My son should be entitled to corrective treatment on the NHS as he has worn and grinded them down whilst seeing a dentist every six months since the age of 2

Q. My son is almost 20 years of age and from the age of 2 years saw the same dentist at regular 6 monthly intervals until his dentist passed away when he was 14. The new dentist we registered with commented immediately that he had been grinding his teeth for a number of years and uncorrected had worn his bottom and top teeth severaly 2mm. He said he had the teeth of a 36 year old. We have tried to pursue this through the Dental Law Society for negiligence on the part of the dentist but could not proceed to court. We are now faced with having to correct the problems as his teeth are extra sensitive and he is embarrassed at their appearance. I have briefly discussed this with our current dentist who has hinted it will cost around £5,000. I am unsure as to how often this procedure will need to be repeated and what to do. I am of the belief that his situation has arisen through no fault of his or mine and he should be able to have corrective treatment on the NHS. Any advice you could offer us would be appreciated. Mrs. K

A. Dear Mrs. K,

I am very sorry to hear about your sons predicament. The problem of severe wear at such a young age is very unusual. There can be many reasons for such a problem ranging from damage due to acid in the mouth from acidic drinks or acid from the stomach ,to genetic problems with the formation of the tooth structure itself making it more susceptible to wear. If I was faced with a patient with such a problem I would get another view on the situation from a dental hospital to help determine the cause of the problem before treatment commences.

Regards

Dr Julian Caplan – Director on the board of the BACD View My Profile Dr Caplan

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