Dental Help???

brook2jack

custardy wrote: »

doh! missed that
OP,has the hygienist showed you how to fully floss?
I just don't see how you can need so much hygienist visits

Op has also said needs to floss but can't manage even with floss sticks!

If you read ops post you will see why they need so many visits.

Many people have problems accepting long dental visits due to a variety of reasons and like op have many shorter visits instead.

custardy

brook2jack wrote: »

Op has also said needs to floss but can't manage even with floss sticks!

If you read ops post you will see why they need so many visits.

Many people have problems accepting long dental visits due to a variety of reasons and like op have many shorter visits instead.

but what is the hygienist using that goes beyond the interdentals?
with a variety of sizes & floss, i can get through between pretty much every tooth
I have one at the rear that needs 'attacked' from either side,but it seems to do the job.
with that and floss I have needed nothing but a polish for years

Toothsmith

From Suki's posts in the past, I have a feeling a lot of her charges are private charges.

If this is the case, then the HC1 form will not help with these charges. The HC1 form can give a partial/total exemption from NHS charges but it does not 'count' if the charges are private charges.

bestpud

I hate having my teeth polished so I make sure I look after them properly myself and avoid the twice yearly appointments my OH has.

Maybe limited finances will give you the impetus to take control and find a way of cleaning your teeth properly...

I'm wondering if you'd be better off with a dental plan?

RDF

From experience do NOT subscribe to Denplan as its a con. Learnt today that all the payments made to them over the years is actually only to the dentist so if he/she dies or goes bankrupt or is inept and you need to move dentists the money/cover is not transferred. In my wifes case the new dentist would not take her on Denplan till she had treatment costing over £500 and her old dentist would not carry out the treatment or pay the new dentist for the treatment !! Catch 22 as it is not insurance you are paying for but a regular monthly payment to the dentist for doing sod all. Denplan will not act as adjudicator or take third party advice.

suki1964

Toothsmith wrote: »

From Suki's posts in the past, I have a feeling a lot of her charges are private charges.

If this is the case, then the HC1 form will not help with these charges. The HC1 form can give a partial/total exemption from NHS charges but it does not 'count' if the charges are private charges.

I do pay private hygienist. The rest I pay Nhs which over here is different to England we don't get the one band fits all treatment

suki1964

bestpud wrote: »

I hate having my teeth polished so I make sure I look after them properly myself and avoid the twice yearly appointments my OH has.

Maybe limited finances will give you the impetus to take control and find a way of cleaning your teeth properly...

I'm wondering if you'd be better off with a dental plan?

I find this post to be most condescending and insulting


I clean my teeth properly. I clean my gums. I clean between my teeth after every meal. The only place I can't clean is below the gum line in the loose sockets that I have. I have dental problems from years of alcohol abuse and smoking - both of which I have found the impetus to quit. Im doing my upmost to keep my remaining teeth but very little bone and sockets that were 8's, (now 2's and 4's) it's a long very often extremely painful process not withstanding my phobia and extreme gag reflex


I asked if there was any financial help that low paid workers could get, I didn't ask to be belittled

Oh and by not attending the dentist twice yearly you are infact leaving your self open to more problems. Tests cleaning alone won't stop all oral problems which are often first spotted by a dentist

suki1964

custardy wrote: »

but what is the hygienist using that goes beyond the interdentals?
with a variety of sizes & floss, i can get through between pretty much every tooth
I have one at the rear that needs 'attacked' from either side,but it seems to do the job.
with that and floss I have needed nothing but a polish for years

Hygienist uses a variety of picks and what looks like a wee dremmel and air thingies and god knows what ( I'm usually sat eyes closed tight concentrating on breathing and rubbing my foot back and forth) to clean deep in the sockets She rarely has to remove anything above the gum line bar two teeth I can't get to properly cos of my gag reflex.

See if I could floss I'd be a lot better but I just can't. Fingers in my mouth have me gagging and panicking. And I mean badly.

I'm not objecting to my hygeinist costs as I know it's something many people can not afford and I choose to go rather then have full dentures. I was really only asking if there was any help around for dental and medical expenses when on low pay when you don't claim any benefits

Toothsmith

RDF wrote: »

From experience do NOT subscribe to Denplan as its a con. Learnt today that all the payments made to them over the years is actually only to the dentist so if he/she dies or goes bankrupt or is inept and you need to move dentists the money/cover is not transferred. In my wifes case the new dentist would not take her on Denplan till she had treatment costing over £500 and her old dentist would not carry out the treatment or pay the new dentist for the treatment !! Catch 22 as it is not insurance you are paying for but a regular monthly payment to the dentist for doing sod all. Denplan will not act as adjudicator or take third party advice.

I usually find that Denplan are very good at trying to sort out problems when patients transfer to a new dentist

The usual routine if you're moving area would be to go and have a check-up with your old dentist just before you leave, get the dentist to fill in a leaving form (a bit like a report card) and then go and sign on with your new dentist as soon after that as you can. That way nothing much could have gone wrong between visits.

Problems arise if you leave it a long time between seeing your 'old' dentist, but carry on paying him even though you can't get back to see him as they are too far away now. Then, a few things go wrong, or an emergency crops up and it's only then hat you go and see a new dentist and find out hat he money you've been paying all that time isn't covering you for any dentist ( which IS quite clear both on the contract and in most of the documents that come with it)

If the problem is because one dentist hasn't been doing their job right, or there is a dispute between dentists over whether a particular treatment is 'necessary' then I have always found Denplan take a keen interest in resolving things.

If the problems arise just because someone hasn't bothered to follow the clear guidelines on changing dentists, then it's not really anybody else's fault.

SallyD

I understand where you are coming from. I understood that if you required cleaning regularly other then for cosmetic reasons then it would be within the Band 1 NHS payment? Your local NHS Trust should be able to tell you

Have you considered contacting your local dental hospital to see if they are taking on any patients. I was so fortunate when living in London that I attended Guys Dental School for nearly 4 years where they did amazing things to my teeth and with their help combated my severe gum disease which was not caused by poor dental hygiene but the result of chemotheraphy.