UK/Scotland - Miserable and need private dentist... payment options?

[fifer]

Hi all.

I lost a top right tooth (molar beside canine) due to decay because i never had a dentist when i was growing up and no one really made an issue of teeth. I was 16.

I remember that was when i stopped smiling.

Im 28 now and the quality of my life is absolutely terrible. I held back from dental fear since 19 then this year i decided enough was enough. I got 6 teeth extracted at the end of last year and it wasnt fun. I need a root canal and a filling on the top front right canine.

I didnt go back because of the rootcanal but i made another appointment for 2 weeks time. Its likely ill cancel because the thought of someone toying around down at the bottom of my tooth completely freaks me out.

In any case, i also believe the treatment plan is "partial dentures".

This is all terrible because my problems have not been fixed. The teeth that needed removed have been removed, but its no going to do anything to address my issue. The entire point of overcoming my fear was to sort my teeth out so i could be happy again.... not regain some kind of hidden awkward functionality......


My front 4top 7 teeth really are not so bad depite the years i didnt care for them, but they stop me smiling as i have said.

The problem is that i dont want to have bright fake white keyboard teeth so even if i pursue veneers on the NHS then if i do get them, im guessing they will be terribly fake and just not solve my problem. The problem of smiling!

I woke up today suitably depressed to look up local private dentists.

Heres one local:

Comely Park Dental

Dunfermline dentist in Fife dentistry offer advanced dental solutions, dental treatments, tooth whitening, and cosmetic dentistry in Scotland.

www.comelyparkdental.co.uk

If i decided to go with these guys tomorrow, is there any options available to me to help pay for the initial cost of treatment? Im happy to pay a high monthly fee for the next 10 years if it means next month i can smile again.

As far as im aware, dentists dont do this type of thing, so is there any options, external options, almost like finance! And so on.

Thanks,

 

[rayne]

hi. i am sorry to hear about your distress. i know what it is like not to smile. it really sucks.
i don't have much advice to offer, but i did want to mention that if you do get crowns, or veneers put on...you can help choose the color. they try to match crowns and stuff to your neighboring teeth, which aren't going to be all white anyways. just wanted to throw that out there. you should be able to have a say in the color.
and i have had three root canals. they definitly aren't as bad as people make them out to be. once you are numb, you can't feel a thing. it's a lot less sucky than extractions, in my book. if you could handle that, a root canal treatment should be no problem. : )

good luck sweetie. it won't be as bad as you think.

 

[Chancery]

Hi, having just had a root canal today I thought I would let you know what it's like, just to see if that helps you get there and get it done. For the record, I also had all my extractions done in childhood (much younger than you!). I only have 22 teeth left because of it, but after a dentist removed a tooth that only needed filling because it was faster and more convenient - I was only 13 and too phobic to realise what a terrible mistake it was - I swore to never let anyone remove one of my teeth again. Now I will endure any amount of root canals - and it is endure in terms of how afraid I am - to avoid it.

I'm going to give it to you absolutely straight so that you can be reassured. Root canals very seldom hurt. They feel just like a filling - in fact usually even less intrusive because once the nerve is extracted there is far less drilling than a filling on the subsequent visits. The only pain I've ever had with root canals was when one had some decay and the dentist touched it with a probe and I felt that (just a second's jab) and twice when they've been cleaning the very bottom of the root I've felt it slightly (again, a tiny jab). That's been the worst of it and I've had really difficult root canals, one even involving going to hospital and another where I had an extra root (in my alien teeth!) and the dentist couldn't get it cleaned out properly it was so thin. So I have literally spent hours in the chair and the one thing it doesn't really have is pain. The very worst part of it is it is time consuming with lots of visists, but becasue there is very little drilling it's hardly stressful. I wouldn't lie to you about this, I promise that other than the fiddling about and the time they take they are really not painful.

I get what you mean about the idea of them being deep inside the tooth, and it worried me at first, but here is the bizarre thing, when they are doing it it feels as if they are working at the surface, or pottering about on your gums. You have NO sensation of them being inside at all. Remember, there is no nerve so there is nothing to pick up where they are. Believe me, you really are not aware of them being inside, let alone in deep. In fact, the filing and disinfecting that they do deep inside is often oddly relaxing and very non-stressful.

I would really really recommend that you have the root canals. Never ever lose teeth if you can help it; you always deeply regret it. I am very badly dental phobic, having had some horrific childhood dental experiences and an abusive family, so I wouldn't lie to you about this. I know what it is like to be four years old again and paralysed with fear every time you sit in a dentist's chair.

If you want to ask me anything about the treatment -especially as I am undergoing it right now - then please let me know and I'll do what I can to help. Good luck.

P.S. regarding veneers and crowns - I have a tooth-coloured crown on one of my incisors, done after root canal, and they are very dilligent matching it up to your existing colour. When I had mine done - on the NHS - the dentist brought the nurses and receptionist in to see if they thought it was a good match! You would never know it was 'false'. So you don't need to worry about having fake-looking teeth.

E.T.A. Forgot to say, a lot of private dentists do 0% interest plans to spread the payments over a year. To get these you have to spend more than a set sum. I was recently quoted £350 as the minimum spend. I don't think that would be a problem for the work you are having done!

 

[leggy]

Hi Fifer, just want to say, i totally agree with last post. I almost fell asleep in the chair when having a root canal. I really do not understand why they have such a bad reputation, unfortunately for me, after having 3 root canals on the same tooth, i had to have it extracted, far more upsetting to me as it was a front one. Don't let this put you off tho, it had been crowned for 29 years, total of three crowns & i lost it because the root was cracked,end of the road.
I now have an immediate temporary denture & even that is unnoticable as a denture, it looks fine. Dentures look lots better than they used to, far more natural.
Good luck with it all.

 

[buttcake]

Hi there

Just a quick note to thank you for taking the time to post. I have just broken my third temporary filing as i am stalling making the appointment for my root canal work. Having read your posts i am going to phone tomorrow and just get it done and move on. Like you I had over 8 teeth removed as a teenager - for the right reasons as my mouth is so narrow but I had my bottom wisdom teeth removed in hospital and cried with pain for 2 weeks after - it was worse than childbirth. Every time i think about getting the root canal work done I fill up with tears which is pathetic, I am normally so strong I am truly ashamed! It is like a depression and putting me totally out of sync with reality!

Thanks again