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

Gloomendoom

My dentist actually gave me a similar spiel. She offered me the choice of her doing it on the NHS or using one of their specialist root canal dentists for £350ish. I think the same odds (70/90) were given.

I just asked her if she was confident she could do a good job. She said yes, so I got her to do it on the NHS. So far no problems. It's being crowned (non NHS) tomorrow.

Toothsmith

Referring on to a different dentist is a different matter.

It's quite possible, particularly with back teeth, or teeth needing re-root filling that it is 'beyond the skill' of a general dentist.

In situations like this, it is perfectly right that your dentist should refer you on to a specialist. (Would you want your G.P. Doctor to do your heart bypass?)

But it will always raise the question in NHS practice "Is he referring me to fobb me off or because it really is complex?"

KittyPryde

Are NHS Dentist charges different in Scotland? I researched NHS dental prices before I went to my new dentist and expected my root canal (it was a re-root canal actually if that makes a difference) to be in the £45 category of the 3 different band prices but there was no mention of 'band' prices and I got a list of individual prices for filling/screw/molar filling etc which came to just over £100 altogether. Not too bad but just wondering where to find Scottish prices for next time so I can plan for the right money etc.

Thanks

Gloomendoom

Toothsmith wrote: »

Referring on to a different dentist is a different matter.

It's quite possible, particularly with back teeth, or teeth needing re-root filling that it is 'beyond the skill' of a general dentist.

In situations like this, it is perfectly right that your dentist should refer you on to a specialist. (Would you want your G.P. Doctor to do your heart bypass?)

But it will always raise the question in NHS practice "Is he referring me to fobb me off or because it really is complex?"

I'm not complaining. The impression I got was that it was company policy to make the little speech.

The tooth is a back one but I have a huge mouth (apparently) so, when I asked, the dentist said she was quite confident that she could complete the job successfully. She actually seemed quite chuffed that I asked her to do it and not the specialist.

Toothsmith

Scotland still has the 'old' and more sensible system where every item has it's own 'price'.

I don't know where you can find the fees online, but I'm sure they must be somewhere on a Scottish Assembly website.

KittyPryde

Thanks very much, just what I wanted to know

stattman

Hi Everyone,

Many Thanks for your constructive replies. I felt it would be good to write a letter to the practice to clarify the position more clearly.

Perhaps this might make them think, but I don't know.

I hate being in a position where its like a gun to the head and if anything goes wrong , then its "Well I did say".

Cheers
Mark

jem16

I'm hoping some of the expert dentists that post on here can give some insight into this problem as I'm at the end of my tether with it.

It all started way back last September when eating breakfast! I felt a sharp pain when eating cereal and then my jaw felt as if I had moved it wrongly. It seemed to settle down until a few hours later when eating or drinking was giving sharp pains going up towards my left ear. I also noticed the gland immediately in front of my left ear was swelling up. Doctor said it was my saliva gland and gave me a course of antibiotics - 4 days later she also suggested Ibuprofen as swelling was still there each time I ate. At the end of the 1st day of taking Ibuprofen I tasted a savoury taste in my mouth and swelling began to subside - a day later things seemed normal. However she referred me to the hospital to have it checked out.

In the couple of months after that I felt a dull ache in my lower jaw but no problem with slaiva gland swelling - sometimes the ache was worse than other times. I had my appoontment with the hospital at the end of December and they were happy that the saliva gland was working fine and sheduled a return appointment in 6 months.

Since then the lower jaw ache remains and I started having tooth pain in upper teeth on same side of jaw. I saw the dentist in February. Nothing was immediately obvious but she decided that the most likely culprit was the first molar as it appeared to be dying. She did root treatment on that tooth in March.

Since then I have had nothing but trouble and the dentist cannot find the problem. She has redone the root treatment. All X-rays show no inflammation, no infection. I have blood tests done by the doctor and all have been normal. I have also had my return visit to the hospital about my saliva gland and told the consultant all about my teeth problems. He even had a look at the jaw movements and said he was happy and would discharge me. He felt it was a dental problem.

I have since been back at the dentist who did further X-rays - that showed up a small section of decay on the back molar next to the wisdom tooth so she filled that. Since then I cannot eat on that side of my mouth as any sensation of food touching the upper back teeth and biting down causes pain - not so much an acute pain but a pain that wants me to avoid eating there. She has even painted flouride stuff on them to try and calm them down.

Last week I was back again. She has removed the 2 fillings between the root canal treatment tooth and the molar with the filling to see if anything was hiding there - nothing at all! A day after that a bruise appeared on my lower cheek - could this be the injection even though it was above the upper teeth?

The root canal filled tooth which we though was the main problem I'm not so sure now is so reluctant to get it removed. It's still sore to bite down and I feel that my teeth are coming together at the back more on this left side than the right side.

I have pushed with my finger on my upper teeth. My upper wisdom tooth (which I think has not been touched at all in all this work) feels sore when I press upwards on the inside part of the tooth, but not the outside part - no other tooth hurts when I press upwards. This is also where I tasted the savoury taste way back last September - could this all be related?

I'm clutching at straws but could this wisdom tooth be the problem? Would it cause all this throbbing ache that I'm feeling above upper teeth and lower jaw line? Could it even have accounted for the saliva gland problem?

Sorry for this long post but I'd welcome any suggestions as to what to do next. My dentist doesn't feel referring me to the dental hospital would help as they would only do what she has been doing. However I can't stand this any longer!

Toothsmith

A fresh pair of eyes may not be a bad idea.

I couldn't begin to guess the problem without seeing everything that had been investigated already.

These things often turn out to be something really obvious. Might be something like a crack in the root filled molar - which wouldn't show up on x-ray and would explain why it isn't settling down.

But all that can be done there is to take it out if that is the case - and I fully understand your dentist's reluctance to do that if she's not 100% sure that's what it is yet.

elfen

Does sound like there might be an underlying infection though as well. Had one in a tooth I had taken out and the relief is indescribable afterwards. THey could tell there was still infection as pus came out with it...