Update: And so after 6 years I finally visited the Dentist..

[stuart-b]

Mods, please don't move this to health just yet, I want to try and get some opinions from non-medical people who might not look at the health forum...

200+ days ago I posted about needing to go to the dentist... being who I am I left it until today to go, due to an infection around my wisdom tooth which started friday, almost bought me to the point of tears and a hospital trip by Sunday night. Woke up this morning, without hardly any pain at all, and now being almost clear... (lots of salt water, mouth wash, cloves, you name it...). Thank god...

So my dentist looks at the teeth and takes an x-ray. To my amazement he doesn't want to pull the wisdom tooth and wants to fill it first. He also sees another problem on the left side of my mouth that needs a composite filling.

However an xray reveals that a tooth I thought was perfect, is potentially dead? A top right molar which has never bothered me before, and looks fine (he also thought it was fine until xray). I looked at the xray and it was only very _slightly_ darker than the tooth next to it, also he thinks the root might still be alive. He has recommended filling, with possible root canal work, but he says that might not even save the tooth and it might just be a shell of enamel???? I might even loose the tooth. This definately suprised me!

He also said that I have 5 other teeth he would like to do very minor work to, preventative, to stop any further problems.

This is 8 fillings, 1 possible root canal, and a total of £980 bill.

The preventative fillings are the same price as the bigger jobs and even as much as the root canal... hmmm. It made me start thinking, this seems like a lot of money?

Anyway, I am going to get a second opinion and see another dentist for another shot of radiation to confirm if that tooth is really dead.

Anyone else has similiar experiences??

He seems like a really nice dentist but, something just wasn't quite right. He is private by the way, and a specalist in root canal work, the rest of the guys are into implants and cosmetic surgery.

Cheers.

[deevlash]

This is why I go to the dentist every 6 months, i doesnt sound too over priced really then again im not a dentist. Ive got no fillings at 27 :P

[DJC]

Unfortunately that sounds quite accurate.

I had a similar bill when I went to visit the dentist after leaving it 10yrs, I required a further 10 visit before my teeth were sorted again and I was £1000 lighter in the wallet.

[Steamer]

stuart-b said:

This is 8 fillings, 1 possible root canal, and a total of £980 bill.

Yes - as crazy as it sounds, a female friend of mine (who has great teeth) went to the dentist for the first time in years - he also relieved her of £1000 too... and that wasnt for any fancy cosmetic work.

My own experience:

Went to the dentist for the first time in 5 years, had no pervious fillings or complications. One of my lower back teeth started aching... so with a face like a bulldog licking ps off a nettle, I had to go to the emergency NHS dentist.

4 fillings = £45 total!

The conversation & treatment was a bit 'formal' but I was VERY happy with the price.

[RobCrezz]

Should have registered with the NHS!

[Steamer]

RobCrezz said:

Should have registered with the NHS!

I didnt - I just walked in explained it was an emergency and I didnt have a regular dentist, they did the first 2 fillings that day and the next two (less urgent) the following week.

[Famous Graham]

RobCrezz said:

Should have registered with the NHS!

Good luck.

Finding one taking patients can be a chore in itself.

And they're not exactly cheap either.

One of the reasons my teeth are a bit fked is I simply cannot afford any treatment.

(doesn't help the cost that I have to be sedated, mind).

[BlueSmoke]

I didn't go for a few years myself, and then when I did finally go, I needed just over £500 worth of work. I'm glad I went and didn't leave it any longer though!

Best of luck!

[monthefish]

I once met a chap who boasted about how he only went to the dentist when he felt he needed to....

[Zod]

I went to the dentist once a month last year for remedial work after 15 years of staying away (bad dentists in childhood). With fillings a bridge and a couple of crown replacements, I spent several thousand pounds.

[stuart-b]

Agreed it won't be cheap, but how can a proper filling be the same as a tiny preventative one???

£130 for something that takes 15-30minutes, then £130 for something that I can have without an injection and it takes 2 minutes....

This is what I don't understand.

Why isn't there a sliding scale based on the size and time of the problem? Surely it would be better to charge on a time basis + costs for the filling material and injections?

[Los Palmas 7]

deevlash said:

This is why I go to the dentist every 6 months

Do many people do this?

