you can make at any time, when you have the money to pay for it.

Now - healthy teeth is a different thing.

You needed a couple of fillings at some point in the past. If that was not too long ago, then maybe things haven't got much worse, and the bill may be similar. If it has got worse, it may well be more now. If you leave it much longer, it will get more again.

To get a couple of teeth filled though, and maybe a good clean up from a hygienist, you'll have plenty left from £5k.

Orthodontics (braces) needs regular monthly appointments over a 2 year period. Not the best thing to pop abroad for.

In this country, a course of orthodontic treatment done privately would be about £2-3k depending on complexity.

If things really are a long way out, facial surgery called an osteotomy is often necesary. This may be done on the NHS, but isn't an easy bit of surgery, with jaws oftn needing to be wired together for several months afterwards. Not to be taken on lightly, and it wouldn't be done to anybody who didn't have a very positive attitude towards their own dental health.

Louiseuk25

Hi, not wise enough to offer advise on where to go but if your dental work involves having an osteotomy, I have been there and done that so can offer any advise if necessary (plus braces of fixed and removable variety)

Good luck with your search

x

Frontera2

I work in France 2 weeks out of 4, I was wondering if fillings etc are cheaper there (if you get toothache there, does the E111 cover it?). I definately want to get my teeth filled and make a start on the plaque before I think about straightening them, it's a bit of a long term goal this. My teeth have plagued me since I got them and really want to get them sorted out. They don't seem in much better nick than when I left home at 16 and that's with regular brushing etc. My 2 front teeth stick out a lot, the next 2 are a long way back, and the rest somewhere inbetween. I've grown used to it (it's just the colour I hate) but the OH hates them and I can never do an open mouthed smile. One day, I would love a white, straight smile, but every time I look at my teeth, I just think they're too far gone :'(

In 2007 as long as I don't need to pay anything else off with my tax, I really hope to get them sorted. No bleedy gums, no plaue covered teeth, no crooked teeth... If by 2009 I can have that, my mouth (and OH!) will be happy!

freda

Toothsmith wrote:

No-one 'needs' a brace.

It will not improve your health, only your appearence, so why should the taxpayer pay to make you look good? It didn't contibute towards Ann Robinson's face-lift, why should you be different!

Nonsense! I am having a brace and operation on the NHS shortly as my bottom teeth bite into the roof of my mouth, which has long term implications for the health of my whole bone structure on my upper mouth.

I'd suggest asking a private dentist if there are any medical reasons that they could refer you to an NHS specialist for. Mine did, and it went on from there.

Toothsmith

Your attitude is sounding better and better with each post.

They are rarely too far gone to do anything about. But the sooner you start, the better and cheaper it will be.

You need a dentist with whom you can communicate well, who is prepared to take time with you and discuss your hopes, fears, and goals. Together you need to make plans for short, medium and long term. You have to face the fact that along the way, these plans may have to be modified.

You have to be open about your financial situation with your chosen dentist, and modify any treatment to fit in with what you can afford, and when you can afford it.

In short, this is going to have to be a long term relationship with someone you trust to do the best job he/she can for you.

Now. JUST DITCH THIS BIT ABOUT CHEAP/CHEAPEST, and you'll be on your way!

You need to find the BEST dentist for you, and although 'what he charges' must be on the list somewhere, putting it top is a surefire route to disaster AND extra expense when the cheap stuff goes wrong!

Toothsmith

freda wrote:

Nonsense! I am having a brace and operation on the NHS shortly as my bottom teeth bite into the roof of my mouth, which has long term implications for the health of my whole bone structure on my upper mouth.

I'd suggest asking a private dentist if there are any medical reasons that they could refer you to an NHS specialist for. Mine did, and it went on from there.

I'm sorry - yes I did put that badly in the first bit, but I did go on to say that operations for way-out bites were available.

Yes, if a health gain can be had from orthodontics, it will be available on the NHS. These cases are very rare though.

Teerah

I think you need to put some effort into the tooth cleaning first of all. No orthodontist will touch you with a barge pole if the oral hygiene is not first class and there is outstanding restorative work to be completed. This is because the orthodontics is dependant on these factors. There is no point in having straight teeth if they are all rotten is there? Perhaps you mean your teeth are covered in tartar rather than plaque in which case you will need to make an appointment with a dentist or hygienist to have it removed as the toothbrush wont take this off.

I also dont believe that anyone is so poor they cannot afford a toothbrush. Even the most basic toothbrush? Frankly there is no excuse for this.

Frontera2

I can afford a toothbrush, bu meant to get accorss that I can only just about afford it i.e. money very tight. The problem is I never had one as a kid, not now. Besides, Boots have 3 for 2 on dental at the moment