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

brook2jack

Mark2spark wrote: »

@ brookjack

Surely people have complained though brookjack?
The likes of the bbc wouldn't have made programs about dental tourism if there wasn't a visible (queing up to register for a new nhs dentist in your area) & vocal problem.

I'm sorry but this is where you are wrong. In our local area the number of complaints about emergency access and access to NHS has decreased and continues to decrease . The health authority are delighted because it meets their targets. Yet the nhs emergency service for an entire county is 3 hours on a Sunday morning first 20 patients only and our practice is innundated with calls from people wanting a nhs dentist. There is a problem it is worse not better but people no longer bother writing to the health board where it will do some good , instead they vent their anger at a poor dental receptionist who has no say in the system.

Myself and my colleagues continue to go to dental health meetings trying to point out the problems we see every day but the health board sees no problem because members of the public do not vocalise their complaints to the right people. If everyone who posts on these threads also wrote to the chief executives of thier pcts/ health boards things would be better.

As a final note, over the last few years I have had alot of dealings with the media tv and papers. Not once has what I've said been reported accurately or the facts portrayed accurately. Everytime they have come with an agenda and things twisted to fit (and I'm not just talking dentistry). It makes me take all media information with a pinch of salt.

hethmar

If its any comfort, I had a similar scenario, NHS dentist wanted to extract the tooth, I went to a recommended private chap who noted the root was fractured (which the NHS dentist hadnt) but said he felt 60% chance of saving it so went ahead. I have a crown on it - that was nearly 4 years ago and its (touch wood) not been a problem at all since then

palegirl1

Thanks Hetmar that is hopeful - I think some of the pain definitely is to do with sinus infection though as it's so localized, have done sinus wash and got much less pain now and tooth is more comfortable, more achy than sharp pain on biting. It's the gum adjacent to the previous extraction site that feels a bit inflammed. So here's hoping not root cracked.

A friend who goes to the same surgery(but not same Dr) suggested I ring the NHS dentist and ask her to explain where she thinks I am with the tooth as I'm still confused. She just did the referral and got me out of there. I understand that with private care you also pay for more time to explain things and the particular practice does do this conveyor belt thing to make sure they don't turn away any patients wanting to register, leaving them very tight on time. But she didn't want to explain why or what she thought happened - she just said I was unlucky and I was to come back the next day if I had a lot of pain or swelling. I must admit she didn't fill me with confidence after there was an almighty thwack on my teeth when she tried to get the rubber dam on and I'm nervous of going back to her especially if she's just going to want to take it out without an explanation.

Still haven't managed to get through to the hospital yet to find out waiting time as I'm sure I would get a good result from them as they are a dental teaching hospital so cannot make decision yet on whether like you to try and budget £500-600 for their private endodontist, perhaps they might have a payment terms plan. I'm just concerned that leaving it for any length of time will put the tooth at risk although it's difficult to know exactly what I'm dealing with.

brook2jack

I have to say a nhs dentist is very unlikely to have any time to speak on the phone during the working day, especially as it will involve getting records out and giving specific information. I work mostly privately and even so my nurses or receptionist will answer most questions because I rarely have a spare moment.That being said I would hope the discussions and written information and treatment plans I give gives all the information anyone would need. However you might want to ring the practice and ask the receptionists if they know how long a hospital referral takes as they normally have a good idea.

Just so I don't sound hypocritical the only reason I'm posting at this time on a working day is i'm having a couple of weeks off to recover from latest surgery!!

I think you should cut the nhs dentist some slack as the fact she even tried to use rubber dam is more than many would do.

In my nhs days I used to see 40 to 75 people a day now it's around 25 and you are quite right it means more time privately and surprisingly alot of that is talking time because informed people make better health descisions. Unfortunately working as a nhs dentist it is very,very hard to find time when your contract insists you work at such a mad pace.

palegirl1

I already asked the dental receptionists re: waiting lists and that's where I got the answer previously quoted of around 5 weeks. And while, as I said, I fully appreciate the NHS system doesn't allow time for discussion or making sure patients are comfortable - not to be told anything other than you are being handed over to the hospital does make it difficult for me to make an informed decision on what I should do.

