# Root canal treatment



## speccy1 (21 Nov 2014)

Anybody got experiences of this??

I am totally terrified of the dentists chair and have to have this done next week, what`s it like??

If there are any nightmare stories out there please keep them to yourselves, I`m scared enough............

Thanks


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## ColinJ (21 Nov 2014)

From a fellow dental-phobic wimp () - I think you need to consider sedation! 

I have a horrible stump of a tooth which I should have had pulled out months ago but I have not plucked up the courage to get it done yet. Even toothache didn't persuade me to make an appointment ...


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## buggi (21 Nov 2014)

i've been putting one off for 5 years. the toothache has gone now, think its totallly dead 

all caused by falling off my bike. why do we do it???


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## vickster (21 Nov 2014)

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!)


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## speccy1 (21 Nov 2014)

vickster said:


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


It won`t be costing me a penny, as it`s done by the local dental school, I just keep hearing nightmare stories..............


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## talisman50082 (21 Nov 2014)

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.


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## vickster (21 Nov 2014)

OMG  Ask for a dentist who has completed training and is used to dealing with nervous patients


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## Profpointy (21 Nov 2014)

Well presumably you've currently got screaming toothache, so getting it sorted will stop it hurting.

I've had a few over the years, and the actual treatment isn't much if at all worse than any other filling - OK deeper and takes a bit longer, but same stuff really.
If you've got abscess (as is likely), then it will be instant pain relief by drilling into it - basically an "it's a miracle, praise the Lord" level of relief- and surprisingly you often don't even need an injection. However these days they tend to dish out penicillin for a week to cure the infection, and hence another week of toothache before treatment proper.

No fun, but not that bad really - and far better than the toothache that's driven you there in the first place. If you then need a crown as well, then it's very very painful in the wallet !


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## buggi (21 Nov 2014)

in all honesty, being scared is only half the battle with me. the other is knowing i'm going to have to potentially pay around about a £1200 if my veneer needs replacing also


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## speccy1 (21 Nov 2014)

Thanks guys


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## ColinJ (21 Nov 2014)

Blimey - I didn't realise how expensive dentistry is!

How much would it cost to just pull a tooth out? Mine might be complicated by the fact that it doesn't protrude beyond the gum line so they might have to cut the gum to get a grip on what is left. I think it will just break into 2 or 3 pieces which will then have to be individually removed. Oh, and I am also worried about excessive bleeding because of being on warfarin, though I'm sure that dentists are used to dealing with that.


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## speccy1 (21 Nov 2014)

I`m actually having 2 done (but not at the same time), one is right at the front and I don`t want to lose it at any cost, the problem was caused by a spill about 10 years ago, and the other is nearer the back, it doesn`t hurt unless I touch it with food or a toothbrush, and it bleeds like hell when I clean it, but it is intact. It would make life far better to get these two sorted, and as I said, it`s free, whether they need capping or not


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## speccy1 (21 Nov 2014)

ColinJ said:


> From a fellow dental-phobic wimp () - I think you need to consider sedation!
> 
> I have a horrible stump of a tooth which I should have had pulled out months ago but I have not plucked up the courage to get it done yet. Even toothache didn't persuade me to make an appointment ...


Had sedation when I had a wisdom tooth out a few years ago, it was lovely!!


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## talisman50082 (21 Nov 2014)

Would be 50.00 i believe, that's band 1. I had a tooth pulled which had receded below the gum. I thought it was going to be a problem but the dentist made it look easy.


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## vickster (21 Nov 2014)

ColinJ said:


> Blimey - I didn't realise how expensive dentistry is!
> 
> How much would it cost to just pull a tooth out? Mine might be complicated by the fact that it doesn't protrude beyond the gum line so they might have to cut the gum to get a grip on what is left. I think it will just break into 2 or 3 pieces which will then have to be individually removed. Oh, and I am also worried about excessive bleeding because of being on warfarin, though I'm sure that dentists are used to dealing with that.



