Crunch Time
An update on my (lack of) NHS dentistry
On May 15th I wrote about my ongoing dental problem. I have a broken and decaying wisdom tooth. I’m registered with an NHS dental service. They have plenty of dentists. But they won’t even treat my wisdom tooth as an emergency, and just told me to take painkillers indefinitely because they didn’t consider it a serious enough issue.
None of the other NHS dentists in my area are taking on patients, and I can’t go to the emergency dental hospital because I am registered with a dental practice that is supposed to provide treatment (but won’t). Catch 22. It has dragged on for a long time, and the tooth is getting worse.
Today a piece broke off while I was brushing. Yep, that’s it in in the image next to my toothbrush, in three pieces after it hit the sink.
How This Happened: Timeline
It’s sometimes useful to illustrate the case, and how lack of prevention leads to far worse problems, in a relatively short period of time.
2019-11-12 I had a check up. There was a tiny issue with my wisdom tooth, not enough to treat.
2020-07-28 I had a check up booked but it was cancelled by the practice because of Covid.
2022-09-13 My dentist hadn’t replied to my emails so I rang them and made an appointment for a check up on 2022-11-23 at 10am. I was concerned about my wisdom tooth.
2022-10-18 The dental practice wrote to me today to say that not only had my appointment been cancelled, but my only option to make another one would be to pay what would amount to £194.50 in the first year alone (plus additional costs for treatment such as fillings – they didn’t even list costs on the pages, but it was likely to be at least another £60). For comparison, the NHS examination would have been free, and the filling £8.44. So I would suddenly have to pay c. £250 rather than £8.44. The end result is people who can’t afford to see the dentist for small treatments, and will be forced to wait until the problem becomes much more serious. What a disastrous policy.
2023-03-21 I finally got to see a dentist for a check up. They said there was a slight indent on my UR8 wisdom tooth. I could still floss there (gently) and should come back soon for another check. They would contact me.
2024-04-08 I rang for another check up as I hadn’t heard anything, and the tooth was painful at times. They said my NHS dentist has left, a replacement was expected some time, maybe try again mid-May.
2024-05-15 I rang them again and the results can be found in my earlier post. They fobbed me off, and in all the communications never once asked me how I was feeling or showed any sympathy. I made formal complaints, I contacted the Health Ombudsman service, the Health Board, elected representatives. I pointed out the urgency and how worried I was. No progress. In fact, the Health Board tried to imply that they had nothing to do with the NHS services they funded through this dental practice!
2024-06-01 While following up my complaints another tiny piece broke away, leaving a jagged edge.
2024-06-07 I spoke to a dental professional about my issue. They told me: “It doesn’t matter whether or not they have any NHS dentists, you are registered with the Practice, so any dentist should see you. Until you have been informed otherwise, and they have completed the appropriate forms for the Health Board, you are still on the Practice’s patient list.” But as I pointed out, this element doesn’t seem to be acknowledged or enforced so that I am left for weeks with no treatment even though it is a dental emergency. The practice has dentists, but won’t provide emergency treatment.
2024-06-09 Another piece broke off while brushing. The photo at the top. Now the back of the tooth has mostly come away and there probably isn’t an easy way to fill it. Whereas, if I’d had emergency treatment earlier, it could have been packed and filled and saved the more fragile parts from breaking away, and the interior from further decay. This is all on the ineptitude of the dental service, and sorting it out will have more cost and difficulty for all involved, and more pain for me (and the tooth will probably be lost, whereas with treatment a few weeks ago it could have been saved).
Change That’s Needed
Obviously, funding is key.
In terms of the party, Greens are offering investment to “nurse the NHS back to health.” Alongside over £50 billion per year on health and social care by 2030 will be an additional £20bn capital investment to bring crumbling hospitals, primary care buildings and outdated equipment up to modern standards and an increase in salaries for NHS frontline workers including doctors, dentists and nurses. Unlike other parties, we are also offering a “cast-iron Green guarantee” that Green MPs will fight privatisation of the NHS. Read the full press release.
Personally, I’d love to go further. I am a staunch public services and NHS defender. As I said last time:
You know what would lead to improvement in the NHS? A law that all MPs and civil servants must use NHS healthcare and dentistry. We’d soon see funding going back into it and the service improving.
Hey, while we’re at it, make it a law that they also have to send their children to state schools, not private ones. And they have to use standard public transport where possible. That would fix education and public transport too.
While those in charge live lives separate from normal people, they’ll never act in our interests.
The government always says there’s no money for things we need, but really there is: it’s just that the money is spent on killing, rather than good things. For example – whereas the Greens are committing £70 billion to the NHS – Labour and Conservatives are instead proposing £75 billion for expanded violence and warfare. That’s way more than is needed to fix the NHS! Spend money on peace, not war. See this video below for more details:
One of my potential constituents emailed me and said: “Let’s hope we’re not all heading to Hell in a handcart with this election. It bothers me that many parties seem to be sinking to the lowest common denominator. It would be so easy for us to end up in a much less free country than we’d like.”
As I said to her: I hope so too! We have two main parties that would both rather spend money on killing people in other countries (and stifling criticism of that approach) than in protecting and giving services to people in this one. We don’t need more colonialism, we need to look after the people paying for the government salaries.
Promoted by Karl Drinkwater (Green Party) at The Gate, Keppoch Street, Cardiff CF24 3JW.
I'm so sorry this is happening, Karl.
I'm in a similar situation myself - a little bit of a tooth broke off a while ago, on the side where the dentist hasn't done a good job with the filling to start with. It was a disaster waiting to happen. At every checkup in the last 3-4 years I was pointing out at that filling and the insanely thin, sharp tooth wall they've left protruding. I'm constantly fobbed off and even when I come in pain, they claim nothing is wrong with my teeth and just do a basic clean-up!
The quality of the service itself is extremely low, to the point I question the competence and training of some dentists.
And then there's the cost. Plain and simple, I can't afford it. When that bit broke off, I went to my workshop, took one of my jewellery files and filed the broken bit the best I could (given that it's an upper molar) in front of the bathroom mirror. It's still awkward now, but a wee bit smoother. Another tiny bit broke off just yesterday. Time to fetch the file again!
My husband is horrified at what I did. I'm more horrified that in 2024 I'm in a position where I have to choose between dental work and food on the table, that is if I manage to get an appointment at all. And once I do get it, I will fork out the money for an inadequate job that will fail in no time.
I don't know what to say anymore.