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Can Adults Be Referred to Hospital for a Filling?

Hello,  I am having pain in my tooth but suffer from generalised anxiety disorder. This gets extremely worse when seeing a dentist. I haven’t been in two years, and every time I needed a procedure done they would just refer me to hospital for general anaesthetic.

Now I’m 20 and have to pay, can I still be referred to hospital, even for a simple filling? I currently live in London.

Hello, thank you for your question. There are no charges for NHS hospital care. However as an adult, you will find it very difficult to get simple fillings under general anaesthetic.
It may be possible to be referred to a sedation and special needs clinic, but GA is usually reserved for people with learning difficulties or disabilities.
If you needed an extraction, then that might be possible under GA. Hope this helps, Jenny.

Answer provided by: Dr Jennifer Pinder Retired
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