A few days ago the worse pain I’ve ever experienced started in 1 of my fillings. As I’m not registered with a clinic here it took me 2 (excruciating) days to finally see an emergency dentist. The tooth under the filling was infected, so the dentist cleaned it out, gave me some antibiotics & put a temporary one in. (Nhs £21.60)

Why not a permanent one I asked? This is emergency work only came the reply. But I’ve cash & am prepared to pay, can we do it now?computer says NO! again. 

So I've just read the dentists notes & it says I need a root filling (soon I presume) Anyone know the difference between root & ordinary filling? 

Went to a local clinic today to ask if I could be taken on as a paying nhs patient? COMPUTER SAYS NO!! So what will a filling cost me privately (didn’t mention it was a root filling) the lovely lady behind the counter 20st of English lovely ness tells me a Small filling will cost you about £200 + £50 consultation sir (said with a big smile) didn’t dare question how much a root filling would be, maybe I could exchange a kidney?

if you’ve made it this far I apologise for the rather long winded rant, but I’ve left out numerous calls to 111 & an A& E visit where I was kept waiting 3 hours only to be told no dentist was working. They knew I needed dental work & I was in agony so I’ve no idea why they made me wait all that time? Just fooking with me I suppose. 

So my plan is to call every clinic in the city & surrounding countryside. To be almost certainly told NO NHS patients, I’m UK born as are several generations of my family. I’ve been working for about 20+ years in various jobs (always paying my contributions, 

tax, ni etc & have never needed any help before. 

The thought of this temp filling falling out & leaving me with the pain I was in before is terrifing. Research on the net says a root filling despite being a quick procedure could be around £1000. 

So basically if I don’t get a clinic willing to take a (fee paying) nhs patient I’ll be 1K down for a single filling. On the upside I am booked for a month long stay to patts in August. Money is tight at the moment & 1K blows a whole in my budget. 

I know this is how long Is a piece of string question but any of you experienced this? Could my temp filling possibly last me the next 3 months? I fly out 1st week aug. Where I have a lovely trustworthy Thai dentist who will sort me out for just a few thousand baht. Spending what could be a grand at this late stage will really curtail my enjoyment. 

I’ll try every nhs dentist place first but as i’m Probably going to receive a resounding COMPUTER SAY NO. Anyone know if a temp filling could possibly last the next 3 months? & I can go get a good job done at a reasonable price with my guy in buakhow.

Final rant, well more a question really. I know the nhs is stretched & I think the nurses & doctors do a tremendous job in difficult times thanks to government budget cuts. (I guess May probably goes private though). Is this really how a supposed first world country treats it citizens? 

Btw I’m not exaggerating it was fookin painful, downing  painkillers & sleeping pills like m&m’s & nothing even slightly took the edge off. 

It’s a nightmare now if you’re not registered. Even when you are, a Dentist can decide to leave the NHS and tell you to pay for insurance with them or find another dentist.

Use this:

https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Dentist/LocationSearch/3

to search for a NHS Dentist near you.

Failing that, phone 0300 311 2233

The NHS, in theory, has a duty to find you a Dentist.

Had a similar situation, i got it sorted 2 weeks before Xmas, I'd had a filling months earlier only the filling didn't work, it was a back tooth, however the referred pain made it seem like another tooth was causing it, I was eating on one side of my mouth for months but I got an X-ray which showed it was the very same tooth that had the new gold filling, another dentist at the same practice said that the root was infected so instead of getting the expensive choice I was offered an immediate removal if I wanted it. I accepted, such a relief, all healed up in time for Xmas dinner.

Edited May 8, 20188 yr by insider

I had a similar, a botched filling on the Thursday, i had been popping painkillers since Friday. I called an emergency dentist,just off the internet, booked to see him that day, it was a Sunday, he was based down baker street, popped around, got it pulled. Should've billed the dopey original dentist really but never bothered, just never went back.

