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Serious Dental Pain

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  • 29-05-2015 7:31pm
    #1
    Laoislion8383
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭


    Ok this is kind of a rant and kind of a question, I am from Laois but lived in dublin for years and only living back down home the last 6 months or so, so I don't really have a dentist down here. I tried to get to see one yesterday but couldn't get in anywhere think it was because I wasn't a regular patient even though my top right side molar was killing me, they gave me an appointment for 3:30 today so I struggled along with pain killers until then, Got to the dentist today to find out my medical card was taking away something about a form I got from them n never sent it back I know for a fact I never got said form, the dentist wanted paying I had no cash on me so said I would run to the bank and get it as I really wanted this tooth gone..... When I got back the receptionist said I lost my appointment and they were full for the rest of the day that I could come back Tuesday I saw red and told them to F off. I knew I wouldn't see a dentist till Tuesday and I had a fair idea I had an abscess and needed an antibiotic so contacted my local doctor and explained my situation and about my medical card he seen me confirmed I had an abscess and gave me a course of antibiotics and what's more charged me nothing, said when I sorted my medical card the payment would issue to him then... Finally the pain is dying, but is there really not an out of hours dentist in Laois/Offaly????


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    #2
    Big_G
    Moderators Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭Big_G


    The difference between the contract the dentist has with the HSE and the one your doctor has with the HSE means the dentist wouldn't get paid regardless of when your medical card comes in. If you don't have a valid medical card on the day you attend for treatment, the dentist won't get paid.

    I feel for you and your painful situation. Some dentists may have seen you when you returned but you have to understand that the dentist has responsibility for other patients too and the appointments are times that are booked specifically for a patient. It is difficult to access emergency appointments because dentists may be very busy.

    I know that this may sound like I am being a bit snarky but please take it as advice: it is your responsibility to know if you have a valid medical card. Because of recent changes that the HSE has made you must attend with a valid medical card in hand at the dentist or you may not be able to avail of treatment. We no longer can avail of a checking service to see if a patient has a valid medical card.

    I hope that you can get the treatment that you need. I know there are lots of dentists in Carlow if you can make it that far.


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    #3
    Laoislion8383
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Laoislion8383


    Big_G wrote: »
    The difference between the contract the dentist has with the HSE and the one your doctor has with the HSE means the dentist wouldn't get paid regardless of when your medical card comes in. If you don't have a valid medical card on the day you attend for treatment, the dentist won't get paid.

    I feel for you and your painful situation. Some dentists may have seen you when you returned but you have to understand that the dentist has responsibility for other patients too and the appointments are times that are booked specifically for a patient. It is difficult to access emergency appointments because dentists may be very busy.

    I know that this may sound like I am being a bit snarky but please take it as advice: it is your responsibility to know if you have a valid medical card. Because of recent changes that the HSE has made you must attend with a valid medical card in hand at the dentist or you may not be able to avail of treatment. We no longer can avail of a checking service to see if a patient has a valid medical card.

    I hope that you can get the treatment that you need. I know there are lots of dentists in Carlow if you can make it that far.

    I understand that the dentist is running a business but I genuinely had no idea my medical card was out the valid date on it says 07/16 but it was taking because I didn't send back a form that I never even got and I know my gripe is with the hse and not the dentist, but I have the money for treatment trust me I would pay anything to get this tooth out, I think they thought I wasn't coming back or that I didn't have the money, carlow is about 40 mins away but I would never get a dentist on a Saturday of a bank holiday would I???


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    #4
    gdpman
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭gdpman


    Laoislion8383 wrote: »
    Ok this is kind of a rant and kind of a question, I am from Laois but lived in dublin for years and only living back down home the last 6 months or so, so I don't really have a dentist down here. I tried to get to see one yesterday but couldn't get in anywhere think it was because I wasn't a regular patient even though my top right side molar was killing me, they gave me an appointment for 3:30 today so I struggled along with pain killers until then, Got to the dentist today to find out my medical card was taking away something about a form I got from them n never sent it back I know for a fact I never got said form, the dentist wanted paying I had no cash on me so said I would run to the bank and get it as I really wanted this tooth gone..... When I got back the receptionist said I lost my appointment and they were full for the rest of the day that I could come back Tuesday I saw red and told them to F off. I knew I wouldn't see a dentist till Tuesday and I had a fair idea I had an abscess and needed an antibiotic so contacted my local doctor and explained my situation and about my medical card he seen me confirmed I had an abscess and gave me a course of antibiotics and what's more charged me nothing, said when I sorted my medical card the payment would issue to him then... Finally the pain is dying, but is there really not an out of hours dentist in Laois/Offaly????

