Dental Rip Off!

[Stars2theside]

Hi there,
First time really posting, and doing so for a friend. Apologies for the long post, but the details are all necessary.

So.... I have a friend, who recently had severe toothache, and as he wasn't registered with a dentist, had to make an emergency appointment where they took him on privately. This is an NHS dentist, but of course they do private work also.

When he told me the pain he was experiencing, from my personal experience I said it may likely need a root canal, but as it was one of his back teeth, he may prefer to just save the money and get the tooth extracted.

He goes to the emergency appointment on Wednesday, at a cost of £135 (£90 for it being emergency, £45 for the actual appointment), where he is told root canal, followed by a crown, extraction or hygienist (?!?!?!) Are his options to solve the problem. He's in agony and is sat there while the dentist faffs around what he wants to do. Friend's response is "you're supposed to be the professional, wwyd?" Dentist initially says extraction, which friend expected and is obviously cheaper than root canal, so he agrees. Dentist numbs him and is preparing to do the work when the dentist suddenly says "I think we can, and should save the tooth (STT)" friend is shocked and obviously numb and lying there helpless. Dentist calls a colleague in, he then gets told go for x-rays, so he does, despite being numb (!!), and then takes a seat again. The 2 dentists are sat there, friend says looking like they're plotting, and eventually come out with "we should really try to STT"
Friend is shocked, but agrees, despite the huge cost increase as his thoughts are, 'well they know best'
Then the dentist says "come back on Saturday to start your root canal" (!!!!) So friend is incredibly annoyed, as he's been numbed for no reason, and they still haven't done anything about the pain. He asks about this, and they give him a leaflet about taking paracetamol and ibuprofen correctly. He is told to come back Saturday at 10am to start the root canal.
Saturday comes, he goes for his appointment and is taken to a hygienist first (£100), then they start the root canal (£350) and it is mentioned that the tooth is a bit wobbly, but it "should be ok"
He is then told come back on the following Wednesday.
Wednesday comes, and he goes back, is numbed again and the dentist then says "oh the tooth is still wobbly, that should have cleared up by now"

At this point, I would like to add that there has been No medication prescribed and therefore anything that needed "clearing up" would not do so magically of its own accord!

So the dentist calls a colleague in again, the some plotting colleague, who then says "I don't think we can STT"
Friend is gobsmacked and infuriated and says "just take the damn thing out now, like I wanted in the first place!" The dentist does it and when it's all over says "we could have STT if the infection had cleared up" so my friend asks him why he wasn't given any antibiotics then? Dentist says, "no, the pus and bleeding should have gone and we don't give antibiotics for that" (since when?!?!)
Friend is then charged £120 for tooth extraction and starts asking to be refunded for the unnecessary costs he has incurred. Dentist refuses and says it was all necessary.

So now, my AIBU.... AIBU to think that my friend has been ripped off and basically mistreated by this dentist, and that who starts a root canal, surely this is a procedure that is done in one appointment, and to expect that he should only have been charged for the inital emergency appointment and the eventual tooth extraction and refunded the rest for the unsuccessful and unnecessary treatment?! Also, if there was an infection, SURELY he should have been given antibiotics to clear this BEFORE any work was carried out?!
And if we are not BU, as I suspect, what can he do to get his money back and potentially sue for damages?!

If you've read this far, then thank you!!!
Tia MN x

It's always worth trying to save the tooth, even the back ones. They're not just there for cosmetic reasons! This means sometimes you do work which later appears to have been wasted.

They tend to treat infection topically, so just because he wasn't handed a prescription for an antibiotic doesn't mean to say she didn't apply something to the tooth itself.

He could reconcile himself to the cost by thinking of all the money he's saved over the years by not going to the dentist for regular check-ups. It seems that either you save the cost of regular check-ups, and end up paying the same amount of money on major remedial work; or you pay for regular check-ups and perhaps minor work, and end up keeping your teeth to boot.

Sorry find it hard to follow the chronology but a root canal takes several appointments.

I had a root canal on a back tooth, and was given a prescription for co-codamol for pain and metronidazole for the infection. I had to wait 5 days before they started treatment for the antibiotics to work, then had 2 x 90 minute appointments to get it done. I asked about extraction but as the neighbouring tooth had a side filling, they were concerned that would affect it.

Cost me around £450 for all 3 appointments. But that's Gloucestershire, allbeit a private dentist. I'm not sure who you can complain to, but I'd put something in writing to the practice manager initially, and try your local NHS trust for some advice.

Antibiotics are not routinely given unless the infection is systemic, but I agree his wishes should of been listened too and that they should have informed your friend of the possibility that the root canal may not be successful.

I’m not a dentist but have had several root canal fillings and crowns following infection.
I haven’t always been given antibiotics. Drilling into the root will drain the infection and the dentist will flush out the root to clean it all. I have occasionally then had it packed and came back to complete the root filling once it’s definitely cleared.
I have also had antibiotics too but I’m not sure how th decision is made as to when they are required.
It’s difficult to know if your friend was ripped off but dental treatment is expensive and saving a tooth is always worth a shot (in my opinion). I have a long standing relationship with my dentist and I think this helps in terms of trust and understanding what’s going on.
The fact that he consulted another dentist, even at the 11th hour, to me is a good thing. He wasn’t sure to he sought another opinion, which would give me some faith that the decision was right with the information they had at that point in time.

I have also always been given information leaflets and had to sign consent forms to say I understand the risks of the treatment. I’m assuming from your post that your friend wasn’t given this.

MereDintofPandiculation
Yes, definitely, he has been suitably chastised for being so slack with dental appointments. I think it's because he is scared of them, he avoids them until absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately he's now had a bad experience, which is only going to increase his fear!

CocoaGin
This is why I was shocked they were going ahead with any remedial work before actually treating an infection. And that's a great idea, thank you.

Superduper13
Yes, I thought that might have been the reason for the hygienist appointment, but apparently not!
And thank you, I didn't even think to look it at like that, me and my cynical mind saw the inclusion of another dentist as more evidence of incompetency.

FWIW I have never heard of a root canal taking more than one appointment, but this is why I've asked Mumsnet! Always learn something new!

I've had two root canals and both took several appointments to do.

I believe they should always try and save the tooth, gone are the days when dentists just pull them out just in case. Root canal - and other procedures - can take several appointments (mine did), and reviewing the planned procedures and altering them if necessary part way through treatment seems sensible: I wouldn't want my dentist to simply go ahead with the original plan if another option now seemed the correct way to go. I doubt your friend can sue for damages, as ultimately he got what he asked for - the tooth pulled out - so I would have thought realistically the best he can hope for is to be reimbursed for part of his treatment. Dentistry is an expensive business! I don't think he has been necessarily ripped off.

I don't think he has necessarily been ripped off, though it's impossible to know without seeing the notes and the patient themselves! I agree with a PP that seeking a second opinion is not a bad thing - in healthcare of any description there often isn't a clear cut 'right answer' so it's good to get another perspective.
It sounds like perhaps their communication wasn't great but what they have done clinically doesn't sound inappropriate.