Having a nice Bank Holiday weekend?

MargaretR · 26-08-2007, 09:42

What a rubbishy weekend I'm having.

Saturday I planned to have a day out in Cleveleys -cancelled due to lack of sleep - caused by some inconsiderate young persons revelling past my home twice in the early hours. Well I thought never mind there are 2 more days left of this long weekend.

Spent most of Saturday regaining lost sleep and planned to get the coast bus today Sunday -but - I woke with a swollen face and toothache - yet another dental abcess -had qiute a few in the past 4 years - now have only 8 real teeth left because they have been going down like dominoes.

I know what I need - some dental specific antibiotic to get the swelling down prior to extraction.

My dentist which costs me £16 a month on Denplan will be on a cruise for the next week anyway (had abcesses 3 times before during bank holiday weekends and I know the score by now). There is no provision for having Denplan emergency treatment with another dentist unless you are away from home eg on holiday. Denplan didnt even refund the £6 it cost me to get a prescription from an NHS emergency dental clinic at Accy Vic in almost identical set of circs 2 years ago.

So I have spent an hour on the phone trying to get some antibiotics from somewhere. I am doped up with Solpadol so rang a wrong number and got passed about amongst the West Yorkshire hospital service for a while.

Several things I have established by now-
1 - my own docs out of hours number is giving out an emergency number which says 'thank you for calling Voicemail' then cuts off
2 - there is no 'small injuries' clinic operating at Accy Vic today.
3 - I am waiting for a call back from an NHS emergency dental
service person who may or may not provide me with an
appointment -'expect a wait of a few hours for the call, due to it
being a Bank holiday weekend'.
4. Even if I get some antibiotics today (slim hope), I wont be able to
insert my partial denture until the swelling goes down, so my
planned trip to the Colne Blues Festival tomorrow so see my
son's band performing is off too.

So for the first few sunshine days we have had this summer I am grounded, in pain, and looking more like Les Dawson with his teeth out than I ever expected to do
Bank Holidays!!! st**f em - I hope you are enjoying yours

mez · 26-08-2007, 10:01

ooooooooo poor you margaret, i feel for you i really do nowt worse than abcessy/toothache hope the call comes soon for you.

my weekend mmmmmmm nowt much happening .susan came home from hols yesterday morning did her washing bless her. i thought oo nice tomorrow we can have a ride out & have some lunch somewhere, said grandchild got up had breakfast gone out "oh im meeting friends in b/burn see you later" so im back to ?......mmmmmm think i'll slaughter rest of garden now .

BERNADETTE · 26-08-2007, 10:06

Just a thought Margaret have you tried the NHS Direct number? The number is08454647.

Royboy39 · 26-08-2007, 10:06

Margaret I sympathize with you.......been there........but you are old enough to know that is not a good idea to have a toothache on a bank holiday

MargaretR · 26-08-2007, 10:24

New developments- (I had contacted the NHS emergency dental service via the Nhs Direct number)

I have had the call back - I am DISOWNED!!! by the NHS because I am on Denplan. -- told to call them

I have called Denplan emergency number who say 'call you dentists number and follow the instructions given'

Dentist's answering machine tells me to go to Accy Vic emergency dental service (it always says that - but I have already established that it is not operating today)

Call to Denplan again - there is a queue due to bank hloiday - awaiting yet
another call back

I wonder what on earth I am paying £16 a month for - at the rate of £2 a tooth!!!!!!

MargaretR · 26-08-2007, 11:33

Denplan have called me back- They have been unable to contact my dentist (well they wouldn't do, would they - he will be on a cruise!)

They say that since my dentist's instructions (per answering machine) are to get Nhs emergency treatment - that is what I should do.

I told them that I have - and have been DISOWNED.

Denplan now say that the Accy Vic clinic IS open from 2pm to 6pm today and that their previous advice to me that it isn't, was just their way of trying to 'fob me off'

I point out that I have been in this position before and that they (Denplan) refused to refund me the cost of the NHS treatment I had then. They say 'your dentist should have refunded you'. At that time I had left the NHS receipt with him and he has made me no refund.