    We were working today, mainly medical card patients.
    But if you abused my staff by telling them to "F Off" You wouldn't be coming in on Tuesday either.


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    #5
    Laoislion8383
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Laoislion8383


    gdpman wrote: »
    We were working today, mainly medical card patients.
    But if you abused my staff by telling them to "F Off" You wouldn't be coming in on Tuesday either.

    Your right I won't be coming in on Tuesday either, I will take my business and my money elsewhere thank you very much, and will be advising all my family and friends to do the same


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    #6
    Big_G
    Moderators Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭Big_G


    Ok so this thread is going a little down hill.
    To OP, you might find a dentist on a Saturday of a bank holiday. Ring around. Also, I don't think the dentist refused to see you because of the money, more because they have a responsibility to other patients who were there waiting to be seen also.
    Lastly, and I have to agree with gdpman here, if it was my practice and you told any of my staff to 'F off' you wouldn't be allowed to come through the door again, regardless of circumstances. That is inexcusable behavior, everybody should feel safe when they come to work, there is no place for abuse, any time, in any setting, for any reason. I understand that you were in pain and upset, but try to keep a clear head. Most dentists will try to get people out of pain, but understand the receptionist or the dental nurse is the gatekeeper. Be nice, and they will often try and fit you in (even if the dentist is crazy busy).

    I find the most genuine patients in pain show up first thing in the morning and are willing to wait to be seen, and are very grateful when treatment is complete.

    Hopefully you get sorted.


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    #7
    Laoislion8383
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Laoislion8383


    Big_G wrote: »
    Ok so this thread is going a little down hill.
    To OP, you might find a dentist on a Saturday of a bank holiday. Ring around. Also, I don't think the dentist refused to see you because of the money, more because they have a responsibility to other patients who were there waiting to be seen also.
    Lastly, and I have to agree with gdpman here, if it was my practice and you told any of my staff to 'F off' you wouldn't be allowed to come through the door again, regardless of circumstances. That is inexcusable behavior, everybody should feel safe when they come to work, there is no place for abuse, any time, in any setting, for any reason. I understand that you were in pain and upset, but try to keep a clear head. Most dentists will try to get people out of pain, but understand the receptionist or the dental nurse is the gatekeeper. Be nice, and they will often try and fit you in (even if the dentist is crazy busy).

    I find the most genuine patients in pain show up first thing in the morning and are willing to wait to be seen, and are very grateful when treatment is complete.

    Hopefully you get sorted.

    I was willing to wait to be seen no problem even phoned in the morning and suggested I call in an wait for a gap between patients but was giving an appointment, I had a fair idea it was an abcess and that I wouldn't get an extraction that day prob a course of antibiotics and an appointment for next week sometime, and I didn't use the words F Off I was more polite than that I elaborated in my first post as it was mainly a rant, between the pain and the frustration I was totally pissed off and found the service and whole experience terrible.


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    #8
    percy212
    Registered Users Posts: 1,077 ✭✭✭percy212


    Have a heart. The OP is in pain. A dentist has a responsibility to the public as a medical professional. They should have seen the OP and taken payment later.

    OP - if it gets really bad go to A and E.


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    #9
    Laoislion8383
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Laoislion8383


    percy212 wrote: »
    Have a heart. The OP is in pain. A dentist has a responsibility to the public as a medical professional. They should have seen the OP and taken payment later.

    OP - if it gets really bad go to A and E.

    It's not too bad, my doc sorted me out with some antibiotics should see me through till Tuesday.. Cheers


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    #10
    suds1984
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭suds1984


    Did you inform the HSE of your change in address when you moved from Dublin to Laois? Many people forget to inform the HSE of address change.


