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

suki1964

Not all RCT work - but then everyone I have had has - and I'm sure theres a lot of us around.

Not all dentist will offer RCT and crowning to all patients, if you are a wuss and find dental treatment to be a nightmare then your dentist prolly was right in offering extraction.

Im a wuss - BIG TIME and my dentist talked me into having a RCT and crown to L6 - had it in now for about two weeks.

Yes the treatment was stressful for me because of my phobia. Was it painful? Not at the time - hurt for a few days after the nerve removal and ached for about a week.

Im glad I had it done as tbh Ive lost way too many teeth already for my age and as he said, it could be saved.

I was lucky as I get NHS, unfortunately that means a gold crown but its not too visible - I cant notice it and hubby had to pull my mouth open really wide to see it.

If the crown falls out just hope you don't swallow it cos it can just be stuck back on, but it shouldnt fall off as long as you let it set long enough at the start.

Having it removed can make the other teeth move forward slightly to fill the gap which may mean you wont need to have a false tooth later on - ask the dentist what he thinks but if hes still of the mind that it can be saved then personally id go with him

SuziQ

I had root canal work back in the mid 70's and as it was a front top tooth a crown was fitted on a post. The first lasted 6 years,the second 15,and I have had the latest (and most natural looking-done on NHS but things have improved drastically) I have had since 2000. I would say deffinitely try ot keep it as losing teeth can be so aging-later on the face 'collapses' if you have lost teeth,and if you let this one go,don't you think you will be less likely to try to attempt to save any future teeth? I had to take a loan out for the last crown and was lucky at the time to have a good credit rating (those were the days!) and low interest rate. Other than that the dentist was prepared to allow me 3 months to pay it,which was also very reasonable but as I was studying and not able to take on overtime I opted to pa it back over a year with a bit of interest to pay.

Olympika

Thanks suki. I may have spoken too soon am nearly a week since the 2nd appointment and it feels exactly like the tooth did before the RCT started (when had an infection under the filling that was already there)... I am HOPING that it's just the tooth settling down but am getting a bit worried and I think I might have to go back to the dentist this week to get it looked at. Of course, I am probably just being a complete wimp and everything might well be fine :rolleyes::p

Can anyone enlighten me a bit on rubber dams? am pretty sure the dentist didn't use one with me (having read what they are I am guessing I would have noticed it?) - is it normal practice for them to use one now?

Thanks

tirednewdad

Olympika wrote: »

Thanks suki. I may have spoken too soon am nearly a week since the 2nd appointment and it feels exactly like the tooth did before the RCT started (when had an infection under the filling that was already there)... I am HOPING that it's just the tooth settling down but am getting a bit worried and I think I might have to go back to the dentist this week to get it looked at. Of course, I am probably just being a complete wimp and everything might well be fine :rolleyes::p

Can anyone enlighten me a bit on rubber dams? am pretty sure the dentist didn't use one with me (having read what they are I am guessing I would have noticed it?) - is it normal practice for them to use one now?

Thanks

A rubber dam is a sheet of rubber which covers the rest of the mouth apart from the tooth that needs the RCT.
A lot of dentists don't use it for RCT- but maybe they should.

The rubber dam acts as a barrier, preventing recontamination of the tooth. The tooth has to be a sterile environment (as much as possible), as otherwise it increases the chances of infection.
The rubber dam also helps prevent the files and chemicals- that we put into the tooth to decontaminate it, from being swollowed by the patient. Bear in mind the majority of dentists will use a very weak bleach to kill off any bugs- not great to be ingested.:eek:

If the pain from the tooth has reoccured within 6 weeks of the RCT, then it is likely to be caused by something else rather than reinfection.
i.e.- an extra unfound root cannal, A poorly done RCT (where there are gaps in the cannal system that the dentist has not filled), A microfracture or crack (goodbye tooth:wave: ) or a type of infection that exists between where the roots separate (called a perio-endo lesion).

Ask to see the xray to see if there are any unfilled gaps. Your dentist might try to prescribe you antibiotics and assume its a perio-endo lesion, but if that fails then its extraction or apicectomy(minor surgery)

bank_of_slate

See a pic of teeth being treated using rubber dam

...Linda xx

Olympika

^^ she definitely didn't use one of those

just been back and as well as filing down the filling which was apparently quite high, she prescribed penicillin. Guess just have to see how it goes now.

Thanks everyone for your help :T

bank_of_slate

Ho Olympika, make sure that you take the entire course of penicillin as prescribed to give it the best chance of working. and try not to bite on it for a few days, give that side of your mouth 'a rest'
...Linda xx

Olympika

bank_of_slate wrote: »

Ho Olympika, make sure that you take the entire course of penicillin as prescribed to give it the best chance of working. and try not to bite on it for a few days, give that side of your mouth 'a rest'
...Linda xx

Thanks Linda. Will do

cheekyvimto

Hi there, could anyone recommend any dentists within the Leeds area that do dental implants please? My dentist doesn't do them but can refer me on to somewhere else but after reading other posts it seems like a good idea to get several opinions? Also I know at the Leeds Dentist hospital you can volunteer for free treatment of you get seen by a student dentist - does this get extended to include implants too does anyone know?

Thanks

skintas_2

i had a crown last yeat cost me £200 on the nhs and guess what, dentist didnt glue it right and i swallowed it i felt so ill, i was told to go a & e have a x ray.. i had to have a replacement only ocst me £60 i reckon it should of been free