Visit to the dentist

[KizzyKazaer]

Are you referring to the 'disclosure' tablets that showed up all the plaque on one's gnashers?  I remember them, mainly because I thought they tasted quite pleasant!

[Fiz]

Yes that's them though I think the pink tablets of shame is more accurate! 

DD I'd forgotten the existence of the school dentist and yes they definitely used to tablets of shame!

[Fiz]

I have an appointment with the anaesthetist next Wednesday to check my fitness for a general anaesthetic. Dare I hope that means it won't be long until this tooth is removed!

[Sunshine Meadows]

School dentist   I was triggered and ran from this thread when that was posted.

Fiz I hope things go weel with you wisdom tooth.

I went to my dentist appointment today and when I got there there was a ambulance in the carpark near the surgery. I wondered what was up and hoped the person was going to be okay. A receptionist was at the door and explained all appointments had been cancelled and there was a serious situation happening. When I got back to the car I checked my phone and 2 minutes before I had got a call from the dentist cancelling my appointment. I am so thankful I did not arrive a bit earlier and been in the waiting room when the events happened. I am also disappointed to have to wait another month to get these fillings fixed. I can still eat and pain might be TN or my teeth who knows but at least I am well enough to be home and safe.

[Fiz]

Oh my gosh sunshine what a worry. I do hope everybody is okay from the dentists. Annoying that your treatment is delayed too, I hope it gets rescheduled in quickly.

[Fiz]

My wisdom tooth removal date was April then the hospital cancelled it because apparently there must be at least 14 days between a Covid vaccine and surgery and that date was only 3 days after my 2nd vaccine. I was told that I was top of the list and would get a new date soon. Two months on and having left numerous phone messages on the hospital answerphone with no replies I emailed PALS explaining the delay and saying that I had heard nothing. I had an email reply yesterday from PALS saying that PALS don't work in the hospital I am linked to as all care there has been franchised out to a private care provider by the NHS for that hospital but she will make contact with them on my behalf and get them to contact me. 

This morning the hospital phoned offering me surgery next Saturday with my Covid test on Wednesday and self isolating from then on. Complaining to PALS works! Should have done it sooner! 

So in 9 days time I will have one less tooth.

[Sunny Clouds]

Ooh, I've got a once in a blue moon opportunity to be smug.  I haven't got wisdom teeth, as proved by X-rays when I was about 16.  Yah, boo sucks!  Well, ok, so I had to have other teeth out top and bottom for overcrowding, but that's different.

So here's hoping it all goes nice and smoothly with you thinking afterwards "Is that all the hassle it was?  Better not tell Sunny, though, in case she doesn't offer as many hugs!"

[ditchdwellers]

Fiz, brilliant idea to get PALS  involved and actually get the hospital to finally arrange your appointment! 

I hope it all goes well for you.

[Sunny Clouds]

I'll add another aspect of the PALS thing.  They're variable and at some hospitals they're rubbish, so it can seem like it's not worth contacting them.  Even if you didn't know that, you could think it from dealing with similar sorts of departments for other organisations.  Yet you gave it a try anyway, Fiz, and didn't give up.  A reminder to us all to keep trying.

[Fiz]

I think I had an advantage with my surgery being in a hospital franchised out to the private company Practice Plus. Abysmal that this privately run hospital doesn't have a PALS service but Practice Plus obviously want to retain the contract when it comes up for renewal so as to make themselves mega bucks so having heard from an external NHS PALS service about my wait for surgery and getting no response to answerphone messages they didn't wait to ask how high, they just jumped, phoned me and offered me surgery this coming week. I suspect their swift response to PALS was more to do with their need to extend their contract than wanting to rectify their service! Still, it worked and that's the main thing.

[Fiz]

The problem with living alone and having no support network and the proviso of being able to have a general anaesthetic is to have a lift home and have someone stay overnight afterwards is that in desperation to get a painful impacted tooth out that you er forget you have no lift home and create an imaginary friend to stay overnight with you. 

Suffice to say, the tooth is out and all is well and my imaginary friend is being no trouble at all as guests go.

[ditchdwellers]

Is it a relief to have the tooth finally out? Did you leave 5p for the Tooth fairy? 
So pleased your imaginary friend isn't up to too much mischief 

Hope you make a swift recovery 

[Fiz]

It's definitely less painful out than it was in that's for sure. It appears to be healing well and I have only taken one painkiller since getting home. Big relief.

[Sunny Clouds]

That sounds positive.

I'm just thinking how my grandmother, long gone now, told me she'd had all her teeth out as an eighteenth birthday present.  How amazing that dentistry's improved so much that for most of us in developed countries, having a tooth out is something that's sort of final option when all else has failed.

I had some of my teeth out for overcrowding in my youth, but I've only had one tooth out for other reasons, after it cracked a few years back.  I was surprised how quickly I got used to its not being there.

I had a few splinters and they worked their way out really smoothly and quickly.

Modern dentistry's amazing - make sure you continue to be an example of how well it can go.

[ditchdwellers]

Fiz- great that it's healing well and the pain is manageable. Long may that continue! 

Sunny- I remember both my granny and granddad had all their teeth out when they were young and it seemed to be the common thing to do. I can't imagine it. It must have been an horrendous experience. What an awful birthday present,  although dental treatment was quite primitive compared to modern day treatment, perhaps it's understandable. Even compararing dental treatment from the 70s and 80s to what I've experienced recently is so very different.