Soldato
This.
NHS dentistry has been in decline for years. Not just during the coalition government and later, but also during the Blair terms. It's a collective decline from successive governments.
Private dental checkup contradicts NHS checkup
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This.
NHS dentistry has been in decline for years. Not just during the coalition government and later, but also during the Blair terms. It's a collective decline from successive governments.
Because you want to pick up on decay (and treat it) BEFORE it causes symptoms, monitoring bone levels (pick up on gum disease), assess existing fillings, assess for calculus etc..
Leaving your teeth until you do get problems will lead to more invasive, more costly and less predictable outcomes.
Dentistry isn't expensive, dental neglect is
Permabanned
So they x-ray 32 teeth just to check them and the surrounding bone for issues? Just in case, every two years?
My childhood NHS dentist routinely did x-rays every ~2 years.
Commissario
Yes.
Except it's two small x rays.
As 1mm3 says it's preventative monitoring, as it's the only possible way to check for some issues at all, the only way to get a reliable indicator of others, and the only way you can monitor over time and compare the condition of the teeth/fillings reliably.
Apparently a dental x-ray is roughly the equivalent of a day's normal exposure, so having two of them every few years is nothing (it's about a fifth of what you'd get flying for a few hours), the use of x-rays is quite highly regulated and has been for many decades.
Given that exceptionally low level of exposure, I'd much rather face that than any of the potential issues from missed dental issues.
Associate
- Joined
- 6 Oct 2019
- Posts
- 585
I'm private and had a tooth pulled a few years back due to an filling dropping out leaving a decaying tooth. Decided just to have it pulled out. £320 for the privilege.
Just this weekend I've had the one next to it pulled out at the emergency dental clinic it cost a total of £24. I can't get into an NHS dentist here so will only use my private one for a checkup/polish. And any extractions NHS emergency dental clinic.
Moral of the story look after your teeth and don't consume vast amounts of sugary pop in your teens
Just this weekend I've had the one next to it pulled out at the emergency dental clinic it cost a total of £24. I can't get into an NHS dentist here so will only use my private one for a checkup/polish. And any extractions NHS emergency dental clinic.
Moral of the story look after your teeth and don't consume vast amounts of sugary pop in your teens
Caporegime
Dental x-rays are positively correlated with various brain cancers. I'm really quite surprised any dentist is doing them so regularly without specific cause.
dentist probably modulates x-ray frequency appraising risk of undiscoverd problems - if you've got few fillings less regular x-rays;
no obvious signs that they can overlay previous x-rays (AI?) to quickly identify changes.
- sent a photo, last time, to dentist of cracked tooth so he could appraise the work needed/appointment length to hopefully avoid 2 visits.
no obvious signs that they can overlay previous x-rays (AI?) to quickly identify changes.
- sent a photo, last time, to dentist of cracked tooth so he could appraise the work needed/appointment length to hopefully avoid 2 visits.
Permabanned
I last went to the dentist two years ago for a root canal, I have three fillings including the root canal and have all my own teeth. He x-rayed the troublesome back tooth and those alongside it.
It was 15 years previous to that I saw a dentist, and I reckon including the root canal one I have had three tooth x-rays in my whole life, the other two were of one single tooth with the tiny plate secured behind the individual tooth and the emitter held against the front of the tooth. But if that's the norm for how dentistry has progressed I guess they know the score.
He's always complimented me on my teeth, describing them as "people of colour's teeth", but in a more politically incorrect manner
He's a friend as well as a dentist so can get away with such banter. Such things as "I am getting Carmen to do the root canal treatments, she smells good and has a wonderful cleavage she's happy to display for us all to admire whilst we give your bank account some serious hammer". 
It was 15 years previous to that I saw a dentist, and I reckon including the root canal one I have had three tooth x-rays in my whole life, the other two were of one single tooth with the tiny plate secured behind the individual tooth and the emitter held against the front of the tooth. But if that's the norm for how dentistry has progressed I guess they know the score.
He's always complimented me on my teeth, describing them as "people of colour's teeth", but in a more politically incorrect manner
He's a friend as well as a dentist so can get away with such banter. Such things as "I am getting Carmen to do the root canal treatments, she smells good and has a wonderful cleavage she's happy to display for us all to admire whilst we give your bank account some serious hammer".
Commissario
I'm just glancing at that and it doesn't seem to state how frequent the x-ray were, nor apparently make much difference between "full mouth" and "bitewing" exposure, I'm going to hazard a guess that "bitewing" (the small ones) probably pose a much lower risk than full mouth as bitewing is "side to side" and smaller area/dose.
Also correlation does not equal causation, it can but AFAIK tends to require more study to prove the link.
And as always, with any preventative test you have to balance out the potential for the test to cause an issue, I'm guessing with dental x-rays of the modern type that risk is lower than the issues that can be caused by not catching a dental issue early (which can result to things like bone infections, as well as the far more common massive pain/loss of teeth).
