Root canal treatment

[vickster]

I am an NHS dentist and certainly not a tooth butcher. Although I'm not sure what is expected of NHS dentistry when I get paid about £20 after deductions for a molar root treatment, even less for other teeth in the mouth.

I guess that's the reason why to me it always felt rushed and less than comprehensive (this was 3 different NHS dentists over a number of years, the latest one I really didn't like, especially the sarcastic attempts to be funny). I'd rather pay the extra for private treatment. I've been back a number of times, the first crown was redone as the colour wasn't right. I don't recall such a level of attention to detail ever with the NHS dentists and actually a ceramic crown isn't that much less on NHS vs private (and that's comparing the private cost vs the NHS a few years back). The NHS dentist said that the tooth that has had the specialist endodontics couldn't be saved, he didn't feel comfortable doing anything else other that removing it and sending me to have an implant done elsewhere. Maybe he is just a cr*p NHS dentist but instilled me with no confidence about his skills (nor his attitude generally)

I also had a bad reaction to whatever anaesthetic he used (racing heart, nausea) - the private dentist said they never use that particular substance now for that very reason (epinephrine?). The NHS guy didn't suggest an alternative

 

[mustang1]

[QUOTE 3391462, member: 9609"]I have had one done too and it was relatively painless experience, it seemed to take ages and like you say quite uncomfortable having my mouth open for so long - at one point he seemed to put in a little rubber tube then burn it, horrible taste, what was all that about ?[/QUOTE]
No idea mate, I was in my happy place at that time.

 

[byegad]

From experience, DON'T DO IT! I had a bicuspid done nearly 40 years ago, and while the tooth lasted another 20+yrs after, it had to come out in the end. The experience of the 'procedure' was unpleasant and painful. Removal, by comparison, was a breeze.

IF, and only IF, it was a front tooth I'd maybe be persuaded to have it done, but any other tooth I'd have pulled.

 

[fossyant]

My bro is a dentist - he's pretty good by all accounts.

My missus did have a bad root canal treatment - needed loads of additional work and eventually a full implant as the dentist was a bit rubbish - won a legal case, which covered her just to get an implant done.

 

[chewa]

I guess that's the reason why to me it always felt rushed and less than comprehensive (this was 3 different NHS dentists over a number of years, the latest one I really didn't like, especially the sarcastic attempts to be funny). I'd rather pay the extra for private treatment. I've been back a number of times, the first crown was redone as the colour wasn't right. I don't recall such a level of attention to detail ever with the NHS dentists and actually a ceramic crown isn't that much less on NHS vs private (and that's comparing the private cost vs the NHS a few years back). The NHS dentist said that the tooth that has had the specialist endodontics couldn't be saved, he didn't feel comfortable doing anything else other that removing it and sending me to have an implant done elsewhere. Maybe he is just a cr*p NHS dentist but instilled me with no confidence about his skills (nor his attitude generally)

I also had a bad reaction to whatever anaesthetic he used (racing heart, nausea) - the private dentist said they never use that particular substance now for that very reason (epinephrine?). The NHS guy didn't suggest an alternative

Sounds like you've just been unlucky. When I was in practice I did NHS and Private (for treatments that weren't available on the "Health"). There is no difference in training of dentists who work in NHS or private, and going private doesn't mean that the dentist is any better (or worse). It does tend to mean they can take more time, but often, in practice, the lab work is the same. I didn't do implants in practice so would refer to a colleague who did, just like your dentist did. I just chose to concentrate on other things (Crown and bridge work and hypnosis).

You should always choose a dentist by recommendation.

The OP is going to the dental school so the student carrying out the procedure will in all likelihood be supervised by someone with a particular interest in endodontics (RCTs)

 

[steve52]

Yep, I had to have it done by a specialist a couple of months back...two hours with a course of antibiotics in between, my canals were a mess...and waiting to see if it needs doing on another tooth (hoping to just get away with the crown)

The most painful bit is the bill...you do not want to know what an endodontist charges

Have it done privately, I now avoid NHS tooth butchers like the plague My dentist is very gentle and considerate

Also need both teeth crowned, also an eye watering amount (together, I could easily have a branded carbon bike with ultegra or titanium!)

i found it cheaper to have the teeth out and by a nutri bullit

 

[vickster]

Sounds like you've just been unlucky. When I was in practice I did NHS and Private (for treatments that weren't available on the "Health"). There is no difference in training of dentists who work in NHS or private, and going private doesn't mean that the dentist is any better (or worse). It does tend to mean they can take more time, but often, in practice, the lab work is the same. I didn't do implants in practice so would refer to a colleague who did, just like your dentist did. I just chose to concentrate on other things (Crown and bridge work and hypnosis).

