Endodontist or specialist

[PerkyOchrePeer]

I need some urgent advice. I have a back molar which needs root canal because it's infected. I go to an NHS dentist who's put beyond the waiting list for an endodontist but that is going to take two or three months. I cannot wait that long so I am considering going private. The cost of private at a private practice is nearly two thousand pounds but I can get it done much sooner. Some of the dentists in the practice I go to work on a private basis but none of them are endodontists. I have been told there were two dentists in my practice one who has a special interest in root canal but is not an endodontist but he has had some training and the other one is especially in restoration work of teeth.

I spoke to a friend of mine about this and she said it would be better if I went to a fully trained endodontist rather than one of these two people because they are not proper endodontist although they are fully trained in what they can provide. I am not sure how much they charge but my friend said to me even if they charge less than 2,000 pounds it is not worth saving money by having the two's done by dentists who are not bonafide endodontists and a proper endodontist would do a better job and it's worse paying the extra money for the satisfaction of knowing you've got a fully trained endodontist doing the work and I would be grateful if anybody on here could tell me what they would do

ALL dentists can do endodontics, they train at dental school.

Even though it's a specialism, it's not always 100% successful. Especially in molars as they have 3 roots and are more difficult to do, even if done by a specialist.

I was a dental nurse for 30 years.

I paid about £2500 for root treatment on a tooth that ended up being extracted because it failed ( I don't have an NHS dentist)

My advice would be to hang on for the NHS dentist if you're not in pain.

HTH

My problem is if I hang on for the NHS endodontist my tooth is going to get worse because it has a cavity and cavities get worse they don't get better and less the tooth is treated and it's going to take two to three months to come up on the waiting list for the NHS and if I have it done privately I will be able to go on the holiday in June in the safe knowledge that nothing is going to flare up while I'm there if I'm still waiting for the NHS it could flare up I mean this flared up over the over the last couple of weeks straight out of the blue

I have to say that all it dentists can do canals but the further back in the mouth they are you need an endodontist and ordinary dentist cannot do it when it's so far back and my own dentist has given me too very successful root canals because they're further in the front of my house but the further back they are they're more difficult to do because of where it is and you need an endodontist

My tooth is infected so it is painful not very but it is painful so maybe a private endodontist is the way to go but my own dentist is going to drain the tooth and put some solution inside to calm it down until such time as my name comes up on the NHS waiting list and I'm surprised at you say don't bother with going private because two friends of mine have said if you can afford it go for it don't wait