In other news if you get toothache

[Speakeazi]

Most dental practices have had to close for the safety of patients and staff. I’m pleased to say that there are local hubs being commissioned which you will be able to go to if you have an emergency. There will be some sort of triage before you can go. Will post more details as I get them.

[Lezzers]

My dental appt was cancelled this morning, have never been so pleased! 😂

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to Lezzers]

You won't be saying that if you get toothache!! 😢 Out of curiosity would gin numb the pain?

[Lezzers in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

It got even better. They wanted to re-arrange the appt for May, I told them as my husband has to self isolate for 12 weeks I need to keep my social contact to the minimum, so the appt is now in July ☺

Not sure about gin numbing pain, I'm guessing if you drink enough of it you won't care about any pain! 😂

It was just a routine check up & I did ask about emergency appts and was told they're doing abcess and trauma cases.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Lezzers]

Arghh! Extractions with 2 meter pliers!

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to Lezzers]

I've a routine appointment at the end of May, my dentists txt messaging system broke down a few years ago when it told me I was due to book a checkup when I was actually on my way for said checkup - seems they've fixed it - got text today saying appointment "likely to not take place, will contact closer to time, closed, but if in pain ring them" If they're closed not sure what they're going to do if I ring with pain, except perhaps sympathise !

[Lezzers in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

That's a bit like the GP surgery this week. Kevin had bloods booked for 8.59 am Monday & although it's an important test we wondered if it would still go ahead. Sun got a appt reminder txt, so he went to surgery on the Monday and was was told but did rest as he was there, was then told to go home self isolate for 12 week's & he'd be getting a letter. That afternoon he got a txt cancelling the appt 😂 but he has bout 4 appts booked and they've cancelled them all. 😢

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to Lezzers]

Scary! I wonder when all this is over how doctors, dentists, out patients are going to get back on top of it all.

Another one is cardio rehab - the people who'll be waiting to start rehab will stretch around the block.

Feel really sorry for those who have just had a heart event and won't be able to start rehab

[seasider18 in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

They could easily put out a rehab video of the exercises to do few of them need equipment.

[Speakeazi in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

If in pain they can consult over the phone -video if needed & prescribe anti biotics remotely. And if needed when the hubs are ready send you there.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Speakeazi]

I think dental hygiene should be emphasised just now along with hand washing - simple things like brushing regularly would go a long way towards staving off any dental emergencies, I'd think. Not a dentist but keeping my teeth and mouth clean has made needing a dental appointment rare for me.

[Qualipop in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

Oil of Cloves. Have used it for toothache since I was a child. Available eonline

[Stuart2441 in reply to Lezzers]

Dentist always amaze me......Hello, nice to see you would you like to come this way? Aargh. Not likely but I have to. 🤣😂

[Lezzers in reply to Stuart2441]

My dentist is really lovely. The last time I saw her she'd got me a stress ball to play with at my appts 😂

[Sunnie2day in reply to Lezzers]

What a great idea!

[Lezzers in reply to Sunnie2day]

I think she got it as I took my own one with me & I stressed it so much it fell apart! 😂

[Sunnie2day in reply to Lezzers]

Wow, you must have been stressed - those things are hard to destroy!

[seasider18 in reply to Stuart2441]

I have a terrible gag reflex that makes it difficult for them and me. X-Rays are particularly difficult. One NHS one I once I went told me to go as I was wasting his time.

He was not a very good dentist anyway.

We once signed up with one called Butcher after moving to a new area. My wife went once and said that he lived up to his name so we quickly changed.

[Qualipop in reply to seasider18]

My first dentist when a child was called Eager. He too lived up to his name and absolutely hated children. By the time I was 11 and could use the school dentist I had to go every week for 3 months and ended up with all my front bottom teeth out and a denture at 13 yrs old!!!!!!! All thanks to him. I was a prem baby and had barely any enamel

[seasider18 in reply to Qualipop]

The school dentists had a terrible reputation and I never went to them. Used to pass one with kids staggering out with blood pouring out of their mouths.

Where we lived we had a dentist on either side of us. I had the very nice one who came here as a refugee from France at the start of the war with the strange name Inkpen. . The other one was a drunk and we used to see him going over to the pub several times a day. We told friend about our one but they mistakenly went to the wrong one

.

[Qualipop in reply to seasider18]

Our school dentist was absolutely fantastic especially with a kid who was by then terrified. I even got that I could manage to go out of school and walk down there on my own. Unthinkable a couple of months earlier. A good dentist is worth his weight in gold. I lived in Germany for years but always came back here to my dentist

[seasider18 in reply to Qualipop]

Mr Inkpen took out a molar when I was 17and did not say that he had left in five pieces of root. Soon my face was swollen and I could hardly open my mouth and had to go to the dental hospital. A huge amount of penicillin pumped into me but they only got out three bits of root. Three years later another swollen face and another piece removed by an Irish dentist in London. You'll soon be 21 and have to pay for your treatment so let me do all that is needed now. She ruined my mouth by filling sixteen teeth probably mostly unnecessarily. The final piece of root was eventually removed when I was in my 50's

[Rose54]

My Dentist is closed but if its a emergency you can call and be seen

[Bagrat]

My dentist was off sick 10 days ago when I should have had extraction for failed root canal. Have already had 2 rounds of antibiotics since it was done in Jan.

He offered to redo but in view of covid I chose extraction ( terrified) on apixaban .

Now that's cancelled ( initial relief) and I was told if I get yet another abscess etc I will be triaged and prescribed antibiotics. Do not like the idea of harbouring low grade infection either.

So much for it being unwise to have more than 9 days antibiotics per year!!

Please keep us updated

[Statex in reply to Bagrat]

You should be very careful my son recently had an abscess under one of his teeth and was told sometimes if in the right place the infection can go to your brain with devastating results. Make sure you contact someone if it gets worse.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Statex]

I think for most of us here on the BHF forum, the big worry with dental infections is the infection going to our hearts. But you're right about some infections going to the brain - I'll never forget reading about the young American lad without dental insurance who died from a dental abscess that went to his brain.

[Speakeazi]

Ooh Just asked Dentist husband and whilst he doesn’t doubt what your son was told, he’s never seen it in over 30 years of practice.

[Bagrat in reply to Speakeazi]

Well that's a relief. I don't want to distract NHS from Cv19.

[seasider18]

Our dentist E-Mailed:

We hope you are keeping well.

Following the Government announcement, we have made the decision to postpone all non urgent dental care for your safely and that of our staff.

We are open for EMERGENCIES only.

If you have an appointment booked we will be in contact with you to postpone it, either by phone, email or letter - keep an eye out!

If you have an emergency, please call the practice for further information.

Please do not just turn up at the practice.

We are here for you, but we will be reducing our opening hours, so please call first, listen to the answer machine, leave a clear message with your name and contact number - and we will call you back.

We wish you all well, stay inside and we look forward to seeing you soon.

[Bagrat]

Mine says "the practice is now closed for all treatment including emergencies but we are here for you . Please ring for advice!!"

[Speakeazi]

We are starting to get details of the urgent care centres and how we can access them for our patients.