Root Canal - NHS (1 visit) or Private (2 visits)

[redgriff500]

My Dentist has informed me I need a root canal.

She has offered that I can either get it done on the NHS (which is effectively free and only one visit) or I can pay £100 and its 2 visits.

Personally I'd prefer to have it done in one go.

So is it significantly better to have it done in 2 rather than 1 visit ?

Thanks

[sawman]

no doubt phil mc cavity or some other comic dentist will be along to set the record straight, but I had the two stage root canal done a few years ago, the guy I saw said that he did it that way so that if there was an occult infection, it would have time to resolve before he plugged it once and for all with the filling - if you got an infection after the proper filling it's a right PITA. the 2nd visit was to fit the proper filling a week or so after the first, its not a problem - as the nerve had already been cleared out, The after math from the clearout was a bit tender if i recall!

[Mr Whippy]

I had a two stage too. The second time isn't painful or half the hassle you would think anyway, and as above it ensures all is good with the root before they seal it up!

I'd be wary about a one-visit fix on what is ultimately an infected tooth root. A work colleague ended up with blood poisioned (septic?) in his jaw, and it damaged his jaw bone and made it quite soft, so couldn't have capped teeth added in after they fell out

Not nice. Maybe he left it while in pain for a while, who knows, but an abcess is best sorted the long way, not the quick way

Dave

[Driller]

The best option, unless you have a tooth spouting pus, is to get it done in one visit, tooth disinfected, canal system protected, done and dusted.

You have much less chance of getting interoperative pain this way too.

[redgriff500]

Thanks for the replies.

I'd prefer the one hit approach and as I've been on antibiotics for a week I presume the infection is gone (although it is still quite painful at times)

However (due to school holidays meaning they are booked up) I've had to wait 2 weeks after the prescription has ended before I could get an appointment so it'll probably be re infected by then.

[Driller]

redgriff500 said:

I've had to wait 2 weeks after the prescription has ended before I could get an appointment so it'll probably be re infected by then.

Nah, not in two weeks it won't.

[Driller]

TVR Moneypit said:

You can get root canel on the NHS??????


I couldn't. They wouldn't even give me any pain killers or anti-biotics for an abcess.

Prior to that half of one of my teeth fell out, (the one just behind the canine), exposing the nerve. Again, no pain killers or temp cap.

How are your choppers doing these days TMP? You've had some fun times from what I remember.

[camgear]

I had a 2 stage one done on the NHS, they cancelled the 2nd part of it and I've never had it done... :/

[Rach*]

Dentistry from home??


Good luck with getting sorted out though!

[Kozy]

I need to have this proceedure done again in the next six months.

I have already had a root canal on the tooth in question after breaking it in a car accident, however an abcess has now formed above the tooth, using the root canal as a relief valve, so it never gets painful.

The dentist said I have two options, either have the whole lot removed on the NHS, meaning reconstructive surgery on my gum and a bridge, but at no cost, or go private and have the area cleaned out and sealed properly at a cost of around £300 to myself. The latter option is not guranteed to be sucessful.

I am inclined to take the private route and pay the £300, the first option only sounds like a last resort to me.

Is the private treatment going to be any different to a normal root canal treatment, bearing in mind one has already been done?

[Driller]

TVR Moneypit said:

Driller said:

TVR Moneypit said:

You can get root canel on the NHS??????


I couldn't. They wouldn't even give me any pain killers or anti-biotics for an abcess.

Prior to that half of one of my teeth fell out, (the one just behind the canine), exposing the nerve. Again, no pain killers or temp cap.

How are your choppers doing these days TMP? You've had some fun times from what I remember.

I've found an old fella in his 70's who still does the odd bit of dentestry(sp?) from home, which is a couple of villages up the road from me. He keeps on putting a temp cap on the half tooth for me for £60 a time.

Lower left 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 are all a right mess, although 7 or 8 was removed as a child as they were too close together. I'd really like to get the whole lot sorted at once, (implants or bridge), but as a heavy smoker, I know that the likelyhood of it being successfull would be low, not to mention the cost, (£8000+ ?).

If I was to stop smoking, roughly how long do you think it would take for the odds of such a procedure being successfull to increase up to 90% or more?


Thanks for your concern fella

As soon as you stop smoking (or even reduce radically) the success rate goes right up. It's all about the healing process not being impeded by the chemicals in the smoke.

Smoking is not a problem for the bridge. The most important thing though is getting any decay fixed, infected teeth sorted just to "stop the rot" as it were and get things stable.

This gives you time to think about your options/save some money!

[Driller]

Kozy said:

I need to have this proceedure done again in the next six months.

I have already had a root canal on the tooth in question after breaking it in a car accident, however an abcess has now formed above the tooth, using the root canal as a relief valve, so it never gets painful.

The dentist said I have two options, either have the whole lot removed on the NHS, meaning reconstructive surgery on my gum and a bridge, but at no cost, or go private and have the area cleaned out and sealed properly at a cost of around £300 to myself. The latter option is not guranteed to be sucessful.

I am inclined to take the private route and pay the £300, the first option only sounds like a last resort to me.

Is the private treatment going to be any different to a normal root canal treatment, bearing in mind one has already been done?

If you've alraedy had a root canal and the tooth is infected again, then it's probably a bit knackered to be honest and not much chance of a happy result. (unless the last root treatment was really badly done or they missed a canal)

[croyde]

Kozy said:

I need to have this proceedure done again in the next six months.

I have already had a root canal on the tooth in question after breaking it in a car accident, however an abcess has now formed above the tooth, using the root canal as a relief valve, so it never gets painful.

The dentist said I have two options, either have the whole lot removed on the NHS, meaning reconstructive surgery on my gum and a bridge, but at no cost, or go private and have the area cleaned out and sealed properly at a cost of around £300 to myself. The latter option is not guranteed to be sucessful.

I am inclined to take the private route and pay the £300, the first option only sounds like a last resort to me.

Is the private treatment going to be any different to a normal root canal treatment, bearing in mind one has already been done?

£300!! My dentist charged me £200 for an examination, an x-ray and a clean. Needless to say I've found an NHS one now.

[jessica]

Rach* said:

Dentistry from home??


Good luck with getting sorted out though!

Nothing a pair of plyers and a chisel wont fix

[Mclovin]

my god how the hell did you get a root canal done on the nhs for free...that is a bloody miracle...

[Lemmonie]

Husband has been quoted £1K for root canel on one tooth,2 channels ok, the other two very thin and therfore require a specialist. ALso includes a crown. And this appararently from the NHS dentist!

[Rollin]

The maximum charge for any NHS treatment is £198. Root canal therapy is available on the NHS.