Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Made a massive mistake and regret it but there's no going back.

114 replies

xmasduo · 26/12/2021 16:22

Just before Christmas I had toothache. Turns out I needed a root canal or extraction of the tooth. I'm at a NHS dentist but he said if I wanted it done before Xmas I should try a private dentist. Cost for root canal was too much and I could barely afford the extraction. With all the talk of lockdowns and being in pain I opted to pay £££ for my tooth to be extracted privately.

Now I'm gutted. I've lost a tooth that should have been saved. I should have waited for my NHS dentist to do treatment but they said it would be months and I was worried about any lockdown.

I can never get that tooth back. I'm so angry with myself.

If lost a tooth and a lot of money!

Just needed to moan to someone really as I am so down.

OP posts:
MissConductUS · 26/12/2021 16:55

If it makes you feel any better, teeth that have root canals are structurally weakened by the procedure and often crack and have to extracted a few years down the road.

Your option now is to replace it with an implant.

Mydoghealsmyheart · 26/12/2021 17:03

I had a failed root canal and had to go back several times. In the end it failed and so the tooth was extracted anyway.

Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 26/12/2021 17:04

Maybe have a look at having an implant?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dental health
Eightandahalfyears · 26/12/2021 17:06

It’s a tooth. You have lots more of them.

SnarkyBag · 26/12/2021 17:06

Even with root canal you can still go in to need it removing so potentially you’ve saved some money in the short term. You could look into saving up for a dental implant?

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 26/12/2021 17:14

Which tooth is it?

MaudebeGonne · 26/12/2021 17:14

Honestly, I absolutely get this. I made the same decision earlier this year and was completely unprepared for how upset I would feel at the reality of permanently losing a tooth. I had a very weird shame about it. As if I had failed in looking after myself in an important way. That having a big gap in my mouth made me look poor and unkempt. This is the first time I have articulated this "out loud".

But, I did get over it to a degree. The fact is that I don't have a spare couple of thousand pounds available to fix a back tooth, and that is not my fault. I work hard and I live an honorable life. If this is the biggest thing people have to judge me on (or I have to judge myself on), then it won't be a bad life. I would like to save up for an implant, but I also want to make sure I have enough saved for my children to have the choice of going to college, so I'll chose that over my mouth every time.

You made a sensible choice from a practical perspective. It is absolutely fine to let your heart feel sad about losing the tooth, but don't linger in that sadness too long.

Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 26/12/2021 17:16

Is it visible when you smile OP?

MissMaple82 · 26/12/2021 17:16

This happened to me.. not the financial bot but the tooth. I could of had a root canal but just said whack it out. Biggest mistake I've ever made, I has no idea a back tooth would take up so much of my mouth. I can only eat on one side. I can feel your misery, especially as you paid for it!

MaverickSnoopy · 26/12/2021 17:18

This happened to a friend of mine and she said the remaining teeth pushed together to mostly fill the hole. Obviously that's anecdotal. Sorry you're feeling so rubbish about it.

SockFluffInTheBath · 26/12/2021 17:19

DH had a root canal done but it didn’t fix whatever it was snd he had to have the tooth removed anyway. There’s no guarantee it would have worked OP. Look into implants if you want to replace the tooth, there’s nothing to be gained from regretting the decision.

Original poster
xmasduo · 26/12/2021 17:22

I know I need to get over it and move on. What's annoying me is I could have had root canal done with the NHS for less than I paid for extraction. I feel a bit better knowing that root canal might have failed in a few years anyway.

OP posts:
Nomoreusernames1244 · 26/12/2021 17:23

I actually opted for root canal but the tooth cracked anyway so needed extraction.

Like pp I am suprised at the size of the space and I hate the feel of it, the other tooth edges feel really obvious, it’s weird. I’d been getting minor toothache on and off for years but never mentioned it as it seemed more like sensitivity. By the time my face swelled up it was too late.

Cosmetically I am not that bothered as it’s a rear molar and doesn’t look that bad. I do sometimes think about an implant but it would be painful and £££ just so I don’t get weirded out by the tooth edges. It doesn’t affect eating or anything else.

FreeBritnee · 26/12/2021 17:25

I've had to have two root canals on one tooth that MY NHS dentist kindly killed for me in the first place. Root canal one was fucked up by a private dentist. I then had to pay to see a specialist who did an smacking job and has saved the tooth. So far (touch wood) I'm about fifteen years in with no problems. However it's extreme my rate a second root canal works.

My advice is to save up for an implant and go to someone excellent.

fairfat40 · 26/12/2021 17:25

I had a root canal done a few years ago and it’s still giving me problems.

derryrose1980 · 26/12/2021 17:25

My root treatment failed less than three weeks later when the tooth cracked in half.

Original poster
xmasduo · 26/12/2021 17:25

I am also annoyed that my dentist couldn't help me and I had to go to a private dentist. I think if I'd exaggerated the pain they would have fitted me in sooner and probably be over £200 better off.
I felt rushed into making my decision with Christmas shutdown and possibility of a lockdown.

OP posts:
FreeBritnee · 26/12/2021 17:25

*amazing

poolblue · 26/12/2021 17:26

I feel your pain.

I had root canal work and then had a crown fitted on the tooth to strengthen it. Turns out the root canal work wasn't a success and I now have a swollen gum and the crown will need to be removed, the root canal sorted out and then who know what?
I firmly believe that teeth are the biggest design fault of the human body.

Beautiful3 · 26/12/2021 17:26

I'd save up for an implant and get it done ASAP, to stop your teeth moving.

WorryMcGee · 26/12/2021 17:27

My husband had a root canal. Ended up losing the tooth anyway and he was originally really upset about it (and annoyed with himself for being upset about it when no one can see it!) but once he got used to it it was fine. Having since spoken to people about it (and reading this thread!) it seems fairly common to eventually lose the tooth anyway, so try to think that you’ve potentially saved yourself money, pain and hassle later down the road x

SleepingStandingUp · 26/12/2021 17:29

What tooth was it?
I'm mid way through treatment, thankfully started in time. First treatment was to clean roots and fill. Except he only cleaned two roots and missed one so I spent waeeks more in pain. At least you've had a pain free Xmas, can look at a replacement next year if it's visible and accept you did what you needed to at the time. Even in agony, if there were no appts that that.

oftenbaffled · 26/12/2021 17:30

Op

You followed the explicit advice of your nhs dentist

Original poster
xmasduo · 26/12/2021 17:31

It's a premolar tooth. Only visible if I smile really wide.

OP posts:
Beautiful3 · 26/12/2021 17:33

By the way my mum had root canal, not only was it painful, it triggered her neuralgia. Nerves in one side of the face

Swipe left for the next trending thread