You should always choose a dentist by recommendation.

The OP is going to the dental school so the student carrying out the procedure will in all likelihood be supervised by someone with a particular interest in endodontics (RCTs)

I did choose my current dentist on recommendation. I got no choice with the NHS one, he replaced one that left (who had in turn replaced one who had been recommended to me many years before). It wasn't only his skills which seemed lacking but also his attitude. For these reasons, I didn't feel comfortable asking for a different dentist at the same practice, hence changing
The dentist didn't even suggest that there might be an RCT option. The new dentist tried but the roots were so calcified, he referred me to the specialist with the hi tech equipment. The specialist said the RCT should have been done years previously...i.e. when I was with the NHS practice

The new dentist is more considered, takes much more time to discuss the options and then gives me the choice. He could have insisted on the RCT for the tooth that needs to be crowned, however he is happy to wait and for me to have several appointments to discuss what is going on etc. He does do implants so he could have just given me that option, but no he gave me several choices. The actual idea of an implant and the potential risks scare me, hence deciding on the RCT+crown...but I wasn't given this choice by the other guy, only ones I wasn't comfortable with

 

[Fubar]

Had root canal treatment 2 weeks ago. Absolutely painless. One injection to the gum ,bit of drilling and scraping and a filling ready for a crown. Was in the chair 30 mins,its uncomfortable , but certainly not painful. Dont worry you will be fine.

^this^ that was my experience too - uncomfortable, but not painful.

 

[User6179]

I am an NHS dentist and certainly not a tooth butcher. Although I'm not sure what is expected of NHS dentistry when I get paid about £20 after deductions for a molar root treatment, even less for other teeth in the mouth.

You are saying , what do you expect for £20 ? , forgive me if I read that wrong but that's how your post comes across.

 

[Profpointy]

From experience, DON'T DO IT! I had a bicuspid done nearly 40 years ago, and while the tooth lasted another 20+yrs after, it had to come out in the end. The experience of the 'procedure' was unpleasant and painful. Removal, by comparison, was a breeze.

IF, and only IF, it was a front tooth I'd maybe be persuaded to have it done, but any other tooth I'd have pulled.

Did i read your post right, but butyou seem to be saying the fix wasnt worth doing because it only lasted 20 years! Sorry if im taking a joke literally, but that's pretty good surely? Not sure if my "good" teeth will last another 20 years, or the rest of me for that matter

 

[User6179]

Did i read your post right, but butyou seem to be saying the fix wasnt worth doing because it only lasted 20 years! Sorry if im taking a joke literally, but that's pretty good surely? Not sure if my "good" teeth will last another 20 years, or the rest of me for that matter

Think it was the pain that was not worth it , not that it only lasted 20 years

 

[byegad]

Did i read your post right, but butyou seem to be saying the fix wasnt worth doing because it only lasted 20 years! Sorry if im taking a joke literally, but that's pretty good surely? Not sure if my "good" teeth will last another 20 years, or the rest of me for that matter

No I was saying that the pain wasn't worth it for a tooth not normally seen. No matter how long the tooth lasts.

 

[lesley_x]

You are saying , what do you expect for £20 ? , forgive me if I read that wrong but that's how your post comes across.

No. The patient pays £90 or so at the desk for a molar RCT here so there is a big disparity in the perceived value of the treatment. The way the NHS is structured means if I do a molar root treatment properly on the NHS (two 40 minute appts) it actually costs me money. That's why you'll find dentists rushing or refusing to do them. I still do it, but my boss doesn't like it at all.

What I meant is there are major problems in NHS dentistry and the way we are paid. I can't understand how the NHS expect quality over quantity when the gross fee they pay for a one surface filling is just shy of £6. By the time you pay your boss 50% and you tax it, it's about £2 in your pocket and it's probably taken about 20 minutes. Are people really that surprised when they don't have the same quality as they pay for privately? That's on my contract but recently principals have been offering only 35% contracts, which is an absolute disgrace.

I am lucky enough not to be he breadwinner for my house so it doesn't matter if I want to spend a long time doing a job right - other people are not so fortunate.

 

[ColinJ]

We really do need to get the 'Like' function renamed to something that means Like/Agree/Commiserate/(etc.)! The trouble is what single word could it be?

 

[midlife]

Lesley_x

Do you not get paid 3 UDA's for a band 2 like we do in england?

Shaun