Do you need it removed? They don't need much tooth to attach a crown to (the one I had rct on is very broken)

Probably about £40 to have it pulled, 10 times to have it crowned


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## Trull (21 Nov 2014)

If you don't get root canal work done, then there is a risk the infection will disease the jawbone, leading to necrosis and death. 

I'm a cheery soul.


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## buggi (21 Nov 2014)

Speccy mine is at the front and for that reason i'm having it done by a specialist even though its gonna cost more (when i eventually pluck up the courage and save up). if i had a back one i would just get a normal dentist to do it and save some cash.


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## speccy1 (21 Nov 2014)

Trull said:


> If you don't get root canal work done, then there is a risk the infection will disease the jawbone, leading to necrosis and death.
> 
> I'm a cheery soul.


As if I wasn`t frightened enough, thanks..............


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## PK99 (21 Nov 2014)

i had RC treatment a few months ago. i went the fully private root (ha!) self funded. Found out later the guy is one of the top top uk specialists and all he does is Rc treatment

very high tech kit (apparently £1M plus for the roomful of stuff.) I was in the chair for 2 hours, and was so relaxed and comfortable I was asleep for at least an hour while he worked.

The long/expensive process involved microscopic level work cleaning out the root canals with ever smaller "bottle brushes"


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## ColinJ (21 Nov 2014)

Trull said:


> If you don't get root canal work done, then there is a risk the infection will disease the jawbone, leading to necrosis and death.
> 
> I'm a cheery soul.


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## speccy1 (21 Nov 2014)

Trull said:


> If you don't get root canal work done, then there is a risk the infection will disease the jawbone, leading to necrosis and death.
> 
> I'm a cheery soul.


I did ask for no nightmare stories, why don`t people listen FFS


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## ColinJ (22 Nov 2014)

[QUOTE 3390679, member: 9609"]You can get a 2kg rotary stop SDS for a 100 notes - seriously, do the job yourself... I would[/QUOTE]
I did very briefly consider taking a pair of long-nosed pliers to my offending tooth stump but gave myself overnight to think about it and came to my senses!


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## Berties (22 Nov 2014)

I had a root canal 3 years ago ,no problems ,4 visits to the dentist no pain at any stage on the procedure ,just the sting of the injection,I'm not a big fan of the dentist,it's just all about a strange man in my bubble I don't like ,I'm like it with male hairdressers....but a root canal always seems shrouded in mystery,it just takes time,plenty of X-rays and its job done
Really don't worry


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## steveindenmark (22 Nov 2014)

Loads of novacane and you will be fine.


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## compo (22 Nov 2014)

I had one done back in the '70's. I had an infection and the dentist didn't wait for the infection to clear before starting the root canal proceedure. Consequently the anaesthetic was nowhere as near effective as it should have been. I have never experienced pain like it and refused to go back to any dentist for many years. Thankfully (?) I now have dentures so no more worries.

Most people I speak to over the years, though, all say the treatment for them has been painless so when it's not me having it done I can confidently say don't worry.


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## welsh dragon (22 Nov 2014)

You'll be fine. MR WD had a root canal done about 3 months ago. Totally painless. He didn't feel a thing. Go and have it done. The worst part is you waiting to have it done and worrying about it. Good luck.


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## buggi (22 Nov 2014)

[QUOTE 3390679, member: 9609"]You can get a 2kg rotary stop SDS for a 100 notes - seriously, do the job yourself... I would[/QUOTE]
Ha ha it might come to that


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## subaqua (22 Nov 2014)

ColinJ said:


> I did very briefly consider taking a pair of long-nosed pliers to my offending tooth stump but gave myself overnight to think about it and came to my senses!


