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

*Blondie*

Thanks Alison for explaining the treatment charges, and thank you Toothsmith for all the information!
Currently my tooth feels absolutely fine - touch wood!! (even the minor discomfort when the bottom of the tooth touched my lower teeth has cleared up.) I am a little paranoid that the pain will return at any time (especially as I'm planning a holiday in the next month or so. Toothache abroad - nightmare!!)
I'm still having a good think about what to do. While the pain has gone, it is tempting to leave it alone, although I'm not sure if it's possible for an infection to be killed off permanently by amoxicillin.
A friend recommended that in the meantime, I just rince my mouth with warm salt water daily, to help keep the tooth extra clean. Would this be beneficial?
If the toothache flares up again and I decide to opt for a root canal, I will definitely ask the dentist whether he uses a rubber dam, thanks Toothsmith.
:-)

Toothsmith

*Blondie* wrote: »

While the pain has gone, it is tempting to leave it alone,

DON'T!

*Blondie* wrote: »

although I'm not sure if it's possible for an infection to be killed off permanently by amoxicillin.

It isn't.

*Blondie* wrote: »

A friend recommended that in the meantime, I just rince my mouth with warm salt water daily, to help keep the tooth extra clean. Would this be beneficial?

Not much.

*Blondie* wrote: »

If the toothache flares up again and I decide to opt for a root canal, I will definitely ask the dentist whether he uses a rubber dam, thanks Toothsmith.
:-)

If the tooth flares up again, where will you be?? They never flare up when it's convienient.

You will then have to be put on antibiotics again, as it's hard to touch a tooth when it's so infected. Only this time, as they've come across it before, the bugs will be a bit more resistant to the antibiotics, so you will be in pain for a few days longer, and it will probably be a bit worse.

You will then be trying to find a dentist when you have a fat face, and you will be at the mercy of the first dentist with a space in his appointment book.

You probably won't even be able to say 'rubber dam' and after trying most dentists in the phone book, I doubt you will care what he uses.


Your toothache WILL COME BACK!

Find a dentist when you're in control, not when you're desperate.

Start tomorrow!

ladybelle

I have been searching the web for information about root canals and extractions and stumbled back on this site which I am already a member of, having participated in other topics here. This forum is fantastic !! Answers to everything under the sun here LOL
Anyway, I digress.

First of all I am totally dental phobic, I am not afraid of the needles as such it is the numbness. I HATE it, I am petrified I cant breathe or swallow. So that's there before you even start anything else.
I am one of the few who does still have a NHS dentist, however she is Polish and cant hardly speak a word of English. She doesnt seem to understand what I say, and most of the time I seem to only talk to the dental nurse (who is also a different one every time !)
I had an extraction about 2 years or so now with a different dentist - and only have one molar (I think they are called?) on the bottom at the back. At the time I was in pain *at t he back* and she first of all filled the very back one, but it turned out the pain was in the tooth beside it so that one ended up coming out because no way can I cope with root canal.
So this other tooth has stood there all this time seemingly fine, no problems. On Friday it started aching, and didnt stop. I got in for an emergency appointment yesterday and she gave me antibiotics, amoxycillin 500mg tablets for 7 days. She banged it and sprayed cold on it and it killed me, so she said it was inflamed (although isnt red or gum isnt swollen?) and said these antibiotics would hopefully settle it down but said if it didnt it would be root canal treatment !! There is no way I can face that so feel I am going to end up having it out.
It worries me for so many reasons. Firstly I had a filling in December which is still not right, I feel that tooth also needs to come out, I seem to have a problem with all my teeth at the moment, I dont know if there is a connection with age ? (45) or what, but I have 3 really that are all similar problem, but she filled this one, but badly injected (which remember I was already terrified over) - she injected far too far back I felt - not sure where the injection site is supposed to be ?? - but it was almost in the corner of the mouth going into the neck area it felt, and it never fully numbed the tooth in question, she did a second injection and at that point I could feel it in my throat which is what scares me most. Yet, when she was drilling I could still feel pain - so I am absolutely terrified of the thought of this woman trying to perform an extraction !!!!!!
I am concerned about having no teeth on the bottom at the back, but I just know there is no way I can cope with root canal.
I have just become eligible for free treatment, but I had found a private dentist that I was just about to go and see before my whole world was messed up last year when husband walked out - so there is no way I can possibly afford to go to her now, but I am so scared about everything.
Having no faith in her, not being able to speak to her, having the tooth out ...... all of it.
Is it going to cause me a long term problem to have no bottom back teeth ? Can I cope with it ? Is where she injected the correct position ? Sorry for so many questions, but I am so pleased to have found someone who can hopefully advise me.

Toothsmith

I can't really advise you. You obviously need a dentist, so you need to see someone.

Your post sums up the problems of an NHS system that has to operate at 100mph, often with imported dentists who are here on false promises from the Department of Health who trawled Eastern Europe and developing countries (Wherethey apparently have 'too many' dentists!) for the manpower to prop up a failing system.

There are private dentists operating at all sorts of price points, although as a rule, the cheaper the price, the shorter the appontments will be. If you do a bit of legwork and look around your local area, I'm sure you'll find somewhere that will suit your needs and your pocket.

