Teeth cleaning should be free, or almost?

[El Cid]

Hi

 

I am told by my dentist that I have gum discease, and they gave me the option of going to see a dental hygienist.

My first visit involve 2 sessions and cost me around £70.

 

Not sure why NHS dentists didnt clean my teeth properly, and why it is not done on the NHS.

 

Some people can still have their teeth when they reach old age, doesnt look good for me.

 

Perhaps its a too many sweet things, or maybe my genes. The thing is, gum discease is linked to heart discease.

[davyboy]

Regular use of a toothbrush and toothpaste helps keep teeth and gums healthy.

Two visits to a hygienist won't.

You're lucky to have an NHS dentist.

Dentists don't do teeth cleaning any more, even private ones.

£40 a session for the hygienist atmy dentist's.

[Pixie824]

Regular use of a toothbrush and toothpaste helps keep teeth and gums healthy.

Two visits to a hygienist won't.

You're lucky to have an NHS dentist.

Dentists don't do teeth cleaning any more, even private ones.

£40 a session for the hygienist atmy dentist's.

 

My dentist does teeth cleaning?

However, yes, brushing is the way to avoid needing someone else to do it, and it doesn't take anything expensive either.

Hope you get your problem sorted anyway

[Mr_Squirrel]

My dentist does teeth cleaning?

However, yes, brushing is the way to avoid needing someone else to do it, and it doesn't take anything expensive either.

Hope you get your problem sorted anyway

 

Trouble is, Gum disease is a difficult problem and rest assured - never cured!

 

It is treatable and manageable but once you have it, its pretty much there to stay. If you get as far as having Periodontitis, the cleaning required by the hygienist will be regular and very thorough and sometimes, quite uncomfortable.

 

Use a correctly sized interdental brush as well as an ordinary toothbrush with a good toothpaste like Oral B pro expert and a good mouthwash like Peroxyl or Corsodyl at least twice a day, especially last thing at night if you want to keep your gnashers for as long as possible.

Spending 15 minutes on your gob at least twice a day will become normal after a while.

[El Cid]

 

Regular use of a toothbrush and toothpaste helps keep teeth and gums healthy. Two visits to a hygienist won't.

 

It didnt seem to work for me. The hygienist said an electric toothbrush was the best, along with the small brushes for the gaps between the teeth. And mouthwash too, they are better recently.

 

---------- Post added 28-05-2013 at 21:31 ----------

 

I dont really feel toothpastes are much different, although some sensetive ones are better.

[best sheff]

Tooth brush.

 

Give one a try

[Jillybabes]

I have never understood why we have to pay an NHS dentist, for treatment fair enough but just for a checkup which I had today, was in chair about 2 mins and was charged £18. Dentists do scale and polish which is cleaning, you need to take care of your own teeth and brush twice a day, floss and mouthwash, oral hygiene simples!

[Mr_Squirrel]

Tooth brush.

 

Give one a try

 

My teeth are in pretty good nick.. My gums are not so good unfortunately.

 

I brushed my teeth at least twice a day from a very early age matched with regular dentist visits and only abstained from regular dentist visits for only a few years because my dentist fell ill for a time and i simply kept forgetting to make an appointment on his return to work and before long, about 6 years had passed until one day, i had a toothache and assumed i would need a filling as it was the only signal i ever had that something was wrong.. No pain, no bleeding, no bad breath and my teeth were pearly white.

I was horrified when i saw the x-ray of my gob.. the difference just a few years made to my gums and worse still, the securing bone underneath!

 

There is no direct link to poor dental hygiene and gum disease. It can help but it is just one of those things that can affect anybody for a variety of reasons.. A bit like rust on a car.. Some cars just rust, no matter how much you take care of them. Gum disease is much the same kind of thing.

 

Some people die of lung cancer despite having never smoked in their lives.. Some keep fit fanatics die of heart attacks despite their healthy living..

Some people get gum disease... Cards that life deals but it is easier to get new teeth than a new heart or lungs.

[clarissa]

Dentists don't do teeth cleaning any more, even private ones.

 

My Dentist offers teeth cleaning (scale and polish) cost is £25

 

Brushing (electric toothbrush) twice daily and flossing has kept my teeth and gums in excellent condition.

[ECCOnoob]

I have never understood why we have to pay an NHS dentist, for treatment fair enough but just for a checkup which I had today, was in chair about 2 mins and was charged £18. Dentists do scale and polish which is cleaning, you need to take care of your own teeth and brush twice a day, floss and mouthwash, oral hygiene simples!

 

Its a good point but a tricky one to answer.

 

I suppose its a preventable (i.e. brush your teeth) and a mostly cosmetic thing.

 

If you are in a car crash and smash your teeth out the NHS will provide emergency orthodontic surgery and fit pallets, implants crowns etc. Simiarly if you have wonky teeth you can have NHS treatment for braces etc on the NHS but yet people can also pay thousands for dental implants and goodness knows what.

 

Does check up / health check count as NHS treatment - maybe it should be - although obviously dentists and NHS financiers disagree.

 

Similar thing with optical. We have to pay for eye tests / glasses / laser surgery etc. but assumingly if you had some eye infection or blindness you would be whipped away to a opthalmology ward and given NHS treatment to assist / cure it.