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New dentist tomorrow...

M

Menopausal Magpie

Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
52
So, I have my 'new patient' appointment at a private dentist tomorrow morning. I'm dreading what she'll find... (I explained in an earlier post that I just had an abscess and my NHS dentist gave me antibiotics and said that tooth probably needed extracting...she'd told me I was doing great and had no plaque on the last couple of checkups, so I was NOT expecting that.)

Just wanted some moral support...wish me luck. ?
 
I will be thinking of you tomorrow morning @Menopausal Magpie . Hope all goes great!! Let us know :grouphug:
 
All the best for tomorrow :grouphug: - I hope she's really nice and that she'll be able to help you and provide some clarity as to what's going on. Please let us know how you got on :clover::clover::clover:!
 
Thanks, people! :)

Well...I did it.

I got there nice and early. The dentist was running a little late, but the receptionist apologised, and the dentist herself apologised profusely when she did appear.

She led me into the treatment room (where the nurse was waiting), invited me to sit down and talk with her first, and looked over the medical form I'd filled in - plus the checklists from this site about my fears and what might help.

She asked if I was OK to sit in The Chair, and I said yes, and she took a look first to just see what teeth I had, and then again with a probe to see which ones had fillings and where. (This had ALREADY taken longer than an entire checkup at the NHS place. VERY much more thorough.). She said that one of my fillings was 'getting old' and would need replacement at some stage, but wasn't anything to worry about right now. (Fillings are actually something I'm relatively OK with.)

Then the gum probe. She explained how the numbers worked, and that she was estimating the 'worst' gum pocket in each of six sections of my mouth. I had some 4s, mostly at the back, which was disturbing given that the other dentist had said I was doing well...but like I said, this was a very much more thorough checkup than I've been used to. I was finding the gum probe a little uncomfortable, so she said she'd do that in more detail at another appointment.

She said the tooth I was worried about WAS a bit mobile, as I'd expected. (Thankfully, no others appear to be.) I told her I'd rather save it if at all possible, and she agreed that would be best, but she said that if it DID have to be extracted, a bridge might be a good solution - and they can do a conservative one that doesn't damage the teeth on either side too much.

(It was about this time I started crying. Probably just the stress having built up. She was very sympathetic, and the nurse fetched me some tissues.)

When I was calmer, she asked if I was OK with X-rays, and she took a bunch of them. She said she was going to have to look them over, decide what she'd recommend as the best course of action, and see me for a review (cost free) in a couple of weeks. The first thing is likely to be getting me in with one of the hygienists for a proper deep clean - I'm not sure my NHS dentist even HAD a hygienist! She recommends numbing me for that, and she says she might do the more thorough gum check while I'm numbed.

So...that's where I am, going back the week after next. How do I feel? Relieved that I'm getting something done properly now. Still a bit nervous at how much may need doing...but at least I can GET it done. Talking to her feels much more of a co-operative effort - like she wants to work WITH me, rather than telling me what she's going to do TO me.

Oh, and a bit p'd off at my old dentist for not doing things more thoroughly. I know the NHS has time constraints, but if the time she took with me (and my husband concurs, he goes to the same place) is typical, how many people's dental issues are they missing?...
 
Menopausel Magpie,

Wow, this sounds like a great start and she sounds like a very caring and competant dentist! I love that they seemed very compassionate when you had cried.. I also loved this part

"Talking to her feels much more of a co-operative effort - like she wants to work WITH me, rather than telling me what she's going to do TO me."

A real relational and partnership.. this is awesome!! Really congrats !

:welldone: :perfect: :cheer2:
 
What a fantastic review, Menopausal Magpie!! Very well done! :you-rock:

I absolutely loved to read that you were asked whether it was ok to sit in the chair, that the exam went gradually from a brief look to checking the fillings, to checking your gums. Also delighted to read that you were actually explained how the pocket measuring works and what it means and that you were asked whether you were comfortable with x-rays. Fantastic. Respect and being heared all the way through the visit.

The thoroughness of an exam may differ depending on NHS / private but surely also the individual dentists or even countries and insurances. My dentist offers both NHS and private treatment and I am pretty sure the NHS dentists in the practice work thoroughly too. At the end it's all about the particular people you work with and there will be NHS dentists who take a lot of time and provide great care and there will be some private ones who provide crappy care. I am really glad you have found a dentist who makes you feel listened to and who you can trust.
 
Congratulations Menopausal Magpie :cheers:!! Your new dentist sounds lovely, and I'm so glad that you can now do something proactive!

I'm not surprised you feel p'd off at your old dentist - I would feel betrayed and badly let down, too :(. Very glad you managed to change now rather than two or three years down the line... It takes a huge amount of courage to take this step and switch to a new dentist :welldone:!
 
Sounds like you are in good hands now and it was a wise choice to make the change! I love how they were sensitive to your discomfort with examining your gums and suggested assessing them further at a later time while you are numb. Shows already that they are very concerned about keeping you comfortable. Well done on making it through the appointment! Please keep us posted with how you get on!
 
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