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

welshdent

The eastman, depending on who you speak to is the top post grad training centre in the UK especially for endodontics. FWIW I dont think the 2 weeks would have made much difference to treatment options. A high amalgam is more likely to cause tenderness on biting that a complete crown fracture. Regards your Iron defficiency ... I have never heard of that being an issue for bone loss particularly in the mouth post extraction or prior so try not to worry about that.

brook2jack

brook2jack wrote: »

Sharp pain on biting is more likely tooth is cracked probably through to root. Would also explain why painful to put rubber dam clamp on. Go back to dentist don't just ask for antibiotics .... The tooth may be unsavable and need extracting.

From your symptoms way back, thought you had a cracked tooth then so unlikely two weeks would have made much difference as tooth may have already been partially cracked.Cracked teeth happen and are difficult to see and are often causes of an abcess in the first place.

Extraction is unlikely to cause problems providing you take care afterwards and don't smoke.

palegirl1

Thank you for the assurances and I really don't doubt their skill. The supervisors seem extremely knowledgeable but you don't get to talk to them. They had seen the original crack and said it was not cracked to the root as I had feared. It was pain free following the root canal but in the two weeks between the amalagam rebuild of the lower molar and temp fill of the upper it had obviously cracked across. I had also been using a bite guard at night. But the sharp pain in my cheekbone is back- presumably through movement incurred by removal of the temporary crown and filling and then replacement of same.

I've left a message for the student dentist who treated me to ask if I can call to ask a few questions that I was unable to ask at the time. I.E does it need to be a surgical extraction depending on where the crack is?

With regards to the iron deficiency/low haemaglobins I was told by the private dentist that was a factor in the extremely slow healing of the first right back molar extraction which perhaps exposed the 2nd to stress and infection. Plus I'm insulin resistant/pre-diabetes so my immune system is below par. But if that's not a bone loss issue then fine. The hospital diagnosis was that I had periodontitis in the right back area - they were referring me back to the NHS dentist to treat this - is that possible as I have a feeling the surgery will just refer me back to the hospital for that and the extraction (as they had before for lower R). The NHS surgery seems to refer to the hospital for anything that requires any specialism or much time - presumably being a way of offering basic cover to greater no's. I'm presuming waiting will not be a good idea.

I suppose basically I'm getting frightened my nightmare of losing all my teeth might come true. I certainly won't be going out for the celebration steak I'd been looking forward to as I will now have no upper right molars ( very small mouth) - soft food is no fun!

maniac886

Hi All,

Just wanted some advice in regards to getting a crown. I have just had my root canal treatment done today and my dentist has advised that I will eventually require a crown. He has quoted me £650 for the crown using the Cerac same day service. Does this cost sound reasonable? I am not too bothered if I have to wait for the crown, it's just this is only what he offered me at the time.

Thanks

welshdent

I couldnt say if it reasonable because I dont know what the over heads are at your dentists practice. Howver there ARE other crown types available. too many to go in to now but there are a fair few types and they should vary in cost too.

SparkyG

Our dentist offers a Cerec crown at £400 and a porcelain fused to metal crown (which requires 2 appointments) for £350.

Hope that helps

alizee

Hello, to avoid this thread being locked i would like to specify that i am not looking for medical advice but for money advice and moral support.

