Round in circles with dental treatment

essex_grl

I have an impacted wisdom tooth that has me on antibiotics for a month. Finished yesterday. My dentist wouldn't agree it was that tooth until it broke through. They told me I am beyond standard dentistry and that I needed a surgeon, but they "don't do referrals" unless NHS ones. I fought my corner explaining my bupa would cover it if I could please get something in writing. I got a very basic... needs a surgeon letter in the end.

Whilst waiting I booked an assessment with a second dentist for another opinion. I was told that I do need a hospital and he would recommend referring me to one, but as I am a patient registered elsewhere, he would write to my dentist telling them I need a referral... that they don't do!

Is it just me, or should this not be this hard??

Undervalued

essex_grl said:

I have an impacted wisdom tooth that has me on antibiotics for a month. Finished yesterday. My dentist wouldn't agree it was that tooth until it broke through. They told me I am beyond standard dentistry and that I needed a surgeon, but they "don't do referrals" unless NHS ones. I fought my corner explaining my bupa would cover it if I could please get something in writing. I got a very basic... needs a surgeon letter in the end.

Whilst waiting I booked an assessment with a second dentist for another opinion. I was told that I do need a hospital and he would recommend referring me to one, but as I am a patient registered elsewhere, he would write to my dentist telling them I need a referral... that they don't do!

Is it just me, or should this not be this hard??

If you are in England (Scotland and NI are different) there is no such thing as being "registered" with an NHS dentist! 

I am not clear how you can be "registered" with a private dentist but maybe one of the dentists that post here regularly will explain?

essex_grl

I am in England. I have no idea why my first dentist doesn’t do referrals and as for the second.. we’ll just as unhelpful.

I have a specialist appt Thursday but I had to search and seek this all out alone.
I’ve been told by the hospital that he will need an opg X-ray to view as he doesn’t have the machine there. But my dentist doesn’t either so starting right from scratch.

now out of antibiotics and scared the infection will come back for a 4th time since Dec 20th.

it’s all so stressful.