To think my dentist is having a laugh.

[missmartha]

I've got a new dentist who took x-rays of my mouth and told me I need an extraction (no pain, no tooth ache, no nothing).

I asked her to save the tooth if she could. She said she couldn't as it was an odd shape. It's been that shape for thirty years now and has never been a problem.

I asked who could do a root canal and she told me, in an off hand manner, that she could refer me to the dental hospital, but it would cost me £500.

My DH, who sees a different dentist has had a dental hospital referral and it didn't cost him anything.

AIBU to think she's milking me?

We don't pay in our region,Merseyside, for a referal to a Dental Hospital.

Can you contact the hospital direct, to ask?

We have a system were you can go down at 8am and wait to be seen, without a referal.

What was her reason for extraction? Did your previous dentist ever mention it?

As someone who has just had a root canal and is now in absolute agony I would say don't bother. If I could rip the tooth out myself right now I would

YABU.

If you are referred to the dental hospital, you don't automatically get free treatment. I was referred for wonky teeth that could be straightened, and they said they could do it but it would cost £1,000 (at Liverpool also by the way - my brother was studying there at the time and came over to peer in my mouth ). Some of what they do is free but not all of it. If your work is cosmetic (as far as I know it's hard/impossible to get root canal on the NHS because it's not classed as essential but cosmetic - but maybe a dentist can confirm) then it isn't free just because you go to the hospital to get it done.

You could go to a private endodontist - that's what I had to do. My root canals were £1k each. My (private) dentist wouldn't even attempt them as the teeth had tons of swirly roots and she didn't feel competent to do the work.

Your dentist won't make money out of work done by the dental hospital.

Her reason for extraction wasn't clear, she just pulled a face and told me it looked very bad indeed. As I said, I've never had a problem and y previous dentist was aware it was a bit odd but she never suggested any treatment.

I realise that I might be charged by the dental hospital, but £500 for a referral sounds steep to me.

Are you sure she doesn't mean that the treatment will cost £500? I've never heard of being charged for any type of referral. I wasn't charged for a referral to the endodontist - only for the treatment, after he'd had a look and told me what it would cost. I didn't pay for a referral to the dental hospital either, they just saw me and said what the treatment would cost. I think you need to clarify this with the dentist, £500 for a referral (even if the dentist is private and will charge to write a letter) doesn't sound right.

My dentist does root canal on the nhs, root canal is not cosmetic but to remove the root of a tooth to stop it causing pain (normally if the decay goes too deep for an ordinary filling)

A dentist here; Root canal is not considered cosmetic dentistry on NHS however it would be unlikely to get a wisdom tooth root treated and sometimes is a wisdom tooth is a "funny" shape it is impossible to clean root canals properly, as they divide and twist

it maybe that OP needs an extraction, have not seen her so no opinion but the dentist should be explaining why much better. Sometimes a tooth does need extracted even when not painful as if left it could damage tooth in front/ behind and patient ends up losing 2 teeth not 1

root treatment is not free, unless you are exempt from dental charges

I think I'd want a second opinion from a different dentist, particularly as your old one wasn't concerned about it.

No pain and no problem with it? Just leave it alone then. Sounds like she wants to remove it just because it is abnormal/has an abnormal root, not because it is causing a problem, or because she can't root treat it herself she is suggesting the easy option (for her) of extracting it.

This what been playing on my mind.

I'm a private patient anyway, so don't expect free treatment, I've just never heard of having to pay (especially £500 for a referral)>

She actually said "I'll refer you to an expert at the dental hospital if that's what you want. The referral will cost £500"

I have no idea how she'd know what the cost of treatment there would eventually be, I assume any referral would be for an assessment initially anyway.

I felt a bit stunned.

I go to a private dentists, as do the DDs. I have never had to pay for a referral. I would be concerned that she is planning on doing unnecessary work on you, and the £ for referral is to put you off.

It's because she's new I guess My old dentist was excellent, but never suggested extracting this tooth.

There is already a gap next to this tooth and she suggested she could fit a denture to bridge the gap. Now I'm not keen on the idea of a denture that's why I asked about root canal.

The hygienist whom I saw next looked at the x-ray, scratched her head and said she thought it looked eminently do-able.

Yes, I'm concerned she might be ripping me off and I'm inclined to change practices, and that would be a shame.

£500, just for a referral? It just doesn't ring true. But what do I know?

Definitely get another opinion.

Nah, £500 for a referral is just wrong - that can't be what she meant. Can't possibly be!!!

The root canals I had were on back teeth - NHS dentist said he couldn't do it, would be extraction-only option on the NHS but I could go private and have the root canal done. Had root canal done on 2 teeth by private dentist, then one tooth shattered, then new dentist said root canal needed re-doing by endodontist followed by a crown. Then same thing happened to the other tooth weeks later - so £3k worth of dental treatment within 3 months.

Is there another dentist you can see at the same practice if you don't want to move? I switched once as my dentist was just jaw-droppingly rude and I didn't fancy paying those prices to be spoken to like that - but just to another dentist at the same surgery (who was much nicer).

There is another dentist but I'm concerning about this as they have recently had a massive refurb and the whole clinic has been modernised to the max.

My fear is that they are starting to hoik their prices to pay for this. I can, to some extent, understand that, it's a business. I just don't want to pay for something that I don't have to like £500 for a bloody referral.

If they want to charge me a small fee for handling the extra paper work fine, but £500, purleeese.

I wouldn't have the extraction personally! I have a ruddy great hole in my wisdom tooth which has been there for 2 years now. It doesn't hurt, but the tooth is essentially rotten. I am aware i will have to have it out at some point, but due to the location and my very unstable jaw, I will almost certainly end up with a dislocated jaw afterwards! Dentist 100% agrees with me, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

£500 for a referral? She's pulling your chain