Visited dentist scale and polish... now in pain!

sainthalo

Hi, I have what i have considered good teeth and gums which i brush with an oral b toothbrush every morning and they are clean almost white with no fillings. I havent been to a dentist since schooldays some 12 years or so ago and have luckily never had any problems with my teeth. I thought I probably should go to the local dentist and get a checkup on the NHS which I thought was free.

Well I made the appointment, had a checkup for five minutes and was told my teeth were really good but could do with a good clean and that this would cost £90 on top of the £15.50 for the checkup. I was a bit surprised since it was an NHS dentist and so I said I thought it was free for a checkup and asked what work was needed. I was told the NHS pay £30 and I pay £15.50 towards an appointment and that could cover a quick scale and clean but i needed a polish to clean off stains and that would cost £90 as it is cosmetic work. I decided to go for the cheaper option as i dont consider my teeth stained and I now had to pay £15.50 anyway. I noticed there are no fee details shown in reception only in the room where you are treated.

Well I went on Saturday for the scale and clean which was really a scale of my lower teeth and very quick polish which lasted 15 minutes. The dentist barely touched my upper teeth. During the procedure he told me there was a lot of bacteria and material in my gums and my gums were weak and I needed a course of dental hygiene which would cost £180. there was some blood but then he did have a sharp pick in my gums!

After the treatment he tried to book me in for the further sessions but I felt a little suspicious as to his motives and felt he was trying to make money for things which should be on the NHS as clearly this dental hygiene is not cosmetic. Rather than confront him I said I wasnt sure when I could come so would ring in and also asked him to write for me the name of what was wrong on my card. He wrote down gingivitis and early periodontitis. I looked these up on Google and I do not have any of the symptoms and my gums never bleed even when i brush them with my oral b. What are my rights and what should I do next? I attach pictures of my teeth taken just now.



The worst thing though is since Saturday my front lower teeth are in a constant low level of pain which is annoying me constantly. Has the dentist damaged my teeth or is it common to have pain after a scale and polish? How long does the pain last?

Bossyboots

Hopefully one of the dentists will be along to answer you, but I can tell you that I hadn't been to the dentist for more years than you and when I finally did go, I had that low level pain in my teeth after my first scale and polish. Subsequent ones have been fine.

I can't remember how long it lasted. I know I was worried about it but I think it was about four or five days before I realised the discomfort had gone.

loveandlight

Hi,
Can't offer any advice other than to say I'm sure Toothsmith will be along soon to advise you. He's very helpful and informative.

Toothsmith

Here I am!!

My home computer is at the doctors at the moment, feeling very poorley, so I only get to see stuff whilst at work.

All the stuff your dentist told you about what is and isn't available on the NHS and how much the NHS pay is utter boll*cks! It's understandable though, as explaining how NHS dentistry REALLY works takes forever, and sounds like a complete fairy story!!

If you are an NHS patient, everything clinically necessary for you is available on the NHS.

As he put it the first time, with the polish to remove stains being cosmetic, is quite true, so long as he has removed all the material causing the problem to your gums. If you need further cleanings to get rid of stuff causing a problem, then this should be available on the NHS.

Very well done for getting him to write it down!! If he thinks you have early periodontitis, then yes - the hygine visits must be done on the NHS.

If a lot of material is building up on your teeth, then yes- they can be quite sensitive for a few days afterwards.

Unfortunately, the photos are an 'after' picture, and look pretty clean, but the resolution is not good, and as is often the case without a good macro flash, the teeth are just burnt out and look nice and 'hollywood'!!!

I would need to have you in the chair to offer an opinion on your teeth.

From the fact they are a bit sensitive after the clean, I would suggest it was very necessary though. The sort of build up that occurs under the gums is the stuff a toothbrush doesn't touch, it causes all the problems and is the reason everybody needs to see a dentist at least every now and again!!

I would ask the dental practice how it justifys not providing necessary treatment on the NHS, and say you will be asking the opinion of the Primary Care Trust as to whether this treatment should be private or not.

Try and do it politely and with as little confrontation as possible, otherwise you could just find yourself deregistered though.

The hygienist treatment may well go into the next NHS treatment band. This would cost you £42.40. You would only pay £42.40 in total though, not £15.50 + £42.40.

Toothsmith

BTW,

You may find THIS thread useful.

Also the updated information leaflet on the first post of THIS thread is helpful too.

sainthalo

Thanks for the advice. First thing, the pain has lessened today finally and hopefully will be gone tomorrow. Thanks bossy boots, that was reassuring to know the pain would go soon.

