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Original poster

root canal - should a regular dentist be able to do it?

12 replies

mspbrittle · 13/10/2010 15:37

have an ongoing issue with a tooth on lower right hand side. Dentist reckons I need root canal work but says I should go to private surgeon type dentist as only 30-40% chance of sucess with her on nhs. estimated cost for other dentist c £800+. Huh ? Hmm Confused surely my regular dentist should be well able to do this? is she just tryingto fob me off cos it's not the most money spinning piece of nhs work she could be doing? am VERY suspicious about this

and I simply don't have £800 to spare

OP posts:
LittleCheesyPineappleOne · 13/10/2010 15:40

I don't know but having had root canal work done with a specialist endodontist, I'd recommend it. Whilst not pleasant, it certainly wasn't anything as bad as I'd expected - and it felt very good to know I was in safe hands. No problems since either.

I think, like medicine, things are getting more specialised, and I'd always go to the most experienced hands I could.

Original poster
mspbrittle · 13/10/2010 15:44

I don't mind unpleasantness or pain during the procedure, I would like it to be done correctly though and not have ongoing problems...but surely this is possible through regular dentist on NHS? were you recommended to go to specialist too Little cheesy?

OP posts:
fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/10/2010 15:47

I think you are being slightly harsh, not all root canals are straightforward and some need specialist expertise and special equipment, which you have to pay for, sadly.

webwiz · 13/10/2010 15:48

I had it done by my regular dentist on the NHS. It was needed with a second tooth as well with a lower chance of success so I just had that one out - it was the tooth at the very back. £800 Shock

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/10/2010 15:48

Also, if she was only interested in making money I doubt she would be doing any NHS work at all, tbh.

LittleCheesyPineappleOne · 13/10/2010 15:54

Yes, I was, but my I see my dentist privately, so she could have made some more money out of money had she wanted to do it herself. I assumed that she sent me to an endodontist for good clinical reasons.

NightLark · 13/10/2010 16:00

I felt a bit (a lot, really) like the OP when I needed root canal work done.

It can be a truly specialist job - your dentist is a General Dental Practitioner (a dental GP). They are referring you on to a specialist. Not unreasonable.

But...

I was also quoted around £800 when I needed a front tooth root filled. The endodontist recommended by my dentist had a very glossy brochure. Which got my back up straight away (not a big fan of private healthcare).

So I figured if dentists want to go private and recommend their mates, I wasn't going to play the game. I shopped around. I was recommended a different specialist, cost around £500 IIRC. Not cheap, but I wasn't paying for some corporate glossy brochure set up either.

Anyway. The work was specialist, the guy who did it had access to a world of expertise and equipment that my dentist didn't. And he did a good job.

I'd just objected to the scenario I was presented with: that it's fine to be a private market place provider (and charge immense prices) but that I was expected just to go along with the only recommendation and not say "I'll have a look around thanks, your prices are too high".

Original poster
mspbrittle · 13/10/2010 16:20

ok, thanks all

I don't think she is ONLY interested in making money, but I don't know enough about dental work to know whether or not it's reasonable to be sent private. I just assumed they had a duty to sort you out [naive, moi?]

anyway, I'll have another think (about whether I can beg £800 from someone apart from anything else) - having shopped around for the non-glossy brochured place of course...

[suspicion possibly slightly raised by fact that my dental practice offers botox these days Hmm]

OP posts:
fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/10/2010 17:39

The practice I work for offers Botox, but the NHS dentists are really devoted to their patients' welfare. they are just limited as to what they can offer under the NHS.

triplets · 13/10/2010 23:22

Hi..........I had root canal treatment about 15 years ago, now the same tooth which is crowned is showing some infection again although I feel nothing. My dentist saw it doing a routine x-ray and has referred me back to Canterbury hospital where I had the first lot done, it was all on the NHS.Can you not do the same?

cupofcoffee · 13/10/2010 23:39

My regular dentist is doing root canal on one of my teeth next week so I hope he can do it. It is NHS and won't cost me anything because I've had a baby in the past year. He said to me that they fill the roots in as best they can but it is difficult to 100% fill in the space because it is so small and to do it better would need a private specialist. He offered me the treatment done by himself or extraction on the NHS. I have opted for NHS root canal and at worst if it doesn't work I will consider the private specialist or extraction.

fayeso · 14/10/2010 20:44

HI

I had an NHS Root canal and the pain came back within a couple of weeks-I was told to have it done again i would have to go private and pay. The main difference is in the instruments they use. The private have alot smaller drills etc and can therefore do a better job. I had a full set of teeth so i decided I could cope with an extraction-it was harder emotionally than physically if you understand what I mean. The toothache I had was severe though so it was a relief as soon as the tooth was out. Don,t know what decision I will make if/when I need the same treatment doing on another tooth.
I might start looking gappy if I have another one out.

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