Messie
02-01-10, 11:40 AM
In October I needed a small filling replaced becuase it had fallen out. It was just over one year since seeing my usual dentist, so they wouldn't see me as an emergency. Their next available appointment was December.
I found another very helpful NHS dentist, local to me, who could do it the next day. They did it, quickly and efficiently, and charged me £45. As I was happy with them I booked my next check up with them, for just before Christmas.
I turned up for the appointment and nattered withe the friendly receptionist; I was the first appointment of the day. 15 minutes after the alloted time the receptionist sheepishly said the dentist had probably forgotten and she made a phone call. true enough, the private dentists from across the road, who was 'helping them out' had forgotten. He was soon there and I was in the chair.
I explained that the filling I'd had in October was a little loose, but was causing me no problem or pain. He said no filling would ever stay in there and that he'd need to fix it. He checked with the nurse about having enough time then the next thing I knew was he'd jabbed me with a needle and was injecting me with anasthetic.
I was really shocked by this; thankfully I'm not scared of needles or dentists but this ruffled my feathers. I said I'd wished he'd told me he was going to do that and he just answered with 'women!'
Turns out he was preparing the tooth for a crown, which invlove taking horrible moulds and filling my existing tooth into a fang, and putting in a nasty, false white one until the real one is made.
Then I went to the receptionist to pay and she said that will be £196!
But I won't have to pay that until the crown is fitted at the end of Jan
So, what should I do. I will complain about the treatment by the dentist in terms of the injection and I'm seriously unhappy about £200 for a treatment I don't think was necessary, at least not at that time. I would have liked to have beed consulted about it, and to ave ad the choice if and when to have it done.
My plan is to have the new crown fitted, then when asked to pay, hand in a formal letter of complaint.
What do you think?
I found another very helpful NHS dentist, local to me, who could do it the next day. They did it, quickly and efficiently, and charged me £45. As I was happy with them I booked my next check up with them, for just before Christmas.
I turned up for the appointment and nattered withe the friendly receptionist; I was the first appointment of the day. 15 minutes after the alloted time the receptionist sheepishly said the dentist had probably forgotten and she made a phone call. true enough, the private dentists from across the road, who was 'helping them out' had forgotten. He was soon there and I was in the chair.
I explained that the filling I'd had in October was a little loose, but was causing me no problem or pain. He said no filling would ever stay in there and that he'd need to fix it. He checked with the nurse about having enough time then the next thing I knew was he'd jabbed me with a needle and was injecting me with anasthetic.
I was really shocked by this; thankfully I'm not scared of needles or dentists but this ruffled my feathers. I said I'd wished he'd told me he was going to do that and he just answered with 'women!'
Turns out he was preparing the tooth for a crown, which invlove taking horrible moulds and filling my existing tooth into a fang, and putting in a nasty, false white one until the real one is made.
Then I went to the receptionist to pay and she said that will be £196!
But I won't have to pay that until the crown is fitted at the end of Jan
So, what should I do. I will complain about the treatment by the dentist in terms of the injection and I'm seriously unhappy about £200 for a treatment I don't think was necessary, at least not at that time. I would have liked to have beed consulted about it, and to ave ad the choice if and when to have it done.
My plan is to have the new crown fitted, then when asked to pay, hand in a formal letter of complaint.
What do you think?