Is my dentist trying to pull a fast one?

jugglebug

As a small addenendum to what toothsmith etc has said.

Re root treatments are actually classed as "advanced mandatory services" IIRC within the NHS dental contract.
The upshot of this is unless the general dentist has a version of the contract over and above the standard contract that included these services then that dentist does not have to offer the treatment as technically they do not have the contract from the NHS that allows them to do so.
They may still offer it privately.
The NHS do not advertise this fact, least of all to the dentists as there will be some out there which are providing this care for the standard fee unaware that they are actually subsidising the department of health.

Toothsmith will know the name Raj Rattan, who pointed this out to our local BDA meeting when he came last april