Getting a dentist appointment can be incredibly difficult these days, thanks to long waiting lists and a lack of spaces at NHS dentist practices. This means anyone with serious dental problems, such as a tooth infection, often suffer in silence, unable to get a prescription for treatment that would alleviate their pain and improve their oral health.
However, all hope is not lost, as there are ways patients can receive medication without having to book an appointment with their dentist, as online pharmacies are able to provide prescriptions after digital consultations.
To find out more, read on.
If you have struggled to get a dentist appointment recently, you are not alone. As many as 13 million people are finding it difficult to access dental care, which is more than three times the figure prior to Covid.
The British Dental Association (BDA) revealed that 5.6 million adults have failed to get an appointment in the last two years, and 5.4 million have not even tried to get one, as they know how difficult it would be.
What’s more, as many as 780,000 are on waiting lists for oral care, and they could be on there for some time.
A lack of funding; a shortage of staff as many move to the private sector; a back-log to catch up from during the pandemic; and a postcode lottery of care are just some of the reasons why waiting times are so long.
Earlier this year, the government promised to provide 700,000 extra urgent dentist appointments. However, the BDA claimed this will not be sufficient, as more than 2.2 million people need emergency dental treatment.
Speaking with ITV’s Good Morning Britain earlier this year, chair of the BDA Eddie Crouch said the lack of dental appointments means many people are taking their oral health into their own hands. This includes pulling out their own teeth or only consuming liquids.
“Good oral health is very relevant to general health and sadly we’ve got elderly people in care homes who’ve got dental problems that really are shortening their lifespan because they can’t have an appropriate diet,” Mr Crouch stated.
He added: “They’re getting infections in their mouth, which is leading to more complications.”
The statistics on Britons failing to get a dentist appointment are shocking, with government stats recently revealing that 44.6 per cent of children have not seen a dentist in more than a year. However, there are still ways people can make sure their oral health is in check.
Some online pharmacies offer dental consultations, so those who need emergency care for their teeth can receive it without having to endure a long wait, during which time, the pain and severity of the problem will worsen.
Anyone who thinks they might have an oral infection or dental abscess can have an online consultation and a course of treatment will be prescribed that is most suitable for the problem.
Prescribers are all UK registered and regulated, with several years of experience in the field. If they think it is clinically safe to issue an online prescription, such as if they feel a face-to-face appointment is needed instead, they will decline the order and issue a refund.
This procedure enables those who are not registered at a dentist or whose practice is full to receive emergency dental care.
Once they have completed their online consultation, they will be given a choice of treatment, which may include antibiotics, such as Amoxicillin.
The prescriber will review the online consultation to make sure the treatment given is accurate, including the dose and frequency of the dental antibiotics. After this, the treatment will be dispatched the next working day if the order is made before 3pm.
Patients can check the status of their order by logging into their account, and once it has been dispatched, they will be able to track it through Royal Mail.
If you present with an oral infection or dental abscess, then a course of antibiotics, such as Amoxicillin, will work. Patients will start to feel relief from symptoms after a couple of days, as it stops the bacteria from growing and the infection spreading.
Therefore, the body’s immune system is able to grow antibodies and fight the infection, though it might take a few days to build up sufficient immunity to do this.
It is essential, however, that the full course of treatment is taken, even if the patient begins to feel better after a few doses. This ensures the bacteria has been fully killed and, therefore, will not return.
Failing to finish the course means it could continue to grow, and it will be harder to shift, as it would have developed some resistance to the antibiotics.
Although it will come as a relief to patients that they can receive emergency dental treatment quickly with the help of online pharmacies, the ideal scenario is not needing them at all.
To avoid urgent dental appointments, it is important to take good care of oral health. This involves brushing teeth at least twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste; flossing between teeth every day; and scraping the tongue, as this removes bacteria.
Both adults and children should watch their sugar intake too, as this leads to tooth decay. One-third of children in England under the age of five years old have tooth decay, which is, in part, due to eating too many sweets, drinks and processed foods with hidden sugars.
Adults should also avoid tobacco products and drinking an excessive amount of alcohol, as this causes bacteria build-up.
Finally, those who are registered with a dentist, whether NHS or private, should make sure they attend regular check-ups.
Even if you do not exhibit obvious dental problems, it is essential dentists look over your teeth regularly so they can detect any problems as soon as possible. This can reduce the risk of fillings, dental extractions, tooth decay, and oral infections, all of which can be very uncomfortable to endure and costly to repair.
If you are suffering with a dental abscess or tooth infection, order your treatment online now.
If you have a painful tooth abscess, there is only one ultimate solution, which is to get dental treatment to have it drained. However, you
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