salt water mouthwash

[alison6399]

HI

I wentto the dentist recently & he told me that using CORDOSYL mouthwash stains your teeth, and I should use a saltwater outhwash to rmove them. Won't salt damage teeth? If not, how much salt salt should you use?

Thanx

[J9PUR]

I am not aware that salt water will remove Corsodyl stains on your teeth. You really need to ask your dentist or hygienist to remove them for you. Corsodyl should not be used as a general mouthwash and not normally for more than 1-2 weeks at a time, otherwise the staining results.

[alison43331]

Hi

I was under the impression that you were entitled to a free scale & polish under the NHS, if your Dentist 'thinks you need it'.

I have asked my dentist countless times for one, and I obviously need 1, but he still won't give me a scale & polish. Why should I pay a hygienist to do what I am entitled to free of charge?

[mrs_overall]

Salt is abrasive.
Try brushing your teeth with bicarbonate of soda.

[J9PUR]

Here is a link to the NHS 'treatment bands' for dentistry:

http://www.nhs.uk/AboutNHSservices/dentists/Do cuments/NHS%20Dental%20Charges.pdf

A simple 'scale & polish' comes in band 1 and so you would normally pay �16.20 in total for all band 1 treatments unless you are exempt from paying NHS charges. Thos would apply whether the scaling was carried out by the dentist or the hygienist

[alison6399]

Hi again

Do I have the right to demand a scale & polish if I qualify for nd 1 of treatment. I always ask my dentist this question & never get a satisfactory answer. He seems really reluctant to give me one.

Thax

[J9PUR]

Hello Alison

In answer to your question, you cannot DEMAND treatment from your dentist, and in a similar way, a dentist cannot INSIST that you have treatment if you do not consent to it.

Under NHS guidelines, a dentist has a duty of care to provide treatment that it deemed neccessary to secure and maintain oral and general health. However treatment that is purely on cosmetic grounds would not be included.

When formulating a treatment plan for a patient, this would normally be done in a series of steps:
1) History taking
2) Examination
3) Tests and investigations
4) Diagnosis
5) Treatment plan
Sometimes these steps 'overlap'. The treatment plan should be discussed with you, adjusted if needed and then consented to.

A routine examination would normally include a 'Basic Periodontal Examination' (BPE) to assess and monitor the health of the periodontal tissues (gums). A series of figures are recorded ranging from 0-4. Unless you score 0 in all areas of your mouth, treatment is usually indicated. This can range from simple advice on cleaning to scaling and more complex treatments.

Hope this is of help to you. I would suggest that your best option is to discuss the matter with your dentist again.