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Dentist

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Bill Stewardson

Bill Stewardson

Well-Known Member
Hello to all.

Is it wise to inform a dentist if you are Diabetic ??

Thanks.
 
I would say yes and tell them of any meds you are on
 
Id say so yes, they need to know of any health changes as we are at higher risk of developing oral health issues.Also they may want you to attend for check ups more regular and tell them the medication your on to
 
When I change dentist I do, they also want to know what meds people take.
 
Our dentist takes a full medical history, and then you have to update it every time you go. I'd say it was a good idea, because you can be more prone to infections if your blood sugars are high, and your dentist can be extra vigilant.
 
Yes. Mine always asks for a meds update. I've had diabetic infections and knowing this helped the dentist give the appropriate treatment
 
I have not got a dentist- impossible round here,,,I called the emergency number at 1am, they called me back at 09-00 and I have an apt at 18-30, which is a "sit and wait" with the emergency dentist, that's how it is in Sheffield.

Been in agony, and told not to take any more pain killers, good eh ??
 
Bill Stewardson said:
I have not got a dentist- impossible round here,,,I called the emergency number at 1am, they called me back at 09-00 and I have an apt at 18-30, which is a "sit and wait" with the emergency dentist, that's how it is in Sheffield.

Been in agony, and told not to take any more pain killers, good eh ??
Click to expand...

Sympathies, tooth pain is horrendous! I hope you get it sorted today. I don't understand why you can't take pain killers, assuming you haven't had your quota.
 
Yes, there are reasons for it. I have Morphine here for other health probs which I had to use at 1am, so no more and it's long since worn off.

When I get in for my "sit and wait" appt 17.5 hrs will have elapsed since calling the emergency number.

Hows that for "strong stable" abandonment of those who require help.
 
Now I really am annoyed.

Ye dentist informs me that my teeth are ok, the problem is a gum infection due to my D, fair enough I suppose.

Thing which irritates me, why was non of this touched upon by my "nurse" or anyone else ? I had no idea this could be the case, and possibly the whole agonising episode could have been avoided/lessened if I had been aware.

Only person who has had any contact with me since being diagnosed is that nurse, she knows only the NHS template of obese people who don't exercise and continually eat too much ( her view).

I am starting to get the urge to just walk away and look after myself.
 
Very unfortunate, Bill. Did dentist explain about dental hygiene, in specific relation to diabetes?
It might help to explain that doctors and nurses get very little education about mouths, gums and teeth. A general nurse I know remembers experiencing a discomfort around a wisdom tooth, when aged about 19 years and asked a student dental nurse living in the same nurses' home. The advice to swill hot salty water round mouth has been used many times since, and tip passed to many others.
Knowing your Antarctic connection, you might like to know that, to avoid overwintering doctor potentially needing to extract teeth, overwinterers had dental examinations before going South, and dodgy wisdom teeth removed, usually at RAF hospital in East Anglia. That was practice in late 1980s into 90s, but no longer happens. BAS doctors have basic extra dental training, and ships carry dentists to serve base overwinterers during calls.
 
Not aware of any "Antarctic connection" ??

Maybe I'm naive, I do expect a bloody D nurse to know about trivial stuff like potential dental problems or NOT eating carbs.

Dentist was surprised when I told him my D nurse had said nothing about this to me.
 
Well - I wouldn't actually go to see my GP surgery when I had a 'mouth' problem at all. Pete had a patch of something red on the inside of one cheek - not painful or problematical so after his next regular dental check-up, literally within days he was at the hospital seeing the maxillo-facial consultant cos the dentist referred him in case it was cancer. M-F whipped it out within an hour and a week later the stitches were out after the good news it was just a red patch on the inside of his cheek LOL

Mouths are the same as eyes - GPs don't know enough and aren't supposed to in the first place.

To be fair, virtually ever since I was diagnosed, amongst all the stuff I've read there's been quite a lot of it telling me gum disease is as common as muck for diabetics, so there's no reason to suppose any other diabetic wouldn't also know? Surely they all read everything available they can lay their hands on from reliable sources such as Diabetes UK , about diabetes? If not, why don't they? No medic can teach a person absolutely everything about whatever it is they've been diagnosed with - because it's impossible!
See here https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Diabetes-the-basics/Related-conditions/

What D training has your nurse actually had, Bill? - because you don't know that, do you? Is it actually fair to run her down when you didn't know either?
 
If she has not had enough training to be able to advise NEW Ds about such small matters as the Carb situation (which it seems they all do wrongly) or mention the higher chances of infection then they should not be referred to as D nurses. You might as well spend ten minutes with the receptionist. At least then you know the person talking to you knows hardly anything about the subject.
For the record I did not visit my GP surgery, I called the emergency dental number, a GP called me after that.
"Any other D wouldn't also know?" Not sure how that would help anybody suffering at 1am, then enduring 17.5 hrs of pain before finally seeing somebody who sorted it out,who then imparted the knowledge that the D nurse never had, and yes, probably is unaware of.
It does seem that if you don't fit into the NHS template of D then it is not much use asking questions because they do not have the answers or interest.
Would you apply that same logic to a radiologist,optician,physio, etc?
I was told on May 16th that The D education team would contact me- not happened, that the eye screen team would contact me- not happened.
I asked for a meter, told no, raised the conflicting advice re Carbs, got short thrift,Ive not actually been told what type I am yet.
I'm sure they all mean well and that many Ds do fit into the one size fits all Template, what about the rest of us ?
I have no idea how much training the nurse has had, nor do I see why I should want to know, I would never dream of asking a ward nurse that, and see no difference with a D nurse.
I'm not sure that recounting facts is "running somebody down", if it is it is because I genuinely would have expected things to be better than they are.
 
