Going to dentist for a quote?

MikeyMole

Due to years of not looking after myself at all due to depression etc my teethnare absolutely falling apart. Half of them are missing are the other half and rotted in half. 

I haven't been to a dentist since I was in primary school so I've no idea how it works. I'm pretty sure I will need an absolute fortune and am looking at potentially going abroad. I would just like some idea of exact work I need done so I have an idea of a price is it rude to get a quote even though I probably won't be back there and will go somewhere else? Can I get some work done and more when I can afford it? Is the quote like a full breakdown of what I need so I can compare to other dentists? Can I take it home or do I need to memorise it? Thanks.

Richard1212

Be careful about going abroad ----there are some nightmare stories : if you don't mind travelling, then think of going to Lighthouse Dentistry Practice, a charity based in Hampshire and Isle of Wight As for feeling rude for getting a quote from a dentist , knowing you are never returning, forget it. Dentists have cashed in whilst ruining dental healthcare in this country---they are a disgraceful profession and deserve no noble thoughts from anyone. So, if you have to, get as many free quotes as you want----and don't think twice about the feelings of dentists.

elsien

Are you looking at Nhs dentistry or Private and then what are you thinking about after that? 

If teeth have to come out are you looking at dentures, implants? Implants are not available on the  NHS. and in many areas, the NHS practices are not taking on new patients. 
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-much-will-i-pay-for-nhs-dental-treatment/
and if it’s complex, for example I had a tooth that my NHS dentist  wasn’t willing to extract, so there was a choice between a wait of many months for the dental hospital or paying to go private elsewhere. 

I think the first thing you need to do is just go and see someone and see what needs doing and then take it from there. Because at the moment it’s all how long is a piece of string. 

elsien

Richard1212 said:

Be careful about going abroad ----there are some nightmare stories : if you don't mind travelling, then think of going to Lighthouse Dentistry Practice, a charity based in Hampshire and Isle of Wight As for feeling rude for getting a quote from a dentist , knowing you are never returning, forget it. Dentists have cashed in whilst ruining dental healthcare in this country---they are a disgraceful profession and deserve no noble thoughts from anyone. So, if you have to, get as many free quotes as you want----and don't think twice about the feelings of dentists.

Only for people resident in the area that they cover plus various other qualifying criteria. Otherwise, they’d  have half the country rocking up.

brook2jack2

The first thing is it is pointless spending any money on your teeth unless you are going to continue regular care with a dentist you trust. 

It’s taken many years for your teeth to get this bad and it will take time for the damage to be repaired and for you to get into a healthy routine that will maintain what teeth you have left in a good state. No dentistry lasts forever and if not looked after dental work will fail quicker than your own teeth.

Ask friends and relatives for recommendations for a dentist. As said before you may well struggle to get a NHS dentist and even some private dentists will have waiting lists . 

An appointment does not commit you to treatment but you will have to pay for check up and x rays and any other investigations that need to be done. The dentist will give you a written treatment plan with costings. However if you go to a different dentist they will do their own treatment plan and it might not be the same as the first . It doesn’t mean one is wrong and another right as there are many different ways of approaching a patients problems. 

The practice website should give you an idea of costings as new patient check ups take longer than routine check ups . Think about what your priorities are for treatment , getting pain and infection should be first , then looking better. 

You do not have to have the treatment all in one go , providing you do not have pain or infection , you can stage it as you can afford it. The most important thing is to take onboard the dentists and hygienists advice and to keep regular appointments once treatment is finished so you stay healthy. 

Be honest with the dentist about finances , you do not have to agree to any treatment. Do not worry they will have seen teeth in a worse state than yours . But if you are happy with dentist make regular appointments as this will not be just a one off treatment but should be to set you up for a healthy mouth for life with a practitioner you trust. 

MikeyMole

Richard1212 said:

Be careful about going abroad ----there are some nightmare stories : if you don't mind travelling, then think of going to Lighthouse Dentistry Practice, a charity based in Hampshire and Isle of Wight As for feeling rude for getting a quote from a dentist , knowing you are never returning, forget it. Dentists have cashed in whilst ruining dental healthcare in this country---they are a disgraceful profession and deserve no noble thoughts from anyone. So, if you have to, get as many free quotes as you want----and don't think twice about the feelings of dentists.

Yeah I've been doing a lot of research and will do a lot more before I do anything. I would ideally go to a dentist near me but I know I won't be able to afford it unless I save for years which I ideally wouldn't do 

MikeyMole

elsien said:

Are you looking at Nhs dentistry or Private and then what are you thinking about after that? 

If teeth have to come out are you looking at dentures, implants? Implants are not available on the  NHS. and in many areas, the NHS practices are not taking on new patients. 
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-much-will-i-pay-for-nhs-dental-treatment/
and if it’s complex, for example I had a tooth that my NHS dentist  wasn’t willing to extract, so there was a choice between a wait of many months for the dental hospital or paying to go private elsewhere. 

I think the first thing you need to do is just go and see someone and see what needs doing and then take it from there. Because at the moment it’s all how long is a piece of string. 

Yes I've just assumed I'll have to go private. Probably go to somewhere like Poland or Hungary for treatment because I can't afford it here. I'd ideally like to get implants as I really don't want to have dentures in my early 30's. Of course I don't even know if I'm able to get implants or not until I see a dentist. I kinda just wanna know what exactly work I need done to get some idea of the cost and how much I need to save.

brook2jack2

Implants are not a one visit fit and forget treatment . Done properly they need multiple visits over the space of several months. They need maintainance afterwards as bits wear out etc and if good oral habits are not established they can be lost easier than your own teeth due to gum disease . 

They are not suitable for eg people who smoke , have diabetes or active gum disease .

Whilst they are being fitted things like the temporary healing caps etc can come off , even in the best hands things can go wrong that need sorting quickly .

Even more so with high end dentistry like implants regular dental care needs to continue eg hygiene visits etc. 

For all of these reasons it is much better to see a dentist you can get to easily for the multiple stages of complex treatment like implants. 

OutdoorQueen

If you have dental work done abroad and then need urgent help when you return, you might find local dentists are reluctant to see you because they didn’t do the original work.  

MikeyMole

brook2jack2 said:

Implants are not a one visit fit and forget treatment . Done properly they need multiple visits over the space of several months. They need maintainance afterwards as bits wear out etc and if good oral habits are not established they can be lost easier than your own teeth due to gum disease . 

They are not suitable for eg people who smoke , have diabetes or active gum disease .

Whilst they are being fitted things like the temporary healing caps etc can come off , even in the best hands things can go wrong that need sorting quickly .

Even more so with high end dentistry like implants regular dental care needs to continue eg hygiene visits etc. 

For all of these reasons it is much better to see a dentist you can get to easily for the multiple stages of complex treatment like implants. 

Unfortunately I cannot afford the prices dentists charge over here so that doesn't really leave me a lot of options. 

elsien

I’m having an implant done at the moment. One visit to have a tooth extracted And whatever they used to build up the gums put in. Another visit in a couple of weeks time to check what’s happening and look at the stitches. Then a gap of several months (timescale to be confirmed) to start looking at the implant itself. And that’s just for one tooth.
Can you afford to keep flying abroad as needed?