nhs dentist advice? (white filling/pregnant/braces)

Janey1983

Hi,
1st sorry if I posted in the wrong forum, this is my first post.

I am off to my NHS dentist thisafternoon as I have toothake in a tooth thats had issues before and its raised a few questions I hoped someone on here could help with.

I have read on this forum that nhs only provide the silver fillings but a post suggested that if you get free dental becuase your pregnant/recently had a baby you can get white free - does anyone know if thats right?

I was pregnant but 2 weeks ago had a miscarrage, when the hospital told me I lost the baby they took the nhs card off me that entitled me to free dentist/prescriptions so I guess I now have to pay even though my body will have suffered calcium shortage because of the pregnancy.

If you do get white free when pregnant I may just wait until I am pregnant again (fingers crossed) and go back for the tooth thats just behind my k9.

Also does anyone know what the NHS standing is on braces?
I sound like a nighmare I know but my two front teeth are wonky and I would like to get them sorted out. I will ask dentist later today but would like your advice too

Thanks

*Kat*

I dont get it. Why would white ones be free because you're pregnant?

Janey1983

just something I read in another post - I cant see the connection either

Gloomendoom

My wife was under the same illusion. Check with your dentist, but I think you will find that the NHS will not pay for cosmetic dentistry even if you are pregnant.

honeypop

My NHS dentist does not do white fillings, not even silver fillings while pregnant, you can only have a temporary filling which is white but then replaced by a silver when no longer pregnant.

Toothsmith

The 'free dentistry' bit about being pregnant is all based on an old wives tale that has been shown to be untrue.

The body does not loose calcium during pregnancy, and even if the mum-to-be had an attrocious diet and did loose bone calcium, there would be severe symptoms of rickets before any damage was done to the teeth.

The hormone change in pregnancy can make gums get inflamed and bleed a little more readily, and if a lady has an underlying gum disease anyway, this can be made worse during pregnancy.

There are tales of people's teeth falling to bits during pregnancy, but if you question these people further, you tend to find that they have given in to 'cravings' for 10 packets of Polos a day, or Mars bars in the middle of the night. Stuff that would rot the teeth anyway.

Janey1983

cool, thanks guys
I could not see why pregnant people would get "cosmetic" dentisrty free, I must have mis read or read an incorrect post.

Cheers

Toothsmith

The NHS doesn't 'do' cosmetic dentistry anyway.

welshdent

honeypop wrote: »

My NHS dentist does not do white fillings, not even silver fillings while pregnant, you can only have a temporary filling which is white but then replaced by a silver when no longer pregnant.

Its not strictly true. The NHS itself doesnt do it anyway the dentist does

In general we generally try and delay non urgent interventions until once the baby is born and try and avoid anything in the first trimester. Thats not to say that if there was a problem we couldnt intervene. I myself did an otherwise permanent filling on someone pregnant only last week. It wasnt an amalgam one though as this was not necessary. On balance it was better to remove the decay and restore than to leave it to get bigger and potentially risk the life of the nerve.

brook2jack

To summarise

the NHS does not, in general , do orthodontics (braces) on over 18 year olds unless very very severe problems.

the NHS does not do cosmetic work

NHS dentists will not place white fillings on back teeth unless fillings are very very small and are clinically indicated

most NHS dentists will not place amalgam fillings in pregnant ladies but will place temporary fillings.

Pregnant women are not entitled to any extra or special treatment on the NHS.

I remember the thread you were talking about and the lady was mistaken in just about everything she posted including free dental treatment for as long as you are breastfeeding.

honeypop

welshdent wrote: »

Its not strictly true. The NHS itself doesnt do it anyway the dentist does

Not sure which part of my post is not strictly true... I stated 'my dentist' rather than 'the NHS in general', but everything I said is what they told me when I needed a filling. Of course, they may have told me wrong if something I've said isn't correct, but I just went by the information I received for my filling when I was pregnant.