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

hethmar

Actually Bronnie, now you have said that ................Mine are probably about that old too

p-pincher

I put mine off for about 10 years, thats 10 years of tooth pain cos i was petrified off having 2 root canals. Having 2 kids and wanting them to have good dental health forced me to go and get them sorted out and it was honestly one of the best things ive ever done. I know it might sound a bit over the top but having pain for all that time was horrible.

I had a fantastic dentist, one took about 25 mins and the other (larger) one took about 45 mins, had them done on two separate occasions about a week apart and there was honestly no pain. The worst thing was having to have my mouth wide open for the whole time. When he was drilling the larger one i felt a little sensation so i stopped him and he put another injection in to make sure i didnt feel a thing x

busiscoming2

I have only had one done and that was about 20 years ago, I remember I had to have a couple of trips to the dentist to complete the treatment but it certainly wasnt painful.

loulou123

I'd say having your wisdom tooth taken out is a worse experiance than a root canal. Its really not all that bad, as someone else said its like a large filling and the worst part is the fact that it takes a while to do, so you have to keep your mouth open for a while.

wishicouldmakeitbetter

Just had one done today. Upper incisor had died because of tooth grinding and I was dreading getting nerve removed! However, I didn't feel a thing. My jaw did get really sore as others said and almost seemed to go into spasm at mouth being kept open for so long. Have only had 1 filling and clean/checkup in the last 23 years so really not used to getting things done. Really, really not painful at all!
G

pingua

You all make it sound soo easy. Thanks.(still not convinced......) I was dreading the wisdom tooth and no it was not at all bad but, I was asleep at the time....... although I did think there would be more pain after which was not the case. Going to have to make an appointment at the drs. I think as can't see myself going thorugh with it.

welshdent

before going off to see your gp to effectively self prescribe I would speak to your dentist first. I know I wouldnt be overly happy knowing someone had taken something without my knowledge. Its unlikely but we could give you a normal mediaction in surgery that may interact with what you have taken ... highly unlikely I stress but you should still speak to them. Also .... really you have nothing to worry about. Its juts the tie needed that is an issue. I do STACKS of them and I cant think of anyone that has had any problems with them

Holly25

I had a root canal and it wasnt as bad as I thought, i worried about it for weeks before hand. The worse bit is holding your mouth open for so long. I didnt really like the clamp over the tooth but the actual procedure was painless

londondent

Hi Ianthi

With regards to the first tooth, doing a re-treatment usually carries a lower success rate (about 20-30% lower sucess rate). However, In the hands of a specialist, who has the experience and specialist equipment to do the job well, you can usually get a good sucess rate especially if the tooth in question is a molar tooth.
If you've had it done 8 years ago, i'd say its probably done well to last you that long. Root canal treatments arn't always 100% effective.

If you're not happy with your current dentist and you dont trust him, i'd definitly recommend finding another (easier said then done). Find someone who will take the time to explain things to you properly, give you options, and someone who takes their time to carry out treatment properly. Going on someone's elses recommendations is probably the best way to go.

If you can afford it, i'd recommend a specialist for root canal work (can cost up to £600).
hope that helps

capomeister

I've been in the wars - got a compound fracture the day after dentist told me to leave my tooth alone. Been in hospital where tooth pain flared despite being on heavy antibiotics. So I need treatment - tooth very sensitive to any sort of pressure & cold, particulaly the former. Dreading what tooth pain will be like when heavy antibiotics course (for the fracture) ends tomorrow as my dentist can't see me till Thursday afternoon.

Dentist told me, however, that a specialist would do a much better job than her due to better equipment, incl. microscope. But she would have to refer me and it'd cost £800 at one place or £625 at another clinic. These figures shocked me. Does anyone know if these prices are reasonable/standard for RCT on a back tooth? She's also not sure I have enough tooth left for it to be crowned. In which case would it be worth it? Should I continue along the specialist route and could someone advise how to go about finding a more reasonably priced clinic? Don't mind travelling out of London to get a better price if treatment is high quality. Apart from microscope what else should I look for in a RCT clinic?

Thanks for any advice!