NHS Temporary Filling from Emergency Appointment Lasted 2 Days

chaotic_j

Hi,

Went to the dentist 2 days ago as the back side of one of my molars had a piece chip off on some hard food over Christmas. It was an emergency appointment at a cost of £23.80.

They did a temporary filling, making the sharp edges smooth at the same time. They said as there is already a permanent filling in the tooth, it would be best to remove this and join up with the other area that's been chipped.

As I hadn't been for 2 years due to pandemic causing my check up to be cancelled and another before Christmas due to dentist leaving - they said I should book a check up in case anything else needs doing - so that's what I did.

Well 2 days later the temporary filling has come out whilst I was eating some soft food. What now?

I have read online it's £23.80 for an urgent appointment and you don't have to pay anything extra if you have to come back for additional treatment.

So should they not have been booking me in for the permanent filling they've just seen me for under the same £23.80 paid and then a separate checkup after this?

Thanks in advance,
chaotic_j

MalMonroe

If it's an emergency appointment you pay £23.80 for that and then that's over. As the dentist put in a temporary filling, I'd have thought they would have suggested that you made an appointment for a more permanent filling to be put in the tooth rather than for a check up.

However in your case the temporary filling they charged you £23.80 for has fallen out and needs replacing. If you contact them and say it's fallen out and you need the temporary fix replacing then they shouldn't charge you for that.

As per info here - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/dental-costs/what-is-included-in-each-nhs-dental-band-charge/

Then when you go for your permanent filling they will charge you the relevant price - £65.20, Band 2.

However although the temporary filling fell out, if you are not in pain or bleeding - and you say the dentist smoothed all the sharp edges and there's some permanent filling still there - you could phone and ask if your check up appointment could be changed for one where your filling can be done properly, rather than just a check up.

Our dentist is happy to see patients on an emergency basis but with the proviso that they're in pain, or have bleeding. If you can hang on, so much the better. But your dentist needs to be told that the temporary filling was a little TOO temporary.

chaotic_j

Thanks for your help @MalMonroe where the tooth has chipped it doesn't hurt but was concerned it could start to if left untreated. I will contact them and advise the temporary filling has fallen out after 2 days. I'd hoped it would have lasted long enough to receive a permanent filling.

I do get some sensitivity in my teeth but that's mainly from one particular tooth which had heavy decay around 3 years ago and I have a lot of fillings on my molars. So I may ask if the checkup should be switched to a permanent filling on the chipped tooth. Thanks again!

brook2jack2

It is true most nhs treatment is guaranteed , unfortunately emergency treatment isn't , so if you ask for a new temporary filling you will be charged again. Emergency treatment is to provide treatment that is urgently needed and a temporary filling and smoothing of tooth will do that. 

Also unfortunately any filling treatment that needs drilling is classed as an agp (aerosol generating procedure) which means onerous precautions before,during and after the procedure. This means filling appointments take a lot longer and have to be scheduled in special slots. 

If you have not had a check up it is likely you might have other fillings to be done . The backlog and pressure on NHS dentists is such that precious agp appointments have to be used at maximum efficiency , that is if it is possible all treatment done in as few sessions as possible. 

It is likely , for this reason, your dentist may not be able to book you in until you have had a check up and can gauge how much treatment in total you need. 

In England dentists will soon have to hit 85% of pre pandemic treatment rates to avoid having money clawed back. In my opinion this is impossible ,even with the extra hours most are working ,bearing in mind the precautions dentists have to take to protect patients and staff and the amount of staff off and appointments cancelled by patients because of omnicron. So practices are under immense pressure to work as efficiently as they can in the circumstances. 

chaotic_j

So I called the dentists and explained to the receptionist that the temporary filling had dropped out after 2 days when eating some soft food - come in for an appointment tomorrow. When I asked if payment was required they said no. It was quite a short conversation.

Then when I went for the appointment I was advised at reception - you've come because a filling has fallen out - was this in the last 12 months? to which I think I replied it was a temporary filling done last week that fell out after 2 days.

Instructed to go to the waiting room and had to wait a while.. the dentist had me in the chair and looked at the tooth, said a few times there was 'no point' doing it again, seemed quite frustrated/irritable. There wasn't much for a temporary filling to hold onto they said.

