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

hethmar

conquinn, if you can afford it, go with the private option. I only wish I had done so at your age.

Olympika

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

:rotfl: at the idea of a Dipsy Dentist ... but better that than Tipsy!

My orthodontist was always erm tipsy... stank of booze and would even take swigs every now and then from a hip flask during appointments. Looking back now, just UNREAL! I don't think I ever even mentioned it to anyone. I was quite a trusting teenager! least until the final appointment when he couldn't get some of the train track anchoring bits off and attacked them with a massive wrench, while drunk... :eek:

Twiggers

New to this ... can Toothsmith or anyone else help? Need a second opinion.
My upper-right premolar (5th) has been causing trouble for a couple of years. It can hurt badly when bitten on - very badly, pain that will literally stop me in my tracks for a few minutes. And occasionally it just hurts for no reason. But most of the time it is asymptomatic.
My (non-NHS) dentist thought it may be cracked and referred me to a private endodontist in central London. This guy - seems very good - did all sorts of poking around with microscopes and x-rays and said it should be root-canalled and then crowned and that it is indeed cracked.
My regular dentist says he is unwilling to do the root canal as roots are narrow and curved. His advice is to go with the specialist and then come back to him for the crown. The whole cost will be about £1000.
Is it usual for a cracked tooth to require RCT? Isn't this usually a treatment for infected teeth? There is no infection it seems. Am I looking for trouble by doing this? Would it be better to just leave it until it REALLY flares up? The tooth looks fine and is unmolested - both dentists said extraction was the only other option, and I am reluctant to do this. My regular dentist is very, very conservative as a rule - as a result I have only a couple of fillings. I am 43.
Lastly, how unpleasant will this procedure be? I am not a complete wuss but do not fancy real pain. The endodontist sas it will take about 90 minutes-2 hours, one visit.

Toothsmith

I think you've got a very good dentist who is giving you very sensible advice.

If this tooth 'flares up' it will probably be very suddenly and almost certainly catastrophically by breaking in two.

Then you'll be looking at about 2k for an implant, or about 1k and damage to another tooth by making a bridge.

hethmar

Considering all the work involved and the crown (which Im sure will be beautiful ) then it seems a reasonable price IF its important for you to hang on to your teeth. If you have such little work, it would seem a shame to lose it after all, but only you know what you are prepared to pay out. I guess you dont have insurance?

When you say "cracked" are you actually meaning the root is fractured? (BTW Im not a professional but Ive had nearly every possible treatment available so far )

Oh, pain wise, honestly its really not that painful - just a bit difficult opening your mouth for that long

hethmar

Olympika wrote: »

My orthodontist was always erm tipsy... stank of booze and would even take swigs every now and then from a hip flask during appointments. Looking back now, just UNREAL! I don't think I ever even mentioned it to anyone. I was quite a trusting teenager! least until the final appointment when he couldn't get some of the train track anchoring bits off and attacked them with a massive wrench, while drunk... :eek:

Oh thats awful Olympika - if only Id been savvy as a youngster too. I know it was a long time ago, but I look back and I cant believe what a butcher of a dentist did to me when I was only just into my teens - he never ever filled a tooth, just wrenched it out and I knew no better, ditto my parents. Its only since then Ive realised he was awful and shouldnt have been practicing. On one awful occasion, I ended up in hospital after bleeding so badly for 8 hours that my mother was ripping up sheets to try to staunch the flow.

Oh, your bloke was drunk, mine would often go for a wee (or more!) in the loo in the surgery - whilst I was still in the chair and then Id hear the chain flush and hed come straight back to fiddling with my mouth, without me hearing any water running for his hands to be washed :eek: If only I could go back in a time machine and be more savvy - Id not have all these gaps and problems. When I was telling my current bloke all the probs Id had, he said something about in the 60s there were a number of dentists practicing who had taken a very short course following WW2 when there was a severe shortage and that they really shouldnt have been doing so as he had seen so much terrible work inflicted on people of my age from that era.

Bf109

Twiggers wrote: »

Lastly, how unpleasant will this procedure be? I am not a complete wuss but do not fancy real pain. The endodontist sas it will take about 90 minutes-2 hours, one visit.

Provided you are properly numb, it shouldnt hurt at all.

I had the unfortunate experience of not being totally numb on my first visit... my legs were stiff for days afterwards.

On the second visit I was totally numb and only once or twice felt a minor twinge.

My tooth is almost fine now... though I still cant bite heavily on it. Hopefully the crown will sort that out...

dewey

Can someone tell me if crowning a tooth after root canal is standard practice? Depending on the amount of tooth that is taken away during root canal, would just a filling be acceptable in certain cases?

Thanks

hethmar

You need one of the dentists to answer that - but Ive had both, just a filling and also several crowns. I understand that once a tooth has been root filled it is more vulnerable and a crown may prevent further damage. Also, a root filled tooth tends to discolour after a while.

dippynina

fran_from_willesden wrote: »

I've had an infection in one of my teeth which hasn't cleared up after antibiotics so I now have to have root canal work on said tooth. :eek: I was just wondering if anyone else has had this done and if it was painful?? Also how long did it take??

Thanks

fran

I work in a dental practice - and also had root treatment done! A root treatment will take one or two appointments usually half hour long. It feels the same as having a filling done, they are basically just removing the nerve which can be a bit fiddly but should cause you no pain, if you expereince any sensitivity let your dentist know and he can perhaps give you a little more local anaesthetic. Believe me, even though I have worked at the practice for 15 years I am the biggest babay when it comes to having treatment done, so I can assure you if I can get it - anyone can!!!