NHS dentist fobbing me off, or has he got a point?

murphydog999

I've just finished a course of penicillin for an abscess and now I've got to decide what to do with the tooth.

We've only just moved into a new area so had to go to an access centre where the abscess was lanced and drained, then a few days later I registered and got an apt at a local NHS dentist.

Both dentists gave me the same options, root canal work - poss. crown, - take it out leave a gap, take it out have an implant.

However, the local dentist has pretty much said to guarantee root canal work it's best to go private. He said, an NHS dentist doesn't have the time, money or equipment to do it properly and there would be a higher possibility of failure. Whilst he didn't actually say I'm not doing it, he definitely set out to convince me that he didn't want to do it.

One of the clinics they refer to are part of the same group, so are these scare tactics? Apart from a few fillings I've never had any problems with my teeth and the price for private work is a shock to say the least!

I had more or less decided on root canal work - even though the tooth is at the back next to a wisdom tooth, a gap would be very visible.

Going on these comments NHS dentists are just there to do fillings and check-ups, surely private or NHS they are all trained the same? I'm a bit annoyed about this, but I don't want to go through hours of work just to get a 'botch' job at the end of it that will probably fail!

Has anyone had experience of NHS root canal work, or can offer any advice please?

snowmaid

murphydog999 wrote: »

I've just finished a course of penicillin for an abscess and now I've got to decide what to do with the tooth.

We've only just moved into a new area so had to go to an access centre where the abscess was lanced and drained, then a few days later I registered and got an apt at a local NHS dentist.

Both dentists gave me the same options, root canal work - poss. crown, - take it out leave a gap, take it out have an implant.

However, the local dentist has pretty much said to guarantee root canal work it's best to go private. He said, an NHS dentist doesn't have the time, money or equipment to do it properly and there would be a higher possibility of failure. Whilst he didn't actually say I'm not doing it, he definitely set out to convince me that he didn't want to do it.

One of the clinics they refer to are part of the same group, so are these scare tactics? Apart from a few fillings I've never had any problems with my teeth and the price for private work is a shock to say the least!

I had more or less decided on root canal work - even though the tooth is at the back next to a wisdom tooth, a gap would be very visible.

Going on these comments NHS dentists are just there to do fillings and check-ups, surely private or NHS they are all trained the same? I'm a bit annoyed about this, but I don't want to go through hours of work just to get a 'botch' job at the end of it that will probably fail!

Has anyone had experience of NHS root canal work, or can offer any advice please?

He is flouting regulations and his contract, the swines!!!:mad::mad: It's called gaming and they try encourage you to go private as it is more money for them. Go onto the NHS website and see what they are supposed to provide. Thing is all they want to do is get in as many patients for as much money as they can. If a job is going to cost £200 and its going to take a few hours, they think they are 'losing' money. Stick to your guns. You pay enough for the services as part of your NI. This is really ticking me off.

If I'm wrong, I am sure someone will be along to correct me very soon! :cool:

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/Dentaltreatments.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/05may/Pages/oft-dental-charges-and-complaints.aspx

Owain_Moneysaver

Can you ask for a referral to an NHS dental hospital?

Toothsmith

snowmaid wrote: »

He is flouting regulations and his contract, the swines!!!:mad::mad: It's called gaming and they try encourage you to go private as it is more money for them.

We can't know that for sure without being able to see the tooth, and an x-ray of the tooth - so it's wrong to get judgemental and all emoticon without that.

Having said that - when the specialist involved is part of the same 'group', then I get quite suspicious as well.

Is it a front tooth or a back molar? general dentists should be quite capable of acceptably root filling the vast majority of teeth they see. occasionally there are very tricky front teeth or premolars that would benefit from specialist care. More often, curvy rooted or extra rooted back molars would benefit from seeing a specialist.

The PCT should have these services available for NHS patients on the NHS - but they never do. THis is PCTs trying to scrimp & save & not do what they're contractually obliged to, so it's not just the dentists who 'game' NHS dentistry - the PCTs are just as guilty.

I would ask the dentist who saw you at the access centre whether in his/her opinion the tooth is within the scope of a reasonably competent general dentist (Not NHS or Private, as this is irrelevent). If the answer is yes, then you should complain to the PCT that your dentis is indeed gaming. If the answer is no, then get in touch with the PCT and demand that they provide the specialist care you need on the NHS.

samwich1979

This is a well known trick by NHS dentists these days.

I was told in April when a 5 year old crown (cost £500 privately) snapped off taking my tooth bar the root with it, that i cannot have it re-crowned with posts as i have a small shadow on the root which is most likely infection which will flare up in the future.

So as it had already been root treated and filled 7 years ago my only option is to pay privately to have it re-root treated and THEN have it crowned. No mention of price was made as i refused this but i can imagine it being at least £500 plus.

So i walked out with just a root of a lower molar left which is now getting blacker by the day.

It is definitely a con by dentists to get more money for a treatment which CAN be done on the NHS as i have had it done twice in the past 10 years for the price of around £46.

Ring around your local NHS dentists and see if anyone is willing to do it on the NHS for you if not contact the local PCT and tell them the trouble you are having and hopefully they could sort it out for you.

Toothsmith

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Can you ask for a referral to an NHS dental hospital?

In practise, this is pretty pointless.

You'll be waiting months (with goodness knows how many more flare-ups) and then when you get there, the hospital, (with an eye on it's own squeezed budgets) is more likely than not to refer you back to the dentist with a note that it should be carried out in practice!

samwich1979

Toothsmith wrote: »

In practise, this is pretty pointless.

You'll be waiting months (with goodness knows how many more flare-ups) and then when you get there, the hospital, (with an eye on it's own squeezed budgets) is more likely than not to refer you back to the dentist with a note that it should be carried out in practice!

I went to a dental hospital a few years back with pain when a tooth had broken ( on the advise of a hospital dentist who was working in the same department as me) and after waiting 40 mins to be seen they refused to do ANYTHING for me and told me i had to see my own dentist about it.

At the time i had a private dentist which i could no longer afford to pay for due to financial difficulties and when i explained this they didnt care.

So avoid dental hospitals is my advice.

Mojisola

murphydog999 wrote: »

I've just finished a course of penicillin for an abscess and now I've got to decide what to do with the tooth.

However, the local dentist has pretty much said to guarantee root canal work it's best to go private. He said, an NHS dentist doesn't have the time, money or equipment to do it properly and there would be a higher possibility of failure.

I hope this isn't true - I'm halfway through having a root canal done by my NHS dentist!

McKneff

If it's a tooth next to the wisdom tooth, I cant possibly see how the gap would be visible when speaking or smiling.

Both mine have gone of both sides and no gap is visible with me.

MoaningMyrtle

To reassure people, I have had two root-canal filled and crowned on the NHS with no issues.

murphydog999

Hmmm, well that's not playing ball then is it!

The tooth in question is UL5, so top back. I will certainly speak to the access dentist to see what she says.

The surgery we were going to - enquired when we moved - is only accepting patients in January, I am within my rights to go somewhere else? What I don't fancy is going back to this dentist with a complaint and him begrudgingly doing the work and it being just an adequate job.