Another Dentist Abroad Thread

Florrie_Fimble

Having searched the forum a little bit I’ve found some other threads about dental treatment abroad but would like to ask further questions.

I would ask that those posters who only seem to appear to complain about dentists earning far too much or in some way conspiring against the mouths of Britain please refrain from joining in. Also new posters recommending surgeries abroad as their first post should also not bother. I apologise for the long-winded post to come. I’m trying to give some context as I have seen dental posters asking why people’s teeth got in such a bad way and why they are looking at certain treatments.

My teeth from the molars backwards are quite abysmal (pre-molars forwards are fine). I was told by a dentist in my early twenties that the previous work I had done was of very poor quality which led to further problems. When I had a brace on (also as a teenager) several teeth were damaged as well. The final straw was probably my wisdom teeth coming through – as they were not impacted they were not removed. Some of my teeth then broke, two were removed and my front teeth again became crooked, although not as bad as they had been originally.

That original dentist terrified me I’m sad to say . I saw him from the ages of 6 – 14. He would often drill without numbing whilst I cried, or on one memorable occasion, numbed one side and extracted a tooth from the other, with my parents being told I was a difficult patient as I bellowed. To say that I avoided a dentist as much as I possibly could afterward would be an understatement. I manically cared for my teeth trying to avoid ever needing the attentions of a dentist again. I went sporadically afterwards as previously worked on teeth crumbled and snapped, often relying on emergency appts to get by.

So this brings me to today. I have 4 upper molars (two each side) that have been root canalled/or deep filled and I have very little actual tooth remaining. I’m assuming that either root canals/crowns or implants are my best options now. I have 4 wisdom teeth to be removed - I constantly bite the inside of my mouth and I cannot brush on the side facing my cheeks properly as there is no room to get the brush in. I have two crowns in the bottom of my mouth which need replacing, one of which chose Christmas Day to become loose and is responsible for my sudden urge to finally get my mouth dealt with and some hideous fillings that would look so much better in white. I’m so tired of being scared when I hear a crunch whilst eating, or just having an ache in my mouth. The last time I tried to attend a dentist 3 years ago I was physically sick in the reception area after hearing a drill when a nurse came out with a tray of instruments. They of course declined to see me afterwards - not that I blame them but I think it shows how bad my phobia has become.

However at the ripe old age of 37 I have decided that enough is enough! I watched my daughter get beautiful teeth after having 7 extractions (lots of extra teeth) and 3 years of orthodontist work. She has immaculate straight white teeth with no fillings and has kept them this way for 4 years so far. I managed to never pass on my dental phobia to her thank goodness and every time I see her smile I’m so pleased!

With this new determination is the desire to get them all fixed instead of patched up as they finally break – essentially getting a partial mouth makeover. I do not want veneers or a Hollywood glow – just my long, old damaged molars finally removed/replace/reglued/recreated! Now of course the price for this work in the UK is considerable so I’ve contacted several clinics abroad for quotes and to get a feel for them and their practices. The one I’m leaning towards thus far has made it quite clear that I would need to attend at least 3 times, at first for 3-4 days and the last for 6-7. All prices are approx 50% of those quoted in the UK thus far.

Has anyone on the board actually had their teeth done abroad – someone that has been a member of the forum for some time and is not pushing a clinic. I’d like to hear any stories good or bad or advice. I accept that anything I get done abroad will have to be maintained by them and is not something I can expect a regular dentist to look after. Of course I’ll have to commit to regular checkups and embrace dental visits like normal people, but I’m of the opinion that if I can have my wisdom teeth taken out, fillings replaced and caps/crowns and whatever shebang fitted, getting a scale and polish will seem like a pleasant interlude. I’d also be happy to hear of any practices over here – I’ve taken a note of the Brighton clinic mentioned in another thread.

If you made it this far - thanks for reading!

brook2jack

I would have thought the most important first step is to rebuild a relationship with a dentist and get simple things done before you even think about complex treatment such as implants.

I certainly wouldn't even think about replacing silver filllings with white until everything else is sorted.

Have you actually seen a dentist in the UK who has assessed you ,taken x rays and given you a proper thought out treatment plan? What you think you need or even what a dentist abroad guesses you need without seeing you may not be quite the same as what you actually need.

Any good dentist ,given your history, would want to take your treatment in stages building up your confidence, and maybe taking months or longer to give you a result you are happy with and can take care of.

I would spend a bit of time and money now, actually research a sympathetic dentist in this country and get a treatment plan and costings here and get the simple stuff done first to get yourself healthy before launching into more advanced treatment.

Florrie_Fimble

When I say I want a white filling, I mean that I have several fillings that need to be redone - so when this happens I would like it to be with a less obvious substance. I have spoken to several clinics in the UK. The problem remains that regardless of how long I take or how slowly I go, I cannot afford the treatment here. When my two lower crowns were fitted the dentist at the time told me that it was a last best effort and that if it went I would have to have an implant, gap or denture.

The dentist I was sick at was a specialist in nervous patients I'd waited two months to see

There will of course be xrays and consultations - I'm not planning on rocking up to a dentist with a shopping list of demands, but I have a reasonable idea of what needs to be done having spent lots of time with these teeth (no doubt xrays will reveal more) and am simply using that as a basis to compare costs. What I'm looking for is someone who has had treatment abroad - good or bad - who can share their experiences.