Re the OP not sure about the temp lasting 3 months, if you don't use it maybe....a quick Google says temporary filling s are designed to last 6-8 weeks

https://www.endodonticservicesinc.com/about/root-canal-therapy/

But you can buy filling material

http://www.boots.com/dentek-temporary-filling-material-repair-kit-10197863?cm_mmc=bmm-_-Google+Boots+PLAs-_-BAU-_-C=(GB%3AWhoop!)+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Toiletries+-+Tablet_(GB%3AWhoop!)+Dentek&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqMrHmp332gIVS77tCh3vfgd4EAQYAyABEgJWTfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Edited May 8, 20188 yr by rope-a-dope

  No NHS available dentist near me all private . Or a 45 mile round trip to a maybe take you on dentist . Had to pay for my son's treatment from age 12 to 15 as no NHS . As self employed I contacted The NI office in Newcastle and asked if I could have a rebate on my contributions as no supposedly universal dental NHS available where I live . I think you can guess the answer . 

8 hours ago, Baxidar ba said:

Could my temp filling possibly last me the next 3 months? I fly out 1st week aug. Where I have a lovely trustworthy Thai dentist who will sort me out for just a few thousand baht.

For an informed opinion suggest you email your Thai dentist and ask. At the same time you can make an appointment or two for your next visit to Thailand.

The first time I had dental treatment in Thailand was for a crown; Oz dentist quoted $A2500 (62,500 THB); I got it done in Bangkok for $800 (20,000 THB), 42,500 THB less which more than covered my return air fare of about $800 (20,000) and left holiday money in hand! 

This was several years ago; now I pay a regular visit.

A root filling is where they remove the nerve completely then fill the tooth. Should be capped after to prevent further problems.  Funny enough was at that Baker st emergency dentist on Sunday night. Had a booking with a Londn escort but when I arrived found she had broken a tooth in half just before I got there, poor girl was in agony so instead of an hours fun I ended up driving her to the dentist who charged her £590 to remove the tooth! Got a nice BJ in the car on the way there though!!

I’ll be calling the number davidge supplied & see if they can get me an nhs dentist. I’ve called a few & either got “private now” or “not taking new nhs patients”. 

Doing a bit more research says a root filling is a relatively quick procedure 20-30 mins & averages £700-£1000 in the UK. I’ll be flying out to Thailand in exactly 3 months so I'll email my dentist & get in on the 1st day. 

Just hoping the temp filling lasts, I even looked into Amsterdam as its only a 50 min ride away. Prices are controlled by the government there & are very cheap but I’m guessing this is for Dutch citizens only. Just can’t bring myself to part with a grand for 1 filling. 

Could try eastern European dentist my friend was quoted £6000 for work to her teeth in UK she's getting it done in Poland for £800!

1 hour ago, Baxidar ba said:

I’ll be calling the number davidge supplied & see if they can get me an nhs dentist. I’ve called a few & either got “private now” or “not taking new nhs patients”. 

Doing a bit more research says a root filling is a relatively quick procedure 20-30 mins & averages £700-£1000 in the UK. I’ll be flying out to Thailand in exactly 3 months so I'll email my dentist & get in on the 1st day. 

Just hoping the temp filling lasts, I even looked into Amsterdam as its only a 50 min ride away. Prices are controlled by the government there & are very cheap but I’m guessing this is for Dutch citizens only. Just can’t bring myself to part with a grand for 1 filling. 

Hope the number is up to date and you get somewhere.

It’s devolved in Wales but I rang the equivalent number a couple of years ago for my father and he was seen the same day by a dentist a few miles away and he had 2 follow up appointments to finish the work.

They wouldn’t sign him on permanently though.

4 hours ago, Baxidar ba said:

I’ll be calling the number davidge supplied & see if they can get me an nhs dentist. I’ve called a few & either got “private now” or “not taking new nhs patients”. 

Doing a bit more research says a root filling is a relatively quick procedure 20-30 mins & averages £700-£1000 in the UK. I’ll be flying out to Thailand in exactly 3 months so I'll email my dentist & get in on the 1st day. 

Just hoping the temp filling lasts, I even looked into Amsterdam as its only a 50 min ride away. Prices are controlled by the government there & are very cheap but I’m guessing this is for Dutch citizens only. Just can’t bring myself to part with a grand for 1 filling. 

I suggest spending the grand in UK.  Sounds a lot now but will seem cheap as chips when the pain starts up again.

