Dentist £££

lknights1987

Today i went to a private dentist to have a consolation appointment about invisalign braces ( this cost £80). Whilst there the dentist had a look at my teeth and took some photos and X-rays. He mentioned that i need to have a filling as i have a hole in one of my back teeth.

He also advised that i need to see a hygienist in total this will cost just over £230 and if i go with the invisalign bases for a year it will cost £4000.

I brush my teeth twice a day for around 3-4 minutes and my teeth feel ok .

What do i do pay the money and have the treatment done even though i am not in any pain? or go elsewhere and get a second opinion?

I've got another appointment to see another dentist next week for a quote on invisalign bases.

One thing that i am worried about is if i go back to this dentist and he drills my tooth then in a few weeks/months time it could cause me pain.

heuchera

Why would a filled tooth cause you pain?

I'd hold off on the braces and just get the necessary treatment, or ask the dentist to refer you to a proper orthodontist?

xbrenx

Why wait till the hole is causing pain? Serious toothache can develop really quickly and be very severe and then you could even lose the tooth.

brook2jack

It is critically important that if you are considering braces that your teeth are in excellent condition and your cleaning and diet are also excellent.

If braces are fitted on someone who is not cleaning well and who has active decay in their mouth then they are going to end up with damaged unhealthy teeth and gums.

I presume from some of your postings you do not have a regular dentist.

Before thinking of any brace work get the basics sorted first. Get fillings sorted before they get big enough to cause pain. Change your diet so you do not get any more decay. Not only have a hygiene appointment to get rid of tartar but learn how to clean and floss effectively to stop tartar forming again.

To help you with this get a regular dentist you trust,attend regularly and follow their advice. Then once all this is in place see an orthodontist who is a dentist who specialises in braces to see what brace system is best for you. Invisalign has limitations and is an expensive brace system , it is best to investigate all brace solutions with an orthodontist and choose what is best, not sticking to one system and choosing who can provide it cheapest.

ERICS_MUM

Personally I would have my routine dental work done by an NHS dentist and hygienist and obviously you'd have to go private for your braces.

This is what I do for my crowns and laminates, it's fortunate that my dentist will do both private and NHS work.

mal4mac

ERICS_MUM wrote: »

Personally I would have my routine dental work done by an NHS dentist and hygienist ...

I'd at least go for an NHS check up, but watch out for "gaming".

The worst NHS dentists like to do the minimum, to maximise their earnings. They might leave off doing the filling, and when the decay & pain gets bad enough do an extraction - which they can charge more for, but takes about the same length of time. Or, they can palm you off to the dental hospital to do the extraction if it looks a bit tricky (my last practice did that...)

Cleaning is also time consuming, so they may say "the hygienist does that" - but the hygienist is likely to be private and cost you £60+! My last practice tried this scam on me.

Hopefully, most NHS dentists are not such blatant gamers, but better to go in there expecting the worst!

Go and visit several local practices, NHS dentists are supposed to display NHS payment bands:

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74

My last practice did not do this, another reason to leave...

Ask them if the hygienist is private.

Doing this I easily found a practice where: (i) NHS prices were displayed, (ii) the receptionist said, "the dentist does cleaning, if necessary, under the NHS."

Note that braces are also available under the NHS:

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/braces.aspx

At £4000 I'd put up with (i) slightly wonky teeth or (ii) NHS braces. If you go NHS all the way *everything* should be covered by one band three payment - filling, hygiene, braces - at about £230.

brook2jack

Braces are NOT available on the NHS for adults except when their problems are so severe they need surgery to correct jaw discrepancies.

GlasweJen

I'd see a proper orthodontist. The one I saw talked me through multiple systems and Invisalign isn't enough for most tooth problems. I have clear train tracks made is plastic instead of metal so they are hardly visible.

The train tracks are quicker than Invisalign in terms of moving teeth.

When the work is done I'll have a retainer attached to the back of my teeth to stop them shifting back.

Before the braces I had to prove excellent mouth hygiene and I still see a hygienist every 3 months and have little brushes to clean between my wires. The orthodontist said any small fillings needed done before the braces go on as having something in contact with the teeth gives bacteria a platform and easier access to attack teeth.

heuchera

mal4mac wrote: »

Note that braces are also available under the NHS:

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/braces.aspx

At £4000 I'd put up with (i) slightly wonky teeth or (ii) NHS braces. If you go NHS all the way *everything* should be covered by one band three payment - filling, hygiene, braces - at about £230.

This page goes into more detail about the criteria you have to meet (as an adult) to apply for braces on the NHS

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/orthodontics/pages/accessingorthodontics.aspx

This is the official 'party line' :

NHS treatment is available for grade 4 and grade 5 cases. Grade 3 cases are usually judged on an individual basis. Treatment may also be made available if the appearance of a person's teeth, jaw, or face is of concern.

brook2jack

The information in the above link is somewhat confused. The iotn criteria of grade 3 , 4 is for children only. Even so many health commissioning groups will not fund grade 3 even for children. The relevant part from the link posted is

"NHS orthodontic care is not usually available for adults, but may be approved on a case-by-case basis if needed"


No general practice orthodontist has a contract for over 18s. The only place an adult would be treated is in hospital as part of treatment that includes orthognathic (jaw) surgery because of gross discrepancies. The vast majority of orthodontic treatment for over 18s will have to be private.

FBaby

You sound like you are doubting what he is telling you. For a start, if this is how you feel, do NOT have treatment there as you have to trust your orthodontist.

Saying that, what he is telling sound totally reasonable. It is much more difficult to clean your teeth once you have braces on, so if you haven't seem a hygienist for some time, it seems totally reasonable to ask that you do. You can accumulate plaque even through regular brushing.

As for the hole, I had one picked up by my orthodontist that my dentist didn't see at my check up only 10 days earlier. Of course she claims that it happened in between the two appointments! She couldn't access the hole though as the braces were in the way, so I had to get some bits removed so she could fill the hole, and then had to have them put back again. Not ideal, so I am not surprised at all they would want to check you get any filling done before even considering treatment.

Don't need to have that done there though, just go and see your regular dentist.