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Exposed nerve.

Re: pulled my tooth

I'm not sure if the CDS is free either. Plus it depends on the PCT whether you will be seen immediately. Maybe you should try A&E. Tell them you can't afford to go to a dentist and if they don't treat you, you will get really ill and turn up there again. If you get referred from A&E as an outpatient it is likely to be free. Bear in mind though some A&E departments have a GP type pre triage service to deal with any non emergency cases & reduce A&E activity.

ridiculous that people cannot just have a tooth out for free if they are on limited means.

I am sure that it is still totally possible since the whole principle of UK NHS is 'free at point of use' especially in emergency even for dentistry...this is an emergency. I'm pretty sure CDS is free. That case in the USA where a child died of a tooth abcess couldn't in theory happen in UK as all kids are free.
I bet he could get free care at a dental hospital clinic as well.
NHS Direct should be able to advise him as one of the first posters said.
 
Re: pulled my tooth

Over here there's a clinic for people with low incomes called CUPS (Calgary Urban Projects Society) where they offer services for low income and people in difficult situations. Dentists volunteer their time, and emergencies are taken care of. I wonder if there's anything similar to that over in the UK.

[broken link removed]

We also have a free dental day every year where some clinics offer their services to prescreened patients to perform free dental treatment. The university clinic is also manned by students who help out under supervision.

I would think that other cities might have something similar to these programs, and if not, maybe people could contact the movers and shakers in their local districts to help develop similar programs.

This sort of charity stuff doesn't seem to exist in UK at all because for the most part the NHS takes care of it all from cradle to grave.....there is a way this guy is entitled to help...but he may have to be a bit assertive to access it and as he's phobic he isn't going to do that anytime soon.
His GP provided he has a good relationship with him is his best bet of getting hospital emergency referral which would be free....the NHS hospital service is just not geared up to bill anyone really (alien concept)...it's wonderful to behold in this regard!

However having googled some more it seems according to Wiltshire CDS NHS bands are charged since 2006 (recent change)...this of course means the charges are low and many people are still free but it introduces a whole new loophole (the first of which I am aware) into the 'free at point of use' philosophy and if I were still living in the UK, I would be raising it with my MP.
I also found stuff that said Dental Access Centres charged according to the NHS bands too, to those not in the fully exempt categories. It seems the new loophole is that the people in the exempt categories is not as wide as it once was...i.e. anyone on any benefit used to be fully exempt.

No doubt Gordon will enlighten us but I understand the Scottish system is possibly less crass and more like it used to be, as they don't have the 'new dental contract' there.
 
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Re: pulled my tooth

His GP provided he has a good relationship with him is his best bet of getting hospital emergency referral which would be free....the NHS hospital service is just not geared up to bill anyone really (alien concept)...it's wonderful to behold in this regard!


No doubt Gordon will enlighten us but I understand the Scottish system is possibly less crass and more like it used to be, as they don't have the 'new dental contract' there.


I think you will find things have changed particularly with respect to "free" dentistry. CDS has specific criteria and GPs now have practice based commissioning budgets which they can make savings against, most of which include community services (including cds) so may be reluctant to refer if you can't make a strong case. Trusts are very geared up to charging private patients. About 25% of trusts have foundation status and manage their finances with far less government interference.

If you look at the exemptions list, there are people who get free treatment - children, full time students, pregnant mothers etc. and people who qualify for help. The poster has already investigated and qualifies for some help, but still can't afford it. The only way the poster can qualify for totally free treatment is if they go back to the GP and get an outpatient referral (may take some time) or end up in A&E. depending on where the patient lives, the GP may get cross examined as to why he made the referral. You need a good reason - maybe go down the phobic route.


ps. Scotland is different - they have their own rules. I think they even get free prescriptions in Scotland.
 
Re: pulled my tooth

The patient may need to contact the pals unit of their local PCT and find out the local rules for this. You do have to perservere if you don't get through to the right person.
 
Re: pulled my tooth

I think you will find things have changed particularly with respect to "free" dentistry. CDS has specific criteria and GPs now have practice based commissioning budgets which they can make savings against, most of which include community services (including cds) so may be reluctant to refer if you can't make a strong case. Trusts are very geared up to charging private patients. About 25% of trusts have foundation status and manage their finances with far less government interference.

