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

alison999

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

The post(s) has now been deleted but I did see it the other day.

me too, something about a painkiller i think

hethmar

Oh, didnt notice.

Savvy_Sue

There was one particular post about pain relief which then attracted a response expressing concern about the advice, and another post defending it, and so on.

So the best thing is to ask your dentist for advice, and if you can't get through to your dentist ask a pharmacist, or phone NHS direct. they know what to ask YOU to make sure you don't overdose ... or get a reaction with other medication or conditions.

Bf109

Hi all.

Just had round two of the RT! MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!
:T:beer::j

I took some advice offered here and went in 15mins early. He pumped me up with lots of nice drugs and by the time I was in the chair I was numb as the queen's bum!

Except for the odd slight twinge I felt nothing. He even found another root and cleaned it without me feeling anything more than slight discomfort.

I wish I could show you guize the x-rays! Only ended up paying £250 which is not too bad at all.

Next comes the crown! How much is that going to hurt my wallet!? :eek:

Thanks all, and good luck

edit - my face is still numb. Look, I can scratch it with this cheesegrater really hard and it doesnt hurt at all!

mrs_angry

well i went to my NHS dentist last week as i had a lump on my gum and wanted antibiotics to tide me over until my 14 month check today, and was told my crowned tooth has come to the end of its life,so they wanted to take it out, was given 5 days of antis and an xray £16.20 please.

went today for checkup told lump not gone, tooth needs to come out, or see a specialist at cost of £800 for root canal to be re done even though would most probably fail, £16.20 please funny really because my sister in law went a few months ago cos filling had cracked and she was told the same thing, you need to have the tooth out, no root canal even offered or see a specialist blah blah.

£42 for tooth extraction £42 for root canal our dentist cant be bothered to put the time in for a root canal when for 10 minutes work they can earn the same by pulling the tooth.

and i was told nhs rules state scale and polish not needed, havent had scale for 14 months, told its cosmetic.

sorry peeps but gordon brown and greedy nhs dentists will make us and our children toothless.

in one day i lost 20 years that it had took me to trust dentists, now i have told my hubby unless it will kill me i will not have my tooth taken until i know for sure that all possible treatments have been tried first, just like it used to be, im only 37 and sister in law only 31 and i obviously look after my teeth as told scale and polish not needed.

what would you do in my situation

hethmar

Bf109 - brilliant news but put down the cheese grater (unless you have a chin like Desperate Dan )

hethmar

mrs angry, dont know what to suggest. If you can afford a private guy to look at them thats what I would do. As Ive said on here earlier, my NHS dentist had said 3 teeth would have to come out. I couldnt face losing them - Im terrified of teeth extractions and also of becoming gummy so I went private and all three teeth were saved and crowned.

But I do understand that at my time of life I am very fortunate to be in a position to do that and not everyone, particular if you have a family can.

Id also check up on that "scale and polish" business - Im pretty sure that isnt so.

alison999

mrs_angry wrote: »

£16.20 please.... £16.20 please funny really because my sister in law went a few months ago cos filling had cracked and she was told the same thing, you need to have the tooth out, no root canal even offered or see a specialist blah blah.

your dentist has no control over nhs prices and maybe your teeth cant be saved?!

mrs_angry wrote: »

£42 for tooth extraction £42 for root canal our dentist cant be bothered to put the time in for a root canal when for 10 minutes work they can earn the same by pulling the tooth.

dentist get paid via uda points. they dont get the money you pay at the practice.

mrs_angry wrote: »

and i was told nhs rules state scale and polish not needed, havent had scale for 14 months, told its cosmetic.

should be glad youre doing a good enough job yourself.

mrs_angry wrote: »

and i obviously look after my teeth as told scale and polish not needed.

the why are you complaining you cant have one?

mrs_angry wrote: »

what would you do in my situation

go private, but it will cost more than £16.20 or £44.60

alison999

hethmar wrote: »

Id also check up on that "scale and polish" business - Im pretty sure that isnt so.

if its just staining etc then its classed as 'cosmetic', and the nhs does not fund cosmetic treatment.

you can only have a scale and polish (like anything else) if you clinically need it. then it will be included in the £16.20. funny that no one complains that they dont get x-rays, the price of which, if done at the exam, or same course of treatment, is also included in the16.20

hethmar

Never knew that alison. Whenever I went to my NHS dentist for check ups she always did it but may be its because my teeth were worse than mrs angry.