NHS root canal treatment for a child

magentapink

Hi I am new to this site so I hope someone can help. My 13 year old has just had an accident causing a tooth to need root canal treatment. My dentist doesn't want to do it - because of the extra complications and care needed for a child I think and we've been referred to a private endodontist who is going to charge £700 for the treatment.
Does anyone know whether this treatment is available on the NHS (by a specialist not my dentist) and if so will I get the same quality treatment on the NHS?

Toothsmith

It is the responsibility of local NHS services to commission secondary services like this in your area. I have heard rumours of some areas commissioning specialist endodontic services, but have never actually found a real one!

So - I'm pretty sure that you will have to pay.

You could try contacting your local NHS people ( it used to be the PCT, not sure what they call themselves now) and seeing if you can shame them into paying this bill, as if anyone deserves NHS funding for specialist endo services, this is probably a very good case, but I wouldn't let that campaign get in the way of doing the best thing for your son and his tooth. And I would probably agree with your dentist that this job would be better done by a specialist.

brook2jack

If it was an accident is it covered by e.g. household insurance (personal injury)?

The only place that might accept a referral for a child specialist endodontist is your nearest dental hospital. That being said the only dental hospital I can refer people to is a nine hour round trip away so nearest May be a relative term.

magentapink

Hi thanks to you both very helpful. I am more than happy to send him to a specialist it jsut seems wrong to have to pay so much for something that has to be done for a child. We are near London so there must be a dental hospital I will check that out and the insurance angle. Thanks again for your help.

brook2jack

You cannot go direct to a specialist the dentist would have to refer you and there may be substantial waiting lists to see a !!!!!dontist (childrens specialist dentist) who would be the best to sort out your childs problems.London has several dental schools and your dentist should have better local knowledge.

Toothsmith

Ha Ha Ha!!! The thought police have censored Pee Doh Dontist

Reminds me of the numpties that attacked a peed i a trician's house because they got their terms mixed up!

(P.S I realise it's an automatic rude word filter)

chunkychocky

It's 20 years now since I had my root canal filled after an accident where I fractured my front 5 teeth within the gum and caused one of them to die and turn black. My NHS dentist did it for free. It was not complicated at all. I know the NHS has moved on but a quick google suggested it should be free if you don't pay for NHS dental treatments....

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Root-canal-treatment/Pages/How-it-is-performed.aspx

"Root canal treatment is carried out by your dentist over two or more appointments. Unless you are entitled to free NHS dental treatment, you will have to pay for root canal treatment."

magentapink

Thanks Chunky but my dentist would rather not do it because he's only 13 (my son - not the dentist!) and I'm happy to go to a specialist, it's really just a question of whether I have to pay.

Toothsmith

chunkychocky wrote: »

It's 20 years now since I had my root canal filled after an accident where I fractured my front 5 teeth within the gum and caused one of them to die and turn black. My NHS dentist did it for free. It was not complicated at all. I know the NHS has moved on but a quick google suggested it should be free if you don't pay for NHS dental treatments....

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Root-canal-treatment/Pages/How-it-is-performed.aspx

"Root canal treatment is carried out by your dentist over two or more appointments. Unless you are entitled to free NHS dental treatment, you will have to pay for root canal treatment."

20 years ago was a very different world with what was done, by who.

It is accepted that a specialist will have a higher success rate than a general dentist. In a young tooth, it is more complicated than in a more mature tooth.

If a general dentist did the treatment on a child (Who will have that tooth in his/her mouth for a lot longer than someone who is older) and it failed, then the 'best' treatment to replace it would be an implant. Implants are not available on the NHS, and are very expensive to provide.

With the rabid negligence solicitors we have in this country now (Although recent rule changes have curbed them somewhat) It doesn't take very much to ask the question "Dr X, why did you take on this treatment when you knew it would have been more likely to succeed if you'd recommended going to a specialist?" And faced with an expensive dental bill, someone is going to be much more likely to appoint such a solicitor.

Unless the dentist has a watertight answer where the patient, and their parent have understood the risk of failure, and have signed something to that effect before letting the dentist do it, then that dentist is probably up a gum tree. Even if such a document has been fully been signed, the patient/parent could still argue they didn't really understand all the implications of failure.

In short, especially when treating such things in kids, it's best to go completely 'by the book' than try and save someone a few bob and have it all blow up in your face.

magentapink

brook2jack wrote: »

You cannot go direct to a specialist the dentist would have to refer you and there may be substantial waiting lists to see a !!!!!dontist (childrens specialist dentist) who would be the best to sort out your childs problems.London has several dental schools and your dentist should have better local knowledge.

Ok thanks I'm going to go back to my dentist and ask about a referral but assuming we have to wait months might this cause any problems? It's been treated temporarily and he's not in any pain, so I would rather wait assuming it's not too long, as long as it's not likely to have any adverse effects.

Toothsmith

magentapink wrote: »

Ok thanks I'm going to go back to my dentist and ask about a referral but assuming we have to wait months might this cause any problems? It's been treated temporarily and he's not in any pain, so I would rather wait assuming it's not too long, as long as it's not likely to have any adverse effects.

Being private, I doubt there will be much of a wait for the endodontist.

The chap I use can generally see people within a couple of weeks.