What is it about UK NHS dentists? (Though private may be the same for all I know.)
When I was growing up, outside the UK, the natural order of events was: toothache, trip to dentist next day, one or three fillings, go home with problem solved.
In the UK the sequence seems to be toothache, go to dentist who tells you you have one or more things wrong with your teeth, (thank-you, why do you think I'm here?) gives you temporary filling/s (that will fall out within a few days) sends you away and you return once a month over however many months and they do one filling on each visit. If you fall for this routine you lose one days pay for each visit so initial consultation plus three fillings costs you well over a grand. (Plus a sixpence or whatever it is the NHS actually requires you to pay the dentist.)
Having lost a filling two months ago, went to dentist, they booked me two appointments, one for three fillings and one for cleaning, both a month after consultation, i.e. this week. I only work part of the time, and it turned out I was starting a one-month stint today. Was so pleased that they were going to do three fillings in one go that I decided to lose a few hundred quid by keeping todays appointment and re-scheduling the cleaning for later November
Today I hit a new high of dental frustration - they did one and a half fillings.
I suppose I should be grateful they did more than one. The biggest one she didn't even attempt - might be some nerve damage, wanted to leave it for the dentist who did the original consultation. (Based on their relative ages and wife's previous experience with the original, I would guess that the motive is that the original is a beginner needing experience rather than a expert who will do a better job.) She did all the grinding etc. for the biggest of the remaining two, then decided to put a temporary filling in because [/whinge mode off due to valid reason] the gum was bleeding and blood mixed with white amalgam would have given a pink filling... She then did smallest. Parting comment - "there may be more fillings, once we've looked at the Xrays."
When I was growing up, outside the UK, the natural order of events was: toothache, trip to dentist next day, one or three fillings, go home with problem solved.
In the UK the sequence seems to be toothache, go to dentist who tells you you have one or more things wrong with your teeth, (thank-you, why do you think I'm here?) gives you temporary filling/s (that will fall out within a few days) sends you away and you return once a month over however many months and they do one filling on each visit. If you fall for this routine you lose one days pay for each visit so initial consultation plus three fillings costs you well over a grand. (Plus a sixpence or whatever it is the NHS actually requires you to pay the dentist.)
Having lost a filling two months ago, went to dentist, they booked me two appointments, one for three fillings and one for cleaning, both a month after consultation, i.e. this week. I only work part of the time, and it turned out I was starting a one-month stint today. Was so pleased that they were going to do three fillings in one go that I decided to lose a few hundred quid by keeping todays appointment and re-scheduling the cleaning for later November
Today I hit a new high of dental frustration - they did one and a half fillings.
I suppose I should be grateful they did more than one. The biggest one she didn't even attempt - might be some nerve damage, wanted to leave it for the dentist who did the original consultation. (Based on their relative ages and wife's previous experience with the original, I would guess that the motive is that the original is a beginner needing experience rather than a expert who will do a better job.) She did all the grinding etc. for the biggest of the remaining two, then decided to put a temporary filling in because [/whinge mode off due to valid reason] the gum was bleeding and blood mixed with white amalgam would have given a pink filling... She then did smallest. Parting comment - "there may be more fillings, once we've looked at the Xrays."
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