Tooth extraction infection

Bongedone

Hi,

This is also posted in consumer rights but not sure which one it should be in.

My partner had a tooth extracted under NHS 2 months ago. Before hand they gave her penicillin as she had to wait a month for before an NHS appointment (I paid for emergency visit as she was not registered).

10 days before the NHS appointment she needed more penicillin as it was still infected (no charge).

She had the tooth extracted then a few days later needed more penicillin and Metronidazole (antibiotic).

She took the course and the pain subsided. Then the pain started coming back.

Last night on something completely unrelated she was taken to hospital. They did blood test and found her blood was showing signs of infection and they think it may be related to the original tooth problem.

My question is:-

Does the original dentist have to give her an emergency NHS appointment as this is likely the cause?

The dentist normally charges for emergency visits but I don't think this is fair and she obviously can't wait a month for NHS and he did not fix the original infection.

I'm hoping one of the dentists on here can enlighten me.

Regards
Martin

Toothsmith

There are too many gaps in this to even begin to guess!

The hospital think this MAY be related? So equally it might not? Drs know very little about tooth problems, and yet they often leap in and blame dental matters when, quite frankly, they are too lazy to do a proper diagnosis!

It sounds like your partner is not a regular attender. A tooth with a very bad infection on it was extracted. It sounds like it might have developed an infected socket afterwards (badly infected teeth often do, especially if the patient is a smoker) This is not the fault of the dentist. Removing the tooth will cure the infection, an infected socket heals up by itself, although it can be very painful. But neither infection just 'disappears' it takes a bit of time, and markers might well show up in the blood for a while afterwards. It doesn't always mean anything more needs to be done.

How detailed an examination was the dentist able to do at the emergency appointments? It could also be that there is another tooth with an infection that hasn't been found yet. Maybe she needs a more thorough check up to see if there are any more problems hiding?

So, in short, from what you've written, I can't see the dentist has done much wrong. I think the hospital might have been a bit lazy, and I think your partner needs to take dental health a bit more seriously.

aridjis

..hospital doctors are lazy? :rotfl::T

I'd get your wife registered with a decent dentist OP, even if it's a private one, to try and prevent this sort of thing from happening again.

Bongedone

Toothsmith wrote: »

There are too many gaps in this to even begin to guess!

The hospital think this MAY be related? So equally it might not? Drs know very little about tooth problems, and yet they often leap in and blame dental matters when, quite frankly, they are too lazy to do a proper diagnosis!

It sounds like your partner is not a regular attender. A tooth with a very bad infection on it was extracted. It sounds like it might have developed an infected socket afterwards (badly infected teeth often do, especially if the patient is a smoker) This is not the fault of the dentist. Removing the tooth will cure the infection, an infected socket heals up by itself, although it can be very painful. But neither infection just 'disappears' it takes a bit of time, and markers might well show up in the blood for a while afterwards. It doesn't always mean anything more needs to be done.

How detailed an examination was the dentist able to do at the emergency appointments? It could also be that there is another tooth with an infection that hasn't been found yet. Maybe she needs a more thorough check up to see if there are any more problems hiding?

So, in short, from what you've written, I can't see the dentist has done much wrong. I think the hospital might have been a bit lazy, and I think your partner needs to take dental health a bit more seriously.

Thanks. I will get her to read this tonight

Bongedone

Toothsmith wrote: »

There are too many gaps in this to even begin to guess!

The hospital think this MAY be related? So equally it might not? Drs know very little about tooth problems, and yet they often leap in and blame dental matters when, quite frankly, they are too lazy to do a proper diagnosis!

It sounds like your partner is not a regular attender. A tooth with a very bad infection on it was extracted. It sounds like it might have developed an infected socket afterwards (badly infected teeth often do, especially if the patient is a smoker) This is not the fault of the dentist. Removing the tooth will cure the infection, an infected socket heals up by itself, although it can be very painful. But neither infection just 'disappears' it takes a bit of time, and markers might well show up in the blood for a while afterwards. It doesn't always mean anything more needs to be done.

How detailed an examination was the dentist able to do at the emergency appointments? It could also be that there is another tooth with an infection that hasn't been found yet. Maybe she needs a more thorough check up to see if there are any more problems hiding?

So, in short, from what you've written, I can't see the dentist has done much wrong. I think the hospital might have been a bit lazy, and I think your partner needs to take dental health a bit more seriously.

Hi Toothsmith,

My girlfriend is sending what follows. I've read your advice over years. Here she types:-

"The dentist I saw did xray and was very thorough for my emergency app, when I had my tooth extracted he let me look at it and it was complete, although after 3 weeks the infection is still there and the wound has not healed, I would just like to know if I am still entiteled to get treatment for the same problem without paying more. I'm not the best at at dental health because I move a lot and its not easy to find NHS dentists but I dont blame my dentist for my problem"

Toothsmith

I'm not 100% sure how NHS regulations would!d look at this. To me, it sounds like it would be part of the 'same treatment' and so wouldn't have a further charge.

I've never been a part of this current NHS contract though, and I'm not an expert on it. Either way, if you're worried, then it would be best to pop back and get it looked at. It would only be about £18 even if it wasn't included.

welshdent

It depends how the extraction was done. If it was a band 4 or urgent course of treatment thenthere would be an extra xcharge. If it was a band 2 then the dentist can do a continuation. Youcan cont inue TO a band 4 but not from. If the charge was 18 ish then it was probably a band 4.if it was 40 ish then it was a band 2. To be fair, 2 band 4 charges is probably still less than 1 band 2.
Post operative infection following extraction is unfortunately impossible to predict

welshdent

A continuation is possible within 2 months of the end of the course of treatment by the way so don't delay returni ng

I'm away on holiday using my phone so sorry for the typos

System

the same thing has happened to my OH ,he had an extraction about 3 weeks ago but had to go back as he was in pain.
He was told it was due to his wisdom tooth coming through but was given a course of antibiotic's.

We think its due to an infection as i cant understand why the meds otherwise.Either way these things happen and at least its sorted before christmas.