root canal treatment - NHS and private costs & pros and cons

boliston

I had a bottom left 2nd molar extracted about a year ago after splitting it on a grain in granary bread and I was worried that it would affect chewing but I have not really noticed any difference and just got used to it missing. I've only got one pre-molar on that side but I do still have a wisdom tooth which I guess helps.

I would not be mad about the idea of a root canal as it "kills" the tooth and is very expensive and only lasts a certain time. Also I would not be keen on the idea of cutting down healthy teeth to make a bridge. I guess I'd probably avoid having dental work done unless it was something really obvious like a missing front tooth.

Toothsmith

The reason for the infection will be because the root filling is failing - but 14 yrs isn't a bad time for one to last.

The fact that the crown failed means there may well have been a crack in that tooth for a little while before it actually fell off. This would have let in bugs that may have contributed to the failure of the root canal.

Usually with a crown, the fit is very positive, and there aren't a variety of ways it can be stuck on. The fact that it seemed to be in a 'different' position suggests to me that the tooth was either very badly broken underneath, which probably means a new one would be a bit 'heroic' to attempt, or that some inflammation under the tooth had already started, and that was raising the tooth slightly in the socket and making it feel high. (1/100th of a mm can be felt as 'high' in the mouth).

So - I think it's the fact it was failing anyway that has caused the problem, not the attempts to put it back. I think the dentist who told you it 'might heal up' was being a bit overoptimistic.

I haven't seen it, but it strikes me that re-root filling a tooth like this and then re-crowning it is wildly heroic.

I am pretty sure it'll need to go - but what you do then depends on the situation you have. As you have said though, using root filled teeth to support a bridge can be fraught with problems.

glitterfairy_2

hi, i don't wish to hijack this thread, but i wanted to ask if it is right that a root canal treatment only saves a tooth for 5-10 years?
i had a root canal treatment around 6 years ago on my very front tooth as the dentist said that it was 'dead' , but was never told that i may lose the tooth afterwards.
i am also concerned about this as i am about to have braces fitted to correct my crooked teeth at the age of 34, and don't know whether it would be worth going through 2 years of treatment and then lose my front tooth!
thanks to anybody who may be able to help with this.

ouch123

Thank you so much for your speedy response.

I have an appointment to see my dentist again in a few weeks and think I will probably just have it extracted as it can't be seen unless I open my mouth wide.

Just one more question if you don't mind??

Will having the tooth extracted likely to cause any problems with the crown on the 1st bicuspid?

Thanks again for any reply you give

jugglebug

glitterfairy wrote: »

hi, i don't wish to hijack this thread, but i wanted to ask if it is right that a root canal treatment only saves a tooth for 5-10 years?
i had a root canal treatment around 6 years ago on my very front tooth as the dentist said that it was 'dead' , but was never told that i may lose the tooth afterwards.
i am also concerned about this as i am about to have braces fitted to correct my crooked teeth at the age of 34, and don't know whether it would be worth going through 2 years of treatment and then lose my front tooth!
thanks to anybody who may be able to help with this.

You can't put a reliable timescale on these things to be honest.
I have seen root fillings older than me, I have seen them fail after 6 months.
It all comes down to the individual tooth, the bacteria within it, the skill of the dentist, the materials they use.
Loads and loads of variables.
However in the process of consent we have to inform folks of the chance of failure.
We also don't want to make promises we can't keep (have no way of predicting)
So we go off an informed estimate. It isn't unusual for a dentist to under estimate how long something will last if there is doubt also. That way someone doesn't come back to us 9 years down the line complaining saying we told em it would last 10
Unfortunately we are not built like machines and so we can't be specific, so the dentist can just try their best.

jugglebug

ouch123 wrote: »

Thank you so much for your speedy response.

I have an appointment to see my dentist again in a few weeks and think I will probably just have it extracted as it can't be seen unless I open my mouth wide.

Just one more question if you don't mind??

Will having the tooth extracted likely to cause any problems with the crown on the 1st bicuspid?

Thanks again for any reply you give

Difficult to say without seeing you, how crowded (if at all ) you are etc, but it shouldn't be an issue.
You may get some gum recession as the area of the extraction heals and it may encroach on the neighbouring teeth a bit, but this is more aesthetic than a clinical concern.

craigyboy87

I ask someone to help me with what I should do.

I caught a cold last Friday and seemed to develop toothache because my immune system was down. I went to an NHS Dentist who saw me as an emergency case the same day. They took an x ray and found an abcess has developed on a tooth which I broke when I was younger. This tooth was given root canal at the time of the injury. So they gave me a 5 day course of antibiotics and booked me an appointment for a root canal which will be in 5 weeks.

I have finished the antibiotics but still feel pain even though it has reduced it a bit. They have no earlier appointments and I am worried the infection will flare up again in these 5 weeks. I have no sick days left in work so can't really risk the infection and pain to be so bad again that I can't go to work. I can't afford private treatment at the moment and I am not registered with any other dentists.

What options do I have from here? I am still in pain and have to wait 5 weeks with the worry of another flare until I get some treatment. I am on a cancellation list but I can't depend on this. Extraction is not an option because it is one of my front teeth What can I do?

Toothsmith

craigyboy87 wrote: »

I ask someone to help me with what I should do.

I caught a cold last Friday and seemed to develop toothache because my immune system was down. I went to an NHS Dentist who saw me as an emergency case the same day. They took an x ray and found an abcess has developed on a tooth which I broke when I was younger. This tooth was given root canal at the time of the injury. So they gave me a 5 day course of antibiotics and booked me an appointment for a root canal which will be in 5 weeks.

I have finished the antibiotics but still feel pain even though it has reduced it a bit. They have no earlier appointments and I am worried the infection will flare up again in these 5 weeks. I have no sick days left in work so can't really risk the infection and pain to be so bad again that I can't go to work. I can't afford private treatment at the moment and I am not registered with any other dentists.

What options do I have from here? I am still in pain and have to wait 5 weeks with the worry of another flare until I get some treatment. I am on a cancellation list but I can't depend on this. Extraction is not an option because it is one of my front teeth What can I do?

Have you tried ringing them up and asking them if you can be seen earlier? Even if it's just to review the situation.

craigyboy87

Yes, I called today they have given me a 15 minute emergency appointment at 12.00pm. I doubt they will do anything except give me antibiotics with such a limited time slot. I have been in pain for a week now and 5 more weeks of this is totally unacceptable. I have left work twice because the pain was too much and have no more sick days.

If I was to go the the NHS emergency dentist would they give me root canal treatment sooner?

glitterfairy_2

thankyou jugglebug for your reply, i have had no problems since my root canal treatment up to now , and have good dental hygiene, so fingers crossed it will last longer than me!