“I really don’t know what I’d have done without having my Equipsme plan to turn to. I’d have been waiting for months for the NHS to get to me - in some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced.”
When Jay, 59, started experiencing tooth pain, he went to the dentist. But it wasn’t as simple as ordinary toothache - and Jay ended up needing surgery. His Equipsme plan helped him get it faster.
Jay explains: “One day I woke up and tried to have a sip of water, and this incredible shooting pain in my mouth made me jump in the air – like if you touch a red-hot pan. Being a silly middle-aged man I ignored it, but it started to get worse and strike fairly unpredictably. I also had this horrible taste in my mouth.
Supernumerary tooth
“When I eventually went to see my dentist I remember lying in the chair and a few of them coming in to have a conference above me. It turned out the pain was due to something called a supernumerary tooth, which is fairly rare. Basically an extra tooth that never erupted was lying horizontal in the roof of my mouth - and had become infected.
“Honestly, I’ve never known pain like it. It was absolutely unbearable – a 10 out of 10 on the scale. And living with it was completely grueling. It affected every area of my life – my work, my sleep, my hobbies. Even driving a car became difficult. I was walking around cradling my jaw for relief – even through the painkillers I’d been prescribed.
“This was in early December, and the dentist told me I’d need surgery to remove the tooth. I got a link to the NHS booking system, and the earliest appointment I could get was the end of August. I couldn’t believe it! I don’t want to sound dramatic, but I didn’t know how on earth I was going to carry on for that long in that kind of agony.
Bringing in Equipsme
“That’s when I remembered my Equipsme plan. Getting the appointment was very easy and very smooth between Equipsme and AXA Health. I actually got to see someone for an initial consultation on 27 December – which sounded a whole lot better than 29 August!
“The consultant was clearly an expert. He agreed the tooth needed to come out, and ordered all the scans to see exactly what we were looking at. He also prescribed me some better painkillers. We got the surgery booked in for a couple of months later.
“Just having a plan of action and a date to work towards really helped - because there was finally a way forwards and an end in sight that I could focus on.
Surgery
“The surgery itself was incredibly easy. I don’t remember much about it apart from waking up and not being in pain anymore – which was amazing. I can’t begin to describe the relief. The whole experience and service was excellent – with the only slight disappointment being I wasn’t allowed to take home the tooth afterwards!
“The recovery was also very swift – in fact I ran the London marathon a few weeks later. Being able to get my life back again, pain free, was just incredible - and I can’t thank Equipsme enough for that.
“The NHS is still fantastic in an emergency - but if it’s not urgent it’s not going to be quick. And I can tell you from experience that the wait can have a far bigger impact than you might think.
“Having an Equipsme plan made a massive difference to me. It’s the first time I’ve ever had private medical insurance, and I’ve been impressed with the range of practical health services that are included - as well as with the service I’ve received. It’s a huge advantage to have another option and somewhere else to turn to when you really, really need it.”
