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

Olympika

You're a sweetie! :AI am ok thanks, it's not hurting at the moment :beer: Also I think the sinus exposure has healed over again (went on Sunday) which is a big plus! This is the 3rd or 4th time it's 'blown through' but am sort of getting used to it and it doesn't hurt anymore, it's just a bit weird. Have religiously avoided blowing my nose but sneezing is trickier - have to try to jam something (tongue, cheek, fingers ewwwwwwwwww) into socket when about to sneeze but it doesn't always work... :o

hethmar

xxx - you are a star putting up with all that and still joking

JVRMac

Quite a lenghty thread here but from what I've read, I can't help wondering about my own "teething probs" and if anyone can advise.
I've just recently snapped two of my bottom back teeth, one on either side and both within a few weeks of each other, I've been to my Dentist and he has x-rayed them and said that both teeth are badly fractured, he has removed my old fillings and re-filled them and has asked me to go back in 6 months time to see how the nerve is holding up with a view to capping them.
Any ideas what he means by this, would it mean a root canal if it's not? I've never had any problems with abscess' just a bit of sensitivity now and again, which hasn't altered following the fillings? Is there any other procedure to deaden the nerve and is it worth it or would I be better off just getting them removed?
Not a very good patient I'm afraid (slight understatement), had a panic attack just from the x-ray and the fillings and as much as I want to hang on to my teeth not sure how equiped I am to go through any lengthy dental work :eek:

Toothsmith

I think he is waiting to see if they need root-filling or not.

As for the rest of it, you need to talk to the dentist about what it would all involve, and how you'll be able to cope with it.

It could easily be that just a valium tablet the night before and a couple of hours before would be all you'd need to sail through it. Your dentist could easily sort this out for you.

DANNYBOY1_3

Hi I have posted before re: my tooth but there has been progress - to recap I have a tooth which broke a few years back....HUGE filling put in,now it has been playing up for a few weeks,seen dentist a couple of times,X rays clear but has been getting sorer.Tried antibios which have settled it a bit.We are now down to 2 choices....extraction or RCT (quoted £470). My question is,as the tooth is badly broken (probably about 35% of it is filling which he says is sitting righting on the nerve and irritating it),would I be better off getting it extracted,and saving up for an implant,or is it worth RCT and a crown on such a badly broken tooth? (It's the second tooth from the back,top row on the left!)

Toothsmith

If you get it extracted, the bone will begin to disappear, making the implant more difficult.

If the dentist thinks it's OK to root fill (and then crown - as root filled teeth need crowning shortly afterwards) then that should give you a good 10 years to save up.

People should avoid thinking about implants as 'fit and forget' alternatives to their own teeth.

They haven't been around long enough to get good reliable data on their long-term survival yet, and at some point they will almost certainly need re-doing. (At the moment it looks good - with 95% of them being there 10 years later)

The RCT and crown will put you on a few years (assuming your dentist thinks it's a good option) and then who knows what treatments will be available?

(BTW survival rate figures come from data where treatment plans have been properly formulated and planned - what will happen to survival rates when and if treatment plans put together from 2 week holidays to eastern europe come into the mix is anybodies guess!)

hethmar

Toothsmith, my dentist has suggested an implant for a tooth which was removed when I was a child - some 35 years ago :eek: - he has said it will not be a problem re the bone and that he can always graft on to it. How successful are those procedures do you know? He does seem very confident and I have to say he has performed near miracles on teeth given up as lost causes by my old NHS dentist but obviously £1700 is a lot to pay out on spec.

Toothsmith

Bone grafts work very well, but they add to the bill.

You, obvoiusly, had no choice in the matter of when you lost your tooth, so your dentist has to deal with matters as he sees them now. I'm sure he's doing that very well.

DANNYBOY1 is trying to decide if he should loose a tooth or not. The situation is different.

Surfbabe

I'm just having root canal treatment and a crown all on the NHS - the cost is £198 - assume £470 is private. I've had the same treatment on a tooth that is at the back top and it has lasted over 10 years now. I'd go for the root canal and crown but check the price you have been quoted.

Olympika

I would definitely try the RCT too if you possibly can. Bear in mind though that the £470 might not include the cost of the crown, which would probably add another few hundred £ onto the cost.