I went to the dentist with a decayed tooth a couple of weeks ago, he said i will need root canal treatment and a filling. I paid £46 for the course of treatment. 2 days ago i went in for my root canal treatment, they did the procedure where they did the root canal then put a temporary filling in. He said something about an infection but didn't prescribe any antibiotics and just let me go home. When i tried to book my next appointment on my way out the lady said it will not be next week but the week after. Ever since i had the RCT, my whole side of the mouth has swollen up massively, the pain and the pressure in the tooth was agonising, and i had to go on to NHS direct last evening because my dental surgery were closed. The lady was very helpful and suggested i ring the surgery in the morning & also faxed a codeine prescription which i picked up last night at 22:00. the codeine worked last night for a little while, but i woke up at 4 am in agonising pain, and couldn't fall asleep again. at 9 o clock i rang the surgery and after ohs and ahhs and "i don't know if we have time" they managed to book me in at 16:00. When i went in, my dentist was quite shocked at the state of my swollen face, he took the temporary filling out, leaving me with a massive hole in my mouth and prescribed me some antibiotics. He said i have 2 options, either have the tooth extracted or pay about £400 for a Apicoectomy. I left the surgery with my prescription (which i also have to pay for) and went to see my Mother in law and husband. They were appalled at what happened as i was not offered an explanation why it didn't work (i was told by the dentist the success rate is about 95%) I went back inside with them to have a chat with the ladies at the reception ( one of them being the manager) and basically they said it was "unlucky" it didn't work, they seemed completely uninterested and the manager told us the success rate of an RCT is about 50%?! I am now at home and my tooth still hurts, and my face is so swollen it even hurts if i try to talk or smile, i would prefer not to lose my tooth but i understand i will have to, i am just too scared to go back now! I was so scared of dentists before i went, and with this experience, i am just terrified. I am also starting my first job on monday and would not like to go in looking like a hamster!
Should i go back to this surgery to have the extraction or visit someone else's?
I would have to pay another £50 to have this tooth extracted somewhere else (something which i can ill afford)
I don't have £400 to pay for an Apioectomy considering it might not even work!
I am also confused because my dad has had a similar thing happen when he had his RCT but after they removed the temporary filling which was causing him the pain they were able to put a permanent one in, my dentist has completely ruled this out and said it won't work.
I am far worse off than when i first came to the dentist, Pain is worse, i'm about £70 out of pocket (prescriptions, treatment, etc) and am now terrified and going back has someone gone through a similar experience?

brook2jack

Root canal treatment does not work every time. Sometimes the tooth is too difficult to root fill because the roots are a strange shape ,but sometimes no matter how hard you try and how well you root fill the tooth it doesn't settle down.

You would never give antibiotics at the same time as root filling a tooth as antibiotics just surpress infections for a while what cures an abcess is cleaning out the tooth. They sound as if they have done everything right.

It sounds as if you have benn "unlucky". The dentist has tried rootfilling, it has not been a success and has given you the options to try and save the tooth. The fact they suggested an apicectomy which is a small operation where they make a small cut in the gum and fill the tooth from the "bottom" suggests that the tooth was difficult to root fill in the first place and re rootfilling would not help.

If you have the tooth extracted at the surgery you will not have to pay a further fee. To be fair they sound as if they have tried their best, many nhs surgeries would not even offer root treatment.

Every person and every tooth is different which is why one treatment may work on one person but not on another. If the tooth is this painful and swollen now, even if you had not visited the dentist in the first place it would have eventually caused problems... perhaps at an even more inconvienient time.

alizee

I can fully appreciate what you said but why did they not explain this to me? he didn't explain why it didn't work, why he doesn't want to try again, he didn't even explain i might have pain after the RCT - if he knew it was an infection there surely he must have known it might not work and let me know, so i could at least try and take some painkillers before or prepare myself? the tooth in question is my first pre-molar (upper side)


I know they will not charge me for an extraction but i am simply terrified of going back there!

brook2jack

first premolars have two roots which can be very fine and curved so can often cause problems.

As to why they didn't explain.... an emergency appointment towards the end of the day is always going to be rushed and though it's bad to say in nhs practice there really is so little time to do very much let alone explain. It's not ideal and especially difficult if you are nervous. Also some dentists are just better communicators than others and sometimes it takes a time to find a dentist whose "style" gels with you.

The problem is this tooth needs to have something done so if you want to change dentists don't leave it until the tooth gets worse again. However it will cost you the band two charge again as that is your choice.