Root canal NHS

Simba-ali34

See this is abit like me. I can't afford a specialist for treatment. So if the nhs will offer me an extraction anyway is it not worth them even attempting a more complex root canal before pulling it.

silvercar

Simba-ali34 wrote: »

See this is abit like me. I can't afford a specialist for treatment. So if the nhs will offer me an extraction anyway is it not worth them even attempting a more complex root canal before pulling it.

That is the problem. Teeth which may have been saved in some cases are being routinely extracted because either the patient can't pay for a specialist or the dentist won't attempt a root filling on the NHS.

Wind back 30 years and the structure for dentist renumeration from the NHS was such that more root fillings were performed on the NHS, this naturally led to general dentists having more experience of performing root canal work.

Now you have the situation where many dentists don't consider that the NHS scales mean that they can allow sufficient time to perform a successful root canal on "complex" teeth and so won't attempt it and will only offer the choice of a referral or extraction.

justme111

Exactly. Public needs informing that teeth cost money in the same way cars or hair dressers or food shopping does - that is the reality.

brook2jack

Actually there is another side to this.

Thirty years ago the equipment and materials for root canal were relatively simple.

Today our knowledge of the anatomy of root canals and the techniques and materials have come on enormously. A specialist will have done a MSC endodontics and will have eg an operating microscope costing upwards of £15,000 and materials such as mdta which cost £50 a time . They will spend two to three hours root filling one tooth. The cost of obtaining a specialist qualification, the equipment and materials make it impossible to provide this sort of service in general dental practice where a check up, X-rays, fillings and root fillings earn the practice around £66 .

If a non specialist "has a go" at a complex root canal they may make it more difficult or impossible for a specialist to save the tooth. That and the fact that the British public are more likely to sue a dentist than anywhere else in the world, including America, means medical defence organisations etc warn dentists not to attempt treatment beyond their skill level.

Thirty years ago the equipment to do a "simple root filling" would have cost very little. Today disposable equipment has to be used and the files alone cost around £35 each.

teddysmum

Simba-ali34 wrote: »

See this is abit like me. I can't afford a specialist for treatment. So if the nhs will offer me an extraction anyway is it not worth them even attempting a more complex root canal before pulling it.

My extraction was so well done, that I thought the dentist was arranging her tools, but, in fact, the deed was done and I don't miss the tooth.

silvercar

teddysmum wrote: »

My extraction was so well done, that I thought the dentist was arranging her tools, but, in fact, the deed was done and I don't miss the tooth.

That is fine if you are only going to loose a small number of teeth. Loose too many and you have a bigger problem that will need addressing.

Simba-ali34

I'm basically going to the dentist tomorrow to get a medicated filling done. I will ask what happens if this doesn't work (which I'm convinced won't work) and if I am only offered a specialist I will atleast ask her if they have anyone that would be willing to try it because I literally can't afford it and definitely don't want to pull it.

Toothsmith

Simba-ali34 wrote: »

I'm basically going to the dentist tomorrow to get a medicated filling done. I will ask what happens if this doesn't work (which I'm convinced won't work) and if I am only offered a specialist I will atleast ask her if they have anyone that would be willing to try it because I literally can't afford it and definitely don't want to pull it.

I'm not sure what a 'medicated filling' is?

If the tooth is dead - and particularly if it is infected, then extraction or root filling are the only options that will work. Other things like dressings might settle it down - but these can't be considered as anything other that 'first aid' for a tooth that will then need something more definitive done to it.

If the tooth just has a deep filling but is still alive, then this might be what your 'medicated filling' is being used for in the hope that it will keep the tooth alive.

I think you need to talk to the dentist to understand just what is being done to you, and why.

Owain_Moneysaver

I had a root canal done on the NHS (in Scotland), upper molar second from back. The dentist had bought 'a special tool' for doing root canals, otherwise I'd have had to go private. Took about an hour but was a lot less distressing than some of the previous very heavy fillings on that tooth. Cost £100 - would have been £500 private.

Will have to have a crown on the top at some stage; at the moment it's just filled.

Simba-ali34

What I think is meant by medicated filling is that I have a deep filling that is fine until I have hot or cold applied to it. They were going to remove the filling, place a temporary filling with some kind of medication in the hope of settling the nerve. Then they would redo the filling hoping it will ease the sensitivity.

My query about nhs root canal was that they never mentioned doing it if this filling makes no difference and I didn't know if there was a reason it wasnt mentioned (such as they wouldn't do it on NHS) I wanted to know where I stand.