Filling didn't work, had to pay for filling and tooth extraction

[GlitterGlobe30]

I asked to have my wisdom tooth removed a couple years ago because it was so impacted and such a hassle to clean as food was getting trapped in there but the dentist refused as it wasn't causing me any pain or problems. Fast forward a couple years, the wisdom tooth has cause so much damage to the tooth next to it. I finally had my wisdom tooth removed and I was advised to have a filling on the tooth next to it. After I had my filling it was causing me pain after I ate/drank, especially anything cold. I went back to the dentist a couple weeks after having the filling done and they said they would re-do the filling free of charge because I'd already paid for it. Once they had removed the filling the dentist informed me they hadn't noticed the cavity was so bad. He said I would have to have either root canal or the tooth removed on the same day. (These options were mentioned previously but I never imagined I would have to have the tooth taken out with such little notice). I couldn't afford the root canal as he said it would be around £900 + extra for a crown. Left the dentist with the tooth removed and another £260 bill.

My question really is aibu to be questioning the £260 bill to have the tooth removed after I already paid £240 for a filling that didn't do anything? The plan for that appointment was that it was a free redo of my filling and instead I left with a £260 bill for having the tooth immediately removed. If the filling didn't work at all after I paid £240 for it I just feel like, what was I paying for? (The work done by the dentist, sure. But if the cavity was so bad why didn't they immediately suggest having the tooth removed and skip me paying £240 for a useless filling?)

I'm sure I'm being unreasonable but I've had a traumatic amount of dental surgery/work in the last couple months + recovery and pain and missing loads of time off work and spending insane amounts of money with two less teeth to show for it! I was in tears at the dentist when he said I would need to have the tooth immediately taken out. I didn't even eat anything before the tooth extraction as it was sprung on me and had to call in work to let them know I'd be taking the day as I'm in a considerable amount of pain.

Any advice if anyone has been through something similar would be much appreciated. Although I feel like I'm an extreme case as I have such bad luck 😂

Thank you, happy Friday!

You’ve had a very bad time with your teeth. You’re saying that the dentist should have noticed that an extraction or root canal treatment was necessary and not gone ahead with a filling and this seems reasonable.

In your place I’d ask to talk to your dentist about the charges and explain exactly what you’ve said here, and ask that the charge for the filling should be refunded to you.

Hope you can sort something out.

I had a filling a few years ago and needed the tooth removed a few months later. I was 'credited' the cost of the filling, as they are usually guaranteed for 12 months. I'm not an expert but this was my experience. Private dentist and I am a private patient but I'm sure they do some NHS work as well and follow their guidelines. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along though!

I’m pretty sure that my dentist would only have charged for the extraction and not the failed filling. So if the filling had been paid for he would only charge £20 for the extraction.