NHS dental treatment advice
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Gemm83
Posts: 237 Forumite
Hoping there may be a dentist on here.....!
I was pushed down a flight of concrete stairs when I was 12 years old and knocked out my front two teeth
The dentist managed to save one but needed a completely new tooth for the other. He said that eventually I will need to have a bridge.
Fast forward 20 years and credit to the dentist the original crown is still in place. However as my mouth has grown the crown has slipped down and pushed out, meaning its nowhere near in line with my other front tooth and 2-3mm lower too. When my mouth is closed it rests on my lip so am unable to close completely.
Now, I've made myself sound like Nanny McPhee, it's not to that extreme but I find it unsightly, hate smiling and the fact it's resting on my lip is really starting to annoy me. I went to the dentist and asked if it can be rectified I. E new crown but the dentist has said it would only be for cosmetic reasons and would not be done on the NHS and that it would have to be done privately by him...... Costing near on £1000. There is no way on God's earth I can afford that, but was more than willing to pay the NHS cost.
My question is considering its as a result of a previous accident from years ago and a pre existing condition should it be done on the NHS and was the dentist just trying to make some money. Should add I am currently exempt from paying for treatment due to having a baby (if that makes any difference).
Any help would be appreciated 😊 TIA
I was pushed down a flight of concrete stairs when I was 12 years old and knocked out my front two teeth
The dentist managed to save one but needed a completely new tooth for the other. He said that eventually I will need to have a bridge.
Fast forward 20 years and credit to the dentist the original crown is still in place. However as my mouth has grown the crown has slipped down and pushed out, meaning its nowhere near in line with my other front tooth and 2-3mm lower too. When my mouth is closed it rests on my lip so am unable to close completely.
Now, I've made myself sound like Nanny McPhee, it's not to that extreme but I find it unsightly, hate smiling and the fact it's resting on my lip is really starting to annoy me. I went to the dentist and asked if it can be rectified I. E new crown but the dentist has said it would only be for cosmetic reasons and would not be done on the NHS and that it would have to be done privately by him...... Costing near on £1000. There is no way on God's earth I can afford that, but was more than willing to pay the NHS cost.
My question is considering its as a result of a previous accident from years ago and a pre existing condition should it be done on the NHS and was the dentist just trying to make some money. Should add I am currently exempt from paying for treatment due to having a baby (if that makes any difference).
Any help would be appreciated 😊 TIA
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Comments
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Regardless of how it happened , if the only reason to replace the crown is because of how it looks then that is cosmetic treatment and would have to be charged privately.
£1000 is a high end price I wonder if it is a post crown and may need re root treatment for that price.0 -
I'd agree 100% with Brook.How to find a dentist.
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.0 -
Why shouldn't you get this fixed on the NHS? Go and see your GP and say it's making you feel depressed, with low self esteem, and then he might refer you to a hospital to get it fixed. Breast reduction can be free if it's due to "psychological distress, such as low self-esteem or depression".
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-reduction-on-the-nhs/0 -
GPS cannot refer to restorative departments of dental hospitals, only dentists can , and in these cash strapped times a referral for replacement of this crown would not meet criteria and would be refused.
To put this into context the total budget for our local restorative consultant would cover the treatment for one oral cancer patient a year . People who have suffered oral cancer can be left with considerable deficits that make eating very difficult and can be very disfiguring . Then there are the people with congenital problems like cleft palate and multiple missing teeth etc.
There are very good , budgetary reasons why cosmetic treatment like this is not available on the NHS when people who have significantly worse problems struggle to get treatment.0
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