Asked me if I'd paid and I replied I hadn't. I mentioned that I'd told reception it was a temporary filling which dropped out after 2 days and they said there was going to be no charge to which they said that reception didn't know any different and they needed to go and talk to them.

Came back and said it could be done again as goodwill but it may come out in 2 more days, or next week etc. if it had come out when I was leaving or the next day that would have been completely different (personally I feel - is there a huge difference between 1 and 2 days?).

They said usually once you have paid for the emergency appointment that's it, if you need another you have to pay again which is what @brook2jack2 said above. I asked if the checkup could be changed to an appointment to carry out a permanent filling on the tooth and the dentist said it wasn't possible because there is a procedure to follow for the NHS which involves having a check up and creating a treatment plan, potentially multiple appointments etc.

They said does it hurt - no I replied, is it sharp - no I replied and then they said something about this being why they were running so late that day?

I said I understood the dentists point of view and would be grateful to have the temporary filling re-done, saying I'd try and avoid eating on that side and see how I got on and understood that any further urgent appointment would be chargeable.

My concern was that without a temporary filling, it could start to hurt or damage the tooth. They said that potentially this could be the case and that the tooth could crack!

I was asked to hold my own cotton wool inside my mouth as it was done.. it was made a bit less bulky to try and prevent it getting caught on anything when I eat. I now have to wait over a month for the check up.

My previous dentist of 25 years would in one appointment carry out a check up, if there was a small filling do it there and then, as well as a scale and polish. Sadly for me they retired.. I've never had a scale and polish at the new practice and when I mentioned it to reception they said the dentist decides whether it's necessary or not.

brook2jack2

NHS practice has changed immensely. Scaling and polishing is no longer routinely done and scaling is only done if there is clinical need ie you have gum disease. 

Covid has changed the way dentistry is carried out. Even a "quick" filling will probably mean an agp (aerosol generating procedure) which means dressing up in protective gear and the surgery having to be left to fallow at the end of the appointment before cleaning can be finished . All of this means a lot of time needs to be booked out and a filling cannot be done on the spur of the moment. 

qwert10

Recommend Dentum in Zagreb Croatia  reasonably priced  and a great result. They pick u from airport (2 hour fight from Stanstead) and you stay in an apartment at the dentist all included. 

chaotic_j

Hi,

Had the check up needed 2 fillings redoing because they were leaking, as well as the original damaged tooth fixing.

The temporary filling lasted a month then I started flossing after the checkup and it came out so it's been another month now before the appointment for treatment.

So one filling redone which was difficult/took a lot of time due to the location.

They moved onto the damaged tooth, it hurt a couple of times when drilling, so injected a second time.

After taking out the existing filling next to the damaged area, said decay more extensive than on x-ray and under the gum. This is why it probably broke apparently.

So I could either have it extracted, see how I get on with what they could do or refer to specialist for consultation - wait another month or two, possible gum surgery and treatment - potentially £1,500 in total.

Couldn't do much as couldn't get a band on it for filling, so basically 2 options which is extract or referral. Couldn't decide so they had to dress it by hand.

They said gum surgery etc. is way beyond the scope of what NHS can do. Are these definitely my only 2 options?

Thanks in advance.

Toothsmith

Sounds reasonable, but no one can comment accurately without seeing you. 

chaotic_j

I suppose but surprised it can go from being a tooth with a filling and no major issues.. to part of it breaking off on hard pizza crust to now.. there is nothing we can do, extraction or private specialist?

MalMonroe

Hello! Just wondering if you would consider approaching another dentist? Even if your dentist IS rushed off his feet and the practice is busy you should never be made to feel like you are a nuisance. If they are rubbish at time management it is not your fault.

Also, he doesn't seem to be doing a very good job with your mouth and I think you are being very patient (pardon the pun) indeed.

Another thing, if you are referred to a specialist, why do you have to be a private patient? Where I live (in a city with two universities and teaching hospitals associated with both) dental patients are referred by NHS dentists to the clinic that's associated with the medical department of one of our universities. Patients will be seen by a qualified dentist as well as students. My daughter was referred there by her dentist for minor gum surgery a couple of years ago and couldn't have been treated any better if she had been a private patient. There was no extra charge. 

You may want to contact the department in this link - https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/contact-nhs-dental-services

To either have a chat and find out exactly what your options are. If that department can't help you, I don't know who can.

Best of luck, you must be feeling very fed up and weary with all that's being going on.