Dental filling falling out, complaints or refund?

misslaurasalt

Hello everyone,

I wonder if anyone here would be able to help me. Two of my front teeth (not the front teeth but the two to the side of each) are chipped, and so on my last dental check up I mentioned this to my dentist. She talked me through my options, which included white composite fillings up to veneers. She did explain that the white fillings wouldn't last forever, but as a full time student I decided to take this option with the knowledge that I could save for veneers in the future.

I paid for the band 2 (I believe) treatment of around £50 and came back on a later date for the treatment. When I got home I instantly knew they weren't on properly, and I could feel that the white filling was touching my front teeth, meaning I couldn't even floss between them. The next morning I woke up and one was in my mouth, loose. Later that day the other came out while I was eating crisps (which I didn't believe to be too tough for them).

So, literally, the next day I called the dentist and they arranged another appointment to put them on again, as apparently there is a 12 month guarantee under nhs dentistry? The appointment was yesterday at 3.15 and today I have woken up with only one filling, the other has come off.

I really don't want to make a fuss as my dentist is very nice and patient with me, but I don't understand why they would offer a service if it is going to fail, it's so frustrating, and £50 is quite a lot to a struggling student!

If anyone could offer me some advice, I'd be very appreciative

Toothsmith

Chipped edges are often much more complicated to do well than it might at first appear.

They have such a lot of force on them, and it's such a small surface area you have to bond the stuff to.

You're not a finger-nail biter are you? Any chance you might grind your teeth at night?

I would go back again. Each time you go back, the dentist learns a little more about what might be going on. It might be that this way of fixing the teeth won't work for you, and you might have to go up a level to the next thing.

The dentist will want to get it to work. So keep trying!

misslaurasalt

Thank you for your reply

The thing is, she told me the 12 month guarantee only includes one correction, and going back would surely cost me more, which I can't afford. I don't want to complain, but I'm just not happy... :-s

misslaurasalt

Sorry, forgot to add, I don't bite my nails or grind my teeth. The reason they are chipped is because of a medication I was on a few years ago which did cause me-at the time-to grind my teeth, but she fitted me with a mouth guard to prevent it worsening. I'm not taken said medication any more and as such haven't ground them for a long time. The only reason I can say that confidently is that I don't get the headaches/jaw pain any more.

Toothsmith

Lasting 24h or less wouldn't really count - or I'd kick up a real fuss if it did!

welshdent

They are guaranteed for 12 months from tbe time the course of treatment is closed no matter how many times it comes off. I don't know why they would say otherwise because we are given credit for free replacement treatment. The only time it's not is if a dentist advises one treatment but you refuse and go for what is considered to be an inferior option. I.e. you are advised a crown but you say no I want the normal filling. A dentist can legitimately say fine that's your choice but I'm not guaranteeing it. That doesn't sound like that's the case for you. In summary there is no limit on replacements. It would defeat the object if there was. The replacement however does not come with another 12 months. It is valid as long as the original treatment

misslaurasalt

Annoyingly, but not surprisingly, the second filling came off this morning. I'm reluctant to try the same treatment again as, without meaning to insult my dentist, I wasn't even able to floss between the filled teeth and they weren't smooth at the back, feeling quite unnatural, is this normal?

Am I able to request a refund rather than more treatment? At least that way I could put the money towards a more permanent solution.

justme111

1.Don't expect a good job being done for £50 for two fillings . Quite often it is a good job despite this meagre money (maintaining dental surgery would be impossible if dentist fot this money for two fillings , they have to do all sort of things to make ends meet ). Properly done fillings would not dwel rough and you would been able to bite normally and floss . It tells me it was a slapdash job , result of NHS treadmill , sad really
2.in hands of many those fillings would work even at this money , your dentist is not one of those . Decide if you want to try your luck and change for another NHS dentist or stick with this one even knowing his /her limitations.
3. Don't try a refund , they spent time on you fillings and that's what you pay for .
4. Realise good dentistry costs money and count your blessings that this was just an issue of cgiped teeth that are not too bad and not missing tooth /root canals etc.

misslaurasalt

justme111: I understand that £50, to some, may seem reasonable or even cheap to expect good service, but I paid for a service that has failed. It failed twice. If I bought a TV and it broke two times it would surely be replaced. In terms of their service/time, the same could be said for other trades, surely if I have paid for a service, it should serve its needs, no?

I understand, like you have said, that good dentistry costs money, but like I've said in my original post and as I explained to my dentist I am a full time student, I cannot afford more than this at present. This service is what my dentist offered. I don't see why I should simply let this go.

susieq87

misslaurasalt wrote: »

Annoyingly, but not surprisingly, the second filling came off this morning. I'm reluctant to try the same treatment again as, without meaning to insult my dentist, I wasn't even able to floss between the filled teeth and they weren't smooth at the back, feeling quite unnatural, is this normal?

Am I able to request a refund rather than more treatment? At least that way I could put the money towards a more permanent solution.

i dont think you will be able to get a refund but you can try this is because like another poster said the recommended treatment was a veneer but since you cannot afford it you went for the filling. fillings for chipped teeth are very fragile, i have one on my lateral incisors filled and its a very small chip, unnoticeale a vanity filling tbh and it fell a few times before it held on. if your chip is not big are you able to hold off until you can afford veneers?
if they do give you a refund it will be for band 2 meaning the remainder from band 1 because thats for your exam. they should be able to keep fixing it though as long as its coming off unless they originally told you that it wasnt going to work thats when they can deny doing it under warranty.

usignuolo

Bit puzzled here. The £50 is being discussed as though that is all the dentist gets and it is a direct transaction between dentist and patient. If this is an NHS treatment surely it is subsidised and the dentist claims the difference from the NHS. So couldn't OP report this issue to the NHS commissioning authority for their area. After all these fillings should last more than 24 hours.