 I had a tooth which I didn't realise had cracked. bit down on on a deep ridge crisp and it split. I took the loose bit out with point nose pliers on the sunday evening after using some cheap scotch on the area of the tooth as an antiseptic . went to dentist and got a crown done for a band 3 treatment cost. not by a tooth butcher either but a very very skilled dentist


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## Cuchilo (22 Nov 2014)

I had an annoying stump of tooth that was supposed to have been removed by the dentist 15 years or so ago . It had pushed its way through the gum and had been giving me jip on and off for ages until it became loose . I figured as the dentist had already pulled the tooth and root this must just be a small amount of tooth left over so decided that lots of beer and a pair of pliers would finish the job off . How wrong was I 
I realised that it was more than a bit of tooth when I felt a pulling sensation in my upper cheek bone and eye but beer had taken hold and this bad boy was coming with me The pain the next day was insane and I really regretted doing it but the day after that everything was fine so I would probably do it again if the tooth ache was as bad .


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## Saluki (22 Nov 2014)

It's fine. It just sounds scary. Little Shop of Horrors didn't help with the whole root canal thing either!
Apart from the tiny little scratch of the injection, no pain at all. I am getting over a fear of dentists now. My dentist is lovely, very calm and patient, play's radio 2 at all his patients.
Have a conversation with your dentist and ask him to go through the procedure with you, in a non scary way. Most dentists are nice. It's not like you are going to the school dentist, is it.


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## vickster (22 Nov 2014)

PK99 said:


> i had RC treatment a few months ago. i wenmicroscopet the fully private root (ha!) self funded. Found out later the guy is one of the top top uk specialists and all he does is Rc treatment
> 
> very high tech kit (apparently £1M plus for the roomful of stuff.) I was in the chair for 2 hours, and was so relaxed and comfortable I was asleep for at least an hour while he worked.
> 
> The long/expensive process involved microscopic level work cleaning out the root canals with ever smaller "bottle brushes"



Sounds like the same guy I saw (in Epsom). My dentist is very jealous of this chap's kit. My roots were completely calcified, should have been done years ago (probably while I was using the NHS). The most unpleasant bit was the rubber dam he used to stop saliva and his tiny instruments dropping down my throat  ... made me gag


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## stephec (22 Nov 2014)

talisman50082 said:


> 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 was my experience as well, just like having a normal filling done.


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## stephec (22 Nov 2014)

Saluki said:


> It's fine. It just sounds scary. Little Shop of Horrors didn't help with the whole root canal thing either!
> Apart from the tiny little scratch of the injection, no pain at all. I am getting over a fear of dentists now. My dentist is lovely, very calm and patient, play's radio 2 at all his patients.
> Have a conversation with your dentist and ask him to go through the procedure with you, in a non scary way. Most dentists are nice. It's not like you are going to the school dentist, is it.


My wife's dentist used to play music, he had, 'The Final Countdown,' on as she had her wisdom teeth out.


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## Mrs M (22 Nov 2014)

Don't worry.
I was terrified of the dentist after the school dentist hurt me then tried to prise my firmly closed gob open with a ruler, lovely, not!
I had a root canal a few years ago and it went fine, it took a bit of faffing and time and I honestly found it more boring than anything, no pain, etc.
Just make sure you tell them before they start how anxious you are and if it hurts, or you think it does, raise your hand for them to stop briefly and make sure all is well.
Best of luck, let us know how you get on.


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## Trull (22 Nov 2014)

speccy1 said:


> I did ask for no nightmare stories, why don`t people listen FFS


Sorry Speccy - incidentally one of my workmates just had Root Canal work done (last week), he had antibiotics to clear up the infection for a week and then the dentist got to work and cleared up the issue, he's now better and said that the mild discomfort was totally worth it, his jaw is now pain free and his sleepless nights are over. You will be fine, its just like the day before a tough 200k ride, your imagination is running away with you, its not as hard as you think. 

You ***will*** be fine.


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## ColinJ (22 Nov 2014)

Saluki said:


> Most dentists are nice. It's not like you are going to the school dentist, is it.





Mrs M said:


> I was terrified of the dentist after the school dentist hurt me then tried to prise my firmly closed gob open with a ruler, lovely, not!


The cause of my dental phobia!