I appreciate you may qualify for free NHS 'care', but you might well find that even when it's free, you're not getting value for money!

kaskas

Hi everyone!
I live in UK a year now, I still don't understand how the NHS system works. We (me + my partner) have been registered with a local dental practice (privately) for last nine months, while we were on a local NHS dentist waiting list.
Before Christmas my partner (Martin) had a terrible tooth pain, he was in agony! He made an emergency appointment, couldn't really say which tooth is it, dentist suspected upper seven, opened it, put some medicine and temporarily filling and said it needs a root canal treatment. But pain did not go! Martin couldn't sleep, eat or work for 4 days - when he had another emergency appointment. His dentist opened lower seven, did the same like with upper seven and again root canal treatment needed. The pain has gone. Estimated treatment costs: £800 for doing those two teeth.
On the January we have been taken as NHS patients to a dental practice in our town. Receptionist told us that cost of root canal treatment is £43.60 (if I remember good). But on check up appointment dentist said that it will cost around £400 per tooth, because its seven, its very difficult, root isn't straight and he will have to use his private tools so it will be private treatment.
Can he do that? Also he found another tooth for root canal...
Please help!
We don't have £1200 and I don't believe Martin will be able to wait another 9mths to be taken by another NHS dentist who will say it not qualify for NHS because its difficult or practice don't have necessary tools.
What we should do?

ladybelle

Toothsmith wrote: »

I can't really advise you. You obviously need a dentist, so you need to see someone.

Your post sums up the problems of an NHS system that has to operate at 100mph, often with imported dentists who are here on false promises from the Department of Health who trawled Eastern Europe and developing countries (Wherethey apparently have 'too many' dentists!) for the manpower to prop up a failing system.

There are private dentists operating at all sorts of price points, although as a rule, the cheaper the price, the shorter the appontments will be. If you do a bit of legwork and look around your local area, I'm sure you'll find somewhere that will suit your needs and your pocket.

I appreciate you may qualify for free NHS 'care', but you might well find that even when it's free, you're not getting value for money!

I have literally only qualified this week - I have previously had to pay for everything. The service from this place is pretty shoddy but where I live there is absolutely no NHS places around, and not even any private ones (at a more reasonable rate) taking on patients.
This private place I found who is taking on is in my view very expensive based on some of the prices I have seen in this thread - but I was told that an initial consultation which would be £75 would take 45 minutes !!! that seems pretty good to me.
I know I still cant cope with root canal and am sure will just have this tooth out, but whether going to this private place will be better I dont know. They have what they call a 'wand system' ? Do you know of this ? It isnt needle, it is droplets of anaesthetic. They also use healozone ? which blasts away decay, they prefer minimal intervention ?
Is this the sort of treatment you use and recommend ?
I really just do not have the money, being newly single, my husband walked out on me in October, but right now, being in so much pain I think I prefer that option. I feel like I trust this woman before I've even met her !!

I wish you were around here LOL for all I know you are !

Toothsmith

The wand is a flashy anaesthetic. - But it's not the needle that scares you is it!!

Healozone is an ozone disinfection proceedure that seems to stop decay. Opinion is mixed on just how good it is, but it certainly has it's uses.

Minimal intervention is my style of dentistry too, so I'm all in favour of that!!

Toothsmith

kaskas wrote: »

On the January we have been taken as NHS patients to a dental practice in our town. Receptionist told us that cost of root canal treatment is £43.60 (if I remember good). But on check up appointment dentist said that it will cost around £400 per tooth, because its seven, its very difficult, root isn't straight and he will have to use his private tools so it will be private treatment.
Can he do that? Also he found another tooth for root canal...
Please help!
We don't have £1200 and I don't believe Martin will be able to wait another 9mths to be taken by another NHS dentist who will say it not qualify for NHS because its difficult or practice don't have necessary tools.
What we should do?

If you have been accepted aas NHS patients then the dentist has an obligation t provide the full range of treatment available at his practice to you on the NHS.

If he did not feel confident in filling that tooth due to some genuine special difficulty, then he would have been within his rights to refer you to a specialist endodontist (root filler) and as the specialists are, virtually without exception, private, then your choice could be NHS dentist extracts the tooth, or refer you to the private specialist to save it.

As he is happy to do it, then he MUST do it on the NHS for you, as you are an NHS patient.

I would have a word with the dental department of your local PCT if he continues to refuse.

ladybelle

Toothsmith wrote: »

The wand is a flashy anaesthetic. - But it's not the needle that scares you is it!!

Healozone is an ozone disinfection proceedure that seems to stop decay. Opinion is mixed on just how good it is, but it certainly has it's uses.

Minimal intervention is my style of dentistry too, so I'm all in favour of that!!

well after the filling I had in December I am not so keen on the needles now either as she didnt seem to put it in the right place. The private lady dentist explained the wand used droplets and it was easier to localise it ? so I didnt have half a face numb ? Is that true ?

Toothsmith

ladybelle wrote: »

well after the filling I had in December I am not so keen on the needles now either as she didnt seem to put it in the right place. The private lady dentist explained the wand used droplets and it was easier to localise it ? so I didnt have half a face numb ? Is that true ?

That's a good way of explaining it - yes.