NHS, Wisdom tooth extraction, and free treatment - probably one for toothsmith

Ladywriter1968

JoeBloggs80 wrote: »

Hi,

I went to the dentist today and he said my wisdom teeth are impacted and should be removed. He did an x ray that showed that the bone behind the teeth was wearing away and that even though they rarely cause me any pain at the moment, its for the best to have them taken out now as it will only be harder in the future as I get older (I'm 29)

The top 2 can come out easily, but he said the bottom two are more complicated and require surgery. The total cost of all 4 teeth would be £700 and it would take 2 hours for the procedure.

Would it be possible for me to get this done for free on the NHS? As there is no pain I wouldn't mind going on a waiting list for a while but then I'm wondering if its serious enough to warrant an NHS srugery as it seems to be largely a precautionary measure.

Any advice welcome, thanks.

if you can find an nhs dentist then it will be a lot cheaper, but you wont be able to get it done for free unless you are receiving benefits, being out of work or sick etc, but if you are working you will have to pay for it, even if your partner works and you dont but you cant claim benefits due to partner working ft, you still have to pay, but as say.

Try to find nhs dentist, maybe be £200 instead of £700. There is an nhs price list that the dentist should give you, but you have to say when go with dentist, do you take nhs patients otherwise they will stick you on the private side.

Ladywriter1968

**dancingbutterfly** wrote: »

i was referred by my dentist to have my bottom wisdom teeth out on july 22nd 2010, my first consultation with my consultant was tuesday this week! so 6 and a bit months! and ive got to wait 3 months for the op. so nearly a year after being referred. I dont mind as long as it gets done at some point in the near future! and preferably not the week before my wedding!

good luck!

What area do you live? I am in London, there is waiting times here to.

brook2jack

Ladywriter you are replying to threads that are three years old and a year old. I think the posters are probably sorted by now.

Ladywriter1968

princessdon wrote: »

I don't wanna do "scare tactics" but I too had an impacted wisdom tooth. Dentist was a qualified surgeon but after Xrays said he'd rather it was done at Dental Hospital.

Had appt - they took X Rays (why they can't send the ones done at Dentists I have no idea). Anyway - as it wasn't "emergency or urgent" they said would be approx 3 -6 mos.

Sooo I decided to have it done at my surgery

BIG MISTAKE!!!!

They broke my jaw - the tooth had to be sawn into several parts - My mouth was open for over 4 hours (yes it was so impacted on the root it took nearly 5 hours). Anasethtic (sorry for spelling) wore off and they didn't have licence to give more, I lost a lot of blood etc.

Dentist said it was a borderliine case - we BOTH took the risk so not blaming them at all. In hindsight I would have waited years to have done correctly as my jaw isn't right - I have a fullness in my ears with meniers and have terrible headaches and pain as a result.

Impacted wisdom teeth are not urgent (there are a lot of more urgent treatment needed in dental hospitals), so yes you wait, but I don't beleive this is down to cost - just weighing up of how urgent your needs are.

I'd have take Anti biotics for years to wait and have it done in the right enviromnet with hindsight!

Good luck though- urgent or not, it's not pleasant

That is scary, I would wait for the hospital to do this anyway, as my dentist said it was impacted, I think I put compacted before. well whichever word it is, problem is, I am getting pain now with it.

I just wish now that I had the thing out when I was younger, but I didnt. Its probably hard as rock now. I had the other 3 out years ago. the first bottom one I had out was terrible, I was awake in dentist chair for hour and half, but other two I was put under for. After going thru all that at the first removal it made me very nervous, as I went thru agony for 2wk after and had black outs, and when in dentist chair it was pulling and cut into 16 pieces to get it out. The dentist was sweating as well. I came out shaking with nerves and passed out in the waiting area.

to add, I had headaches after dentist did it to, for 2wk had migraines and could not hardly move my mouth, but them he never told me the risks or nothing, he said it would be easy no prob. but it was terrible. this was another dentist years ago as to where I used to live before moving

Ladywriter1968

brook2jack wrote: »

Unless you go private... No.

You can tell them once you are seen you are willing to take an appointment at short notice but wisdom teeth are not seen as a priority. Indeed due to current cuts some hospitals are looking at not doing any wisdom tooth surgery.
Typically my patients wait 12 to 18 months to have the teeth out.

In the mean time keep everything ultra clean to stop problems.

hi again, you said your patients wait 18wks etc, what area are you in?

I am in London.

Ladywriter1968

brook2jack wrote: »

Ladywriter you are replying to threads that are three years old and a year old. I think the posters are probably sorted by now.

thanks for letting me know.LOL.

If they have not had them out by now then that is a long waiting list.LOL

brook2jack

My patients wait 18 months not weeks. Since that time many areas have removed wisdom teeth operations funding all together along with varicose veins and tonsillectomies.

From the sound of it you are a nervous patient and working yourself up even more with worries about waiting times for a wisdom tooth extraction you might not even need.

Try the bite splint the hospital is making for you and follow their recommendations and if they then say your wisdom tooth needs to come out ask then about waiting lists as they vary so much area to area.

There is no such thing I know of as an acid jaw but what they may be describing is a jaw which is very sore because if you grinding and clenching your teeth. This happens very often whilst someone is asleep and happens to people who are very stressed or in chronic pain. A gumshield to wear at night , as they are making you, is the normal treatment.

Grinding and clenching also causes fillings to fracture which is why they suggested your dentist checks for cracked fillings.

Unfortunately sometimes getting the right diagnosis for pain sometimes takes time and patience.

StevieJ

Why didn't they take it out when they took the other three out?

Ladywriter1968

StevieJ wrote: »

Why didn't they take it out when they took the other three out?

the other 3 was not removed all at same time but at different times when they gave trouble. the first was removed when I was younger even though gave no troubles, but dentist said it should be done. Other 2 was told needed removal, as bottom left then was not hurting it was left.

rockitup

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

Its one of the training hospitals in London where they learn dentistry, dont think I am allowed to put name here. Its where the popular underground and overground station connects.


What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

So sorry to hear about your troubles with the wisdom tooth OP, I just had my last one extracted opting to use the services of a private oral surgeon.

Going back some years I used the same London training hospital that you have been to and also had a unbelievable amount of trouble with the treatment. Obviously there is a lot of good work completed there too but my visits put me off ever going back there.

I had a molar pulled there, 3 lots of local anaesthetic and still could feel every tug. Took 1 hour and 45 minutes to "rip" the tooth out because of the twisted roots. I was left with a lot of bleeding still when sent home and ended up passing out riding my motorbike home, so suffered more injuries...

If you could make an appointment with a recommended private oral surgeon elsewhere, it would be more beneficial to you (although costing more or maybe needing a loan) and probably a lot less hassle. I have used the oral surgeons twice for awkward wisdom tooth extractions and things have gone very smoothly.

One of those appointments was after a visit to a NHS hospital in UK where they told me 6 months wait or pay £2,500 to extract it under general anaesthetic on the private wing of hospital. I went to Anaheim, California had it done there (at oral surgeons clinic) and 2 weeks holiday plus flights and accommodation for the same price.