I'm not criticizing her performance, she obviously tried to do her best and I probably could have been a little more assertive about asking the right questions and not just apologizing to her for the failure of the procedure. It's a little bit pillar to post and scary if making the wrong decision means losing a valuable tooth. Perhaps then I should ask the receptionists to look through my notes and the hospital referral letter so I can see if they can offer any clarification.

brook2jack

What phone number are you trying for the dental hospital? If it is direct to consultants secretary can be difficult to get through to but you should be able to get through to main switch board with some perserverance and then ask about who to speak to about your referral to ? Restorative consultant.

If not just ask practice to phone to found out how long to treatment ( not just first appointment).

palegirl1

Thanks brook2jack, I will try that , I have been trying clinical secretary no. for the endodontics dept. Oh and I really appreciate you spending some of your recovery time giving me advice, hope you're feeling better!

Explodingmyth

I asked a question a while ago about endodontists. After an infection my dentist advised either a new root canal or extraction and put me on antibiotics to kill the infection. Since that time I've tried, and failed, to get an appointment with an endodontist willing to tackle the tooth (complicated by a piece of a drill still being in one of the root canals) as they appear to be (a) few and far between and (b) not interested in a performing a complicated procedure. I'd be grateful if anyone could advise as to the prognosis going forward, as in is it likely I will get another infection - if so how long am I looking at? Basically, although the option to do nothing wasn't given, is there a chance I can simply leave things as they are or is the infection likely to flare up again any time soon - it's been nearly two months without even a peep from the tooth since the antibiotics.

I know I can ask my own dentist this but as it costs every time I go I'd at least like to be armed with as much info as possible so that I can have a fully informed discussion with him rather than the unsatisfactory "you need to do this for €2,000 or this for €65..." two minute salvo that I got the last time.

Again, any help, advice or information is greatly appreciated.

brook2jack

cant advise you clinically as cant see your teeth, or xrays and dont know about the rest of your mouth.

If you wanted endodontics why didnt your dentist refer you to one , or did you want it done in the uk? Endodontists exist on difficult treatment that others dont want to tackle but a referral does give them an idea of what they are facing. If you want treatment in UK why not phone some local practices and ask who they refer to?

Unfortunately this is one of those instances where we cannot advise you it really needs to be done by someone who can actually see you, your teeth and the rest of your mouth. Its his or her knowledge of you that you are paying for.

Why not draw up a list of questions before you go re extraction, root treatment, implant etc before you go so you make the most out of the appointment.

Explodingmyth

I have two root canals, done around twenty years ago in the UK, they are the rear two molars on the right side of my mouth with a wisdom tooth right behind them. The rest of my teeth are fine, just the usual collection of fillings. Dentist says that my dental health is very good.

Severe pain took me to my dentist outside of my usual yearly check-up. He said that I had an infection due to the root canal not being filled to the bottom of the canals. He advised a new root canal or extraction of the tooth. He HAS referred me but the endodontist he has referred me to cannot see me until the end of August! I tried up North (NI) but so far without success, one was sent the x-rays from my dentist (at my request) and told me it was too difficult for them. They have referred me on to another endodontist in Belfast but I have heard nothing from the new referral yet - another two weeks later. I will chase this up tomorrow.

I understand you cannot advise me clinically and I'm not asking you to - as you say that's what I would be paying the endodontist for IF I COULD GET TO SEE ONE - but I am left dangling here a bit and am simply looking for some answers to some basic questions. The most basic one being why was I told eEITHER new root canal by an endodontist OR extraction when I've been left hanging till the end of August (four months!) just for a 'consultation' with an endodontist which kind of suggests that leaving it alone after the antibiotics might be an option given that they don't seem to be in much of a hurry to help me out?

I'm just a bit frustrated by the whole thing and don't mean to take it out on you guys (I'm actually very grateful for the information you've given me up to this point) but I was just hoping someone might give me some idea if it is 'possible' that I don't need either more root canal or an extraction.

Is it 'possible' that the antibiotics have killed or substantially reduced the infection and if so what would be the normal time frame for a possible recurrence? The implication I was given is that the bacteria that caused the infection in the first place was there from the time of the original root canal, but as that was over twenty years ago is it 'possible' that I won't face a similar flare-up for another twenty years?

As again, I appreciate whatever info you can give me that might at least throw a tiny bit of light on my options.