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

dewey

hethmar wrote: »

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.

Thanks for the reply

Can anyone else give their opinion on whether root canalled molars should be filled or crowned?

Pennylane

Toothsmith wrote: »

Someone with 12 missing teeth and an abscess SHOULDN'T be offered advanced work on the NHS, but neither should they be offered it privately!!

Someone like that shouldbe stabalized for a good couple of years and be able to show an improvement in how they look after their teeth before anbodies money - taxpayers or patient's own - is used to rebuild anything.

It's easily possible to do simple treatments to restore function and prevent pain without leaping in with the heavy engineering.

Thanks for your reply Toothsmith. I think you're on a very slippery slope with saying they should show an improvement in how they look after their teeth.
We then get into the argument about alcoholics, smokers and obese people getting NHS treatment.

Dentists are like anyone else - they can be good, bad or indifferent. (I'm sure you're good though!;) ) My hubby actually went to the dentist (emergency appt) today and came out SO impressed with this young dentist and even wondered if he thought he was a private patient. :rolleyes: He has never in all his life been treated so well!! Our normal dentist was away and I have to say I think the practice is a bit naughty because they always try and get you to come back for a check-up after 6 months, which really is NOT necessary but does equal more dosh!

They also have these big notices up about patients having to pay if they cancel appts late. Fair enough but it should work both ways! My son has arrived twice (having driven 30 miles from his work and leaving early and not getting paid, to fit in with their hours) and they have cancelled his appt there & then. They said they had tried the house phone earlier but nobody was in ....... err no, because we're all at WORK!! Next time I went I queried this and got nowhere!!:mad: :mad: That is very unfair.

Bf109

dewey wrote: »

Thanks for the reply

Can anyone else give their opinion on whether root canalled molars should be filled or crowned?

My completely layman and therefore is-not-medical-advice-at-all opinion is that all molars should be crowned. It stands to reason that the tooth has been killed and will therefore become brittle.

Sooner or later its going to break, given the enormous forces you subject your teeth to, and I dont want that to happen to me. No sir. Too much pain thank you. Also, if your tooth fractures you may need to have it yanked out anyway. So what was the point in shelling out for the RCT? May as well have had it pulled out with a pair of rusty pliers and a bottle of Tesco value vodka.

My dentist gave me the option of an inlay which would be £250 compared to £350 for a crown - and its less work - in the short term. But in the long term, I'd rather know I was safe than skmip on a £100 now.

BY THE WAY!

Had my temp. filling filed down and it seems to be 95% alright now. Apart from the crown and a hygenist appt....

NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH MY TEETH!
:beer::j:T:beer::j:beer::rotfl:

Not even one filling! Not bad having ignored the dentist for 11 years! Never had braces and will never need them. My teeth are dead straight! Not one cavity! Only 4 teeth with fillings in my life, and I'm mid-30s!

At least thats one good hand fate has dealt me!

hethmar

Blimey bf, lucky you eh

Bf109

hethmar wrote: »

Blimey bf, lucky you eh

Thanks. Was bricking it that I would need another RCT! I couldnt beleive it when he said I had no cavities. Insisted he take x-rays and everything just to be sure....


... And I really mean

Pennylane

Just smiling at BF's post! My B-I-L went to the dentist for the first time in about 15 years and needed not one thing doing!! He's a big, hard rugby player but scared of dentists!! His family kept nagging him so he caved in and got a clean bill of health.

Also my own off-spring are in their late 20's and neither has ever had a filling or an extraction. I'm afraid to say one of them is a real sweet/chocolate addict too!

Toothsmith

Pennylane wrote: »

Thanks for your reply Toothsmith. I think you're on a very slippery slope with saying they should show an improvement in how they look after their teeth.
We then get into the argument about alcoholics, smokers and obese people getting NHS treatment.

No - patients should show they can look after their teeth before EITHER their money or Taxpayers is used to do ADVANCED treatments.

This is standard good practice - not making judgement.

If you do bridges on people who can't look after their teeth, then you put at risk the health of other teeth. There are much more suitable (but less sexy) treatments available which will stabilize things until such improvements can be made.

You don't do orthodontics on kids who cant/won't brush their teeth and drink too much fizzy pop. The braces will make it even harder to brush their teeth, and they will end up with more badly damaged teeth than if you hadn't treated the wonky teeth. No-one was ever HARMED by wonky teeth.

Same with Bridges. You don't do them on unhealthy teeth. If teeth have uncontrolled gum disease, or there is uncontrolled decay, it is unethical and action could (and should) be taken against any dentist who puts in advanced bridgework. It will hasten the demise of the remaining teeth.

With a removable denture, there is a much greater chance of the teeth remaining for longer.

Just because you 'pay your stamp' doesn't entitle someone to whatever treatment they like the look of. That's where professional guidance needs to come in.

Toothsmith

dewey wrote: »

Thanks for the reply

Can anyone else give their opinion on whether root canalled molars should be filled or crowned?

Should usually be crowned at some point soon after root filling. How soon depends on the dentist, and how badly damaged the tooth is.

mrs_angry

silvercar wrote: »

I'm in two minds on this.

I'm not sure I have a problem with a dentist saying they will do NHS work but not RCTs or crowns. (The end result of which would be no NHS dentists and a lot of people having no dentist.) The problem I think I have is with the dishonesty (if I can use such a strong word) of claiming to offer a full menu of treatments but in fact not doing so.

Hi there, maybe you have not been put in a position yet where you need a root filling, or crown and are only offered extraction.trust me you would think differently

and it doesn't stop there, my dentist would not do a scale and polish, stating that nhs rules said it was more of a cosmetic procedure! even though i have plaque at the gum line and coffee staining

and my in law had a cracked filling and was told extraction, so where do you draw the line, you cant because if nhs dentists are allowed to make up the rules, as they are at the moment, our teeth wont get any treatment.

Rules are rules and if dentists choose to be nhs they must abide by the rules, or leave the nhs

silvercar

mrs_angry wrote: »

silvercar wrote: »

I'm in two minds on this.

I'm not sure I have a problem with a dentist saying they will do NHS work but not RCTs or crowns. (The end result of which would be no NHS dentists and a lot of people having no dentist.) The problem I think I have is with the dishonesty (if I can use such a strong word) of claiming to offer a full menu of treatments but in fact not doing so.

Hi there, maybe you have not been put in a position yet where you need a root filling, or crown and are only offered extraction.trust me you would think differently

and it doesn't stop there, my dentist would not do a scale and polish, stating that nhs rules said it was more of a cosmetic procedure! even though i have plaque at the gum line and coffee staining

and my in law had a cracked filling and was told extraction, so where do you draw the line, you cant because if nhs dentists are allowed to make up the rules, as they are at the moment, our teeth wont get any treatment.

Rules are rules and if dentists choose to be nhs they must abide by the rules, or leave the nhs

Naughty because you've selectively quoted from what I said. My last paragraph was:

(Hypothetically as I see my dentist privately.) If I'm sitting in a dentist's chair and told that a tooth needs extracting, I would want to know that that is the best option, not to be thinking does he mean he could do an RCT if I would pay. (Or worse, he dare not suggest me having an RCT in case a complaint is made to the PCT.)

Which is my point, if a dentist can be honest with you, you will know where you stand: the option to pay privately for RCT, crowns will be there. If an NHS dentist is bound to do RCT on NHS the net result will be less NHS dentists and more people with no dentists - then where do you go for your standard filling?