Feel so Bad for My Friend's Dental Problem
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This friend, like me, is extremely fearful of the dentist although I am not quite so bad. She is shaking and anxious even seeing the hygienist.
Her teeth are in a bad state and she is with an nhs dentist who she finally managed to sort a treatment plan with. Due to her fear they said they would have to sedate her, which she agreed with.
Yesterday she had a call from them saying no one at the surgery is willing to take her on. She asked what was she meant to do and got a brusque 'go private'. She obviously can't afford this as it will probably be thousands not hundreds, she is so upset and wonders about their duty of care having taken her on and done her treatment plan.
It seems to me it is a question of money and they are just not prepared to do it on nhs.
The only thing I could think of was crowd funding but I do realise this may be viewed wrongly as it is for personal need rather than charitable.
I have told her to write to some sort of dental ombudsmen and her MP.
What do you think she should do?
Take your friend to her doctor, discuss this issue and ask if there are any temporary drugs that she could take for a day or two to help her. Then ring the dentist quoting whatever medication she’s been offered and they should treat her.
Unfortunately the shortage in dentists is just another problem for people to deal with in our country. Always worth trying the MP or even the GP might be able to help, at least it gives them a indication of how bad it is to get NHS treatment if enough people contact them.
Howmuch but the problem is, she has a dentist they are just refusing to treat her. She tells me she believes the lady dentist took a dislike to her because of shaking uncontrollably in the chair even without doing anything. She is, by her own admission, very overweight and to add to her problems she is more or less bald due to, I presume, alopecia. Yes, she is strange looking but has a heart of gold.
Howmuch one would hope they would have told her. They initially said she would be referred to hospital for sedation so don't know what's happened there. We do have one about an hour away as I went there once for a couple of root canals.
She has found out that sedation/anaesthesia is about £280 per hour and she would scrape up £560 for two hours but that's without treatment. I have said I will contribute if other friends and family can chip in.
Many years ago when my sister was little she got referred to a specialist dentist at the hospital due to fear, after a bad experience. I have no idea if that is still possible though. Maybe its worth contacting her doctor to see if they can help, if the work is necessary for health reasons. I had to borrow money off my mum about two years ago for some private work and they didn't do everything necessary as it just cost to much. I wish her the best of luck.
Lynibis my best mate always has treatment under sedation (on the NHS) for dental treatment. I didn’t realise it was available until after it took a dentist 50 mins to take one of my teeth out because the injections to knock out the pain just weren’t working so he just had to cut it in half and pull it out with me feeling everything needless to say I was in tears. I then vowed that I wouldn’t do anything again without sedation which they do in the dental surgery.
I didn’t have a regular dentist (& still don’t as he said the rest of my teeth are fine as the tooth issue was from a chip suddenly playing up in lockdown) and had my tooth out as part of an emergency appointment
My thoughts are, if your friend is prepared to travel or perhaps you could take her, phone NHS dentists out of the area/county to get the treatment arranged and explain the her experience with local dentist there will be some that would be shocked by the attitude she has had so far
Or your friend goes down the route of not being signed on at any dentist and then has an dental emergency and calls the emergency dental line who can then set up appointments with other NHS dentists in other towns in your area. She would consultation and then if the same dentist does the treatment it’s all covered under the emergency appointment engagement
The list of NHS dental treatments prices are available online so you should always know what you are going to pay
Lynibis has she considered this dentalhospitals.org.uk/about-us/dental-treatment-students/
or these options
Sign up for the NHS Low Income Scheme
If you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings, you can apply for the NHS Low Income Scheme. If accepted, you can get help paying for dental work. If you’ve already paid for NHS dental work, you can apply for a refund at the same time as applying for the scheme. The amount of financial assistance you’ll be offered will depend on your income and outgoings.
Reach out to oral health charities
If you’re suffering physically and emotionally from dental problems yet lack the funds to pay for treatment, try getting in touch with oral health charities such as Dentaid and the Oral Health Foundation, to see if they can offer help paying for dental treatment.
Lynibis I know the dental hospital at Newcastle used to ask for volunteers, but it's a bit far for you to travel.
I was given a prescription (1 single tablet) that I was to take an hour before my appointment that just relaxes you, it was the dentist who prescribed it for me but I was brave and decided not to have it due to the fact I'd be abit out of it for a few hours after and I had the school run to do 
I can't remember the name of the tablet but it may be worth your friend asking the dentist about it.
PinkElephant26 probably valium, as I said in an earlier comment it did nothing for me. With those sort of tablets their efficacy depends on taking enough for the weight of the person. It may easily sedate a slim person but have hardly any or no effect on an overweight person.
Your friend is just like me waiting over 6 years for NHS referral for work due to phobia and still nothing in the end I went private for tooth removal and yes pricey but was able to take out a payment plan. 9 teeth removed and cost 1200 with sedation in the price.
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