• Dental Phobia Support

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Help needed regarding next steps to take, I'm getting to my wits end!

Well I think the whole of section two (Dental unscheduled (or urgent) classification) may just apply, as I am still in a great deal of pain and maybe there could still be an infection, as this thing is taking longer to heal than it should. Dry socket, having been treated and dressed, with a course of antibiotics can't still be a thing even now, can it? I found a lady who's molar socket also took quite a while to heal and was eventually diagnosed as 'Squamous Cell Carcinoma'. I'm sure I haven't got that, as I don't really want TWO types of cancer!
 
I'm sure I haven't got that, as I don't really want TWO types of cancer!

What? Are you taking any chemotherapy agents or anything like bisphosphonates? Have you had radiotherapy?

Can't speak for England but in Scotland the Public Dental Service are running treatment centres for high risk patients who can't get seen in their usual general practices.
 
Sorry, I didn't realise you were still in physical pain (and a great deal of it at that)!

Have you been in touch with PALS, they should be able to point you into the right direction and know of the English equivalent of treatment centres for high risk patients that Gordon mentioned above? The contact details for Norfolk are:

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on freephone 0800 088 4449 or email [email protected]
 
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Thanks! I have been in touch today with 111, who said that yes, I should be able to get treatment somewhere. They gave me four numbers to ring. The first three all said that they were then about to close and have been told to by the government. (?) So that left me one number, which is the local emergency dentist (The Siskin Centre in Norwich, Norfolk) who took my tooth out in the first place! This is also where the nurse who worked alongside the dentist lady I saw, told me last week that my request for dental help for my digging in tooth (having told her that it IS an emergency to me) is only 'cosmetic' and that they wouldn't do anything to help me (I never got to speak to the dentist). However, like you said letsconnect, I am still in physical pain. I touched the roof of my mouth last night with my tongue (just inside the extraction site) and nearly went through the roof! (Of my house, not my mouth). The pain is just like a bolt of lightening or an electric shock. So if I can even get past the nurse and manage to actually get my only chance of an appointment with a dentist in the whole of Norfolk, I will tell her about the pain, which I hope she will tackle and I will try to carefully ask for any advice she can give about my other problem at the same time, which I think is actually the bigger one. Shooting pains I can handle quite easily it would seem, but waves of fear and panic attacks are another thing entirely!

Gordon, no I am not taking any of them, nor having chemotherapy for my Prostate Cancer. I am currently on Hormone Therapy, (Prostap 3DCS, 3-monthly injections) having been on Bicalutamide tablets for a month and then also these injections two weeks after starting with the tablets. I WILL be having Radio Therapy from early June, for about two months, so don't know if I need to do anything different then, but the dentist I will hopefully see tomorrow, knows all about these latest treatments. Should I not manage to get an appointment, which I think is most likely to happen due to this odd nurse, then I shall be in touch with the PALS service, as letsconnect suggested. I read your interview on this site on Sunday Gordon, where it said that you enjoyed making up dentures and since you mentioned having a single, temporary one made and fitted, don't know if you may know of anyone who could do such a thing or anywhere I could go to achieve this please? I know it's a long shot with all this Corona stuff going on, but I really cannot imagine living like this for another three months, with no relief!

One dentist I spoke to today, suggested using a kind of dental gum to either fill the hole or cover the teeth edges temporarily, though he didn't really elaborate much on how to do this? I don't want to have to resort to making my own denture up, as I found a truckload of YouTube videos on the subject, yet probably daren't attempt to do anything like that! Even though some of them do look OK. You never know though, three months is a really long time. If the PALS service can't help me, maybe I should get on a train to Scotland and take advantage of their 'high risk patient' service! Though I'll bet that's only for Scottish residents?

Thank you both again for your caring and helpful ideas.
 
Just to add that, having checked the PALS website, they only list the Siskin Dental Centre for Norwich, so probably no point calling them then, though I may try anyway. They also are meant to have a treatment centre in Kings Lynn (about 50+ miles from me), yet I couldn't find them mentioned anywhere on their website, other than the first page of Dental help.
 
I'm sorry, I don't know anyone in Norwich area, or I'd send you to them... this is a pretty disgraceful effort by your NHS Trust, I'd be making a bit of a nuisance of myself to their higher ups, you need to stress that you're a high risk patient who has a socket which isn't healing, (honestly I know the tooth rubbing thing seems a higher priority to you, but in the minds of all the people who will be triaging your call, it really isn't!). A non healing socket in a patient who is immunocompromised is a big deal.

