Apparently nationalized healthcare in the UK has led to a lot of DIY dentistry there.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/health/399...afford-NHS-fees

OK campers, lets keep this thread to the merits of DYI dentistry, or lack thereof, and leave the politics of health care policy out of it.

Your friendly neighborhood moderator,

.....CLIFF

This is a misleading, politicized summary of the article. Let me quote the relevant part:



In other words, according to the article, the pricing structure under the new contract and the greed of certain unscrupulous dentists have led to the rise of DIY dentistry. This implies that there was already nationalized healthcare before 2006, and under the previous contracts it did not cause a rise in DIY dentistry.

My post here is not political, because it is factual: I am attempting to report accurately what the quoted article actually says. With that said, I am unable to vouch for the accuracy of the article, nor do I find its content relevant to the US population. We're not subject to the 2006 contract. This bit of data doesn't change my risk assessment, and I continue to think that DIY dentistry is something I'd have to contemplate only if I'm lost in the wild for a long time.

Actually most dental practitioners throughout the UK are private dental practices, who take on NHS contracts to provide dental health care to NHS patients. There are NHS dental hospitals but these are few and far between being departments of University teaching hospitals. Many dental practices opt out from NHS work (doesn't pay enough compared to what they can charge privately) and will only accept private 'customers er patients'.

This has led to a two tier system and in many places where dentists accepting NHS patients has become a scarce resource. This situation will get progressively worse as Dentists setting up their own private practice in England will also now have the additional costs of repaying their University tuition fees. The situation in Scotland is somewhat different as University tuition fees are paid for by the Scottish Government so there is more acceptance to take on an NHS contract providing dental services for their local communities.

Austerity is really beginning to bite in the UK though as the availability of money becomes scarce with a visit to the private dentist becoming a luxury for those who aren't on a NHS patient list.


I do still have a small emergency dental kit in the BOB though.

http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/products/first-aid-kits/dental-first-aid-kit.html

with some Dental Instruments

Even more worrying though is that even UK NHS emergency departments are reported to be verging on point of collapse. i.e. more people throwing themselves under trucks due to Austerity bedroom taxes etc as the suicide rates continue their upward swing.

I agree, it's a biased description the article. I'm sure that a journalist could write a similar article about Americans and DIY dentistry right now, and we could blame that on what? Capitalism? There are millions fewer Americans with jobs now than pre-2008 financial crisis, and millions fewer still working without benefits, like dental insurance, or for less pay. I shudder to think what kind of discomfort and pain Americans who can't afford to see the dentist are enduring right now.

I keep hearing how dentists are asking patients to come in for check-ups and cleanings every 4 months, instead of the traditional 6-month intervals. My own dentist did that in 2009, but I immediately figured that it was just to boost his revenue because my teeth and gums are fine. He must have been losing other patients or patients were opting for fewer dental procedures, especially low effort, high profit things like teeth whitening.

Anyway, that said, for a complicated thing like dental care, seems that prevention is the most practical thing for people to focus on, if they ever find themselves in a position where visits to the dentist are not really possible. You can find home remedies for alleviating the pain of a cavity, but what else can the average person do about it? You won't be able to remove the cavity and put in a filling. Or fashion dentures or a partial or do a root canal and stick a nicely shaped crown on it. So prevention seems to be key.

I think nutrition plays are far bigger role in dental health than most people realize, although I don't have any definite ideas of what the ideal diet/lifestyle for dental health is, besides what is healthy in general. I think the sorry state of our diet is a prime contributor to the poor teeth of our youth. The number of children with horrible teeth has been increasing for some time, along with lots of other child health issues like obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Watching this thread closely and not really liking it.

A better way of approaching this subject would have been, "Hey, any tips on DIY dentistry gear, books, or videos? Things are already heading that way in some countries suffering economic ills and I want to be prepared."
-Blast

Keeping the Pearly whites in tip top condition is certainly the best bet prior to a long term preparedness emergency situation, the alternatives could get ugly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2mgMVPvsMc

Didn't see a Dremmel tool though! Could be useful for finer work

Tips for avoiding dental problems and the horrific prospect of DIY dentistry:

1. Use a Sonic Care electric toothbrush twice a day.

2. Floss. If you can't manage the loose string, use the kind attached to a disposable plastic handle.

3. Use a rinse like Listerine after each brushing.

4. Use inter-dental brushes after every meal to keep the crud out from between your teeth between brushing. Keep several handy in your pocket, car, etc.

5. Get your teeth cleaned every six months or less if you are spending more than 1/2 hour in the hygienist's chair during the cleaning. I go every 3 months because I don't want any surprises.

Dental problems are WAY better to avoid than manage after you screw up through neglect.

to add to GarlyDog's comments... after a bout of the deep periodontal scraping, and subsequent good periodontal health.. I'll gladly pay what is needed for my quarterly cleaning... I've got a dentist and hygienist that I really like... I'll shop in the Alpo aisle rather than give up my teeth...

two things.
1. upon reading the subject header, my immediate thought was "yeah, right behind do it yourself brain surgery."

2. if you're lazy - just remember to only floss the teeth you want to keep.