A
Ann44
Junior member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2019
- Messages
- 7
- Location
- Bristol
Hi
I recently lost half the back of one of my bottom front teeth. So the full width of tooth and about 3 mm down at the back half was missing. I'm 44 and look after my teeth well. I don't know how it happened, I was eating hot soft food (spaghetti meat balls). My guess is that because I was also drinking a very cold (refrigerated drink) with the piping hot meal this cracked/ chipped the tooth somehow and it came away.
Anyway it happened on a Saturday, I made an appointment first thing on Monday. Meanwhile, I was frightened to eat anything and cancelled a social meal I had on the Sunday. I have a local NHS dentist. Luckily they managed to get me an appointment that day at 4.30 pm. I was kept waiting for over half an hour which I didn't mind, but when it was my turn to see the dentist I felt she was trying to rush the appointment as someone was waiting after me, perhaps she didn't want to work late. I asked if she would open a treatment plan and explained I was happy to come back another time for the check up part (it had been 10 months since last visit so it wasn't really due for 2 months anyway) and a clean but that I just wanted the filling done today to protect the tooth.
My worst nightmare came true and she started playing it down, saying it was only a chip and didn't need doing today that I should come back (by the way the next available appointment with her wasn't for 3 weeks). There was no way I could wait a few weeks to have it done. I explained I was scared the rest of the front of the tooth could chip off and then I'd need like a crown or something (a lot more money). She said yes it could chip off but no more likely because I was missing the back and that having the filling would offer no more strength to the tooth. She said all this without having even looked at the tooth. The tooth felt rough, jagged and I was sure more tooth would fall away. Anyway I ended up having a bit of panic attack and getting quite upset, so she reluctantly ended up agreeing to do the tooth. She was quite angry and complained at having to clean the tooth first before she could do the filling. It sounded like she was going to change her mind. I felt it was a bit rushed, the filling at the back feels a bit bulbous, I asked if she could sand it down a bit but she argued it was the same width as my other tooth. I've been sanding it down myself since i've been back. I think its disgusting I have to pay £62 for what is like 15 mins work, a lot of money. I don't feel I get the due care and attention on the work I'm owed and that I had to go through all that stress before she would even agree to fill my tooth.
What I would like is if I could give me an opinion on the following;
- Was she correct in saying that it was not necessary to fill the tooth for a few more weeks, that the front of the tooth was no more likely to chip away with the top back of it missing? I'm not stupid, I have got a degree. Also an A-level in design and technology so I do have knowledge about strength structures and if you half the width of something its going to be less strong under pressure. So I believe I was being fobbed off, but it would be good to have another opinion.
- What can I do if this happens again? I'm a bit worried as my other bottom tooth has chipped away twice at the back. I've worked out I can't ring a private dentist for a one off filling as they require you to be on their books. So in your opinion could I buy some dental cement or something and would this work for a few weeks to help protect the tooth until I could get a proper filling?
- Why does the back of the bottom teeth chip away? I did ask the dentist but she just got angry at me saying she had told me I grind my teeth. She said I must have grinded my teeth or bit on something hard for it to chip off. I said no didn't bit anything hard. I also don't believe I grind my teeth at night and never woken up doing so and I'm a light sleeper (but I will get one of those night braces she wants me to get). I'm thinking its because I get a lot of tartar build up. I do floss and clean away the tartar carefully myself regularly. It had probably been nearly 2 years since I had a professional clean (because my appointment with her last year yet again she didn't have time to clean even just the bottom teeth and I only had a check up with her! ). I can see brown stains at the back of my teeth so perhaps this is what causes the enamel to weaken and fall off?
Hope to hear from you
Regards
Ann
I recently lost half the back of one of my bottom front teeth. So the full width of tooth and about 3 mm down at the back half was missing. I'm 44 and look after my teeth well. I don't know how it happened, I was eating hot soft food (spaghetti meat balls). My guess is that because I was also drinking a very cold (refrigerated drink) with the piping hot meal this cracked/ chipped the tooth somehow and it came away.
Anyway it happened on a Saturday, I made an appointment first thing on Monday. Meanwhile, I was frightened to eat anything and cancelled a social meal I had on the Sunday. I have a local NHS dentist. Luckily they managed to get me an appointment that day at 4.30 pm. I was kept waiting for over half an hour which I didn't mind, but when it was my turn to see the dentist I felt she was trying to rush the appointment as someone was waiting after me, perhaps she didn't want to work late. I asked if she would open a treatment plan and explained I was happy to come back another time for the check up part (it had been 10 months since last visit so it wasn't really due for 2 months anyway) and a clean but that I just wanted the filling done today to protect the tooth.
My worst nightmare came true and she started playing it down, saying it was only a chip and didn't need doing today that I should come back (by the way the next available appointment with her wasn't for 3 weeks). There was no way I could wait a few weeks to have it done. I explained I was scared the rest of the front of the tooth could chip off and then I'd need like a crown or something (a lot more money). She said yes it could chip off but no more likely because I was missing the back and that having the filling would offer no more strength to the tooth. She said all this without having even looked at the tooth. The tooth felt rough, jagged and I was sure more tooth would fall away. Anyway I ended up having a bit of panic attack and getting quite upset, so she reluctantly ended up agreeing to do the tooth. She was quite angry and complained at having to clean the tooth first before she could do the filling. It sounded like she was going to change her mind. I felt it was a bit rushed, the filling at the back feels a bit bulbous, I asked if she could sand it down a bit but she argued it was the same width as my other tooth. I've been sanding it down myself since i've been back. I think its disgusting I have to pay £62 for what is like 15 mins work, a lot of money. I don't feel I get the due care and attention on the work I'm owed and that I had to go through all that stress before she would even agree to fill my tooth.
What I would like is if I could give me an opinion on the following;
- Was she correct in saying that it was not necessary to fill the tooth for a few more weeks, that the front of the tooth was no more likely to chip away with the top back of it missing? I'm not stupid, I have got a degree. Also an A-level in design and technology so I do have knowledge about strength structures and if you half the width of something its going to be less strong under pressure. So I believe I was being fobbed off, but it would be good to have another opinion.
- What can I do if this happens again? I'm a bit worried as my other bottom tooth has chipped away twice at the back. I've worked out I can't ring a private dentist for a one off filling as they require you to be on their books. So in your opinion could I buy some dental cement or something and would this work for a few weeks to help protect the tooth until I could get a proper filling?
- Why does the back of the bottom teeth chip away? I did ask the dentist but she just got angry at me saying she had told me I grind my teeth. She said I must have grinded my teeth or bit on something hard for it to chip off. I said no didn't bit anything hard. I also don't believe I grind my teeth at night and never woken up doing so and I'm a light sleeper (but I will get one of those night braces she wants me to get). I'm thinking its because I get a lot of tartar build up. I do floss and clean away the tartar carefully myself regularly. It had probably been nearly 2 years since I had a professional clean (because my appointment with her last year yet again she didn't have time to clean even just the bottom teeth and I only had a check up with her! ). I can see brown stains at the back of my teeth so perhaps this is what causes the enamel to weaken and fall off?
Hope to hear from you
Regards
Ann