Dental Problem Crown Badly Fitted

loveandlight

Hi guys,

Just wondering what to do for the best. I know this section is for consumer rights so I am hoping this is the right place for my problem.

About two years ago I had my first ever crown fitted on a back molar tooth. Shortly afterwards, I was in a lot of pain and went back to the dentist. By this time my dentist had left and the dentist who had taken over, told me that i had a badly fitting cap and my root canal hadn't been done properly. She said there was little she could do about it as I had caught an infection and that I would need specialist treatment to fix it which would cost me about £800.00 as it could not be done on the NHS.

She gave me antibiotics but they didn't work. I couldn't afford to pay privately so i tried a mouthwash which was recommended on the internet and it turned out to be brilliant and cleared the problem up completely.

Two years later I moved to a completely new area and this time it was my new dentist who told me that my crown is ill fitted and my root canal has not been done properly. She said my crown must be changed and cannot be left as it is as it is only a matter of time before I start getting problems with my tooth again and it is highly vulnerable to infections. She offered to put on another crown for me on the NHS but if I then have problems then I have to pay privately.

I don't know what to do now and can't help but feel if it had been done properly in the first place I wouldn't now be in this position. It doesn't play me up at all but in time I'm told it will because it wasn't done right in the first place. If I leave it as it is like my dentist has said it will start to act up sooner or later and if I have a new crown put on now and the root canal then acts up as a result, then I can't go to a NHS dentist as only a specialist dentist can fix the problem and I can't afford to pay hundreds and hundreds of pounds to fix it. Not to mention I'll be in a lot of pain by then as well.

Any body any ideas on what to do about this?

Toothsmith

Who did the root canal originally? Was that the dentist who did he first crown, or was it a previous dentist.

How long ago was the root filling done?

It strikes me more that the problems are due to a poor/failing root filling. (Which a mouthwash won't have 'cured' - it will just have gone quiet for a bit)

Even with a specialist root filling the tooth again, a re-done root filling will not have a good chance of long term survival. Has having it out been discussed? We don't need every single tooth, especially molars, and to be missing one or two is no real problem.

In terms of any action against the first dentist - it might certainly be possible, but it won't be quick or easy. Is he still practising? Is he still alive?

loveandlight

Hi Toothsmith,

The root canal and the crown were both done at the same time, by the same dentist; two years ago. I wasn't really thinking in terms of taking action against the dentist. Just wanting to know what to do now to get the job done properly on the NHS if it is indeed possible without it costing me an arm and a leg as well and if my molar starts to act up, I can't afford to pay privately.

Taking the tooth out has not been discussed with me at all and I wouldn't be happy with that at all anyway as I do look after my teeth and it would urk me a lot to think that because the job wasn't done properly in the first place I would have to suffer the loss of a tooth as a result.

Toothsmith

Re-root filling a failing molar is a job some general dentists might take on, but they would have to be really good at it for any reasonable chance of success. It is perfectly acceptable for a general dentist to recommend a specialist referral for such a tooth.

Technically, it is up to the PCT to ensure that there are the correct services available on the NHS - but very few if any are organised enough to have contracts with specialists.

Freddie_Snowbits

Hang on, but my dentists never crowns a root canal job for at least 12 to 18 months, in case the work has not cured the problem.

Toothsmith

Freddie_Snowbits wrote: »

Hang on, but my dentists never crowns a root canal job for at least 12 to 18 months, in case the work has not cured the problem.

That's a perfectly acceptable approach.

There are 2 schools of thought on it, some crown immediately, some prefer to wait a little while.

There's no 'right' or 'wrong' way. General opinion is that a root filled tooth should be crowned at some point afterwards - but even then, there can be valid reasons for not doing sometimes.

Gothicfairy

Loveandlight, Not sure this will be of any help or not but have you tried your local hospital to see if they have a dental clinic ? Mine do for people who can not afford private and it is done by students but with proper Dentists there to make sure it is ok etc

Might be worth phoning NHS direct and seeing what they say

WelshSun

Gothicfairy wrote: »

Loveandlight, Not sure this will be of any help or not but have you tried your local hospital to see if they have a dental clinic ? Mine do for people who can not afford private and it is done by students but with proper Dentists there to make sure it is ok etc

Might be worth phoning NHS direct and seeing what they say

You have to be referred by your dentist if you want to go (At least you do with Cardiff Uni Dentistry school). It is free, but they are students and it may be the first time they have ever done the procedure on a real person rather than a 'dummy' mouth. Its somthing only you can decide to do.
Cardiff wont take paitents that are to complex either, which your case sounds like.

Dr.Rock

Gothicfairy wrote: »

Loveandlight, Not sure this will be of any help or not but have you tried your local hospital to see if they have a dental clinic ? Mine do for people who can not afford private and it is done by students but with proper Dentists there to make sure it is ok etc

Might be worth phoning NHS direct and seeing what they say

OP, whereabouts do you live? It might be worth asking your GDP to refer you to a specialist Dental Hospital where they take on the cases that are too complex for GDPs/General Acute Hospitals, although there aren't too many of them about.
All this will take time however.

loveandlight

Thanks guys. I live in Chippenham, Wiltshire. I know Swindon hospital apparently takes some cases but they have been messing up big time, so I've been told, by accepting dental patients and then leaving them high and dry and saying they can't treat them after all as they've run out of budget.