No dentist, insurance or recent checkups

oj29

Hi all,

A few days ago I noticed a bit of pain in my gum when I brush the outside of my teeth; I had this before and it was just a cut which healed in a few days so took no notice of it. Skip forward to yesterday and my gum feels quite swollen and I have a nasty taste in my mouth as well as a feeling of pressure under the tooth/gum. It's fine to chew on and the tooth itself isn't painful at all. In fact, theres not so much pain but its just a constant dull ache. I have a feeling theres something stuck under the gum, like a seed or something but I suppose its possible its an abscess and I'm gonna need root canal treatment.

Anyway, Ive been trying to find a dentist to go to; I haven't been since I turned 18 (5 years ago) and started having to pay, I also don't even know of an NHS dentist I can see. So that means going private, I don't mind paying for the check up but I've seen first hand how much root canal treatment can cost and I don't have the money for that. I've been looking at insurance but every one I've looked at says that if I haven't had a check up recently (varies) then anything identified at the first check up will not be covered - it's therefore pretty useless in this instance.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get around this? Am I just gonna have to go private and pay the extortionate fees? Or is there an insurer out there I can actually use? Any alternatives anyone knows of? NHS would be the first choice but that seems virtually impossible these days.

jennyo

You can search for a dentist in your area who is currently taking NHS patients on the website below. I was out of dental treatment for a long time, I now have a super NHS dentist who has given me back my smile. Good luck with your search.
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/dentists/Pages/find-an-NHS-dentist.aspx

PasturesNew

Private costs, but so does NHS; private doesn't always cost much more than the NHS costs.

It's unlikely to be root canal... you're just working yourself into a frenzy .... I've lost weight in recent months, do you think it's cancer? No, don't be daft.

It's most likely that you've not been cleaning your teeth properly and you've got a bit of an infection in there/early gum disease issues .... all easily sortable (compared to root canal).

Good luck..... I spent years not going as I was petrified!

ravilious_fan

Can anybody you know recommend you a dentist? They vary a lot, both in terms of fees and quality of service. One near me for example charges £40 for a new patient exam including 2 x-rays, while another practice about a mile away charges £92! Root canal costs "from £250" at the first one and from £335 at the more expensive place.

oj29

Thanks for the replies!
I admit a root canal being necessary is quite unlikely but its a possibility, its affecting me quite a lot anyway; I've barely eaten or drunk anything and I haven't had the desire to either which is unlike me!

I know people who go to various different dentists and no one has a good word to say about theirs! I only know 2 people who go to NHS ones, my Dad being one and I can see first hand he isn't very good at all. All the others say their dentist is good or OK but very expensive. They all either have a cash plan or dental insurance though and me being silly decided not to take the dental insurance my work offered me and this cannot be added until January. I'm tempted to hold out until then...

teddysmum

oj29 wrote: »

They all either have a cash plan or dental insurance though and me being silly decided not to take the dental insurance my work offered me and this cannot be added until January. I'm tempted to hold out until then...

If you do that and it's obvious that the condition has been present for some time, you are likely to fall foul of the pre-existing condition clause, which says that such conditions are not covered .