Any Dentists/Dental Nurses Around?

[ilovemydogandmrobama]

So, yesterday, had to go to the emergency dentist. Back molar needed root canal which he started, with the advice that I needed to see my regular dentist.

Saw usual dentist this morning who first suggested extraction, but if I wanted to keep it, then root canal on a private basis was the only option.

Is this right? How can a tooth be worth saving only if one pays for it?

In any case, have to take a course of antibiotics before anything can be done.

All clinical treatments and dentures are available on the NHS. This means all treatment that is necessary to protect and maintain the health of your mouth, teeth and gums, including dentures, crowns, and bridges.

However this only includes the most basic of dentures/crowns and bridges (no white crowns on back teeth etc)

Molar root canal treatment is avalible on the nhs, however because it is so time consuming, most dentist will only offer it as a private treament because it effectively costs them to do it by the time they have paid their overheads (materials, running equipment, paying staff, other overheads etc).

Thank you. I genuinely don't understand. My dentist is an NHS dentist so do not understand why he's saying it's only available privately. It isn't as if I am asking for my teeth to be whitened on the NHS!

He is basically saying he will only offer the treatment prvately.

Am so grateful that you pointed out that it is available on the NHS. I just found an NHS dentist willing to do it, and have an appointment next week!

Hope it works....

Thank you so much!

Doesn't he have to offer a root canal on nhs, though?

I was reading about NHS dentists recently - they cannot 'push' you into private treatment. I think there is a number you can call about this sort of thing, if you google NHS dentist, or your PCT I think.

What I don't understand is that the dentist at the emergency clinic said that the decay wasn't that bad, and the infection was minimal. Fast forward to yesterday when I went to my own dental practice and dentist said it would take a tremendous amount of work, and badly infected and only treatable privately. Both took xrays, so am a bit about discrepency.