bad dentistry

[alapeg]

Hi,

I've recently moved and so had to get a new dentists and since I've just had a baby I am entitled to free nhs dentistry.

There was only a couple that were fairly local that were taking on nhs patients. So I went along and apparently I needed a few fillings. I've always taken pride of my teeth asthetically, so actually paid for white ones instead of the free ones.

I paid just under 200 pounds and have come away with more pain and sensitivity then before I had any work done on them. I'm now looking at going back to my old dentists (over an hour away) to get it corrected and to pay him for the work to be redone.

I'm just wondering if I could claim any of the money back from the nhs dentist?

 

Thanks.

[honeybee13]

Hello there and welcome to CAG.

 

Tooth pain is horrible, I know, I had the same thing last month. How long is it since you had the treatment please? I'm just wondering if it might all die down in time.

 

I think there might be an independent process for assessing dental work, but that's just me thinking I read something here. I'll have a look on google and see if there's anything.

 

I really don't know about reimbursement for failed treatment, but hopefully someone else will.

 

My best, HB

[honeybee13]

Hello again. I found this.

 

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1777.aspx?CategoryID=74&SubCategoryID=742

 

HB

[reallymadwoman]

PALS would be my first port of call, they're usually really helpful and good at getting things resolved quickly and informally.

[honeybee13]

Good call, RMW, I think that's the second one today I've seen from you.

 

HB

[alapeg]

Thanks Honeybee13 and RMW,

I'll have a look at that link and look into PALS. I've heard of PALS within a hospital, is it the same kind of thing?

 

I had the work done about 2 months ago now. I've had fillings in the past and it just didn't feel right from the off. He also did a temporary filling which came out immediately and built up on a worn down tooth, but didn't make the bite right at all, some am quite sceptical that the fillings are done correctly too.

[brinjals]

I've had the most awful experience with my NHS dentist... after 2 months of emergency appointments, 3 lots of antibiotics and an attempted (and failed) root canal, I was told she can't do it and I need to see a root specialist.

 

Understandably there will be a waiting period on NHS for treatment but even after my third or fourth emergency appointment (each time she had to give me anaesthetic, drill into my tooth, take more xrays etc etc etc) even then no attempt was made to prioritise my case and even then she didn't pick up that there was a problem! Even after begging hysterically due to the pain, no attempt was made to see me quicker. And no pain medication was prescribed, only antibiotics which have ceased to work after 3 courses in 2 months.

 

I've since seen two private dentists for 2nd and 3rd opinions - both insisted that she should never have even attempted a root canal in the first place due the root's complexity. This they deducted from a single xray immediately.

 

So after 2 months of torture and a new-found anxiety when I visit the dentist (which I never had before) I have to get it removed anyway. But it's touching the nerve that runs through my jaw so I'm now on another list to see a facial specialist at the hospital. I've not slept in weeks, am taking an unsafe number of painkillers every day just to try to manage the pain, can't eat and yet no-one will prioritise my case, I feel utterly helpless in the hands of this system.

[Hacked_Off]

Sounds about right. I waited SIX years to have my wisdom teeth out.