Dentists - Rant 3

OK, so since my last RANT about my dentist, more than a year ago, I haven't bothered ranting any more.  I still feel the same.  I think this is the 5th time I've been to the dentist since he took over the practise?!!




He's still asking me the same stupid questions that he did the first time he saw me:




Do I floss?
Do I use an electric toothbrush?
How often do I clean my teeth?




Honestly; I really feel like just bashing him in the teeth.  He keyed all this information into his computer the first time he saw me.  I really do not understand why he has to ask me these same questions every time I see him.  ..............Just get on with the job and stop being so patronising!!!  Or go back to dental college and learn a few people skills?!




The job today was to give me a filling.  I haven't had a filling since I was about 14 years old.  The last time I went for a check up & clean he told me one of my fillings had a crack in it so it would need to be replaced.  Obviously one tends to 'trust' the professionals. 




The problem I have is.......................




.................For the whole of my life (I'm 56 years old) I have visited the dentist every six months.  And until 'Mr Patronising Dentist' I still don't know his name because he's never bothered to introduce himself came on the scene, I've been told the same thing - 'You have really bad tartar but your gums are in good condition.'




Today, 'Mr Patronising Dentist' said that he wanted to take an X-ray of my teeth and then he wanted me to make an appointment to see a dental hygienist so she could look at my gums.  Not only look at my gums; apparently she'd have to 'numb them' to do this.  Just googled this.  It sounds like a local anaesthetic to me and I could be in pain for 48 hours???  Then I'd be given a deep clean and an assessment.




As a 'totally stressed out dental patient' I just went along with all this and agreed.  He's the professional after all.   'Mr Patronising Dentist' was telling me that I may develop serious gum disease.  Maybe I will, maybe I won't.  BUT he didn't give me the option to make an informed choice.


So I've done a lot of 'Googling'.  And I now understand a lot more about the procedure.  And no way am I going to put myself through that.




To be honest the whole 'filling experience' was no where near as bad as the 'cleaning experience' (though I did think he was going to clean my teeth today as well??!!).  Having said that; I can now 'feel' that I have a filling in my tooth whereas before I didn't even know there was a filling there.  Apparently he's replaced a silver filling with a white filling, as if that was the best thing in the world??  As far as I'm concerned - I've had a silver filling for more than 40 years so I couldn't care less what colour the filling was.  The lovely jubbly white filling cost me £51.30 on the NHS which apparently is standard price.  Can't find any prices for silver fillings???




However if I go through with this 'numbing my gums & deep cleaning thing'; I saw on 'my card' it's going to cost me £135.  Not sure where this price has come from because looking on the NHS dentist website they have 3 price bands - £18, £51.30 & £225




Anyway I am going to exercise my 'patient rights'???  No way is anyone going to anesthetise me to dig underneath my gums!!!




I'm going to be really brave and stand up to the professionals..................




...................I will continue to go for a dental check up and clean every six months (which is more than the NHS recommended guidelines of every 1-2 years).




Tomorrow I am going to contact my dental surgery and tell them I will come for a check up & clean every 6 months.  BUT no way is anyone going to anesthetise me and go digging underneath my gums???




PS - The receptionist & dental hygienist/assistant at my practise are very, very lovely people.  They have the best people skills ever.




http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74