Dentists

[midlife]

Peninsula dental school in Plymouth. A bit of a trek but worth the pain and dread!

Run by my colleague Liz Kay if memory serves...

Shaun

 

[snorri]

.............. Probably all from bad experiences years ago?

Ah yes, I remember it well. My introduction to dental treatment took place in the back of the old school dentist van. As you entered you were almost knocked back by the mixed aromas of the gas heater and antiseptics. The only distraction during drilling was to watch the knot on the string of the treadle drill going around the various pulley wheels as the dentist stood on one foot whilst pedalling with the other and holding the drill against the tooth being treated.
Step on 20 years and there was soothing music playing in the surgery and a picture on the ceiling to distract me for the few second it took to operate his electric drill, wonderful!.

 

[ColinJ]

Didn`t know about the nitrious oxide, I might mention that...LOL!

You literally might LOL - it is what they used to call 'laughing gas'. It is what young people are getting high on out of balloons on the street these days (not necessarily a safe thing to do in an uncontrolled environment).

 

[2IT]

Anybody else dread them like I do? I can`t be the only wimp around here!!

Learning more about British culture here. In the US we look at TV and movies and think that many people don't go to the dentist or orthodontists in the UK.

While people in the US don't love their dentists, the dentists have gotten much better over the years with better techniques, x-rays, pain management. No reluctance here to go to the dentist, except for the cost. A crown for example is about $1000, filling about $200, an office visit around $75 - for the cash price and most people have insurance which would make it quite a bit less. Orthodontics are in the thousands with or without insurance, most people pay it though.

It is tempting to go South of the Border for major comprehensive care when wanting several major things done at once. There is a town across from Yuma Arizona in Mexico where about all they do is dental at a low cost. Some go to Cancun and take a vacation while seeing the dentist.

 

[Vidor06]

Both my daughters had orthodontic appointments yesterday as result of dentist referrals. The older one has several problematic teeth and all the treatment has been covered, she now has a brace on the bottom teeth and will have one fitted on top teeth at next visit.
The younger one was referred to another orthodontist in the area and went for first visit yesterday. It was explained that kids teeth are now rated on a scale of 1-5 with one being best condition and 5 being the worst. If you are graded 4 or 5 you get the ortho treatment for free but 3, 2 or 1 and you have to pay. At present my daughters teeth have been graded a 3 (couple of wonky ones) and although no treatment can take place for at least another year due to baby teeth the cost of the treatment will be £2200. So I have to either hope her teeth get worse in the intervening period or fork out a clean fortune for the work as it will be deemed as cosmetic.

 

[tyred]

I hated the dentist when I was young and avoided going until I could it put it off no longer a few years ago.

To my surprise, it was an okay experience and the only thing that scares me about going nowadays is the bill!

 

[Vidor06]

I didnt go to the dentist between the age of 18 and 28, not because of fear, just because I didnt want to have to pay. But I got a kick in the mouth playing rugby and it chipped one of my incisors. Went to the local dentist and expected to be taken on as a private patient. But no I was taken on as an NHS patient. So tooth fixed and have been every 6 months since. It never costs more than £23 and its only that much when I get an x-ray.
I must have fairly strong teeth as I got smacked in the gob by a cricket ball during a match about 6 or 7 years ago (own fault as I wasnt wearing a helmet while batting) which resulted in 14 stitches in my bottom lip but no damage to my teeth at all.

 

[2IT]

[QUOTE 4244082, member: 259"]Apparently the dentists in Cuba are looking forward to a nice little earner as well.

In the EU, a lot of people go to Poland or Hungary for dental work now - it's miles cheaper, the standard of dental work is really good, and the flights don't cost much.[/QUOTE]

I've read about that too. If I were in the UK and was looking at some major work, that's where I would go. Gladly there is still a free market at work and freedom to go there.

 

[Lullabelle]

Anybody else dread them like I do? I can`t be the only wimp around here!!

Loathe them with a passion and avoid like the plague. I didn't have any problems with my teeth until a few years ago I broke my tooth whilst eating museli, he butchered me to get it out and I am have had niggles ever since so I refuse to pay a fortune to have that inflicted on me.

 

[midlife]

I have a fab dentist in London, who is linked with the Eastman Dental School. He was recommended to me by a former Department of Health Chief Dental Officer who I worked with. Even though we no longer live in London, I still go to see him.

Juyst curious as to whom that might be?

Shaun

 

[Fnaar]

I don't mind going to the dentist at all... I once had a treatment that needed 8 stitches in my gum and left me looking like I'd been hit in the face by Mike Tyson... local anaesthetic Hard as nails, me

However, like many, I don't go as often as I should... unfortunately, because of cost, it's one of the things that often slips to the bottom of the list.

 

[Venod]

I dread going not out of fear of pain, out of fear for my wallet, just had a check up, needed a filling under a cap, return visit cap removed tooth filled, impressions taken taken for a new cap, temporary cap fitted, return visit new cap fitted, teeth polished, £203 (a lot of bike bits)
It a NHS registered service how much would it have been private?

 

[Levo-Lon]

Daughters wisdom tooth has grown along the jaw line..its got to come out as it keeps flairing up.. so its a hospital job..
cant say id like that..
her mums wisdom took the hospital dentist 55 mins to remove..
wife has a dental phobia..always has..that tooth extraction 2 yr ago helped no end

fitzwilliam private hospital quoted 2200! For the work..but you get your own room for 2hr lol

 

[Tim Hall]

[QUOTE 4244082, member: 259"]Apparently the dentists in Cuba are looking forward to a nice little earner as well.

In the EU, a lot of people go to Poland or Hungary for dental work now - it's miles cheaper, the standard of dental work is really good, and the flights don't cost much.[/QUOTE]
There was a thing in the news a few years back, where people on the Isle of Wight were getting the boat to France for their dental treatment. Apparently it was the cross channel tooth ferry.

 

[midlife]

Gandhi & Chan Dental Surgery, 231 Grays Inn Road. I normally see Edward Chan.

Hi, sorry Mr Chan is not my era. We tend to know the cohort we trained with, the people who trained us and the mob a few years younger as they were competition for jobs LOL.

Cheers

Shaun