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March 29, 2024, 10:49:32 AM

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Dentistry (goodbye savings)

Started by Cloud, October 10, 2021, 09:01:56 PM

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Cloud

I don't mind paying NHS prices for a denture for example, but it's whether an emergency is "just the emergency only" or "emergency and whatever you're willing to pay for"

jamiefairlie

If you're lucky you might get a very basic denture for cheap but for anything substantial you'll have to pay. It's specialist work, regular dentists don't do it.

Zetetic

Quote from: touchingcloth on October 10, 2021, 09:20:09 PM
How did it ever come to be that dentistry was seen as not really being a health thing and therefore not covered on the NHS? Imagine if they did that with cancer - gotta go private for that.
I have a suspicion it's because dentists are scum charlatan quacks. There's a reason why 97% of the content on the BDA website is about how to either avoid or deal with be sued for being a scum charlatan quack.

Cloud

My parents have the view of "they're all scum charlatan quacks, we haven't been to one for decades and we're still here" (but are also less self conscious about their smile line I suppose)

Rev+

Quote from: touchingcloth on October 10, 2021, 09:20:09 PM
How did it ever come to be that dentistry was seen as not really being a health thing and therefore not covered on the NHS? Imagine if they did that with cancer - gotta go private for that.

Pinch of salt and all that, but as it was explained to me by a somewhat bitter dental nurse many years ago:  It's a lot easier to set up as a dentist than it is as a GP, and although both used to have a similar relationship with the NHS, GP surgeries have always been monitored more closely.  Part of this is because people expect their GP consultation to be free, but are more likely to accept charges from a dentist.  This led to a sustained period in which dentists recognised this fact and started really taking the piss by charging patients for treatment, but then also billing the NHS for the same treatment.  Nobody was really checking whether the charges were legit so it sort of reached a head in which you had dentists buying gold yachts and the NHS being all like 'right, the lot of you can fuck off'.

Pranet

I don't really trust dentists. I have an appointment with a new one this week and am worried he is going to charge me for like six fillings or something I don't really need. But I do have some dodgy teeth so can't really go down the don't bother with them line. I also cannot get an NHS dentist.

monkfromhavana

I can only speak of Poland, but implants there are way cheaper than they are in the UK and the dental surgeries are the same (if not better) than in the UK. The only problem with having foreign work done is that your NHS dentist won't fix them, but that point is rather moot if you can't even get an NHS dentist in the first place.

Tony Tony Tony



Nothing wrong with having the odd gap or two amongst your gnashers.

Bet this guy can still tuck into a juicy steak, after its been in a blender.

Dr Rock


Jim_MacLaine

Quote from: monkfromhavana on October 11, 2021, 08:06:26 AM
I can only speak of Poland, but implants there are way cheaper than they are in the UK and the dental surgeries are the same (if not better) than in the UK. The only problem with having foreign work done is that your NHS dentist won't fix them, but that point is rather moot if you can't even get an NHS dentist in the first place.

Yeah, I have a Slovak colleague who needed an implant and went back home to get it done. It was like a third of the price it is in the UK.

Lisa Jesusandmarychain

Quote from: Dr Rock on October 11, 2021, 08:37:23 AM
Do um crowdfunder x

Why have you suggested this in the style of Little Plum? Is there some Leo Baxendale Character/ The Practice Of Dentistry Crossover- style joke I'm missing?

Dr Rock

No I just fancied talking like Little Plum. Am I cancelled now?

Milquetoast

I hear Gdansk is nice this time of year.

Otherwise the missing front tooth look is definitely a thing now.
Stavros did it, you can too.

Dr Rock

Quote from: Milquetoast on October 11, 2021, 09:19:36 AM
Otherwise the missing front tooth look is definitely a thing now.
Stavros did it, you can too.

I'm doing it too.

bgmnts

As someone with naturally fucked teeth I obviously regret shunning the dentist as a stupid child and the fact I wasnt forced to get it all fixed stuns me in retrospect but ho hum.

Thankfully one of the things about severe chronic depressionis you tend not to smile much, so it sort of works out. If smiling is important for you, might want to stump up the cash and get those chompers looked at.

jobotic

Had a nightmare charlatan dentist who fucked up a filling then ran off. The replacement is lovely but she did so much work on the fuck up and barely charged me a thing. In the end I had to have it pulled anyway. Hate the gap but it's a molar so no one can see it. One of my front upper teeth has been grey since I also went over my handle-bars as a child and hit the pavement teeth first.

Funnily enough I was reading about passion gaps last night. Have both out and then move to Cape Flats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_gap

Cloud

After a lot of reading around I'd say the NHS route is a no go, it was already fucked and then the pandemic finished it off as far as dentistry goes.  Even then my choice is either sit on a waiting list if it's not deemed an emergency or get the tooth pulled if it is, and I'm left in the same position as before in terms of struggling to fill the gap :/

Poland is tempting but a long way to go back if it goes wrong and no UK dentist will touch foreign work (private or otherwise) from what I was reading.

