I am in my 20s and due to past problems my teeth are rotted away but I cant afford dental care?

throwawaygirl

I dont know where else to go for advice as i want to remain anonymous for obvious embarrassing reasons. I live in the Uk and as I was growing up I didnt go to the dentist much I guess my mum just never remembered to book appointments for me. I was about 10 when I had a bad accident and broke off the bottom halves of my 2 front teeth which I got fixed with the white filling stuff. After that I was obsessive with brushing my teeth but my fillings/crowns kept coming out and had to be refilled. In my mind I associated my teeth falling out with brushing them and stopped brushing them as often as I should have. From as long as i can remember i had been addicted to sugary drinks, especially coca cola as my mum would drink 3 of the 2litre bottles a day so it was always available in my house. From the age of 12 i started my battle with bulimia which quickened the erosion of my teeth. I got over my bulimia around the age of 17, i was so secretive about it even my family didnt notice i had an eating disorder and i was never doing it to get skinnier just trying to use it to maintain my weight. Around the time i stopped, i started noticing tiny holes/cavities in my back molars and ever since my teeth have begun falling apart. I tried to put it to the back of my head because it embarrassed me and i didnt want to explain my ED. Its even making me really emotional having to write about it. Over time my back teeth are mostly broken away and some have gum grown over them. But now my 2 front teeth that have the fillings/crowns are badly stained because of my addiction to cola and I have noticed its starting the rot at the side just at the gumline and giving me some pain. Im horrified by my teeth and how bad I have let them become. I really dont know what to do. Ive become motivated to do something about it because ive been so embarassed the last 10 years of my teeth i barely recognise myself. Im not registered to any dentists office. I work part time around 16 hours per week and make less than £600 a month and it all goes towards bills. I earn too much to qualify for free dental work on NHS, but I dont earn enough to afford any dental work out of my own pocket. I feel like im stuck in such a hard place. I know my teeth are awful, i know people have most likely talked behind my back about my teeth, and i know i cant keep going on any longer with my teeth in such a poor state. I just have no idea what to do, i need advice and help from any UK members who would possibly know how I can afford dental work??? Please.

brook2jack2

Have you filled out an application for help towards dental treatment on the grounds of low income ? From what you say you should qualify https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme

throwawaygirl

brook2jack2 said:

Have you filled out an application for help towards dental treatment on the grounds of low income ? From what you say you should 

No i havent, i didnt even know about that thank you

brook2jack2

I wonder if you are entitled to any other help as you are on low income https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/

SadieO

Do you live anywhere near a university that has a dentistry programme? I had a load of dental work done for free by a (final-year) student. She was brilliant and checked everything she was doing with her supervisor (who was in the room the whole time and confirmed she was right at every step). Because of this it took a while but I didn't mind. It didn't bother me that she was a student, one because she was so well-supervised and two because she was only a couple of months away from being a fully-fledged dentist who could practice alone anyway. Plus I quite liked feeling like I was contributing to education!

throwawaygirl

SadieO said:

Do you live anywhere near a university that has a dentistry programme? I had a load of dental work done for free by a (final-year) student. She was brilliant and checked everything she was doing with her supervisor (who was in the room the whole time and confirmed she was right at every step). Because of this it took a while but I didn't mind. It didn't bother me that she was a student, one because she was so well-supervised and two because she was only a couple of months away from being a fully-fledged dentist who could practice alone anyway. Plus I quite liked feeling like I was contributing to education!

I already looked into going down the uni/dentist school route but none anywhere near me unfortunately 

throwawaygirl

brook2jack2 said:

I wonder if you are entitled to any other help as you are 

Most of the links on that page dont apply to me sorry. My wages are just enough to cover me so i dont fall into any difficulty financially but not enough for sudden dental bills.

MalMonroe

I'm so sorry to hear about your teeth but honestly, when you're a child it's hard to try to motive your parents to take you for any kind of care. Shame though because your treatment as a child would have been free. Anyway, I think you're very brave to start thinking about getting them fixed now. I love the really kind and helpful comments on here, it's a refreshing change because sometimes people can be a bit unkind.  I agree about filling out the form for help with health costs, I think you qualify. This may also help, some teaching hospitals can offer cheaper dental care too and that doesn't mean that you get less than perfect care, just that you are helping students to gain their final qualifications.  https://dentalhospitals.org.uk/about-us/dental-treatment-students/  Also, some dentists offer payment plans if you're struggling. I think it's worth it. Good luck with it all! 

sheramber

Have you completed the online application in the link given by brook2jack2?

Spoonie_Turtle

throwawaygirl said:

brook2jack2 said:

I wonder if you are entitled to any other help as you are 

Most of the links on that page dont apply to me sorry. My wages are just enough to cover me so i dont fall into any difficulty financially but not enough for sudden dental bills.

I'd advise doing a benefit calculation, using a couple of different calculators to check whether the answers are roughly similar. If you rent then based on your wage you'd probably be entitled to some Universal Credit (if you don't rent then you might be entitled to ~£50 per month if you're over 25, but nothing if you're under 25). Most benefits are defined by fixed amounts but the NHS Low Income Scheme looks at everything - income and outgoings - so it's entirely possible you might qualify for help. I'm not sure whether you have to have started a course of treatment though or if you can apply in advance.

throwawaygirl

MalMonroe said:

I'm so sorry to hear about your teeth but honestly, when you're a child it's hard to try to motive your parents to take you for any kind of care. Shame though because your treatment as a child would have been free. Anyway, I think you're very brave to start thinking about getting them fixed now. I love the really kind and helpful comments on here, it's a refreshing change because sometimes people can be a bit unkind.  I agree about filling out the form for help with health costs, I think you qualify. This may also help, some teaching hospitals can offer cheaper dental care too and that doesn't mean that you get less than perfect care, just that you are helping students to gain their final qualifications. Also, some dentists offer payment plans if you're struggling. I think it's worth it. Good luck with it all! 

No dental schools near me unfortunately but thank you for your kind words x