At this point I am getting seriously annoyed (it does take a lot but I am getting there!!!)

I then threaten to cancel my Denplan direct debit but she starts to get uppity and says that I should discuss it with my dentist with whom the contract is (not them)

So now I have to phone Accy Vic emergency dental service after 2pm and hope they can offer me an appointment.

This saga of lack of dental care has been problematic for me for the past 4 years whilst my teeth have been going down like ninepins. I have been on an NHS waiting list for 10 months now because the £16 a month is a bit much to pay for the 8 teeth I have left. My Denplan dentist originally supplied me with a partial denture - cost £60 - and has charged me an extra £60 every time another tooth has been added (said 'lab fees' were not covered by my Denplan payments).

When it got to a stage earlier this year when I needed a replacement upper instead of just an add on tooth, I went to a specialist dental lab at Whitefield and paid £3,200 for dentures. (the partial denture from my Denplan dentist never fitted right)

I will be cancelling Denplan direct debit as soon as I have had this extraction - I dont care who does it - just want it done

Thanks for your sympathy -- Is there a dentist in the forum?

BERNADETTE · 26-08-2007, 11:55

Margaret I know this won't help you today but I will post it anyway. Dentist just near Morrison's taking NHS patients on Telephone number 691311, cost of dentures there £194, I asked for my mum the other day. If you ring on Tuesday they will take you on. Sorry I can't offer any help for today, hope you get it sorted. p.s. any time you need emergency treatment during surgery hours you just need to go in and you will be seen there and then!!

MargaretR · 26-08-2007, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

Margaret I know this won't help you today but I will post it anyway. Dentist just near Morrison's taking NHS patients on Telephone number 691311, cost of dentures there £194, I asked for my mum the other day. If you ring on Tuesday they will take you on. Sorry I can't offer any help for today, hope you get it sorted. p.s. any time you need emergency treatment during surgery hours you just need to go in and you will be seen there and then!!

Thanks Bernie - you have provided light at the end of the tunnel -bless you

Ps tried to give you karma but cant because I gave you some recently

BERNADETTE · 26-08-2007, 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Thanks Bernie - you have provided light at the end of the tunnel -bless you

Well on reading your post about how much you paid for your dentures I was appalled!!

BERNADETTE · 26-08-2007, 12:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Thanks Bernie - you have provided light at the end of the tunnel -bless you

Ps tried to give you karma but cant because I gave you some recently

I am not fussed about karma, just don't like to think of someone in pain and being ripped off to boot!!

Margaret Pilkington · 26-08-2007, 12:26

I never thought I would be in the position to say this (folks on here will know what i mean)......but I have a lovely Dentist, called David...NHS at that, at Accy Vic.....Margaret, when you go, ask about the possibility of registering for NHS treatment with them. Plead poverty, insanity anything just to get a foot in the door. They have a marvellous team.
I hope you get sorted soon.

grannyclaret · 26-08-2007, 12:27

Inever thought i would be glad to have false choppers...

hope you get it sorted

MargaretR · 26-08-2007, 12:38

Thanks ladies for your help and sympathy.
I have an appointment at Accy Vic at 2.30 today - It has been a struggle to get it but got there in the end.
I have been advised to take £30 with me - so the Denplan direct debit is now CANCELLED!!! (feeling more cheerful but not enough to put a smiley - there aren't any toothless smilies I could use)

BERNADETTE · 26-08-2007, 12:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Thanks ladies for your help and sympathy.
I have an appointment at Accy Vic at 2.30 today - It has been a struggle to get it but got there in the end.
I have been advised to take £30 with me - so the Denplan direct debit is now CANCELLED!!! (feeling more cheerful but not enough to put a smiley - there aren't any toothless smilies I could use)

Good news Margaret, hope you feel a bit more cheerful when you get back. There is nothing worse than being in pain and not knowing where to turn.

Margaret Pilkington · 26-08-2007, 12:43

So, Now you really haven't got a dentist, and should be elegible for NHS registration......ask if you can put your name down Margaret.
I know there was something in the paper recently about more NHS places being made available locally......so you have nothing to lose.
Good luck.