Anyway booked with my usual rip off private dentist for Friday.  Dreading it, I'm going to be spending all week worrying about how expensive it's going to be and that I'll somehow be railroaded into something that costs thousands because "well the crown is off now because we needed to take a look so..."
Lost and distraught... I wish there was at least a neutral party who has my interests at heart and not their wallets (whether it's private dentists wanting me to get the most expensive thing, or NHS wanting to save money).  Parents are of the "WTF don't spend money I had an abscess once and it went away with a bit of Corsodyl" mindset so as much as I've always valued their guidance I don't think it's going to be suitable for this one.

Paradoxically, I'm almost "willing to part 2.5k out of fear that actually it'll cost much more".  Last time this tooth was under question the dentist muttered something about possibly having to do the neighbouring teeth but I can't remember if this was related to "if you try a bridge and it fails".

frajer

Dentistry certainly does attract money-grabbing cunts.

I remember when I had a cracked wisdom tooth which became impacted and the gumline infected. Worst pain I've ever had in my life, constant throbbing ache radiating through my entire skull with a red-hot needle stab at the end of every pulse. Luckily my dentist is NHS but I had to chase them to be seen and broke down in tears on the phone when they said nearest appointment was 3 weeks away. They said they could see me within a week instead with a private appointment and I cried again from gratitude.

When I lurched my carcass into the chair, the dental surgeon came in and was told the situation, he didn't even look at me and said "£900" then immediately left the room. Even the assistant seemed embarrassed and said if I wanted to pay that I could be seen in 1 week for extraction. I felt like a piece of human shit the dentist wanted to scrape off his shoe but said yes because what else could I do.

Then the pain got so intense over the next few days (couldn't sleep for more than a few minutes, could barely speak during the day) that I phoned the dentist and begged for anything sooner. They said they had a floating freelancer who could come in if they could catch him in time. I garbled "yes please thank you please" about 20 times and the next day I was told I could come in in 3 days time.

Turns out the freelancer was an absolutely lovely man who gave me a local anesthetic, extracted the tooth in less than 2 minutes, jokingly apologised that it was so quick and promised me I was paying for his expertise not his time. If he'd proposed I would have said yes on the spot.

And when I had my debit card ready to take the £900 hit, the receptionist informed me because he wasn't the professional I'd been booked in to see it was just freelancer rates, so was £300. My jaw would have dropped if it wasn't already a slack drooling pit. Utter relief at the absence of pain with the sweet addition of knowing the "professional" cunt wasn't getting a penny of my £900.

I never used to take care of my teeth but since then I've brushed like I'm training for the Tooth Olympics. Utter sympathy to Cloud and everyone having/had tooth woes as it fucks you up to a degree I couldn't have imagined.

Cloud

#48
Blimey, wouldn't mind one of these freelancers!

Another possibility appears to be getting done by a student. I'm rather nervous about that prospect though...

Hell I'm nervous about everything.  Not in pain thankfully (yet) but it's playing havoc with my undiagnosed anxiety issues.

I'd love to think that it's nothing much and I'll be sent on my merry way somehow but considering it's the tooth that was already under question some guy's razor (that thing about the simplest explanation being the most likely) applies here. And Everything I've read is quite adamant that if you get an abscess or cyst, a root canal is needed. Which comes straight back to "The examination is £45, root canal £600, new crown another £600, and you'll probably be back..."

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: Cloud on October 11, 2021, 10:07:19 AM
Blimey, wouldn't mind one of these freelancers!

Another possibility appears to be getting done by a student. I'm rather nervous about that prospect though...

I think this is a good option; they will more than likely be very good; you'll be anaesthetised to buggery also so I wouldn't worry about pain.

bgmnts

Get it done by an old Nazi like in Marathon Man. Doubt they'd charge much, just bring your own clove oil.

monkfromhavana

Quote from: Cloud on October 11, 2021, 09:45:35 AM
After a lot of reading around I'd say the NHS route is a no go, it was already fucked and then the pandemic finished it off as far as dentistry goes.  Even then my choice is either sit on a waiting list if it's not deemed an emergency or get the tooth pulled if it is, and I'm left in the same position as before in terms of struggling to fill the gap :/

Poland is tempting but a long way to go back if it goes wrong and no UK dentist will touch foreign work (private or otherwise) from what I was reading.

Anyway booked with my usual rip off private dentist for Friday.  Dreading it, I'm going to be spending all week worrying about how expensive it's going to be and that I'll somehow be railroaded into something that costs thousands because "well the crown is off now because we needed to take a look so..."
Lost and distraught... I wish there was at least a neutral party who has my interests at heart and not their wallets (whether it's private dentists wanting me to get the most expensive thing, or NHS wanting to save money).  Parents are of the "WTF don't spend money I had an abscess once and it went away with a bit of Corsodyl" mindset so as much as I've always valued their guidance I don't think it's going to be suitable for this one.

Paradoxically, I'm almost "willing to part 2.5k out of fear that actually it'll cost much more".  Last time this tooth was under question the dentist muttered something about possibly having to do the neighbouring teeth but I can't remember if this was related to "if you try a bridge and it fails".

