On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 15:08:43 -0000, "Owain"
wrote:

"Andy Hall" wrote
| "Owain" wrote:
| | If people take care of their teeth properly, the ongoing costs
| | are not excessive at all.
| If people have good teeth to start off with.
| It does vary, but I had found that NHS treatment in early life had
| left a legacy of poor quality restorative work.

Yes, that's why I think the NHS should keep my teeth sorted out; they made
them what they are.


The trouble is that hell will freeze over before that happens.


Dentists are paid a flat per annum rate for children, the idea is this will
encourage dentists to do preventative care so that expensive treatments are
not needed. Although dentists now concentrate on preserving natural teeth,
when faced with a nervous child patient and the dentist knows the patient
and family history is such that dental health will deteriorate again anyway,
extraction of deciduous teeth is a quick (for the dentist and the patient)
and cheap treatment, especially in the days when dentists could use general
anaesthesia for extractions. It also fosters a culture that the quick cure
for dental problems is extraction.

It certainly was a generation ago, and earlier than that it was
commonplace for people when they reached a certain age to have all
teeth removed, healthy as well and to get dentures. A complete
nonsense.


The problem is that if deciduous teeth
are extracted the sockets are not properly formed in the jaw and the
permanent teeth can then grow squint.

Right.


| Over a period of several years, as replacement fillings were needed,
| they were done privately with much more time and effort being taken
| and better materials being used.

Unless you want non-amalgam fillings for appearance or particular health
concerns, the materials shoudl be the same.

They are not though. There is really no excuse for using amalgam
fillings any longer. I got shot of the last of mine more than 10
years ago, when the available alternative materials had reached the
stage of development that they would last at least as long.

However the main criterion of
success and longevity of a filling is preparation of the cavity,
particularly dryness. The more time a dentist can take over this, the better
the filling will be.

Yep. This is where one of the major issues is with any of this type
of work and time is where much of the cost lies.

If you can get private dentistry fairly cheaply it
might actually work out cheaper than continual NHS renewal.

In terms of long term viability of the teeth, yes. Each time a
filling is replaced, a small amount of tooth is lost. Beyond a
certain point, it becomes so weakened that a crown or extraction are
the only options left.

This was my earlier point. Once a stable situation can be achieved,
the focus should be on care and so hygienist visits are important,
especially for people older than 40.





Owain


..andy

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