My brother went to the dentist with similar, dentist said it was tooth A, brother said it was tooth B.  Dentist drilled out tooth B and then said "I am relieved you were right", brother replied "you think you are relieved"

Do not confuse root canal work with simple filling, will it be for all roots of that tooth?

Sure the NHS will do extraction for a few quid but this is a procedure, expect an hour+ "in the chair".

Many with cheapo Thai crowns find that the necessary root canal work was not done.  Result visit to their local dentist who has to do root canal work through the crown while trying not to laugh.

Think little shop of horrors, add client so happy to get work done at third the price, bingo.

Enjoy

13 hours ago, simon46 said:

My brother went to the dentist with similar, dentist said it was tooth A, brother said it was tooth B.  Dentist drilled out tooth B and then said "I am relieved you were right", brother replied "you think you are relieved"

That sounds like it may be a joke but assuming that it isnt, a good dentist would have done an x-ray which should show which tooth needs the root canal.

As for the duration of a root canal procedure it depends greatly on which tooth is involved. Big teeth with several roots require a lot more work, and as far as I know it it common practice to spread the job over several sessions anyway. When I had one done about 20+ years ago in Europe they did it over three visits spread over a week or more. That doesnt explain the £1000 price tag though, which sounds like simple overcharging to me.

The trick here with dentists (and it's exactly the same trick with air-con technicians or cooks or drivers or builders or hookers or any other type of person) is to find one that knows what he is doing and who is consistent. There are many people here doing all sorts of jobs but very few are actually any good at them, or do a reliable job.

Edited May 10, 20188 yr by KittenKong

On 5/8/2018 at 15:18, Baxidar ba said:

Could my temp filling possibly last me the next 3 months? I fly out 1st week aug. Where I have a lovely trustworthy Thai dentist who will sort me out for just a few thousand baht. Spending what could be a grand at this late stage will really curtail my enjoyment. 

Btw I’m not exaggerating it was fookin painful, downing  painkillers & sleeping pills like m&m’s & nothing even slightly took the edge off. 

A temporary filling could easily last you 3 months depending on whether it was done in a way to last that long. What did the performing dentist say as to how long to expect it to last? 

I had a "quicky" root canal (root filling as you are describing it) with antiseptic gauze packing and a temporary filling that did NOT last three months...but the dentist said to return in 2 weeks. I'd become suspicious due to being told I needed a lot of work, which I didn't, and found a more honest dentist. The new dentist was focused on another, infected tooth (ie "wake at 2 AM due to pain") and wanted to fix that 1st. Meanwhile the temporary filling on the 1st tooth failed, exposing the root to potential infection requiring ANOTHER root canal prior to a crown being placed. The 2nd root canal was done by a highly skilled endodontist (root canal specialist), bless her heart. 

22 hours ago, Baxidar ba said:

Doing a bit more research says a root filling is a relatively quick procedure 20-30 mins averages £700-£1000 in the UK. I’

Yeah, maybe by a quack. The scammer dentist claimed he could do a root canal in about 40 min, and maybe could, on a good day. The more careful dentist did the work in 2-3 visits but only AFTER verifying that the root was dead and a root canal was really necessary. I'm now a strong believer in endodontist-performed root canals although a competent dentist may suffice as well. 

As to cost, around $1000 USD seems about right where I live. 

Good luck with all that. 

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/how-much-does-a-root-canal-cost/

Edited May 10, 20188 yr by CyberPro

PS: Don't forget to budget for the crown to follow the root canal. 

On 5/10/2018 at 11:22, KittenKong said:

The trick here with dentists (and it's exactly the same trick with air-con technicians or cooks or drivers or builders or hookers or any other type of person) is to find one that knows what he is doing and who is consistent. There are many people here doing all sorts of jobs but very few are actually any good at them, or do a reliable job.

http://www.bangkoksmiledental.com/ is a clinic I go to at least once a year for clean check-up and any work needed.

When I needed root fillings followed by a crown on lower left six, the root fillings were done by a woman dentist at the clinic specialising in the surgery. It is never pleasant but not too bad.

The crown was done by another dentist.

See the web site for sample costs. You can email for an estimate.

14 hours ago, CyberPro said:

PS: Don't forget to budget for the crown to follow the root canal. 

