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

suki1964

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Is it possible to have a combination of private and NHS treatment? Also, what sort of crown can be provided on NHS?

The NHS will provide white crowns on the front teeth only - molars then you are looking at gold

(am having a gold crown made on the NHS right now, get it fitted in two weeks)

~Chameleon~

suki1964 wrote: »

The NHS will provide white crowns on the front teeth only - molars then you are looking at gold

(am having a gold crown made on the NHS right now, get it fitted in two weeks)

NHS provide gold crowns????? :eek:

I thought people had to pay for those. Surely they're more expensive than normal white ones?

suki1964

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

NHS provide gold crowns????? :eek:

I thought people had to pay for those. Surely they're more expensive than normal white ones?

Nope - cos its not solid gold, its a gold alloy. Used on the NHS cos its cheap and less labour intensive then a porcelain one. No one expects a gold crown to be pretty - rather its functional.

Savvy_Sue

suki1964 wrote: »

brenda, its not a good idea to quote spam, his post will be deleted but yours may be left behind with the information still showing

So I have deleted brenda's post, and another one referring to the spam but not quoting it.

donteatthat

NHS crowns may be gold in colour, but I wouldn't think there was likely to be much if any gold in them these days. Most likely to be non-precious metal with high amounts of base metals for cost reasons.

With regard to the post about implants, delays in placement can make the job more difficult due to bone shrinking when the tooth is removed. On the other hand, leaving a fractured root there will likely ruin the bone also. Sometimes dentists who do implants / private treatments offer finance packages that are low-cost or interest free (the dentist pays a fee for the facility) depending on the time the money is paid. So that might allow for the treatment to be done without it running up your credit card.

hethmar

I wonder if I could have some advice please. I gave up on my NHS dentist as she seemed to want to whip out any tooth requiring more than a normal filling. I went to her after one crown broke off a tooth that had been a problem for years after being rootfilled. She extracted the tooth. Then a tooth the other side snapped off - within a week and I went back, she said it would be too difficult to save and to make another appointment to extract that too (I was looking like a bag lady by now - one tooth missing - just back from canine on the left and the tooth next to front tooth on right snapped off). I went to reception where I was told Id have to wait 2 months for my next appointment.

I couldnt bear walking around like that for 2 months so I went to a private guy. Now for a long time my top front teeth had been a bit of an embarrassment, crooked and discoloured so I asked him what I could have done. He said that the top 6 could be crowned and yes he felt there was a 90% chance of saving the snapped off one (which he did and crowned).

By that time, the tooth next to the extracted one had started the old familiar throbbing and he xrayed and found it did have an abcess. He rootfilled it and that tooth was one of the 6 to be crowned. If there is a dentist on the board, Id be grateful for advice. Ive been taking Sinutabs because I wondered if its sinus problems as I noticed my nose has been a bit running this week and I had a persistent cough one night in bed which I couldnt make out. When I had the abscess on this tooth before it was painful to press the corner of my nose but it isnt this time. The tooth hurts a bit when I press on the side of it (has always been like that)but not when I eat on it.

He also made a plate with 5 teeth to cover both sides where my teeth were missing. Ive never been happy with the plate, it feels too tight on one side of my mouth and my bottom teeth seem to bang into it but after all the performance of 6 crowns I didnt want to go back for a lot more stuff. That was a year back and the rootfilled tooth which was crowned has been a bit sensitive since the filling. I did go back to him just after the root filling and he x rayed and said he felt it may be his fault that the roots were very long and to ensure he got to the top of them he may have inadvertently pierced it. I got some antibiotics and the pain went but the tooth remained slightly sensitive.

A year later, I went last week for my 6 month check up and he said they all seemed fine and I did mention that the rootfilled and crowned one is always a bit sensitive but he had a prod and said it seemed fine. Since last Friday that side of my face has been aching, all round my eye is aching and I have a sort of tingling up the side of my nose. I am so worried that the root filling has failed and what the options are.

He did keep using his xray to ensure the roots were filled so Im just not sure what he can do now. I paid £250 for the root filling and then about £400 for the porcelain crown over it.

Is it possible that the pain is due to the tightness of the plate which has a false tooth next to this one? Im terrified of extractions and would do anything to hang on to the teeth Ive got left - I had a butcher as a dentist as a child and looking back I realise that I never had a filling, I went with a toothache and came out with a tooth missing every time.

Toothsmith

This is all a bit too complicated to answer without seeing.

I would go back to the dentist again, as symptoms have obviously changed since you last saw him.

hethmar

Hi toothsmith, thanks, Ive made an appointment to see him tomorrow. Fingers crossed that I dont have to lose another tooth.

Its so strange because the pain goes during the night and in the morning its not hurting then as the day goes on by 11 a.m. Im on to the neurofen again

hethmar

Just to say, been to my guy who took another x ray, no sign of infection - says pain is due to bite problems and he has ground some of the crown off at the back. He says this should feel much better now and if not to go back to him immediately. He did seem very confident, so that was a comfort. He told me even if I do get an infection under a crown I need not despair as there are other ways of saving the tooth and he can perform an episcotomy? on it. I couldnt believe a bad bite could cause so much terrible pain and headache but he assures me it can and even pressed on the back of my neck which really hurt and he said that is also a sign of bad bite.

alison999

hethmar wrote: »

....he can perform an episcotomy?

a bit off topic but i love these!!!:j