Looking for some advice / support

[robscorer19]

OK so I've been reading this site for a while now, and I still require some further help / support, I thought I'd create an account as you all seem so nice...

I need some dental work urgently, and haven't been since i was a child (now 28).

I was one of those teens/young adults who felt invincible, smoked, drank, partied etc without care for my oral health/health in general. This has now caught up to me and Im suffering with incredible pain in one of my upper back teeth. I also have one of my upper side teeth quite badly eroded. Along with most of my other teeth (they're intact, but discoloured) this means I have been afraid of the dentist and what they might make of me and my poor gnashers.

The worst part of this is that i used to have lovely teeth, so much so that i used to gain compliments on them whist i was out and about. i now feel like theyre a lost cause.

I finally plucked up the courage to see some one about a year ago, and they were very very unpleasant and grilled me on how i've left it so long. they didnt even do anything, just charged me £40 and referred me to another practice which i subsequently didnt go ahead with, purely through nerves/bottle.

It has got to the point now where I pop pain killers 3/4 times a day which I know I can't keep doing.

My questions to those who have been in the same boat are;

- were you as worried as me about judgement from professionals?
- did you have to 'shop around' until you found a 'nice' dentist? or can't beggars be chosers in this type of thing?
- if you cannot get in on the NHS, am i looking at stupidly high costs (probably need at least one extraction and a crown)
- do you have any other advice or help that you think could help me?

Many thanks in advance

 

[Enarete]

Hi and welcome robscorer19. I'm sorry to read that you are in pain and even more sorry to read of your experience with the last practice. Finally plucking up the courage to see a dentist and then getting treated unpleasantly and being judged, that's really hard and not the best thing for the anxiety. They basically killed the last bit of your courage and determination to take care of your teeth

Judging a patient is inappropriate and no health care professional should do it. It is so silly - a dentist making you feel bad for the state of your teeth would be like a psycholgist making a scene for a patient having a depression or an auto mechanic getting crazy because your car is broken. If any dentist makes you feel bad for the state of your teeth, than he/she definitely has a problem with his/her job and that's their problem, not yours. I however understand that it's not that easy in reality. Here is a good thread to this from the FAQ section here:

Embarrassed

i havent been to the dentist in nearly 6 years, i am to embrassed to go, but i have a split gum on one of my top teeth i have look on the internet about it but cant find anyone who has any problem with split gums, i really worried about it, i am guessing this isnt normal.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

There are a lot of kind dentists out there who will be happy for you making the move towards dental care and will happily support you so keeping my fingers crossed for you to find someone such as soon as possible to handle the pain.

Private practices might have a list of fees online so that you can check the approximate costs. However for any costs there might be some options so better than not going at all might be to get at least an exam and a treatment plan to see what really needs to be done.

All the best wishes, may you get the tooth treated as soon as possible and keep us posted.

 

[robscorer19]

Thanks for the reply

I have looked at the FAQ page and it does encourage me.

Emailing a load of dentists now to see if I can be an NHS customer or if i have to go private.

 

[brit]

If you can have any control over which dentist you actually see (easier privately than NHS usually), try to become the patient of the practice owner or a partner so that they do not disappear by your next visit. In the NHS or at a practice which does NHS and private treatment (a mixed practice) the newly qualified dentists tend to be allocated the NHS patients.
As an oldie, I can say that any judgement from younger NHS dentists is likely down to their lack of life experience! Their courses seem to be attuned to making patients feel comfortable psychologically. Were you being palmed off for sedation at that last £40 visit?

Also as a general rule avoid a corporate chain practice if at all possible.