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

muskoka

winnie81 wrote: »

Hi I am sorry I haven't posted on this thread before but I am after a bit of advice please if I may

I have just had a temp filling/dressing of cloves? put in an upper premolar and my dentist has advised that I will need a root filling or an extraction :eek: I have an appointment to return in a week where he will relook at the tooth and will go over the options and carry-out whichever option I have decided on but I have no idea whats best or costs involved as we have no NHS dentists here :eek:

The dentist has said the filling that he removed was large and nerve is visible if that makes a difference I am not sure. Having a filling makes me almost cry and I shake unbelievably with fear so I am sick at the thought of either. If anyone can help or has any advice can anyone say if one option better than the other possibly? Does anyone roughly know costs for each of these - I attend a practice in the Cotswolds?

I am going to have a very sleepless week worrying over this the thought of the possible pain is making me feel sick

Claire

Sounds like your a nervous patient. What has worked for me over the years (but MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU). I was such a nervous patient, I had to have a general anaesethic when I went to the dentist for treatment. However, I was talking to my old boss (years ago), who said she took 10mg valium an hour before treatment. I suggested this to my dentist who said we would try this. I must be 10 years down the road now and much as I don't like the dentist - I now take a tablet an hour before my appointment! (via prescription). It works for me, but I dont normally even use aspirin, and this is the ONLY time I ever take any medication. You do need to take someone with you if you try this route cos you'll be very wobbly, but laid back & not a care in the world. it wears off pretty quick though. God, I hate to suggest any medication to anyone for any reason. Good luck whatever you do

Toothsmith

KittyPryde wrote: »

A question about x-rays here. I just had the last part of my re-root treatment today. Over the last two weeks I've had five dental x-rays (the one where you bite down on a plastic thing). In the past i've had about 10 more maybe and a panoramic head x-ray for wisdom teeth a few years ago. I was googling about something else and saw someone mention lead shields/aprons and thyroid collars and that they should always be worn. I havn't even heard of these before and now I'm scared as I didn't/never have worn anything and the dentist never mentioned anything like that? Is it because the type of x-ray I had (the bite on the platic thing) is only aimed at the right area or will that radiation be going in to my neck now :eek:


I am also moving in a few months and now don't want a new dentist to re-take all these x-rays, is it possible for dentists to forward them?

Dental x-rays are right down at the lower end of the dosages for medical x-rays.

To step to the side for a second - if you imagine flying in an aeroplane. Up at 35,000ft, there is less atmosphere filtering out the x-rays from the sun. So - up in an aeroplane, you're exposed to more x radiation than down on the ground.

The little x-rays taken in a dental practice are equivalent to about 2-3 hours on an aeroplane. The panoramic one is about 10-12 hours.

Compare that with a chest x-ray which is about 2 1/2 days on an aeroplane, and a barium meal is nearly 2 1/2 years in an aeroplane.

Then think about cabin crew!

The stuff you've been googling must be quite old. Thyroid collars and lead aprons went out about 8 years ago. A modern dental x-ray unit, especially if fitted with a rectangular collimator (Basically a 'hole' which makes sure the beam is the same shape and size as the film it's being fired at) will have very little 'scatter'.

It has been shown that the effect of these shields and aprons is just to deflect what little scatter there is BACK through the body again!

Your idea to get the x-rays forwarded to your new dentist is a good one. However 'safe', it's true to say that the effects of radiation are cumulative - so you really should avoid completely unnecessary ones. But then - a good clinician will only be taking the x-rays he/she really feels are justified to provide you with safe and effective dental care.

It would be very unlikely for your dentist to just hand over the x-rays though. They are an important part of your clinical records. Patients do have an annoying habit of having accidents and losing important things! What I do though is to tell patients to ask their new dentist to ring me or write to me and request them, and I forward them direct.

I don't charge for this, but some dentists might.:A (My fees are high enough to make this 'all part of the service'!:p)

winnie81

I'd just like to thank those who helped with my recent worries over my tooth problem it did help :A

I had the offending blighter out this morning and much to my relief was pain free and over before I'd realised it had started :j Couldn't believe it only cost £70 either - cheaper than a filling! :rotfl:

Thank you again :A

pookie222

My dentist (private) has referred me to an endodontic consultant as I require two root canal treatments to the two roots which presently support either side of an upper back bridge. If I don't have the treatments I have been advised that I may eventually lose the roots completely.
I understand that the treatment can be carried out without removing the present bridge - ie it will be drilled through, thereby (hopefully) saving more costly work.
I have been quoted £650.00 for each treatment = £1,300.00.
Shocked is not the word!!
Does this sound fair to toothsome wizards out there - bearing in mind that presumably the work will be a little more involved due to the fact that the bridgework will stay intact - or should this make no difference?
The alternative is to lose the two roots, and therefore the bridge. Implants are not an option as I have already drained our household coffers by having three inserted last year - these would be even more costly than going ahead with the root canal treatments.
What I really want to know is, is £650.00 per tooth a fair fee for an endodontic surgeon?
Thankyou for any advice. ('Oh I wish I'd looked after me teef')

brook2jack

The fee sounds about usual.

What I would be concerned about is that 2 root filled teeth are not ideal supports for any bridge let alone a back one. I would worry about the long term prognosis for the bridge and perhaps start to plan for if the roots fracture.

welshdent

Very quickly as I am in work ... £650 per TOOTH for a specialist does sound about right. That work isnt your only option for management ... but to save the teeth and ultimately the bridge it is. Its a very difficult procedure to go through the bridge on 2 abutment teeth as the bridge structure will stop light entering the teeth this makes locating the root canals harder - which in top teeth can be a particularly important consideration. Be warned - the whole thing will be weaker.... edit brook just said what else I was going to say!

pookie222

Many thanks for both helpful replies, much appreciated. Now I am in a bit of a quandry - it sounds as if this procedure may possibly be a costly short-term solution, should the treatment weaken the roots. Therefore, in your opinion, might it be a better option to leave well alone (no pain as yet, except before the problem was diagnosed on one tooth only - antibiotics successfully sorted the problem); would it make more sense to put the £1,300 towards two implants in the future?

brook2jack

Leaving an abcess will eventually lead to pain and may decrease quality of bone available for an implant.

Best to discuss options with your dentist as to best way to proceed for a longterm solution.

silverfoxuk

Was someone earlier in the thread looking for this?

NHS Dental charges in Scotland
http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2009(D)06.pdf

Page 26 for root canal costs.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/dentistry/charges

WolfSong2000

okay,

I had a root canal monday...the tooth is still sore, especially when I swallow - part of the tooth is also sensitive to pressure/touch (the bit that was filled after the root canal.

Is it normal for this to still be sore after 2 days? only reason I ask is I am in Scotland until sunday, then going down to England for a number of weeks, so I need to know if I should get on to my dentist now, or if it'll die down and be fine in another few days.

Many thanks