Another option would be a teaching dental hospital - they won't do anything cosmetic, but maybe they can do a diagnosis, x-rays, any extractions, fix any infections etc for free. Might reduce the cost for the cosmetic work you get done later?

shiftwork2

I had a tooth taken out by a student at RVI in Newcastle.  It was fine.  I did the whole 'I have every faith in your abilities' schtick although of course I fucking didn't with this shaking melt going in with a pair of pliers.  It was fine though.  The clinic was a bit chaotic with vagrants and the dentally dispossessed making a racket but it was fine, really.

Cloud

Thanks for the ideas, keep em coming

Quote from: Dr Rock on October 11, 2021, 08:37:23 AM
Do um crowdfunder x

I've genuinely seen people do crowdfunding for stuff like this.  Wouldn't have the conscience for it, not when in a full time job and with savings etc.  I just really resent that it's probably going to drain the savings I've worked so hard to put together, just makes you think "what's the point". Whenever you manage to scrape some money together, there's always an extended hand from either a dentist or a garage.

TrenterPercenter


monkfromhavana


touchingcloth

Quote from: Cloud on October 11, 2021, 10:07:19 AM
Blimey, wouldn't mind one of these freelancers!

Another possibility appears to be getting done by a student. I'm rather nervous about that prospect though...

Hell I'm nervous about everything.  Not in pain thankfully (yet) but it's playing havoc with my undiagnosed anxiety issues.

I'd love to think that it's nothing much and I'll be sent on my merry way somehow but considering it's the tooth that was already under question some guy's razor (that thing about the simplest explanation being the most likely) applies here. And Everything I've read is quite adamant that if you get an abscess or cyst, a root canal is needed. Which comes straight back to "The examination is £45, root canal £600, new crown another £600, and you'll probably be back..."

I can highly recommend tooth extractions performed with Occam's razor. Cut it right out.

Uncle TechTip

Stand your ground, don't give the impression you'll pay hundreds or thousands and they soon get the message. I had a very similar story, a molar that had root canal work fell apart and the root filling came out, along with half of the tooth itself. No pain but rather uncomfortable. The private dentist had a look and it was the sliding scale of intervention, you could have a crown for 600 but really an implant is best, North of 2000. I didn't like this at all and made that pretty clear, it's a lot of money I'm just not sure.

So when the day came to return and start whatever work was necessary, I said nothing, excepting to be given the choice. Without a word, the same dentist just starts on filling up the hole and tidying the rest. So I still have half a tooth but the hole is filled up and it's still a functional tooth, never given me a problem. It only cost 2 or 300.

It was like they try the hustle on you, if they recognise you're not a mark they sort you out with basic but functional work and get you out of there asap as they can't con you out of thousands.

Cloud

Yeah exactly, when it came up 2 years ago I just sat there looking and feeling stunned.  She went from 0 to implants so fast I was left dizzy and so crammed full of rapid (and rapidly escalating) information that I actually couldn't remember it all clearly.  Like there was that bit about "maybe we'll have to do all 3" that I can't remember the details of (but I'm sure they'd love to rinse me for 7.5k upwards)

The monologue went something like "right, this is going to be expensive I'm afraid, I'll need to take the crown off and have a look at what's going on but I think the minimum you're going to be paying is around 600 if you do nothing afterwards.  We could see if we can repair and recrown it, but for the cost of that it might make more sense just to pull and replace it.  We could try a bridge but I don't think your broken teeth either side are strong enough for that so it's a bit of a risk of ending up down 3 teeth.  You can have a false tooth that you pop in and out but I'll warn you it'll be a hassle that you don't really want and by the time you've paid for that, it's getting close to the cost of an implant which is around £2500 but if you need those others doing they can probably be done together for £6k or so... it's a lot of money but we have finance..." (and at this point I was in so much shock I was zoning out

I made it clear I was shocked and going to try and find an NHS dentist or something, and that's probably why she ended up getting a second opinion from the head dentist of the practice who then called me in to say "well actually your radiographs going back 10 years look just the same so it's probably just some of the material in your tooth showing up and it looks okay if we take it at this other angle, so I'd say just leave it as it is".  Their way of getting me confident in them again I suppose.  But now that an abscess has appeared over it and it feels dodgy to bite with it's fairly obvious that they were right the first time and it's probably something that's simply been festering for a decade.  Anyway yeah I'm a little more prepared this time but will still be doing the "HOW MUCH?!"

peanutbutter

I believe the way dental insurance works is that you've to go to a dentist and get all the recommended treatment done first, then do at least one checkup a year along with whatever treatment is suggested. Most stuff will come below the level you can claim insurance on with most plans so it's purely for peace of mind that you won't be hit with a gigantic bill.


Can easily see me once I own my own place just opting to spend a fucking fortune on my teeth, any time I get any work done it takes me months to get used to it and it's really annoying to be still  paying the price decades on for whatever the fuck i done between 8 and 13 to absolutely destroy my teeth. Utterly remarkable I haven't had a tooth pulled yet tbh.