More tooth problems, how can dental bridges cost £650?

welshdent

If you have gum disease it would be a band 2 anyway so seeing as you are not exempt (as you paid the 18.50) then it would move you to the next bracket

justme111

Dentist who "can not" extract teeth because they are too decayed ?
Hmm
I wonder then whether her story about them being too decayed for root canal treatment is from the same story book..
In short - you pay your money you make your choices.

mal4mac

I think I'll be seeking a second opinion - plenty of time to do that, no doubt, before the hospital gets round to roping me in. Here's a pertinent link:

http://www.michaelsinkindds.com/blog/tag/unnecessary-tooth-extraction/

Now the problem is where can I find a second opinion that I can trust?!

justme111

It amazes me how people wallow it is difficult to find a dentist they can trust (fair enough , it is not easy indeed, specially for people who are aware of how much can go wrong in dentistry/with dentists) but then go where they know for a fact there is a conflict of interest (NHS) while participating in a thread discussing it !
So I will try to abstain from any further advice.

Undervalued

mal4mac wrote: »

Now the problem is where can I find a second opinion that I can trust?!

It depends what you mean by trust. It is beginning to come over as if the only opinion you "trust" will be one that tells you what you want to hear.

You could probably find a private dentist who offers a free or reduced price initial assessment for new patients although even then they will likely charge for any X-rays they deem necessary. You had probably better not say you are seeking a second opinion just that you are overdue for some dental treatment and don't currently have a dentist. Once out of the NHS system they won't know whether you have seen somebody recently or not.

If you get broadly the same advice then you really need to come to terms with it. If different, then it comes down to which route you "trust" most balanced against the difference in cost.

mal4mac

Is tooth cleaning a scam?

http://freakonomics.com/2008/03/11/is-tooth-cleaning-a-scam/

brook2jack

No one should ever need a scale and polish if they are brushing properly, using floss properly and interdental brushes properly. The problem is only 28% of people in the UK floss at all and many of those incorrectly and not every day. 75% of people in the UK do not brush properly and certainly only a minority who could benefit use interdental brushes such as tepe.

This is why 98% of people show some signs of gum disease.

Scaling (tooth cleaning) is absolutely useless in people who do not start cleaning properly because unless you floss , brush properly etc tartar (calculus) starts to reform within 72 hours of scaling.

In other words if you are not going to clean better scaling is a waste of time because your gums will be just as inflamed within 72 hours of your dentist visit.

If you are going to try flossing every day , use type brushes, if recommended, and improve your cleaning then scaling will give you the tartar free mouth that will allow you to control your gum problems.

mal4mac

"Only one study looked at whether toothbrushing with interdental brushing was better than toothbrushing alone, and there was very low-quality evidence for a reduction in gingivitis and plaque at one month. There is also low-quality evidence from seven studies that interdental brushing reduces gingivitis when compared with flossing, but these results were only found at one month. There was insufficient evidence to determine whether interdental brushing reduced or increased levels of plaque when compared to flossing."

http://www.cochrane.org/CD009857/ORAL_cleaning-between-the-teeth-using-interdental-brushes-for-the-prevention-and-control-of-gum-diseases-and-tooth-decay-in-adults-

"There is some evidence from twelve studies that flossing in addition to toothbrushing reduces gingivitis compared to toothbrushing alone. There is weak, very unreliable evidence from 10 studies that flossing plus toothbrushing may be associated with a small reduction in plaque at 1 and 3 months. No studies reported the effectiveness of flossing plus toothbrushing for preventing dental caries."

http://www.cochrane.org/CD008829/ORAL_flossing-to-reduce-gum-disease-and-tooth-decay

"Supported by more than half a century of research, the benefits of fluoride toothpastes are firmly established. Taken together, the trials are of relatively high quality, and provide clear evidence that fluoride toothpastes are efficacious in preventing caries."

http://www.cochrane.org/CD002278/ORAL_fluoride-toothpastes-for-preventing-dental-caries-in-children-and-adolescents

Phew! At least there is good evidence for brushing...

brook2jack

Without getting too technical the studies you are looking at are addressing gingivitis which is inflammation of the gums, rather than periodontitis which is gum disease where pockets have formed and bone has begun to disappear .

Theses are two different disease entities with different bacteria.

However what is important with both is the patients has to use effect cleaning methods to reduce plaque and tartar formation otherwise whatever the dental ream do is a waste of time.

Dental decay is a whole different disease to gum disease and whilst tooth brushing with fluoride is important it is not as important as reducing the number of times a day you eat or drink something with sugar in it. It is frequency of sugar intake that is important. You can brush 27 times a day with fluoride toothpaste but if you are drinking drinks that have sugar in them or snacking even tiny amounts of sugary things frequently during the day you will get decay.

mal4mac

I only drink tea and coffee, and always without sugar. But I guess it may be the snack I have with the cuppa that's done for my molars. Even then, I usually have peanut butter on wholemeal. Isn't that healthy? I start the day with "sugar free" muesli or straight porridge. Recent googling indicates even these healthy things may be problematic!

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/reversing-tooth-decay.html

(Or is this crank science? Dr Guyenet seems convincing... but he's not a dental researcher...)

In summary I didn't think I ate that much refined sugar, but obviously, given my tooth trouble, even that small amount is too much. Or is even unrefined sugar bad? I eat quite a lot of fruit, at least an apple & orange daily. Thought that would be good for dental health - no scurvy at least

But then there's the daily "fruit yoghurt" that I don't look too closely at as regards sugar content. Darn it, sugar sneaks in in so many places...

Then again I might just have bad genes, my parents both had full dentures in their fifties. I also gets easily stressed out, and that's meant to be bad for the choppers isn't it?