[ot] dental fillings

[Fred]

Hi,

I've moved area so had to register with a new dentist; it was impractical to travel back to see my old one. The new dentist asked to X-ray my teeth, which I have never had done before. He was surprised when I said this and said that it is recommended to have an X-ray every two years. Is this true or does the NHS pay the dentist handsomely for X-rays; is it just a money spinner for the practice? I always thought that it was best to have as few X-rays as possible?

He showed me the X-rays and said they showed that I needed two fillings. Not being an expert I couldn't tell, but he said that it was a lighter shade of grey where I needed the fillings. Again, I'm not that convinced but OTOH he's the dentist, not me; perhaps I should trust that he knows more about this than I do!

If I have the fillings, they are sufficiently far back that the NHS will only pay for amalgam fillings. I did wonder about asking for white; more for reasons of vanity than anything else. I would have to pay for these privately. I was quoted £80 per filling, so £160 in total. Is this the going rate for white fillings. I am in the Midlands.

Sorry to be off topic, just curious what you all thought? TIA DIY answer: use a dremel and epoxy putty? ;)

[charles]

I have always had xrays when I go for my annual check up. they show up things that are not visible to the naked eye.

Very cheap for London

[Frank Erskine]

Nah - angle grinder and car body filler.

[Chris Hogg]

I have, in the past, used waterproof epoxy putty as a tooth repair when a filling came out, the stuff used for instant repairs to water pipes etc. I couldn't be arsed to make a special appointment, and it lasted several months before my next visit to the dentist, who was suitably appalled! You can get temporary filling stuff from a chemist.

[Another John]

I've always had x-rays, as your new dentist said, every two years -- or more often if there's a problem that needs watching.

I am a child of the 50s, when (as I remember) the dentist would (painfully) fill every nook and cranny in your little teeth ... and as a result, of course, have had a lifetime of re-fillings and re-re-fillings, and re-re-re-fillings.

I'd say the price you quote for white fillings is not extortionate at all. But I would never pay for white fillings at the back of my mouth! As you say: it's vanity ... especially when the only person likely ever to see them is your dentist!

As for how much the dentist is getting from the NHS for whatever he does to your teeth: I shudder to think! All I know is that these days I pay a reasonable fee, every six months, to give me peace of mind about what is a pretty crap set of teeth, thanks to the treatment I got as a child.

Also: dentists these days, thanks in part to the amazing equipment they have, are fantastic, compared to what I remember from my childhood. (Re-reading this, it seems to have been a major trauma!)

John

[Tim Streater]

You never had x-rays before? I wouldn't trust a dentist that didn't do them regularly (every year or so).

[polygonum]

If it was an epoxy that is based on a bisphenol-A, there is some evidence that this is an endocrine disruptor...

I would not choose to do that.

[polygonum]

And does your dentist provide a thyroid collar/guard?

Indeed, does your dentist even have one available?

[Nightjar]

It is normal routine these days.

A while back I was having so many chest X-rays I thought I ought to be glowing in the dark. When I asked a radiologist about it, she told me that, these days, the radiation dose you get from a chest X-ray is about as much as you receive in three days from background radiation. I would expect that, as the target area is much smaller, the dose from a tooth X-ray would be even less.

Colin Bignell

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The dentist and nurse still leave the room, though. ;-)

[Nightjar]

Only the nurse at my dental practice, although it is a large room and the dentist does stand quite a long way away.

Colin Bignell

[Bob Eager]

Mine does.

[Frank Erskine]

Mine don't.

[DerekG]

Or half an hour at 35,000 feet.

If all's well with the X-ray generator it might be.

OTOH if the exposure timer's stuck at maximum ...

DerekG

[Brian Gaff]

Sounds unbelievably cheap to me. also yes, they like to xray more now the dose is so low from the modern gear. Brian

[polygonum]

The panoramics are, I have read, the worst standard dental ones. And quite a number of them are old machines because they are expensive to buy - so may not be the most super-safe and efficient devices.

And you can never know what the distribution pattern is. If it happens to concentrate on the most sensitive tissue, even if a tiny area (hence, a tiny total dose), then it could be significant.

[charles]

indeed, no longer do they use plates, but use a sensor wired into their pc for instant results.

[Andy Champ]

I've just had a filling done in plastic, because of the drilling: Amalgam holds in place because it's a tight fit. They have to drill a hole that is wider at the bottom. The modern stuff actually sticks, so they can drill out only ... err... the bit that has decayed around the previous filling. As this tooth is more filling than anything else I wanted to preserve as much as possible.

Andy

[Andy Champ]

I don't remember the 50s (I wasn't there) but I think my dentist must have been old-fashioned. It was only when I did stats that I suddenly thought - hang on - how come when I have 28 teeth, and they are getting holes at a random rate, do I have exactly one filling to do for over 90% of visits?

I had a crown by the time I left school. OK, perhaps I had more sweets than my kids - but one of mine has a filling. The other has none.

Andy

[dennis]

If they are still using film it won't be. the main reason doses have gone down is the change from film to charged plastic sheets and scanners for hospital Xray machines.