I know it's probably the sensible option, but the blokey side of me only feels the need to visit the dentist when I'm in tooth-related agony. Therefore, the last time I had a man poking his tool in my mouth was when I had an abscess about three years ago. It was either seek medical help or rip my own jaw off.

As I see it, it's akin to visiting the Doctor every six months for a full check-up and then saying to the Doctor "While I'm here, can you get the Nurse to give me a good wash?"

[Merlot]

Famous Graham said:

RobCrezz said:

Should have registered with the NHS!

Good luck.

Finding one taking patients can be a chore in itself.

I went to the dentist for the first time in about 3 years. £16.50 checkup and all clear, come back again in 6 months.

My girlfriend hasn't been for about 6 years, and needs one filling. Paying extra for the white filling, but even then it is only £60 (plus her £16.50 checkup fee).

This is with a local very well regarded dentist who does both NHS and private work. We just phoned up as 'new' NHS patients with no current dentist and booked for the following week. It is also only 1 mile from our new house, so happy days indeed.

[Podie]

I used to go every six months, but hadn't been for about 2 years up until about 3 weeks ago.

I'm on a corporate scheme that covers myself and the good lady. Last year she needed some work done, and I got reminded that I needed to have a checkup.

Ended up getting a bit of a lecture on going every 6 months (fair enough), got some useful advice, a scale and a polish (30 minutes of scraping... ) and some teepee brushes.

Cost a few quid, but all claimed back via the scheme... which allowed it all to be done on Harley Street. Happy to recommend if anyone wants a pointer...

[GreenDog]

Los Palmas 7 said:

"While I'm here, can you get the Nurse to give me a good wash?"

I'd pay £16 every 6 months for that

[stuart-b]

Merlot said:

My girlfriend hasn't been for about 6 years, and needs one filling. Paying extra for the white filling, but even then it is only £60 (plus her £16.50 checkup fee).

bh.

[deevlash]

Los Palmas 7 said:

deevlash said:

This is why I go to the dentist every 6 months

Do many people do this?

I know it's probably the sensible option, but the blokey side of me only feels the need to visit the dentist when I'm in tooth-related agony. Therefore, the last time I had a man poking his tool in my mouth was when I had an abscess about three years ago. It was either seek medical help or rip my own jaw off.

As I see it, it's akin to visiting the Doctor every six months for a full check-up and then saying to the Doctor "While I'm here, can you get the Nurse to give me a good wash?"

Ive no idea if other folk do it, its not exactly a hassle though and chicks love nice teeth. Also, fook getting landed with a £1000 bill and some horrid surgery when I can get free check ups instead!

[cs02rm0]

I hadn't been for about 7 years Until about 8 months ago. Just a quick polish the first time, the second time, 6 months later, I was in there for all of 30 seconds.

Edited by cs02rm0 on Tuesday 28th July 15:16

[fivesixseven8]

deevlash said:

Los Palmas 7 said:

deevlash said:

This is why I go to the dentist every 6 months

Do many people do this?

I know it's probably the sensible option, but the blokey side of me only feels the need to visit the dentist when I'm in tooth-related agony. Therefore, the last time I had a man poking his tool in my mouth was when I had an abscess about three years ago. It was either seek medical help or rip my own jaw off.

As I see it, it's akin to visiting the Doctor every six months for a full check-up and then saying to the Doctor "While I'm here, can you get the Nurse to give me a good wash?"

Ive no idea if other folk do it, its not exactly a hassle though and chicks love nice teeth. Also, fook getting landed with a £1000 bill and some horrid surgery when I can get free check ups instead!

+1 I go every 6 months and always have done. Turn 30 in a matter of weeks and have only had one filing so far (I felt dirty on the way home )
I have some Denplan scheme where it's about £10 a month and that pays for 2 checkups/clean/polish and has generous allowances for any work that needs doing.

[Neil_H]

I haven't been for about 2 years and will have to soon due to a couple of problems. I made sure I took the dental insurance when choosing my benefits package from work this year for that reason! It works out about £500 for me and the GF, but that covers us for private treatment at a medium/ high priced dentist (they have a sliding scale of prices). Might be worth looking into a DENTAL PLAN! if you think you need a lot of work doing.

The biggest pain is actually finding time to go, as it's not local and requires half a day off work.