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No 'general' nurse in a GP surgery IS a Specialist Diabetes Nurse, Bill - DSN, same as Cardiac SN, Prostate Cancer SN, Mental Heath SN - require very specific SPECIALIST training - the newer ones actually have to study whilst being employed full time in that speciality, and gain an extra university degree after taking exams and passing the things.

Warwick Uni Med School on the other hand, offer Diabetes training to GP surgery nurses, which takes place over a whole 2 days attendance. They get a stickyfoot at the end to say they've done it and of course it will earn them valuable CPD points. (Continuous Professional Development - in a profession, you each have to earn so many points every year, in order to be allowed to continue using your professional qualications for the next year)

That's two days more than they ever got in the past but not sure if all surgery nurses from Land's End to John o' Groats get the same intensive (LOL) training to do the job, or not.

You always know that no GP is an expert on any illness disease or condition they cover - they can't possibly be ! - and everyone understands that perfectly. Hence I really can't understand why people would expect a GP surgery nurse to be an expert either?

Look - I agree totally that the medical treatment T2s normally get from the NHS these days ranges from better than OK to utterly c**p - but my point is - that's not the doctors and nurses fault. This is why forums such as this try to always encourage people to become The Expert in treating their OWN diabetes - because we all HAVE to treat our own diabetes.

Oh - and there aren't any textbook diabetics of any type LOL We ARE all different.
 
trophywench said:
No 'general' nurse in a GP surgery IS a Specialist Diabetes Nurse, Bill - DSN, same as Cardiac SN, Prostate Cancer SN, Mental Heath SN - require very specific SPECIALIST training - the newer ones actually have to study whilst being employed full time in that speciality, and gain an extra university degree after taking exams and passing the things.

Warwick Uni Med School on the other hand, offer Diabetes training to GP surgery nurses, which takes place over a whole 2 days attendance. They get a stickyfoot at the end to say they've done it and of course it will earn them valuable CPD points. (Continuous Professional Development - in a profession, you each have to earn so many points every year, in order to be allowed to continue using your professional qualications for the next year)

That's two days more than they ever got in the past but not sure if all surgery nurses from Land's End to John o' Groats get the same intensive (LOL) training to do the job, or not.

You always know that no GP is an expert on any illness disease or condition they cover - they can't possibly be ! - and everyone understands that perfectly. Hence I really can't understand why people would expect a GP surgery nurse to be an expert either?

Look - I agree totally that the medical treatment T2s normally get from the NHS these days ranges from better than OK to utterly c**p - but my point is - that's not the doctors and nurses fault. This is why forums such as this try to always encourage people to become The Expert in treating their OWN diabetes - because we all HAVE to treat our own diabetes.

Oh - and there aren't any textbook diabetics of any type LOL We ARE all different.
Click to expand...

It would seem that I have misread the meaning of the word "nurse".
It's something I picked up working in the NHS for seven years.
I have to wonder how many of the millions of Ds make the same "mistake".
The first thing these " nurses" tell you is to eat carbs and starch, right from that point everything they say is compromised, yet seemingly they are not at fault ?? So, who is ?
 
Bill Stewardson said:
It would seem that I have misread the meaning of the word "nurse".
It's something I picked up working in the NHS for seven years.
I have to wonder how many of the millions of Ds make the same "mistake".
The first thing these " nurses" tell you is to eat carbs and starch, right from that point everything they say is compromised, yet seemingly they are not at fault ?? So, who is ?
Click to expand...
The trouble is, this is what those Practice nurses have been taught along with the no need for self testing of T2s.
The training re diabetes for practice nurses imo leaves a lot to be desired. How on earth can they learn all they need, in a couple of days training and not everyone receives the necessary regular updates. Another thing that appals me is in some areas, these same nurses are being expected to take over the care of T1s.
I'm still engaged in edumacating my practice nurse in my diabetes. I like her we get on we'll, however when it comes to insulin her eyes glaze over.
And I won't discuss my lowering of carbs and normal fats with her as she'll have to tell me bout that darned eatwell plate, which doesn't work for me. It may be fine for the general population ( I have my doubts about that) but it's not suitable for me.
 
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Bill Stewardson said:
Hello to all.

Is it wise to inform a dentist if you are Diabetic ??

Thanks.
Click to expand...
In fact, it's wise to inform any health professional who treats you about your type of diabetes and treatment.
 
Ljc said:
The trouble is, this is what those Practice nurses have been taught along with the no need for self testing of T2s.
The training re diabetes for practice nurses imo leaves a lot to be desired. How on earth can they learn all they need, in a couple of days training and not everyone receives the necessary regular updates. Another thing that appals me is in some areas, these same nurses are being expected to take over the care of T1s.
I'm still engaged in edumacating my practice nurse in my diabetes. I like her we get on we'll, however when it comes to insulin her eyes glaze over.
And I won't discuss my lowering of carbs and normal fats with her as she'll have to tell me bout that darned eatwell plate, which doesn't work for me. It may be fine for the general population ( I have my doubts about that) but it's not suitable for me.
Click to expand...

It has to be said that the practice I deal with was recently ranked 84th out of 100 in Sheffy, partly because its like the Alamo.
This conflicting carbs stuff has to be looked at, I will think on it and see if I can come up with anything.
My own case proves way beyond reasonable doubt that no carbs works.
 
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