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

Toothsmith

Just checking it wasn't a root treatment for a baby tooth!!

It's fair enough that the dentist doesn't want to do it again. He could offer a specialis referral, but that would be private.

21 is very young to have a tooth so badly broken down that it needs a root filling, and if there are issues like that with your daughter's teeth, I can see why the dentist may be reluctant to spend time trying to save it.

A root filled tooth has a lifespan as well, and if things are breaking down quickly, chances are it may not last too long even if root filled successfully.

I think the most important thing here is to find out why a 21 yr old needed a root filling, and then to try and prevent anything like this happening again.

alfiedog_2

Thanks as always for the advice.She will be going back next week if the pain continues so will have to see what happens then.

alfiedog_2

I posted last week about my daughter's root canal filling that was still giving her problems. After a course of antibiotics it was still hurting so she went back yesterday and the dentist said the x ray was perfect and he can't really see why it is still hurting.

He has now given her double strength antibiotics to take for a week and then will redo filling if they do not work. He said the filling was guranteed for a year so there will not be a further charge if it is done again.

Has anyone else been through this situation with root canal fillings? It is really getting my daughter down.

Toothsmith

If the root canal looks OK on x-ray then it might just be that it's taking a bit longer than usual to settle down. Abs might well help there.

It might also be that there is an extra root canal that wasn't found on the original attempt, in which case re-doing it may work, but it could be that it would take a specialist to find and clean out all the canals properly if it is a difficult one.

There is also the possibility that the tooth has a fracture of the root (More common in older teeth, but still a possibility) in which case nothing will save it.

Best wishes.

alfiedog_2

Thanks as always toothsmith! The thing that I find puzzling is that the filling was completed on 21st December and she had no problems with it til the last couple of weeks. Does this point to an infection being the more likely cause of the pain rather than the filling not being done properly in the first place?

looby-loo_2

This happened to me. It was fine to start but after two years became infected and gave tremendous pain - starting on Friday, typical!

I had antibiotics and then had it redone.

Toothsmith

alfiedog wrote:

Thanks as always toothsmith! The thing that I find puzzling is that the filling was completed on 21st December and she had no problems with it til the last couple of weeks. Does this point to an infection being the more likely cause of the pain rather than the filling not being done properly in the first place?

Yes - if it has flared up a while afterwards, I would say it's worse news than if it hasn't settled down after the proceedure.

It will almost certainly need something more than just antibiotics

alfiedog_2

Well you were right toothsmith! The antibiotics did nothing except make her feel really unwell and the toothache got worse!
Yet another visit to the dentist on Monday and upshot is he has removed filling, put temporary one in and will be redoing it in 2 weeks.
He is still puzzled as to why my daughter is in so much pain though. Now he has taken out the root canal filling she does feel better but is dreading him doing it again and it not working.

domdent

1 the filling may have been too big
2 there are missed pulp tissues that still need removing possibly a missed canal
3 when it is redone it is better to have it done over at least 2 visits with a special dressing placed to the end of the root canals to help remove the infected pulp tissue

did he remove the root filling or just the filling covering it ?

did he use rubber dam ?

98% of root treatments done on the NHS are technically inadequate that does not mean they will not work but they are less likely to in the long term

alfiedog_2

Not sure what he removed although my daughter said he took 2 red things out very technical I know!!