Got my quote back from my dentist in Pattaya, they quoted me for the crown 15000 baht for the whole lot. Dentist that did the temp filling here said it should last around 8 weeks. 

I’m going to try to get it done with an nhs dentist here 1st but if it’s not possible I’ll just have to hope the temp filling lasts for the next 12 weeks. 

Thanks for all the advice, I’m on the last day of the antibiotics that the dentist said should clear the infection but it’s still painful so next week I’ll start harassing the nhs & try to get it sorted. 

You've opened my eyes to the struggles of not being registered with an nhs dentist. Luckily i am, and will make sure i stay that way.

Hope you get it sorted. 

On 09/05/2018 at 09:00, rope-a-dope said:

I had a similar, a botched filling on the Thursday, i had been popping painkillers since Friday. I called an emergency dentist,just off the internet, booked to see him that day, it was a Sunday, he was based down baker street, popped around, got it pulled. Should've billed the dopey original dentist really but never bothered, just never went back.

Re the OP not sure about the temp lasting 3 months, if you don't use it maybe....a quick Google says temporary filling s are designed to last 6-8 weeks

https://www.endodonticservicesinc.com/about/root-canal-therapy/

But you can buy filling material

http://www.boots.com/dentek-temporary-filling-material-repair-kit-10197863?cm_mmc=bmm-_-Google+Boots+PLAs-_-BAU-_-C=(GB%3AWhoop!)+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Toiletries+-+Tablet_(GB%3AWhoop!)+Dentek&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqMrHmp332gIVS77tCh3vfgd4EAQYAyABEgJWTfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

May i ask the cost of seeing a dentist on a Sunday?

It seems you in the UK are quite lucky that Dental is charged under your NHS,not so with Australia unless you are Social Security dependant pensioner etc and then you’d be on a waiting list to see the Govt dentist, which could take weeks

in Australia if you are working you either pay a dentist or have health insurance to cover it in which there is still a gap payment anyway.

i no longer have the private health insurance  for dental and prefer to wait till i get to  Pattaya ,just cant afford Australian dentists i think wanted roughly $2500 for a root canal plus crown $1500 

Edited May 14, 20188 yr by alex1981

4 hours ago, alex1981 said:

It seems you in the UK are quite lucky that Dental is charged under your NHS,not so with Australia unless you are Social Security dependant pensioner etc and then you’d be on a waiting list to see the Govt dentist, which could take weeks

in Australia if you are working you either pay a dentist or have health insurance to cover it in which there is still a gap payment anyway.

i no longer have the private health insurance  for dental and prefer to wait till i get to  Pattaya ,just cant afford Australian dentists i think wanted roughly $2500 for a root canal plus crown $1500 

Not free, but heavily subsidised. We have 3 step payments, the most expensive about 500 AUD, for anything non-cosmetic.

4 hours ago, alex1981 said:

in Australia ...I no longer have the private health insurance  for dental and prefer to wait till I get to  Pattaya, just cant afford Australian dentists... wanted roughly $2500 (62,000 THB) for a root canal plus crown $1500 (37,000 THB).

I go at least once a year to dental clinic in Bangkok; quality is excellent and prices are about one third of Australia. Poster's total of almost 100,000 THB would probably be under 40,000 in Thailand. The saving of 60,000 would more than cover the air fare and go towards holiday expenses.

Check http://www.bangkoksmiledental.com/ : site has sample costs etc.

Also see 

 

Edited May 14, 20188 yr by Bonkabit
typo

6 hours ago, alex1981 said:

May i ask the cost of seeing a dentist on a Sunday?

It was a few years ago, £120 or so as I recall..cheap I thought at the time, included 3 injections for pain..each one administered after I yelped when he started. 

You will have to get something even temporary as the cabin pressure will increase the pain on your tooth even if you fly to a closer country than Thailand. Your health service experience is all too typical, we think that if we pay tax etc that something will be there for us when we need it but we tend to get nothing but delays, red tape and excuses. 

 

I haven't been to a dentist outside if Thailand in 8 years and wouldn't entertain going to one in Ireland out of choice.

Get a flight to Belfast. Nowhere near as expensive as that. I had a root filling a few years ago done privately for a couple of hundred.