Tooth abscess: can I get root canal treatment on the NHS

[donttrythisathome]

Can anyone help me please?

A while ago I fractured my tooth and the dentist gave me a filling. I'm an NHS patient.

Since then its been sensitive but it got really agonising over the last few days.

The dentist said today I have an abscess, and said that the only NHS treatment I could get would be an extraction, and also anti-biotics.

He offered private root canal treatment (£290), otherwise a referral to a orthodontist for the same root canal treatment (£600) or to somewhere else for a bridge for £2000 (if I went down the extraction route).

I now see that you can get root canal treatment or a bridge on the NHS.

Can anyone think why he didn't offer this?

I want to be a bit informed before I go back to him in a strop!

You can get root canal treatment on the NHS, it's free if you are fully excempt, otherwise it's about £50 (NHS). He probably didn't offer as there's alot of work involved and there's nothing in it for the dentist. Root canal doesn't always work so they do tend to pull it out.

He'll probably earn more money from it if you have it done as a private patient. You'll pay about £45 for it to be done on the NHS he maybe gets double that.

If he thinks you should have root canal treatment, he should be offering it on the NHS.

Feel free to strop away, he's taking you for a ride. Feel free to point out to him the NHS pages on root canal work and that fact that the banding on charges specifically mentions root canal work:

Band 2 course of treatment
£45.60 - This covers everything listed in Band 1, above, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or if your dentist needs to take out one or more of your teeth.

I had root canal work on the nhs. He's not right. If he thinks root canal treatment is appropriate in your case, which he must as he's offered to do it as a private patient, then as an nhs dentist he should offer the same treatment to nhs patients. I didn't think nhs dentists were allowed to pick and choose which services they offered to their patients...if the treatment is available on the nhs which root canal treatment is, then he should do it. Particularly as he does offer root canal treatment to his patients.

if you are registered as a nhs patient then the dentist should offer root canal on the NHS. it is not in the nhs contract to mix NHS and private treatment.
see
www.hullpct.nhs.uk/upload/Hull%20PCTs/293300_DS_A4_poster_Fax_accessible.pdf

above link doesn't work.
try
www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74&SubCategoryID=74

I am a dentist.
if you are a registered patient you can absolutlely get root treatment on the NHS.
Your dentist could be in trouble for suggesting otherwise.

Dentist have been struck off for saying certain things are not available on the NHS when they are

Thanks everyone. I feel a bit more confident in going back to him now.

In fact I might switch dentists at the same time if I can.

He said it was "very complicated" - would that make any difference as to whether it would be offered on the NHS?
Sorry for the stupid questions, but I only moved to the UK 5 years ago so not fully au fait with the NHS!

A dentist said this to me too but I had it done on the NHS about £70. Much better than the £300 quoted and I have had no further trouble with it.

Ok, well spoke to the dentist.

Initially he said he wouldn't do it on the NHS for business reasons, costs etc.

Then he backtracked from that by saying that it was very complicated and really he should refer me on, but would offer to give it a go privately, but not on the NHS.

Which amounts to the same thing really - cost for him.

I do see his POV, but to be honest I don't think it's right. Dentists don't only get the NHS costs per treatment to reward them, but an overall benefits package such as a very good NHS pension.

Ho hum, don't have the stomach to make a complaint at the moment, so will just try my luck elsewhere I think.

Thanks everyone for very good advice.

Please complain to your Primary Care Trust. He shouldn't be withholding treatment and is probably doing the same to other people. He has signed a contract to do NHS work, not do the money making stuff and charge privately when it suits him.

Your PCT might also be able to get you in contact with another local NHS dentist.

Yes, I guess I could mention it to the PCT and then bow out. If as he says it's justifiable then he has nothing to worry about.

Any ideas how I go about that? I suppose just google my local PCT and presumably they have a complaint procedure?

Roight, if anyone is still interested I e-mailed the PCT, gave them the facts, and asked them the following two questions:-

1. is a dentist allowed to refuse to carry out root canal treatment under the NHS pricing structure for an NHS patient, but instead offer this treatment privately?;
2. is it the case that very complex root canal treatments or complicated bridges are not available on the NHS?

I feel bad about it, as I can see the dentist's point of view, but still in all, why should he get to select the quick, easy cases only for NHS treatment.

I'm still interested

I'm glad you told the PCT. I couldn't bear to think of anyone not being able to have dental treatment because a dentist wants to make a few extra quid by doing it privately.

I have had root canal treatment on the NHS. I was unable to get a NHS dentist and was in agony for about 3 months. It got so bad that I eventually phoned the emergency dentist line.

Although I did get that treatment on the NHS, I was still unable to register with the dentist as a NHS patient. I had to register as a private patient.

See if they offer emergency treatment clinics in your area.

donttry I will be very interested in the outcome.
In Scotland where I work if a dentist takes you on as an NHS patient they CANNOT refuse standard items of treatment (like root filling) .

Please report back when you get a reply

Will do,

I was referred to an endodontist - they need a microscope to do it properly apparently.

highlander an endodontist should do a top class root filling, but your average NHS dentist should do an adequate one.You dont need a microscope to do it properly .

In 20 years of practicing in the NHS I have only twice referred patients to an endodontist , and it was more about higher expectations from the patient than thinking I could not do a decent job myself.

There is a real problem with the way NHS dentistry is funded in England, A dentist is paid exactly the same for a small adhesive filling taking 5 minutes as for a molar root filling taking two hour long visits. It is absolutely crazy.

`I can understand why dentists shy away from root fillings , but if they are working under the terms of conditions of the NHS it is a serious breach of their contract to refuse to do straightforward root fillings on the NHS.

I am very glad I work in Scotland

I am a semi retired dentist, living in Scotland now; I refused a very good job offer in NHS practice in England as I did not want to be under obligation to provide a complex, time consuming item of treatment (root canal on a back tooth, especially a molar) when I would choose to refer such work to a specialist who works with a microscope and can hopefully offer the best care. After nearly 30 years in dentistry, I am not a fan of root canal and chose to have a side tooth extracted rather than have a root filling myself.

Thanks for that. I'm sure OP will be fascinated if they're still wondering whether to get root canal treatment after four years

Mrs Morton

Come on, loladeb, just admit you weren't much cop at root canals or you didn't have the best interests of your patients at heart.

Did you get any reply after complaining of not doing the root canal?