Dental Technician here to answer your questions HONESTLY about dentures etc

[Dental Technician]

As stated, theres to much bull passed onto pts about treatment, costs etc. I will answer what i can to help.
Post a denture related question of any type and I should be able to answer it

[garyleggett]

As stated, theres to much bull passed onto pts about treatment, costs etc. I will answer what i can to help.
Post a denture related question of any type and I should be able to answer it

I currently hold a nhs exemption card
 I had a routine visit for checkup to the dentist.the dentist told me after x-ray that my 3 tooth bridge need to be removed for root canal fillings,fitted by the nhs 10 years previous,not that i had experienced any problems.This work was done and he told me that i now need a 5 tooth bridge and this is not available to me on the nhs and has given me a denture.After giving me a denture why did he not remove the roots of the 3 teeth instead of leaving them flush with my gums
Is he right about not be able to have the briodge done on the nhs

Reagds gary leggett

Read more: http://www.wise-spender.com/forum/index.php/topic,2655.0.html#ixzz1KiQOWcgq

[Dental Technician]

Hmmmmmm lets see what the rules set out by the NHS say, copy and paste this link into your address bar and decide for yourself, read my other posts, dentists can be greedy and if a treatment option wont be in their financial interest it suddenly becomes unavailable. Band 3 covers bridges on the NHS, no minimum or maximum number of teeth stated, so does the NHS state that your treatment should be available under the NHS?..............in short , YES!

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/nhs-dental-band-charges.aspx?CategoryID=74&SubCategoryID=742

[raoulmp]

Dentaltech, As a member of the dental profession, i would think that yo be a little more clued up to NHS regulations. And that it isnt all black and white as to what exactly is availabe, or even suitable for patients.

Its all well and good the nhs webiste syaing that bridges, crowns, veneers etc asre available on the nhs, but theres nothing on that website to say when a bridge would be appropriate, which i admit is very misleading to patients. If you read Raj Rattans "understanding nhs dentistry", which clearly states what care we should be providing and when.

So for example, a bridge will only be provided under the nhs if:
a) only six months after an extraction
b) only if a denture has been tried first, and has failed
c) only if the remaining teeth are in a sound condition, and the patient can maintain a health oral environment
d) If there are any pther gaps within the arch, a bridge will not be provided.
e) only one bridge per dental arch will be provided
f) the abutment teeth must be of sound periodontal health, with at least 50% bone support.

If the patient does not satisfy these conditions, a bridge may be offered privately.

Financial considerations do not even come in to it. But let me ask you this, If you had to provide dentists with certain nhs dental appliciances (bridges or dentures) for less than cost price, so that you are making a loss everytime you make one, would you be keen to provide such a service, and would it still be the same quality as your private work?

[Dental Technician]

Firstly your spelling is appalling, secondly, read his query, he has already been told that he is suitable for a bridge, but only privately?? thirdly all this crap about doing work for less than you get payed etc is utter rubbish, the dentist gets an allocated amount to cover ALL treatments, what he makes more money on such as 1 tooth dentures with a lab bill of £30 which means he makes £300+ for 1 imp has to be offset against less profitable work such as bridges which have a higher lab fee and hence are less profitable. FYI i am VERY clued up, get your facts straight and understand the realities before you start spouting drivel! Did you watch dispatches? thats the same principal and I have stated it way before that show was aired, it applies to everything, not all dentists do it but it goes on a lot!

[Dental Technician]

And never mind quoting people, if YOU read the GDC's six principles it clearly states, Put patients interests first. NOT put your profit first before the patients best interests, you stick to that and I will stick to following the GDC's rules and standards for dental professionals

Dentaltech, As a member of the dental profession, i would think that yo be a little more clued up to NHS regulations. And that it isnt all black and white as to what exactly is availabe, or even suitable for patients.

Its all well and good the nhs webiste syaing that bridges, crowns, veneers etc asre available on the nhs, but theres nothing on that website to say when a bridge would be appropriate, which i admit is very misleading to patients. If you read Raj Rattans "understanding nhs dentistry", which clearly states what care we should be providing and when.

So for example, a bridge will only be provided under the nhs if:
a) only six months after an extraction
b) only if a denture has been tried first, and has failed
c) only if the remaining teeth are in a sound condition, and the patient can maintain a health oral environment
d) If there are any pther gaps within the arch, a bridge will not be provided.
e) only one bridge per dental arch will be provided
f) the abutment teeth must be of sound periodontal health, with at least 50% bone support.

If the patient does not satisfy these conditions, a bridge may be offered privately.

Financial considerations do not even come in to it. But let me ask you this, If you had to provide dentists with certain nhs dental appliciances (bridges or dentures) for less than cost price, so that you are making a loss everytime you make one, would you be keen to provide such a service, and would it still be the same quality as your private work?

A

[raoulmp]

wow, u really like bashing dentists.
Yes i did watch the dispatches documentary, the issues highlighted there  are a little different. The main issue was people not being offered Root canal treatments on the nhs, which i completely disagree with. if the patient needs it, then you must provide it under the nhs. If the patient chooses to have it done privately - thats fine. The documentary also (very briefly) highlighted the issue of a new contract in 2006 being "unworkable", the reason why all these things are happening.

secondly, If the GDC was so adament that the patients interests should be put first (and you claim that nhs acrylic dentures as so bad), then you and the GDC would put a stop to making them, and insist on only providing bridges and chrome dentures.

Now let me ask you again. would you be willing to provide dentists with a chrome denture, for the price you get paid for a plastic one (since your so hellbent on providing chromes for everyone)?? 

[Dental Technician]

Do me a favour and stop posting, your too stupid to continue a conversation with, I have 25yrs experience with dentistry and know EVERY trick in the book, why its done and who does it. I'm not going to be drawn into a pathetic arguement on your level.

[Dental Technician]

Quote
secondly, If the GDC was so adament that the patients interests should be put first (and you claim that nhs acrylic dentures as so bad), then you and the GDC would put a stop to making them, and insist on only providing bridges and chrome denture.
 
That sentence doesn't even make sense, and if you think that the GDC is not patient driven then why dont you ring them with your GDC number and tell them!

[raoulmp]

You should be a dentist 

[HiHo]

The original poster was asking (to paraphrase) whether a dental bridge was only available via private work to which DT showed the NHS site rules.

It seems, looking at the six rules (raoulmp) as to whether a bridge can be offered, that they are more about good dental practice than outright cost - though why that should need laying out by the government I do not know.

My old private dentist advised me not to bother with a bridge, as unless the gap was causing chewing problems, a bridge was more likely to cause problems at a later date.

Lets keep things civil please.