need to smile again

LegacyUser

I know medical card dentist work has been made very limited but does anyone know if you can apply to have further work done? I have really bad dental problems which are affecting almost every area of my life. I dont go out, dont meet friends and only leave the house to do my shopping and then straight back home, dont let any photos taken of me as i hate my smile and as such have not got a photo of me with my daughters. my online life is about the only life i have. i hate what my life has become and want to change it but i cant afford the money id imagine it will cost for me to get this work done.
thanks for any help or advice that can be given. i just want to stop feeling the way i do about myself.

Kevin Duffy

Have you had a look here?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=627

LegacyUser

I hate to say it, but i highly doubt it. Currently the medical card only covers 2 fillings (a year) and they must be emergency fillings. one check up (a year) and extractions.

It doesn't cover gum problems, cleanings, braces, cosmetic dentistry or anything else.
Which is an absolute disgrace tbh.

Maybe inquire at your dental surgery or GP maybe, if it's affecting your quality of life and mental health maybe they might have to provide extra services, but again, i'd highly doubt it.
Stupid question i know but is there any chance of you being able to afford to get dental work done up in the north? I hear it's hugely cheaper to do so... Is there anyway you could afford a proper consultation/check up at least? then you'd know exactly how much money you would need? It might not be as bad as you think OP? Is it a case of cosmetic stuff/crooked teeth/discolouration? or cavities/fillings etc?
Really sorry i can't be of more help OP.

LegacyUser

That is really awful, you definitely need to get it sorted as its killing your self esteem. Where are you located? In Cork and Dublin there are the dental hospitals which offer very cheap treatment, it is excellent as they are very well supervised etc. Could you check that out? At least get a checkup and an idea what it might cost, it may not be as bad as you imagine.

LegacyUser

hi thanks for the replies so far.
I looked up about Cork before and they costs are still gonna be out of my league. Doubt I have anything that would work ive heard that to get reports from gp therapist saying i need the work could still take up to a year before i get a decision. It is my own fault but I just wanted to try and turn my life around
I have had a check up and require a lot of fillings and working out the cost by the price list of the dentist (which is the cheapest in my area) Im still looking at around 1,000 at least. the troubling is I have a filling in the front that i had done 7 years ago the tooth had broken and the filling has what looks like a little rod holding it in place this has come loose now and regularly falls out my 2 free fillings have been used and have no option but to put this back in myself each time it falls out its embarrassing and every time it happens i cry for an hour over what ive done to myself.
sorry for the little rant here just feeling very low today.
thanks again for the replies.

Kevin Duffy

Hi OP, I went to a dentist a few years ago who, when discussing a major job and hearing that I couldn't afford it, said "no bother, we'll put you on a planned programme". I didn't explore it too much as I moved, but IIRC it was as simple as say I had €100 a month to give him, he'd do that much work per month, maybe more as needs be depending on the job and I'd just keep paying him on the drip, maybe needing to keep paying for a couple of months after he'd finished.

Perhaps you've explored this, but if not it's gotta be worth asking your local dentist.