Dentist

I have a temporary filling. The appointment to have it made permanent had to be cancelled the first Monday of the lock-down. The temporary one is holding up well. Fingers crossed.

Lost a large filling at the beginning of lock down, luckily it doesn't hurt but got to be careful and don't chew on that side in case I snap it altogether. The dentist will be the first place I visit when we are allowed out!

NHS dentists are probably better placed than private ones to keep going as they will be continue to be paid their NHS contract so long as they continue to pay their staff.

The worry is mixed and fully private dentists as there is a fear that people will not continue with their dental plans. Indeed, some dental plans are offering a payment holiday with a return to the plan on the same terms after this is all over.

I'm terrified of losing a filling/breaking a tooth. I needed a crown doing a while back but said, as the filling was holding up I'd leave it. I'm brushing with a soft brush; rinsing with Corsodyl every so often; also using Corsodyl toothpaste sometimes. I do have a tooth repair kit in my medicine cupboard. The worry is this is going to go on for so long, and I'm sure my NHS dental surgery will go completely private afterwards. I'm so envious of my next door neighbour who has dentures. Maybe we'll end up going back to the old days when people were given tooth extraction and dentures as wedding/birthday presents....

As I said - dentists are only allowed to offer 3As.

The hubs are only accessible after 3 layers of triage. The process starts with a call to a dentist.

I called the dentist when I had an abscess last week. I was prescribed antibiotics which they faxed to the pharmacy and a kind friend queued for them on my behalf.
They are working as it's now much better.
I feel for you. Wishing you relief!
There is a dental hospital in the city which is open for all emergencies but it will be mainly extractions.

According to a recent BBC article:

'What happens if you need to see a dentist?
In the first instance, patients are advised to call their local practice.

If symptoms are serious, local dentists can prescribe medication over the phone (such as painkillers and antibiotics). In such cases, dentists can contact local pharmacies, which can then prepare medication for patients to pick up.

However, a number of patients cannot be seen for emergency appointments because most practices are not allowed to see patients face-to-face.

In those circumstances - or if a patient is not registered with a dentist - then the advice is to use the 111 online service.'

So it would seem that 111 are they way to go if you can't get help locally. I understand that hubs are being set up.

As kitty lester says, a triage system of the 3 As

I am in a similar scenario. Before the lockdown I had had a temporary fix of a tooth that needs a root canal filling. As they are only seeing emergencies I am guessing that they will prescribe antibiotics over the phone if it gives trouble.

It has had a knock-on effect on my osteoporosis treatment as I have had to miss my denosumab injection, as you cannot have this if invasive dental treatment is pending.

My daughter had similar problem about three weeks ago, just at the beginning of the lockdown. Her dentist only sees emergency patients, and she was classified as such. They , much to her surprise, cleaned it out and inserted an antibiotic paste into the tooth before resealing . Unfortunately it didn't alieviate the pain and she had to ring them again . This time they gave her a prescription for antibiotics which helped enormously perhaps you need an antibiotic? This might mean the infection would be settled until such times as you can get an appointment for more thorough investigation .

Dentists are now not allowed to offer face to face appointments unless they are one of the designated centres.

Dentists have to offer the 3 As - advice, analgesia and/or antibiotics.

I cancelled my appointment to fix a broken tooth,honestly if it has to come out at least I wont have put my OH at risk.I know my dentist wont be amused but its just ONE tooth .I''ll go when this is over ,my OH has a heart condition and passing CV on isn't an option

Have you been through the dental triage system? If so, you can be reassured that the practice where the treatment is carried out will be very conscious of infection control. It is unlikely to be your own practice now.