Emergency dental treatment and the NHS

rose28454

It is now the 14th and the tooth is still there. It had calmed down pain wose but there was still swelling so I cancelled the appt I had on Teusday. I remade it for week after next. However pain seems to be there again so I just called and made an appt for this afternoon to have it out. When I saw my dentist after my emergency appt he said that he thought root canal was the answer but even then he could not guarantee I would not have to have it out later as it has a crack down the side. What does anyone think I should do.

coldstreamalways

It's your tooth, you decide. That's what consent is all about. Your dentist should tell you the pros and cons of each type of treatment and then let you decide. If it was up to me I would extract almost everything as it's generally quick and easy, that's not how it works though.

Why did you cancel your appointment because the pain had gone? Was it to let the antibiotics work?

tiff

I wouldnt want to go through the long and stressful root canal treatment (not to mention expensive) only to have the tooth taken out in the end. Seems pointless if the tooth is cracked as infection could set in at any time? I am no dentist though so would probably take the dentists advice. I suppose they want to try and save the tooth and removing it is a last resort.

angbrads

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone could advise me. I've had a similar tooth problem with a cracked tooth and on seeing my dentist twice and her doing nothing about it she's decided to refer me to hosp to get it sorted becasue she says she can't touch it. That was 6 weeks ago and i've just recieved an appointment in the post from a private hospital. now, they are an nhs dentist and so i would've thought i would have got refered to my local nhs dentist hosp which is approx 7 miles away. can she refer me to the local nhs dentist hosp? can i call my dentist to request this?

Toothsmith

What is she referring you for?

angbrads

She says there isn't alot of the tooth left and so she doesn't think she can do anythin with it. I am a little bit cross about it as i went to her last year with the first crack in the tooth and she said it wasn't a prob then in oct the whole tooth cracked and nearly half the tooth fell out. now whats left in there is wobbly.

rose28454

I went out for a lovely lunch with my in laws and then straight to the dentist. I had 2 injections, another small filling, my teeth cleaning and finally the tooth extraction. It did not hurt because I had 2 injections but took some time to get out. He said todo lots of salt water rinses as it was badly infected ( you dont say!). Anyway it is over now and although my mouth is sore I hope that it is. I am taking some painkillers and some Arnica tablets.

Toothsmith

angbrads wrote: »

She says there isn't alot of the tooth left and so she doesn't think she can do anythin with it. I am a little bit cross about it as i went to her last year with the first crack in the tooth and she said it wasn't a prob then in oct the whole tooth cracked and nearly half the tooth fell out. now whats left in there is wobbly.

So she's referring you to have a tooth out? There's no reason that needs to be referred to a private hospital, the oral surgery dept of your local NHS hospital should be where you go. BUT - some areas with long waiting lists have arrangements with private hospitals, so it could be to do with that.

I would just make sure before you go though. You don't want to incur any costs you can't pay.

maysmummy

Angbrad,

I think that the reason for your private referral is that the Hospital Oral Surgery Department are full-to-bursting and struggling to meet their 18 week target. When this happens, they have various means to increase capacity- treament on the NHS in private facilities is one and saturday morning clinics is another.

If yours had been a true private referral, you would usually be seen within a week.
HTH

welshdent

"not real emergencies" .. I can in a way sympathise with where they are coming from ... I dont think YOU were the problem. It was probably the million and one other people demanding to be seen THEN knowing christmas was coming ... they had toothache for 4 or 5 weeks and NOW decide to do something about it so it doesnt spoil their christmas. OR the ones with microscopic chips that need no treament ... but they couldnt possibly wait another second to be seen ... after a day full of them ones patience does wear thin. I am not excusing the rudeness but just trying to highlight what its like pn the other side of the reception desk