Emergency dental treatment and the NHS

brook2jack

The nhs definition of an emergency is bleeding following extraction, swelling that involves an airway or trauma.

Toothache no matter how severe is not classed as an emergency and neither is a cracked tooth.

So strictly speaking ops problems according to most pcts do not constitute an emergency.

In private practice it is a different matter and any practice worth it's salt will run toothache sessions each day and an oncall service but unfortunately on the nhs emergency clinics are immensely busy and are funded for very limited numbers and have to abide by pct definitions of emergency.

rose28454

brook2jack wrote: »

The nhs definition of an emergency is bleeding following extraction, swelling that involves an airway or trauma.

Toothache no matter how severe is not classed as an emergency and neither is a cracked tooth.

So strictly speaking ops problems according to most pcts do not constitute an emergency.

In private practice it is a different matter and any practice worth it's salt will run toothache sessions each day and an oncall service but unfortunately on the nhs emergency clinics are immensely busy and are funded for very limited numbers and have to abide by pct definitions of emergency.

Surely an abcess in an emergency as it could lead to blood poisoning

brook2jack

Unless the abcess leads to a swelling compromising an airway according to pct guidelines no it isn't an emergency on the nhs.

tiff

In medical terms unmanageable pain would be classed as an emergency so I find that to be a gap in the care of dental patients. I am still in a lot of pain and have a feeling that the tooth next to the one that was removed has problems too, but I am resigned to not being able to get any treatment until several weeks time.

Rose, I feel for you, constant pain gets you down.

brook2jack

Then I would urge you to write to your pct or lhb to change definition of dental emergencies. Unfortunately if you look on the majority of nhs websites pain is excluded. Interestingly pre 2006 new contract when the responsibility for out of hours lay with dentists pain was definately an emergency. Now the bill lies with pcts it no longer is.

nearlyrich

We must be lucky around here, my DD is on a waiting list for an NHS dentist and she has been twice to see the NHS dentist at the local clinic when her filling fell out and when she cracked a tooth. It was about the same cost as my NHS dentist charges me to fix the problems and both times she got an appointment within a couple of hours of ringing. Hope the OP and anyone else with toothache is sorted it's one of the worst pains going.

rose28454

tiff wrote: »

In medical terms unmanageable pain would be classed as an emergency so I find that to be a gap in the care of dental patients. I am still in a lot of pain and have a feeling that the tooth next to the one that was removed has problems too, but I am resigned to not being able to get any treatment until several weeks time.

Rose, I feel for you, constant pain gets you down.

I went back on 30TH by which time the pain had calmed down .However he took out the dressing, washed it out 3 times with antiseptic and then proceeded to prepare it for the root canal. I asked him at the beginning of the appt to take it out but he said I needed to keep it as I am missing a couple of teeth on the other side so I needed to keep this one. He pulled and prodded it and then dressed and sealed it. I did question this as when his colleagie attented to my other tooth he left it unsealed so the abcess could drain but he said there was nothing else to drain so it would be ok. I left for London that afternoon as I had a New Years Eve party to work at. I was in pain all the way up in the car and no matter what I took I could not get rid of the pain. Subsequently I cried myself to sleep with the pain but was awake again at 3.00 and got up had a cup of tea, more painkillers. So on the 31st I woke up looking like a hamster and in a great deal of pain so I phoned my dentist who said I could pull out the dressing with a pin if I thought it would help. My sis and I tried for 20 mins but gave up as it would not budge. So I had 3 really bad nights and days and finally got an emergency appt with the on call dentist yeaterday. She was great and said she though I should have it removed as the remedial root canal might not work anyway and I may lose the tooth in the end. She gave e 2 injections to numb it but due to the abcess could not make it completely numb so gave up on that idea. She then took out the temporary dressing and then filed off part of the tooth so it would not bank on the upper one.
So I have had 5 days of pain and discomfort and am really feeling down tonight as I still have a swollen face and wonder whether I will sleep tonight.
Also as I asked him to remove it initially, and will reiterate this when I see him next week, can he charge me for the work he has done other than for an extraction.
Lastly I can only highly commend the emergency dentist service as they were wonderful.

tiff

That sounds awful rose! Do you have antibiotics too? I think/hope the pain should ease today, I was in agony the night it happened but the next day the pain was gone. (Obviously I'm not a dentist) I hope you feel better soon, thank goodness that tooth cant bother you any more!

rose28454

tiff wrote: »

That sounds awful rose! Do you have antibiotics too? I think/hope the pain should ease today, I was in agony the night it happened but the next day the pain was gone. (Obviously I'm not a dentist) I hope you feel better soon, thank goodness that tooth cant bother you any more!

Yes I am on stronger antibiotics and it has eased a bit today, alhough I am stll up once in the night for top up painkillers. However she did not take the tooth out as she could not numb it completely so it is still there. I am not sure whether to call my dentist today or wait a few days for it to settle. I have an appt next wednesay to complete the work. What do you think?

tiff

Maybe call your dentist for advice, I didnt realise the tooth wasnt out. I think something should be done if you are in such bad pain. x