Savvy_Sue

Florrie_Fimble wrote: »

However at the ripe old age of 37 I have decided that enough is enough! I watched my daughter get beautiful teeth after having 7 extractions (lots of extra teeth) and 3 years of orthodontist work. She has immaculate straight white teeth with no fillings and has kept them this way for 4 years so far. I managed to never pass on my dental phobia to her thank goodness and every time I see her smile I’m so pleased!

what I can't quite understand is how you got your DD through this: did she go to all her appointments on her own, or with someone else?

and does she currently see a dentist you could go to? doesn't have to be someone who says they are good with nervous patients, just one who is good with YOU, iyswim.

Florrie_Fimble

I went with her. I even held her hand whilst she had some teeth pulled. Although 90% terrified I coped. I did have terrible nightmares leading up to her appointments however and would cry buckets in the car after she'd been dropped back to school. I assume that the fact it wasn't me going into the chair and that it was so very important for her to have it done is what made the difference. That and she needed me there with her.

Strange what you can do for the offpsring and not yourself!

Alas her current dentist is hundreds of miles away near her Uni and since she only has uneventful checkups now, I've no real idea as to how good they might be.

brook2jack

I ,personally , would never replace a filling just to make it look better because just replacing the filling makes the hole larger and may cause problems.

If the fillings need replacing composite (White filling) may very well not be the right thing to replace it with anyway as large composites are more prone to failure. There may be better alternatives that might not look as good but last longer.

I can understand not being able to afford advanced treatment but surely it would be sensible to see a dentist now and get the basics done , eg you really should not get advanced treatment done until your mouth is in a stable state , gums in good condition and fillings/extractions done.

If you are nervous now which way is going to end up more successfully.... Staging treatment so you do a little at a time building up your confidence, or visiting a dentist who may not speak English well , in a foreign city away from support about to go in for slot of very intense treatment for the first time?

Both can offer eg sedation but this works so much better when you can establish a trusting relationship with someone.

Get the simple (not so expensive) stuff that secures your health done first, build your confidence then think on what to do about crowns etc.

Florrie_Fimble

We seem to be talking past each other a little bit.

In my discussions with dentists here I've been told the following -

If the molars need to be removed, it is important to fit replacements of some kind (whether dentures bridge whatever) to ensure that the rest of my teeth do not start to migrate.

I do not want dentures and I cannot afford implants in the UK. If I go with replacement root canals and crowns I can afford to get 3 of them done. All the kindness in the world won't reinflate my bank balance alas. Nor can I just potter along for 6 months taking it slowly, building up my confidence and trying to flog a kidney to pay for the rest of the treatment as bits of my teeth fall out.

I visited my local dentist and the girl at the reception desk tried to upsell me for Zoom whitening

The fillings in question need to be replaced - I'd prefer them to be white. In fact I understand that I can even have porcelain inlays which sounds very fancy indeed and a little unnecessary.

Whilst I acknowledge I am not trained as a dentist, most people know when something is wrong. For example if your finger is sticking out sideways at a 90 degree angle and you want to faint, you might not know exactly what you've damaged, but you've a fair idea it needs fixing.

I do understand the importance of finding a good relationship with a local dentist, but remember that finding an NHS one can be pot luck and then you make do with whoever has space, or you spend a lot of money in order to have choice. I'm just trying to find out if there is a possible third way. We have one person in the office who goes back to Mumbai for her work (she has lovely teeth) and another who goes to France whenever he needs to see someone - however they have long standing relationships with their dentists whereas I'm contemplating starting for the first time.

brook2jack

Your friends experiences are typical of the successful dentistry abroad that I have seen. On the whole it is expats or people who live part of the year abroad and have built up contacts and a relationship with the dentist who have successful treatment because it is not seen as a one off but as part of a continuing process of treatment.

The disasters have tended to be the people who go for the "quick fix" slot of treatment in a shortish time.

Of course steer clear of places trying to sell you stuff , and I would be surprised if any NHS practice could offer the time you need, but are there no private practices nearby that any of your friends use? I'm not talking of high end "dental spas" but family dentists. I don't know what prices you have been quoted but many places will offer 2 check ups ,xrays, 2 scales a year etc for around £11 a month depending on area and fillings £40 to £80 ish.

I do understand about you wanting implants but not everyone is suitable for implants eg do you smoke, do you grind your teeth , do you have gum disease...... All of these affect the success rate for implants. Many dentists in the UK would advise against having implants any further back than the first molars anyway. Also if your top wisdom teeth are ok extracting the teeth in front may possibly give them a chance to move into a better position, I can't tell because I can't see your mouth. There may not be sufficient bone for implants or in the top jaw your sinuses may be very large and preparatory work may need to be done. There should be absolutely no rush to get implants and the routine stuff should be done first.... You can stabilise teeth with temporaries if necessary.

What I'm trying to say is get the simple and less expensive stuff done at a local dentist and then see what your options are re implants. As to not wanting dentures you do know you will be wearing them for a few months anyway if you do need multiple back teeth implants (to allow healing after extraction then to allow the substructure of the implant to heal before the crown is put on it).

Good luck whatever you decide.

brook2jack

Sorry I meant to say many dentists in the UK would advise against implants further back than the upper first molar ..... Too little space and bone.

Florrie_Fimble

Thanks for your replies brook2jack - it is appreciated.

I have just emailed my office asking if anyone can recommend their dentist as well - since I'm stuck here on Boxing Day I might as well get something useful done

Errata

Your mouth sounds like a complete disaster area.
Going abroad for dental treatment is all well and good if you're prepared for all the to-ing and fro-ing. It seems you are not even prepared to travel to your daughter's dentist (whom I've assumed you found trustworthy) and you have little money to spare. Peerhaps you could ask relatives, friends, acquanitances or colleagues who can recommend their dentist?