Unfortunately, I feel obliged to leave a negative review. Despite the good customer service and friendly approach, I believe I may have fallen victim to a lack of experience.
At the end of my holiday abroad, I had an emergency appointment which involved opening a tooth for drainage and to relieve me from the pain caused by an infection. I was referred for a 3D scan (CBCT) and diagnosed with an abscess or a cyst above my tooth. With this diagnosis, a treatment/surgery recommendation, and the scan on a physical drive, I returned from my trip and was given an appointment at this clinic following contact with 111.
The dentist informed me that, after reviewing the scan in another room with other staff members, she saw no cause for concern. She even performed a standard X-ray for confirmation and consulted with another colleague. I was reassured that the issue was no longer there, likely healed due to the ibuprofen I had taken while in pain, and that a root canal would be sufficient - which was then carried out a week later, on a Wednesday.
Within 48 hours, my face had swollen severely, and my fever was rising, forcing me to contact 111 again. They advised me to speak directly with the dentist who had performed the root canal. When I called the reception, I was refused an emergency appointment that day and was only offered one on Tuesday.
After calling 111 again, I managed to get an emergency appointment that Friday's evening at a clinic in Easton, where I was taken seriously. The dentist there performed another X-ray and confirmed that it was obvious there was an abscess or cyst in the dark area of the image. I was prescribed antibiotics and advised to consider surgical removal of the problem if it did not improve. Unfortunately, the pain continued to intensify - probably the worst I have ever experienced in my life.
On Sunday, I ended up at the hospital A&E, where, after another 3D scan and a 12-hour wait for a facial specialist, my gum was incised and the accumulated pus and blood, which had spread up to below my eye, were drained. I was advised to return to the dentist who had performed the root canal so that treatment options could be discussed. However, even before the procedure, she had told me that if the “root canal treatment failed”, the tooth would be extracted.
The next day, I purchased a flight ticket and arranged a private appointment with an dental surgeon for an apicoectomy. He was shocked that anyone had attempted just root canal treatment in the first place, as it had blocked the only drainage route for the pus during an active infection in the gum. I was prescribed a stronger antibiotic and had to wait a few days before the dental surgery, to allow the swelling to go down so that there would be no problem with placing the stitches.
This experience cost me immense pain, time, money, and 12 days of taking antibiotics. Sadly, despite my initially great impression, this clinic has once again taken away my trust in local dental care.
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