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

Ladywriter1968

brook2jack wrote: »

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.

I am nervous, The pain is not there all the time but last night I had a sharp poking pain down my face going into the gum where wisdom is up to my ear. side of face for a while then it went.

18 months is a long time to wait when person is in agony. If with another patient it is there wisdom tooth by then they could end up getting worse I would have thought. A lot of people cant even live a proper life with severe tooth pain all the time. It makes their lives misery really. Unfortunately not everyone can afford to pay for private treatment.

I had known of some one years ago that paid for private treatment but had it done on nhs private, he jumped the queue he told me cause he had the money to pay for it while others had been waiting months in agony. His waiting time was reduced by a month I think he said. He was in and out very quickly. Whether he was telling truth or not I dont know. But if it was the nhs private that did it by him giving a back hander to someone this is not really fair on other patients who been waiting forever, just because they dont have the money. If he had of gone elsewhere like Bupa or something then fair enough and paid, but to jump the NHS queue and have it done at hospital. Just shows that money talks basically.

As I say, thats if he was telling the truth about this, as he was known to tell porkies at times.

I know that its a waiting game but its stressful really. I am a person that if a problem or pain, I want it sorted. Nothing is ever that simple is it.

Also I had the others taken out years ago at the dentist. they sedated me, but I read some where that dentists are not allowed to do this any more. I guess otherwise my own dentist could have done it rather then refer me to hospital. The hospital is Guys in London.

When I had others out at dentists I didnt wait that long. Less then a month. I was put under a light sedation.

Ladywriter1968

rockitup wrote: »

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.

The hospital is Guys in London, wasnt sure if I could mention it or not. Well I told the oral surgeon I would have to be put under for it as I am nervous. Brother in law said they dont put you under anymore but the dentist at the hospital said they would do.

but I got to try all these other things first, which is a right pain. As for paying privately out of the nhs costs with a private oral surgeon elsewhere, I cant afford it, I don't want to to into detail but you mention same cost as a holiday abroad. We have not been on hols for years as to debt probs etc. So a loan is out of question, so I simply have to rely on nhs really.

What you went thru sounds like hell, my brother in law told me he was in dentist chair 4hrs before they could get them out, he had 3 bad teeth I think he said. How can some one lay there 4hrs with mouth wide open all that time.

The hospital is Guys in London. May have said already, wasnt sure if could, but have now.

brook2jack

Your friend is telling porkies. Nhs waiting lists are so tightly regulated there is no way he could have given someone a backhander, it is a nightmare finding space for an urgent problem and I cannot see anyone with the ability to move him up a waiting list willing to lose their job and be struck off for a bribe!!

In 2006 the nhs made sedation a separately contracted service only available at certain clinics so most nhs dentists lost their contract for sedation but could still provide it privately.

Reading through your posts the hospital is by no means convinced it is your wisdom tooth that is giving you problems, they want to investigate other causes of pain. So your problem is not the nhs waiting list but the fact they want to investigate and try treating other possible causes if pain before taking out a very tricky (from the sounds if it) wisdom tooth.

bobblebob

I had an abcess in my wisdom tooth a few years back. One thing i can say, is they dont like taking them out. Its not to do with saving money, its because it can cause complications if your remove them. So they will try and do all they can not to remove it.

Dentist also dont like taking them out, they would rather the hospital do it. I was in agony with mine on a 12 week waiting list, and i pretty much told my dentist i cant wait that long and they need to do it. Reason they dont like removing them is there is a nerve running underneath the wisdom tooth. If they damage it, it can lead to perminant nerve damage. My dentist told me if they take it out and damage the nerve, people sue them so thats why they would rather the hospital do it.

Ladywriter1968

bobblebob wrote: »

I had an abcess in my wisdom tooth a few years back. One thing i can say, is they dont like taking them out. Its not to do with saving money, its because it can cause complications if your remove them. So they will try and do all they can not to remove it.

Dentist also dont like taking them out, they would rather the hospital do it. I was in agony with mine on a 12 week waiting list, and i pretty much told my dentist i cant wait that long and they need to do it. Reason they dont like removing them is there is a nerve running underneath the wisdom tooth. If they damage it, it can lead to perminant nerve damage. My dentist told me if they take it out and damage the nerve, people sue them so thats why they would rather the hospital do it.

I was told at hospital they could remove the top part, crown they called it and leave the root there, as to not disturb the nerve running thru the bottom part of the tooth. When I go back in 2wk I have a few questions to ask him now after chatting to people on here.

Was your tooth already out? or under the gum? Mine is under gum, compacted, or impacted, whatever they call it.

bobblebob

There are other complications to extracting a wisdom tooth, hence they dont want to.

One way to get it removed is to get pregnant They have to them as an infection in the tooth can effect your unborn baby. My friend had to have hers out asap when pregnant

Ladywriter1968

brook2jack wrote: »

Your friend is telling porkies. Nhs waiting lists are so tightly regulated there is no way he could have given someone a backhander, it is a nightmare finding space for an urgent problem and I cannot see anyone with the ability to move him up a waiting list willing to lose their job and be struck off for a bribe!!

In 2006 the nhs made sedation a separately contracted service only available at certain clinics so most nhs dentists lost their contract for sedation but could still provide it privately.

Reading through your posts the hospital is by no means convinced it is your wisdom tooth that is giving you problems, they want to investigate other causes of pain. So your problem is not the nhs waiting list but the fact they want to investigate and try treating other possible causes if pain before taking out a very tricky (from the sounds if it) wisdom tooth.

I am a hyper stressful person anyway, but obviously pain dont help. I am worried if its left my other teeth will get messed up or infection or something.

I saw normal Xray at the hospital it. its upright position point toward back of throat. I just wish I had it out when I was younger now along with the other 3. Now I am 43 to so everything has set. when I have a large filling I feel sore for a few days after anyway. where as some may be ok later.

I guess the person I new years ago was lying then. But someone told me they was offered nhs or private at same hospital on private wing, and they went private and got it done quicker. But cost them lots of money. They said it was called the private wing at the hospital. For private oral surgeon. This person just told me this on this site on another page. Same hospital as nhs but the private wing.

Ladywriter1968

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

I am a hyper stressful person anyway, but obviously pain dont help. I am worried if its left my other teeth will get messed up or infection or something.

I saw normal Xray at the hospital it. its upright position point toward back of throat. I just wish I had it out when I was younger now along with the other 3. Now I am 43 to so everything has set. when I have a large filling I feel sore for a few days after anyway. where as some may be ok later.

I guess the person I new years ago was lying then. But someone told me they was offered nhs or private at same hospital on private wing, and they went private and got it done quicker. But cost them lots of money. They said it was called the private wing at the hospital. For private oral surgeon. This person just told me this on this site on another page. Same hospital as nhs but the private wing.

Thanks for the info though

StevieJ

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

I was told at hospital they could remove the top part, crown they called it and leave the root there, .

I can't see the point in that as I would have thought that it would be the root that is causing the problems.

brook2jack

The point is the root is very close to or even involved with the nerve. By taking only the crown off you

A remove the problem because in general what causes problems with wisdom teeth is gum infections where food/ plaque gets lodged around the top of the tooth and can't be cleaned out

B allow space for the root to continue erupting (move upwards away from the nerve) so if it causes problems it can be removed without damaging the nerve.

It is a modern and trusted technique to try to avoid permanent nerve damage.

In general teeth or roots that are completely under the gum and have no connection with the mouth cause no problems.