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## chewa (22 Nov 2014)

The last time I practised was in 1996 (gave up because of a neck injury) but you shouldn't be worried about RCT.

Generally you get RCT if the nerve is dead or dying. The tooth is numbed up (if the nerve is dead it is possible not to need anaesthesia) and, depending on where it is it will be by an infiltration injection near the tooth or by a block injection further away.

A wee bit of drilling to get access, some hand tools to clear out any living pulp/nerve or dead material and shape the canal, x rays to check length and position of the apex narrowing and then placing the filling. Depending on what the situation is you may have a dressing in before final filling of the root, but often enough the RCT can be done in one visit. Slightly more complicated for teeth further back (as they have multiple root canals) but the same principle.

If you get it done at the dental school, it may take a bit longer (if students are doing it) than in a commercial practice.


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## subaqua (22 Nov 2014)

chewa said:


> The last time I practised was in 1996 (gave up because of a neck injury) but you shouldn't be worried about RCT.
> 
> Generally you get RCT if the nerve is dead or dying. The tooth is numbed up (if the nerve is dead it is possible not to need anaesthesia) and, depending on where it is it will be by an infiltration injection near the tooth or by a block injection further away.
> 
> ...



my 1st one was done with no anaesthesia. mainly as I hate the method of application. was fine but I think the nerve was dead. 2nd time i had the dentist wipe gel over the gum then apply the proper stuff. 

forgot how funny a numb jaw can be


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## zizou (22 Nov 2014)

When i had mine done it was done in 2 steps - had a temporary filling / cap put on then back a week or so later for the next step once the inflammation etc had died back and the infection was gone. Actually come to think of it might have been 3 visits over the course of a month to get everything sorted!

The toothache was much more painful than the treatment, the treatment was more unpleasant than sore. The vibrations, the smell of burning tooth as you are being drilled etc.


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## mustang1 (22 Nov 2014)

Op, you will be fine. I had root canal and the most that happened is that its very uncomfortable just having your mouth open for so long. I was quite apprehensive about the treatment too but in the end I felt so much better and so will you.


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## midlife (22 Nov 2014)

I spent 13 years teaching dental students to do RCT, the one thing they have is the time to get it as good as they can 

Just out of curiosity where is the Dental School?

Shaun


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## Saluki (22 Nov 2014)

ColinJ said:


> The cause of my dental phobia!


My school dentist was a sadistic bully. My parents pulled me from his practice and sent me to their own practice after a huge infection, after a filling, gave them 3 sleepless nights on the bounce as I was in so much pain. Their dentist took the filling out and got everything sorted really quickly. A few months after, I had a check up with the family dentist and was told to clear off and not come back for 6 months as my teeth were fine. Back at school, that afternoon, we were filed into the med room for our school dentist check ups and I came out with a slip saying that I needed and extraction, 3 fillings and an orthodontic brace. Somehow he cut my lip during the check up. Parents saw the light and I never went back to him, not even for a check up.

Dentists now, even NHS ones, are a gazillion times better. My current dentist is an NHS dentist, he's about 30 years old, English too. The most unscary dentist in the world and I would happily recommend him to anyone who lives in our area.


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## Mrs M (22 Nov 2014)

Saluki said:


> My school dentist was a sadistic bully. My parents pulled me from his practice and sent me to their own practice after a huge infection, after a filling, gave them 3 sleepless nights on the bounce as I was in so much pain. Their dentist took the filling out and got everything sorted really quickly. A few months after, I had a check up with the family dentist and was told to clear off and not come back for 6 months as my teeth were fine. Back at school, that afternoon, we were filed into the med room for our school dentist check ups and I came out with a slip saying that I needed and extraction, 3 fillings and an orthodontic brace. Somehow he cut my lip during the check up. Parents saw the light and I never went back to him, not even for a check up.
> 
> Dentists now, even NHS ones, are a gazillion times better. My current dentist is an NHS dentist, he's about 30 years old, English too. The most unscary dentist in the world and I would happily recommend him to anyone who lives in our area.



