Extraction on nhs or root canal treatment but nhs won’t do it

[QuebecBagnet]

I have a nhs dentist, an upper molar (just before wisdom tooth) is not in good shape. I had a deep filling but it hasn’t worked.

my dentist has said that root canal is possible but that the nhs won’t fund it. She could refer me (it needs a specialist dentist as it’s near my sinus so nobody at my dental practice can do it) but she says the referral will be declined as it’s not a necessary tooth. That the nhs will only fund an extraction.

she reckons the cost of rct will be about £800. I do think it’s a bit poor that what treatment is offered depends on what you can afford. I always thought you should try to save the tooth if possible as an extraction can cause issues down the line (bone decay? Tooth movement?). I would struggle to find £800 but at a push could do so. Is it worth it?

im also worried about extraction. Again my dentist can’t do it because of which tooth it is. Says it’s close to my sinus and I need an orthodontic specialist so will still need to be referred for extraction but at least it’s not £800. She says it’s worse than a wisdom tooth extraction.

dont know whether to spend my savings on a root canal?

A root canal done by a specialist with extra equipment such as a microscope, is much more likely to be successful than one done quickly by a general dentist.
If you can afford it, get the root canal, your tooth is gone once it is gone.

@Deedoo

When the tooth is prepared for a crown, the dentist reduces the size of the tooth to ensure the crown fits in the gap! So the preparation underneath the crown will always seems smaller in size.

NHS dentists and private dentists are trained in exactly the same way in this country. They don't have a different skill set! Some dentists just decide to move to private dentistry or specialise!

@OHEdentalnurse thank you for replying. Something to think about. Agree with private vs nhs. Maybe endodontic are more specialists x

They have done, more than once.