IIRC all medical tests are done based on the risk of the proceedure vs the risk of not doing it, and different countries/health systems take different views, I know in America if you've got "good" healthcare they'll often do some tests far more often than in the UK, to the point where in the UK/ROW some of those tests are thought to prove more of a lifetime risk than doing them less often/starting later in life.
Caporegime
I'm private and had a tooth pulled a few years back due to an filling dropping out leaving a decaying tooth. Decided just to have it pulled out. £320 for the privilege.
Just this weekend I've had the one next to it pulled out at the emergency dental clinic it cost a total of £24. I can't get into an NHS dentist here so will only use my private one for a checkup/polish. And any extractions NHS emergency dental clinic.
Moral of the story look after your teeth and don't consume vast amounts of sugary pop in your teens
In your particular situation, the decision to have your teeth extracted was probably a good one. However, there seems to be a worrying tendency among some dentists to rush into tooth extraction, even when treating younger people. The implications of this can be significant, as such a procedure can significantly affect the development and appearance of a person's lower facial structure.
Well, I went to the NHS dentist yesterday.
Total mess up on their part.
I arrived just before my appointment at 2pm and the guy on reception said he couldnt find my appointment. I had cancelled the one for the filling and left the one yesterday for the gum treatment & scale and polish.
I did receive 2 cancellation notices on Wednesday but these were for April 2022 when i never even had an appointment?!
Anyway, reception said i could book in for 2:30 (haha!) I complained a bit and showed them the appointment email for 2pm, then asked for the refund which he gave me straight away surprisingly (£44.90)
I sat down and was immediately called to the operating room much to the surprise of reception.
Once in the room the dentist said “right, you’re here for gum treatment and a filling” I said no and explained again why im not.
Had the gum treatment and scale and polish which took all of 5 minutes. Im sure a scale and polish used to be a good 15-20 mins where they thouroughly cleaned your teeth, including inbetween the gaps, not just front and back.
I left to reception and someone else was on who asked about my refund, the original guy appeared and said id been given it already. I asked if i was all done and left.
It seemed like a circus parade, not what it was like when the practive was privately owned by a guy who has now retired and since sold it on.
Think i’ll try joining the waiting list for one in Leeds and if not go onto a private work dental scheme (which doesnt refund all cost of private work, only some)
Disappointed with the 5 minute gum treatment and scale and polish. Id rather pay prive for routine (£65) or extended (£90) S&P at least it’ll be a proper job instead of a rushed one for £25.
Total mess up on their part.
I arrived just before my appointment at 2pm and the guy on reception said he couldnt find my appointment. I had cancelled the one for the filling and left the one yesterday for the gum treatment & scale and polish.
I did receive 2 cancellation notices on Wednesday but these were for April 2022 when i never even had an appointment?!
Anyway, reception said i could book in for 2:30 (haha!) I complained a bit and showed them the appointment email for 2pm, then asked for the refund which he gave me straight away surprisingly (£44.90)
I sat down and was immediately called to the operating room much to the surprise of reception.
Once in the room the dentist said “right, you’re here for gum treatment and a filling” I said no and explained again why im not.
Had the gum treatment and scale and polish which took all of 5 minutes. Im sure a scale and polish used to be a good 15-20 mins where they thouroughly cleaned your teeth, including inbetween the gaps, not just front and back.
I left to reception and someone else was on who asked about my refund, the original guy appeared and said id been given it already. I asked if i was all done and left.
It seemed like a circus parade, not what it was like when the practive was privately owned by a guy who has now retired and since sold it on.
Think i’ll try joining the waiting list for one in Leeds and if not go onto a private work dental scheme (which doesnt refund all cost of private work, only some)
Disappointed with the 5 minute gum treatment and scale and polish. Id rather pay prive for routine (£65) or extended (£90) S&P at least it’ll be a proper job instead of a rushed one for £25.
Associate
- Joined
- 9 Jul 2013
- Posts
- 2,188
DOH! Too late. I blame it on the pop man that used to drive round the streets. All the pop was in glass bottles. Plenty of dandelion & burdock.I'm private and had a tooth pulled a few years back due to an filling dropping out leaving a decaying tooth. Decided just to have it pulled out. £320 for the privilege.
Just this weekend I've had the one next to it pulled out at the emergency dental clinic it cost a total of £24. I can't get into an NHS dentist here so will only use my private one for a checkup/polish. And any extractions NHS emergency dental clinic.
Moral of the story look after your teeth and don't consume vast amounts of sugary pop in your teens
Regards the OP. The NHS check up dies not sound like they are trying to get more money off you. It's the same cost if you have one filling or three.whether they get more money off the NHS for the extra fillings I don't know.
Soldato
I am a tooth grinder but luckily I have a Bupa dentist who takes NHS ,save and restore rather than extract
Absolutely zero chance of getting an NHS dentist where i am, i've tried. i cracked/chipped a tooth last year when cleaning my teeth a bit too forcibly, it was very painful, had to rely on ringing the NHS emergency dentist appointment line for several days in order to try to squeeze me in at a local dentist somewhere, which they eventually did and they were fantastic.