You need to have the socket checked immediately, your medical history makes you a priority case, but the people answering the phones have a script to work through, you need to make your answers fit the script :)

Lastly, I know you're joking but no, the Scottish clinics do not operate on post codes :)
 
Well I may as well bang my head against the wall for all the good they've done for me today! I was waiting on the phone for 56 out of a possible 60 minutes, to try and get an appointment. Having put my case as well as I could, I was 'allowed' to go up to see someone. I had explained all about the 'high risk' category and so on. When I got there, I had to wash my hands first (of course), then don one of those masks, (a bit strange, though they did at least ask me to remove it for examination). Then the dentist (who I hadn't seen before), asked me a few things about the pain I was in. She said that the reason why my socket is healing more slowly than I expected, is due to my diabetes, but that it does seem to be healing at least. When I said I had spoken to a dentist on the 111 helpline (could've been a nurse though!) She said "Well why on earth did you come up here!?" Nearly shouting it at me. I said how he had told me to, as I was a high risk patient. 'Well you really shouldn't have!" She went on. She also said that I didn't need any more antibiotics and that I should heal up properly in a little while. When I explained about my mental health problems, she nearly laughed in my face and looked both amused and frustrated! This is what I have had for most of my 'mental health' life. I don't know why people who have obviously never had a mental health problem, simply cannot understand that it can actually be the bigger problem! This is maybe what leads to so many people taking their own lives, as they know that no-one will ever believe them and will just laugh! I don't suppose I will ever be let back in there now!
 
So sorry you had this experience Gilbo.. agh . that is awful... Wish people would have more compassion, even if they technically can't treat you due to covid, they could be a little more compassionate and caring..
 
Thank you krlovesherkids777. Not wanting to offend anyone on here, as you're all marvellous and have been a great help to me, I see countless stories of people being treated kindly and gently and getting wonderful treatment from their great new dentists. Yet I wonder why I've never had one of those types ever!? Is it me? Does my strange tone put people off me or something? I certainly don't intend to come across like that. I couldn't believe this one today though, who seemed to think that having to wait three months to be let out of Hell, is more than I deserve!

I think it comes from remembering the dentists of my childhood. I won't go into details, but lets just say that they were quite different from the ones of today. Maybe it's a location thing? I've heard friends say that their dentists are wonderful, yet when I enquire they never seem to have any space for new patients! I wish I could win the lottery or something, as I've heard that (some) people in the US can get toothache and just go straight to their dentist and get treated right away, on that same day! I'm at the opposite end of that spectrum I'm afraid and could maybe afford some of the treatment out of my own pocket, but not most of the prices they charge for things! Maybe an implant done abroad perhaps, would be my best option? Instead of the fixed bridge on the NHS, that I have been considering. But then all of my savings would be gone. Probably worth it to feel normal again though.

I pride myself (usually) on being different than most people. So this is maybe why, when this awful virus attacks lots of people of all ages, I'm the one who gets tooth problems that cannot be dealt with, until it's all over! I hope they all get well soon.

I seem to have found a place to 'put' my tongue, so that the gagging and panic attacks mostly stop, but that involves putting it there and concentrating on holding it there. Otherwise when the dreaded back tooth finds my tongue and digs in again, I feel like I'm back to square one! I hope Boris is right and that we get shot of this thing by Easter, so that things can very quickly return to normal. But I won't get my hopes up!
 
Sadly, it looks like a bit of wishful thinking on Boris' part that we get shot of this thing by Easter :( .

I don't think it's you, it's actually pretty difficult to find NHS dentists in England who aren't demotivated and stressed out by the system they have to operate under. Most of them are under an enormous amount of time pressure. Of course, that's no excuse for being dismissive of their patients and uncaring. I think you've just been unlucky.

We have had a number of recommendations for Chris Lefkaditis at Hellesdon Dental Care in Norwich, but they provide private dental care only. Bear in mind that even though a dental implant may be the gold standard for replacing a missing tooth, there are other cheaper options.

Re. getting an implant done abroad - implants are not really a one-off process but involve repeat visits, so when you add up the costs for flights, accommodation and the implant itself of course, it may not be a significant saving after all... add to that likely travel restrictions (including Eastern Europe) over the coming years with the Coronavirus and it's looking less attractive by the minute.

I'm sorry you had such a crappy experience yesterday - that really sucks :cry:.
 
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience Gilbo, sometimes I really want to give some of my (former) colleagues a major kick up the rear end. I think a lot of the trouble is that (wild generalisation alert!) they don't actually like doing dentistry but can't bring themselves to stop because they like the money... so they take their frustrations out on the poor patients.
 
Just on another point, the lady next door to us and her daughter, both go to my old dentist, (who scheduled my extraction for May 13th!) Apparently the daughter had an appointment for yesterday, (Friday) and went, not expecting them to see her. The chap has apparently made her a mould up for a new night-guard, as she has bruxism too. (They're otherwise just open for emergencies too.) I'm quite surprised about that, as they're all meant to be closed down, or so I had heard. I wonder if maybe I went crawling back on my hands and knees, he would do me one too, as the old one is so mis-shapen now? Or maybe even attempt a denture? I know going back there would be a stupid thing to do, but desperate times as they say...
 
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