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    #11
    EoghanIRL
    Registered Users Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭EoghanIRL


    percy212 wrote: »
    Have a heart. The OP is in pain. A dentist has a responsibility to the public as a medical professional. They should have seen the OP and taken payment later.

    OP - if it gets really bad go to A and E.

    Why does it keep getting brought back to money?
    The reason the op was not seen is because there was no appointment available.

    By seeing the op then other patient's appointments could have been delayed.
    The dentist had a responsibility to the other patients in his/her practice too. They could have been very busy that day coming up to the bank holiday weekend.
    I'm sure if the dentist could have treated the op they would have.


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    #12
    Laoislion8383
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Laoislion8383


    suds1984 wrote: »
    Did you inform the HSE of your change in address when you moved from Dublin to Laois? Many people forget to inform the HSE of address change.

    I didn't have a medical card when living in dublin, I only got one when I moved back home. Have being living at the same address since I first applied I def never got the form they looked for, plus I don't mind paying to get my tooth looked at trust me I would have payed anything


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    #13
    Laoislion8383
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Laoislion8383


    EoghanIRL wrote: »
    Why does it keep getting brought back to money?
    The reason the op was not seen is because there was no appointment available.

    By seeing the op then other patient's appointments could have been delayed.
    The dentist had a responsibility to the other patients in his/her practice too. They could have been very busy that day coming up to the bank holiday weekend.
    I'm sure if the dentist could have treated the op they would have.

    Dentist has a duty of care to patients the same as a doctor, paying for the treatment was never the problem I just didn't have the cash on me as I thought the medical card would cover it and I had to get a bank link to get the money which I did, but was then told he wouldn't be able to see me, quite sure the dentist himself knew what the problem just my hearing my symptoms therefore would have being aware that it would have being a 10min consultation I had no problem waiting at all I made that clear too


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    #14
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    percy212 wrote: »
    Have a heart. The OP is in pain. A dentist has a responsibility to the public as a medical professional. They should have seen the OP and taken payment later.

    OP - if it gets really bad go to A and E.

    Unfortunately that is not the way it works. A significant percentage of patients will only attend a dentist when a tooth finally becomes painful so to see all and then wait to be paid later is not feasible. Every clinic (including my own) has a long list of people who said they would come back to pay the following day/week/month, never to be seen nor heard of again, the amounts owned range from €20 to €1500 so you can understand the scepticism particularly when the patient has not been seen at the clinic before. But, as pointed out, the issue here is not whether the op could pay or not, it's about attending for an appointment. Having said that, when op returned, if it was my practice, I would have seen the op.


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    #15
    percy212
    Registered Users Posts: 1,077 ✭✭✭percy212


    Fair enough Davo10. I see you point of view. I still feel for the OP. Dental pain can be extreme. If I were a dentist I would have made the time for one more extraction.

    OP - see this link for dental a+e. Its in Dublin, but if things get bad..... - http://www.dentalhospital.ie/patients/emergency-dental-care/


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    #16
    btkm8unsl0w5r4
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,538 ✭✭✭btkm8unsl0w5r4


    In this day and age, patient have access to emergency dental treatment privately all the time. With all the chain clinics and swift access clinics. Usually no need to burden the dental hospital which is doing trojan work despite being understaffed and overstretched.

    Dentists have a duty of care to their patients, they however do not have a duty of care to people who are not registered patients with their practice.

    Very strange OP that the dental clinic would not have a credit card machine that you could have used your ATM card with, howandever it was a bit bad for the receptionist to give away your slot, I would say the receptionist was having a bad day, a huge number of people leave it until late on a bank holiday Friday to seek treatment when the pain becomes intolerable. It would have been an extremely busy day.

    Personally I would have seen you if it was my practice, however telling anyone to F off is simply not the way to go about getting what you want. I realize you were in pain, but you never in this world get the best from people by being aggressive. I would assume you have gotten appropriate care at this stage, so we can lock this fellow up now. Best to think about getting a comprehensive examination and the appropriate treatment for any other teeth to avoid the agony of dental pain again.


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