Toothsmith, you are an absolute star thank you for the advice. I am most dismayed with the integrity of my dentist and the NHS system which has caused him to lie to me.

I read the leaflet you mentioned and noticed it says scale and polish in the £15.50 price bracket and says even if i need to come back more than once. This is the last time I will use this dentist as I cannot trust him but I would like to ensure he does the proper scaling within the correct price. He does not have a hygenist and i understand the contract does not suit him in this situation but i feel he should complete the treatment for the £15.50 already paid. Please could you tell me why you think it should be the £42.40 band and if so I will pay him the extra and then try and find a better dentist in future.

If this dentist gets annoyed about me querying this (I will be polite but firm) could he damage my teeth when he is scaling or is that unheard of? I cant believe the government contract is making dentists lie to patients, this causes great distrust.

Toothsmith if you practice in or near London please PM me your surgery details as I would happily pay private rates to have a good trustworthy dentist who will tell me the truth.

PS do you think bossyboots experience of pain after scaling for the first time only is usual or am i likely to have a few days of pain after scaling again? I suppose I must really have it done?

Februarycat

I went last week for a scale and polish and paid £20 and my teeth felt a bit sensitive for about 5 days but they are ok now.

Toothsmith

In the bigger guidance that dentists get, the treatment of periodontal disease, which is more intensive than a simple scale and polish, does fall into the Band 2 treatment bracket.

If you read through some of my other posts on this pig of a new NHS contract, you will see why a dentist still trying to exist within the NHS cannot go into full detail about it with every patient.

I have nothing to do with the NHS now, but not all of my colleagues are in such a fortunate position.

Some by choice, some because they feel they have no alternative.

My personal opinion is that if every dentist had refused to sign, then this abortion of a system would have had to be abandoned, and a decent social dental care policy (Which didn't pretend to provide everything for everybody) would have been needed to be discussed and put into place.

Dentists who have signed the contract need to realise just what they have signed - and stick to it. Or, get out and let this system die the death it should have had years ago.

sainthalo

Thanks toothsmith, i think i may have a word with this dentist and see what he says and then find another dentist to get a honest opinion (it should only be £15.50 after all) - i hear you're in yorkshire so it wont be you unfortunately!

I checked out the wikipedia for gingivitis and it says "The symptoms of gingivitis are as follows:

* Swollen gums
* Mouth sores
* Bright-red, or purple gums
* Shiny gums
* Gums that are painless, except when touched
* Gums that bleed easily, even with gentle brushing
* Gums that itch with varying degrees of severity
* Receding gumline"

Guess what? I do not have a single symptom from the above. However i do have bad breath a few hours after brushing which is a symptom from the periodontal disease section:

* occasional redness or bleeding of gums while brushing teeth, using dental floss or biting into hard food (e.g. apples)
* occasional gum swellings that recur
* halitosis or bad breath
* persistent bad taste in the mouth
* recession of gums resulting in apparent lengthening of teeth. This may also be caused by heavy handed brushing using a hard tooth brush.
* pockets between the teeth and the gums (Pockets are sites where the jaw bone has been destroyed gradually or by repeated swellings).
* loose shaky teeth in later stages

I guess if i go back to this dentist he will just perpetuate his dishonesty - i mean it is hard for him to backtrack now.

Bossyboots

sainthalo wrote:

Thanks toothsmith, i think i may have a word with this dentist and see what he says and then find another dentist to get a honest opinion (it should only be £15.50 after all) - i hear you're in yorkshire so it wont be you unfortunately!

I think Toothsmith would be charging you rather more than £15.50 in any event as he doesn't do NHS work.

sainthalo

Thanks bossyboots, I mean another dentist around here - I may try and find out which is the biggest centre where there are a few dentists as they may be better. I think Tootsmith was rightto refuse the NHS contract. It is clearly open to problems for patients and dentists. For the record, I would happily pay Toothsmith privately now I personally know that he is an honest and caring and probably very good dentist. I get the feeling he could afford to reject the NHS contract because his patients know him to be professional and therefore most would consider him worth paying.

Well I rang the PCT and checked my health insurance to see if dentistry was covered and then I rang my dentist and he has completely backtracked and im sure he will do it within the £15.50 now, if he doesn't i'm going to find another dentist who will I hope be more honest.

You cannot accept a poisiton of distrust between patient and dentist - in some countries the doctors and dentists are so dishonest that they will actually operate on you when you dont need it in order to make money. It will be a disgrace if we have allowed anything remotely like that to corrupt our once fine but underpaid NHS dentistry services which seem to have become less than fine as well as underpaid now.