Hello. I come to this forum to find a clinic to finish a nightmare treatment....

[BumbleBee]

Hello everyone

I am glad to have found this forum since I started my dental implants at the beginning of April and it is an unfinished treatment due to the terrible practice at the clinic where I started it.

Ironically, they have an advert here in the "abroad clinics" from Hungary treating patients in the UK to save you time and money.

This clinic is so bad and everything turns into a nightmare, but fortunatelly, already there are a few reviews in the internet about them. And they are all "Terrible" just like my own experience.

As yet, I have not post any reviews about them since I am waiting for my files. Once I have it I'll make a journal of what has happened.

Needless to say that I am very scared and not sure how to move on. Will I end up in the same trap? Treatment that does not follow the initial consulation and at each visit the tune changes, contradictions, unfinished/doubtful treatment, unprofessional and verbally offensive behaviour towards the patient?

Are there any regulations regarding clinics from abroad operating in the UK?

Why can just any business man open a cosmetic dentistry clinic and bring dentists from Hungary or another country explointing the dental industry and leaving patients in a limb, scared and afraid to trust any other Dentist/Clinic?

The GDC gives little information about the dentist and nothing at all about the so called "time/money" saving clinics.

Why go abroad when you can have quality and affordable treatment in the UK?... Oh please, cut the propaganda and may the regulating boards check how it is operating.

It is a serious matter.

BumbleBee

[Dr Pav Khaira]

The GDC has no control over treatment abroad. Many foreign dentists only offer 'general advice' in the UK and you have to go abroad for treatment planning and the actual treatment. If they treatment plan and undertake treatment in the UK then they must be registered with the GDC.

As dentists, we cannot stop people from going abroad, it happens a lot, and unfortunately your problems are also common place. Additionally, as I've mentioned before, good quality work abroad is about the same cost as having it done here

I hope this helps

[BumbleBee]

Hello Dr. Pav

Thank you for your reply, however I did not go abroad. I went to the UK clinic, near Luton Station.

They do offer initial consultation for free and all treatments are carried at the clinic in Houghton Regis. Unfortunately, once the treatment starts you do realize that the dentist/implantologist is over booked = long wait, hush hush and the treatment is either cut short or postponed until wherever.

My first appointment at the clinic last April was for 9:30 AM, to have both upper and lower dental implants but the operation begun at around 12:30PM due other patients being treated in between my in and out of the dentist chair. Around 4:30 PM the extractions and 7 upper implants were done on the upper jaw without bone grafting as was planned since the dentist found it was not necessary once he cut my gums open. I accepted his word until I requested a break before beginning the lower implants to which he replied: “I can’t do the lower implants since I do have another patient waiting”.

I met the “next patient” at the waiting room. A blonde lady about to have 7 upper implants to be done: needless to say that it raised a huge alarm bell and a great concern regarding the care and quality given to my case.

I shall mention that on the same day I was fitted with a temporary denture much bigger than my mouth which felt on floor during the train journey from Luton Stn to St. Pancreas. Embarrassed and mortified I picked it up under the watchful and disgusted eyes of the other passengers. A second temporary denture was made on the 10th May 2011, once again I mentioned that it was too big, wide and long on the gums for my mouth. The clinic did not care and did not even reply to my email.

Obviously, I went to see my own dentist in W2 with the x-rays that I have from the Luton clinic but she found them too dark and due to the situation a letter of referral was sent to Guy’s hospital restorative/implants department for expertise analyse regarding the dental implants and, also, she made me a new denture that fits and I paid for. As yet, I have not received an appointment with Guy’s hospital and, unfortunately the implantologist at my usual clinic in Bayswater is in holiday until the end of October.

All the above and more, was explained to the Luton clinic where I started my dental implants. Some of the replies on my last appointment in Houghton Regis were:

By the Dentist: “… we can give all records about what has been done until now and another Doctor can continue… another Doctor can continue. We are happy that he can continue for you…

We can give the whole documents and you can continue somewhere else… “


By the general manager: “… (My name), do you know something… you are the most difficult patient that we ever had… And the way you are as a person Dr. ****** does not deserve you as a patient… we don’t deserve you as a patient at all.”

Well, at least the Luton drama is over, but now I have 7 screws and need to finish the treatment.

Truth is, as I told my dentist two days ago: to wait for Guy's letter may take a long time and they may not accept to see me, I do not want to wait until the Bayswater implantologist is back from holiday since it is a long time away and obviously, I cannot get use to dentures and that's why I am having dental implants. She does agree with me since she knows the dentures triggers my panic attacks.

As you can see my usual clinic in Bayswater is full of TLC and she did advice me that I could try to find an implantologist referred by friends or with good reviews on the internet, but that due the traumatic experience in Luton I may find it hard to trust but on the plus side at least I did not go abroad.

Yes, you no longer need to go abroad. They mess your life up here with clinics set up by business men exploiting the cosmetic dentistry/surgery bringing Dentists/Doctors from abroad and treating you as a puppets.

Thank you.