need dental treatment but i have no money :(

samwich1979

Im literally at my wits end and crying as i type.

Had and abscess brewing on a root which is left after a crown broke off last year, my old dentist refused to re-root treat it and said there was nothing that could be done so it just got left.

Forward to a month ago and i got swelling starting on the gum which gradually turned into a swelling in the soft tissue of my face, i went to a dentist near my new address and asked to register and be seen, they said they had no appointments for 3 weeks and they would have to ring me but to see an emergency dentist.

Now i work 30hrs and have to pay all the bills, rent food everything for my husband and son who is 2 years old. My husband is desperately trying to find work but is having no luck, so money is very tight and doesnt stretch to expensive dental treatment.

I cant get help because i earn too much.

So because i couldnt afford the £18-£49 to see an emergency dentist i went to my GP and got antibiotics to tide me over until my dentist rang me with an appointment and they seemed to work.

I got an appointment 2 weeks ago for this coming Monday 3rd June. Great. But now my face has swollen up even bigger and they cant see me sooner and want me again to seek emergency treatment. I explained my money predicament(i have £60 left after all bills and no housing or CB due for a couple of weeks and havent done our food shopping yet.) She said it cannot wait and i must be seen.

So i rang the local PCT and they have got me an appointment at another practice for 3:30pm today which is a couple of miles away. I again will be paying between £18-£49 plus maybe a prescription charge and im in bits because its going to bankrupt me and my cupboards are empty.

I also have had a raging toothache on the opposite side of my mouth on and off for a month which ive been dosing myself up with painkillers that i need sorting, it needs RCT and i doubt my new dentist will want to do this on the NHS as most dont now.

To make things even worse im in an aircast walking boot at the moment due to a foot and ankle problem which im due an MRI on tomorrow and dont drive so im going to have to walk all the way there and back.

Im just about ready to go crazy

Anyone know if i can ask for my treatment to be done at my local PCT clinic or NHS trust as i cannot afford to pay for it?

brook2jack

I am sorry but local community clinics only treat those who cannot be treated because of physical or mental disability or extreme phobia. You cannot be referred on grounds of income.

The only place which may accept you for free dental treatment is the local dental hospital or outreach teaching post which depending on where you live may not be all that local since there are not many. Many will want to assess you first , they will only provide one course of treatment and treatment provided will be limited. You will have no choice of appointment times and treatment will take a bit longer but will be of good quality. They are perhaps not suitable if you are nervous about dental treatment.

Have you actually filled out an HC1 form to see if you qualify for any help with treatment costs on the grounds of low income? These forms can be found at your local dentist/doctor chemist.

samwich1979

brook2jack wrote: »

I am sorry but local community clinics only treat those who cannot be treated because of physical or mental disability or extreme phobia. You cannot be referred on grounds of income.

The only place which may accept you for free dental treatment is the local dental hospital or outreach teaching post which depending on where you live may not be all that local since there are not many. Many will want to assess you first , they will only provide one course of treatment and treatment provided will be limited. You will have no choice of appointment times and treatment will take a bit longer but will be of good quality. They are perhaps not suitable if you are nervous about dental treatment.

The nearest dental hospital is in Liverpool which takes about 1/2 an hour to get to but as i dont actually live in Liverpool would they treat me? and is it free?
I dont have a fear of dentists and TBH i dont care what they do i just want my teeth sorting as im at the end of my tether.

Didnt have any luck with a HC1 as i earn too much.

Just to add, ive rang the dental hospital and their recorded message says you have to ring your local PCT first to get emergency treatment.

Flippin useless.

brook2jack

It is free but there isyou are not guaranteed to be accepted for treatment and even if you are you will be placed on a waiting list .It doesn't matter you don't live in Liverpool, but surely the travel costs for the multiple visits will be more than you will pay for NHS treatment? You will have little choice in appointments which will be longer than normal . For details see http://www.rlbuht.nhs.uk/OurHospitals/Pages/Liverpool%20University%20Dental%20Hospital%20Pages/Outpatient%20dental%20treatment.aspx

aridjis

if you earn too much to be able to get help with health costs, but are struggling to even feed yourselves, you might be able to find some help over on the debt-free wannabe board?

McKneff

Do yu have anything you could sell on local selling sites. Clothes your little one has grown out of or toys. Any clothes of yours or your OHs that you no longer wear, anything else. Local auction sites are pretty quick for money/sale turnover.

samwich1979

McKneff wrote: »

Do yu have anything you could sell on local selling sites. Clothes your little one has grown out of or toys. Any clothes of yours or your OHs that you no longer wear, anything else. Local auction sites are pretty quick for money/sale turnover.

We have tried selling things locally but with no luck. Kids toys/clothes just dont sell but people will have them if your giving them away free.

Me and my husband only have minimal clothing as we cant afford to buy anything and we have had a clear out recently and sold what we could for not very much.

Im just gonna have to suck up the fees and hope we can buy some food with whats left.

samwich1979

I just feel like the practice who ive signed up to register with are shafting me.
They wont give me emergency treatment as im not officially registered until ive had a check up but i can go to another dentist, pay £18-£49 to them plus pay for a prescription charge ,then see them for a check up on Monday for another £18 plus more money for further treatment i need.

Its totally wrong in my opinion.

brook2jack

It's not the practice. The NHS changed the rules in 2006 and removed registration. You are only registered during a course of treatment.
NHS practices have to run at such a rate that generally even people who are under a course of treatment may have to wait for appointments , there isn't the capacity to see others as well.

PCTs have an obligation to run emergency treatment sessions for those not in a course of treatment but all of these are fee paying clinics as there is no discretion or budget to make them free. Without the patient charges being collected PCTs already in debt would go even further into the red.

This puts people on borderline incomes , like yourself in a difficult position, but the practice have no leeway it is NHS reforms that removed registration in order to improve access eg more people could be squeezed in to see the same number of dentists for the same money.

Toothsmith

It doesn't sound like they're shafting you, it sounds like they're very busy and have tried their best to accommodate you.

It's you who have ignored it for 11 months until it started hurting.

Re-root treating a tooth often has a poor chance of success, so it's probably quite correct that a previous dentist thought it was not correct to attempt that. I would have thought that he would have offered to extract it though?

If it has now been 12 months of slowly festering away since then, extraction is almost certainly your only option.

I think it important that you get seen as soon as possible, and the £18 emergency fee is just something you need to pay this time.

I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but the charges and benefit boundaries are not set by dentists, and all we can do is advise patients. If patients don't take the advice, put things off, and only make it a priority when they're in pain, then it will be a bit dearer when it all blows up

katsu

Find out if there is a foodbank in your town - I believe the Trussell Trust have lots of them? You can search this site for info or call your local CAB for local details or even a local church/mosque/temple as many of them are involved in food projects.

You might be able to get a food box to tide you over a few days until you get some money in.

Otherwise perhaps if you try your nearest local credit union, they may be able to help with a small loan to cover some of the dental costs?

I also agree with the other poster, seeking some support from Debt Free Wannabees is also a great idea as it is a very supportive forum.

Good luck.