Paying for NHS root canal treatment

welshdent

Sebastian I can honestly say I can't recall the last root filling I did that failed within 8 months. Almost all to my knowledge are still working with literally one or 2 exceptions.

Annonay

welshdent wrote: »

I think you are getting the wrong end of things. If a dentists be they private or nhs, refers to a specialist they get zero money back. There is no financial incentive and if there WERE they could get in serious trouble. Endo is really complex and most people do not realise just how complex until they get the chance to look down an operative microscope. I did one 2 day ago that to all intents and purposes had 3 canals but when I looked under high mag at one of them it actially had 2 side canals that went half way down to make a trident shape. Impossible to see without the scope but could mean the difference between success and failure. Not one dentist on here has said it is right to say they can't do it on the nhs but chuck in some extra cash and it can be done. But saying it is beyond you and referring to someone better IS right. It's not the dentists fault there is no specialist nhs endodontics provisions. It is the pct and department of health

NHS dentists charge for the final filling or even a crown (unless the patient does agrees to pay for this privately too)

Private dentists are paid for the work they do.

However, as I said, only the very extreme situations should be referred to a endodontist. The NHS dentist normally has to have really good reasons (e.g difficulty as proven by x-rays) or often where a first attempt at RCT has failed.

Endondists are available on the NHS anyway (although availability may be limited dependant on location, just like NHS dentists are)

Finally, it is the NHS dentist the OP went to who said they could not carry out RCT ... unless the OP paid for it privately.

This is wrong and against the rules of the NHS.

However, there is not much point trying to argue with such a rogue dentist, which is why I suggested the OP tries to find an alternative NHS dentist. They are certainly not all rogues (but as in any large organisation, you do get the odd rotten apple which is what I found to my cost, pain & suffering)

welshdent

I absolutely agree that the dentist should not be saying they are capable privately but not via the nhs. Completely. However as practitioners we must reserve the right to REFER if we are not happy to do a certain treatment seeing as its our neck on the line if it doesn't go right. Yes there is limited nhs provision but at best it is patchy at worst it is frankly dreadful. You often have more luck winning the lottery than getting a hospital based consultant to accept a patient for care

welshdent

Fwiw if I were met With that response I would leave too but not because of any nhs entitlement. I would be more concerned about what they would do to me!

Annonay

sebastianj wrote: »

I wouldn't bother with root canal treatment, at the most it will last 8 months or so and then you pay to have it taken out. If there is an infection below the gum line, then use some mouth wash to control it then have it capped. The cost will be less and it will last 20 years+
Speaking from experience.
sebastian

RCT, carried out correctly, should keep the tooth for about 10 years.

If its just a gum infection, see the dentist who will probably prescribe some antibiotics and educate you on better oral hygiene. The infection should clear up and there should be no need even for a cap, and certainly doesn't require any RCT.

Annonay

welshdent wrote: »

I absolutely agree that the dentist should not be saying they are capable privately but not via the nhs. Completely. However as practitioners we must reserve the right to REFER if we are not happy to do a certain treatment seeing as its our neck on the line if it doesn't go right. Yes there is limited nhs provision but at best it is patchy at worst it is frankly dreadful. You often have more luck winning the lottery than getting a hospital based consultant to accept a patient for care

Then refer to an NHS endodontist. They are not all in hospital, but often wont accept a referral without good reasons (such as I explained earlier)

No problems even with hospitals accepting patients ... providing there is a good reason (and an NHS patient who doesn't feel confident to do routine treatment that they should have been trained for is not a good enough reason)

But I admire you for saying you are not capable of doing your job. That does take guts.

brook2jack

Just to clarify on the whole the vast majority of PCTs do not employ specialist endodontists and dental hospitals will not accept nhs endodontist referrals. Try asking your local dentist for clarification.

londondent

Referring a patient for NHS root canal treatment is one of the most frustrating parts of my job.

had a patient in last week with infection on an upper molar. very long, very curved roots ( almost bent into a right angle).
Since the patient was in acute pain, I removed the nerve from the tooth, when I pulled the file out of the curved root, it was distorted and bent in 2 places! This was a tooth I deemed too difficult to treat in my hands and warrants referral under the NHS.

filed out a six, that's right SIX, page referral form. Am I expecting a positive response??? Unfortunately not.... The likelihood is that this referral will be rejected on the basis that removal of this tooth will still leave the patient with a clinically functional dentition.




A sorry story, but goes to show how poorly funded the NHS dental system is. The simple truth is that the pct don't want to fund £500-800 saving a tooth, when it can be extracted for far less money.


Bird-brain : the dentist cannot tell you to pay privately for something if it can be done under the NHS, even if it means using the expensive machine. If the remainder of the treatment is carried out by another dentist ( who may only work privately) then a private fee may be applicable. If the original dentist is carrying out the entire treatment, he is Not allowed to Insist on a private fee, regardless of equipment used. An NHS option must be available. I would contact your PCT/ PALS for advice before continuing.

brook2jack

There is no referral system full stop anywhere in my area or neighbouring PCTs for endo . The dental hospital won't take any referrals either but the only dental school we are allowed to refer anything else to is a four hour drive away anyway. I have never spoken to any dentist who has had a patient seen for an endodontist nhs referral.

jugglebug

brook2jack wrote: »

There is no referral system full stop anywhere in my area or neighbouring PCTs for endo . The dental hospital won't take any referrals either but the only dental school we are allowed to refer anything else to is a four hour drive away anyway. I have never spoken to any dentist who has had a patient seen for an endodontist nhs referral.

I managed to get a patient seen for a NHS endodontic treatment.
I remember it well. It was 1998
Never managed it since.