My aforementioned bully dentist went by the name of Mr Devine, (was anything but). When I plucked up courage to go back to a dentist it was to Mr Angel. 
Then when I moved away became a patient of Mr Lovie!! He was a Lovie and the person that did my root canal and helped me To control my fear of the dentist.
Maybe not appropriate names for dentists though!!


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## lesley_x (22 Nov 2014)

vickster said:


> Have it done privately, I now avoid NHS tooth butchers like the plague



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.


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## lesley_x (22 Nov 2014)

[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]

Gutta percha, rubbery material used to fill the root canal and provide an environment that kills bugs/doesn't allow any further growth of bugs. Heating it up allows it to be cut to length and creates a kind of seal. The system we use doesn't require that method - expensive but more pleasant for the patient.


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## vickster (22 Nov 2014)

lesley_x said:


> 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


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## mustang1 (22 Nov 2014)

[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.


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## byegad (22 Nov 2014)

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.


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## fossyant (22 Nov 2014)

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.


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## chewa (22 Nov 2014)

vickster said:


> 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)


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## steve52 (22 Nov 2014)

vickster said:


> 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
> 
> ...


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


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## vickster (22 Nov 2014)

chewa said:


> 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


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## Fubar (22 Nov 2014)

talisman50082 said:


> 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.


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## User6179 (22 Nov 2014)

lesley_x said:


> 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.


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## Profpointy (23 Nov 2014)

byegad said:


> 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


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## User6179 (23 Nov 2014)

Profpointy said:


> 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


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## byegad (23 Nov 2014)

Profpointy said:


> 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.


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## lesley_x (23 Nov 2014)

Eddy said:


> 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.


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## ColinJ (23 Nov 2014)

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?


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## midlife (23 Nov 2014)

Lesley_x

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

Shaun


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## lesley_x (23 Nov 2014)

midlife said:


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



I don't work in England  Although from what I hear the English system is even more dysfunctional!


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## thefollen (24 Nov 2014)

Plenty of replies here so I'm sure you have a decent idea what this is like, but here's my tuppence:

Had a root canal around 7/8 years back. One of my back teeth had eroded quite drastically and it was 50/50 as to whether it could be saved.

In all honesty it wasn't that different to a regular filling- in the chair for a bit longer, a lot more drilling (which you don't feel, mainly vibrations through the jaw). Due to not being able to see your mouth you can't see the images you've possibly looked at which can look a little scary.

All-in-all it wasn't that bad. Cost around £100 I think (might be wrong, it was a good while ago).

Couldn't eat anything too solid for a few days afterwards whilst it healed, no biggie.

Experiences I guess will depend on the individual case, mine was ok though. Tooth saved and no problems :-)


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## Dogtrousers (24 Nov 2014)

My 2p.
Had root canal 2 years ago. My dentist had another dentist working with him temporarily who specialised in this, and she was really good. She managed to make this rather long procedure quite bearable. I almost dropped off to sleep at one point. The only real issue was the length of time it took, and my jaw ached afterwards from having my mouth open for so long. It was nowhere as bad as I feared.


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## speccy1 (24 Nov 2014)

Thanks for the replies guys, hopefully it won`t be as bad as I`m making out then


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## MontyVeda (24 Nov 2014)

speccy1 said:


> Anybody got experiences of this??
> 
> I am totally terrified of the dentists chair and have to have this done next week, what`s it like??
> 
> ...


mine were most pleasant... had 5 or 6 of 'em... by far the worst thing a dentist can do to you is a scale & polish... after that, it's all easy.


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## speccy1 (27 Nov 2014)

Been to the dentist today, managed to avoid the root canal on one tooth, but the treatment they gave me to avoid it was nothing short of horrific!! Was there for 3 hours, they didn`t get time to start on the other one....................


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## vickster (27 Nov 2014)

3 hours


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## speccy1 (27 Nov 2014)

vickster said:


> 3 hours


Long story!!


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