If you look at the exemptions list, there are people who get free treatment - children, full time students, pregnant mothers etc. and people who qualify for help. The poster has already investigated and qualifies for some help, but still can't afford it. The only way the poster can qualify for totally free treatment is if they go back to the GP and get an outpatient referral (may take some time) or end up in A&E. depending on where the patient lives, the GP may get cross examined as to why he made the referral. You need a good reason - maybe go down the phobic route.


ps. Scotland is different - they have their own rules. I think they even get free prescriptions in Scotland.

Yeah - depressing isn't it? I amended my earlier post after googling some more...the real problem is that the people who are fully exempt is a smaller category than it used to be...time to lobby MPs...
when I had a baby in an NHS hospital just 6 years ago - they were incapable of charging me for my medically unnecessary private room even though I was perfectly willing to pay...they had a tariff but couldn't be bothered to process it.
I think there's a real case to make that anyone on a low income should be entitled to free emergency dentistry (as they used to be) as although the Band fees are very low...they represent a high proportion if you are on a low fixed income.


On the link we both posted, if you look up the leaflets they still refer to free NHS treatment for people on benefit and free CDS (not the NHS Bands applying) so it seems 2006 is when it all changed. It's very misleading to have the downloadable leaflet saying one thing and the website page another....not enough bureaucrats in web maintenance then!
 
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Re: pulled my tooth

Please let us know how you are.


Katx

Pete replied to a PM I sent to him yesterday. He wanted to pass on thanks to everyone on this forum who offered advice.

As far as I am aware, Pete was going to try and borrow funds from a family member to get some treatment as soon as possible..

Good Luck at the Dentist.. please come back and tell us how you got on...

Pirate Silva
 
hey paid £37 to see dentist but he will not start treatment till I get rid of my
abcess with amoxycillin he prescribed
so now I need to pay again to go back in ten days but I still have tremendous pain from the partly exposed nerve tried clove oil and paid eight quid for some
anaesethic gel from chemist which worked a bit but only lasted four hours
cos there was three grams in tube
can any one tell me howto effectively kill the nerve?
I know it will hurt but hey five seconds or ten days I know which I am
gonna try. pete :) forum name pkbl44 p.s. do not think i am not grateful
for advice I just do not know how to use these forums proper yet.
 
I am so sorry to hear you are in such pain. As the dentist was unable to actually treat you, but the appointment turned into a consultation only, that was why it was just the £37 and that you will have to pay again for the actual treatment. I don't think it would have been much different if you had been able to have treatment at this appointment because you would still have been charged the extra for whatever he is going to do. The antibiotics will hopefully clear up the infection and perhaps some other painkiller will help reduce the pain. I personally hate the clove oil stuff. Tried it many years ago when I was in pain and quite honestly, preferred the pain. Hope you can get the pain to subside and that 10 days will pass quickly but quite honestly I would completely discount trying to do any DIY dentistry which can only make matters worse. Leave it to the experts.
 
I'm glad you managed to see a dentist!

Hopefully the antibiotics will start working soon and you will get at least a bit of relief.

Fingers crossed

Katx:thumbsup:
 
I seriously fail to see why your gp did not give you antibiotics. You probably get prescriptions free. I'd make an official complaint to your practice manager at the way you have been treated and send them a bill for £37.

By the way gordon says not to use clove oil on exposed nerves as it can make an infection worse. I don't understand why your dentist could not just remove the remaining tooth and give you antibiotics for later. Maybe one of the dentists can explain the logic.
 
I don't understand why your dentist could not just remove the remaining tooth and give you antibiotics for later. Maybe one of the dentists can explain the logic.

I'm guessing because the LA may be less effective with infection present?
 
Often a dentist will prescribe an antibiotic in lieu of treatment due to one of the following reasons:

1. They feel that the infection in the area would prevent them from achieving profound anesthesia.

2. They don't have enough time to perform the treatment that day so they hope the antibiotic will manage things until the patient can rebook.

3. They aren't quite sure what is causing the problem so they hope that tossing some antibiotics at the problem will make it disappear temporarily until they can figure something out. :(
 
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