NHS dentist says they can't do root canal on NHS. Only private. It'll cost around £1500-2000. Is that right?

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DrBob2016@reddit

I don't know the answer re the NHS doing them but a relative who lives in the Midlands had one done privately (she is a private patient) and it was around £500. Maybe price varies depending where you are in the country?

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Jealous_Sympathy9402@reddit

I was offered root canal last year by NHS but was advised I’d be better off going private as they have better equipment to see inside the tooth and less chances of needing a re-root canal.

My dad’s had a root canal a few years ago (on NHS) and is on benefits and it’s messed up and the NHS have told him they can’t redo it unless he goes private.

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Zardoz_Wearing_Pants@reddit

Dental practices seem to have been taken over by certain types. Misinformation and (very) poor service are rife. Time for them to be shaken up...

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PurpleDec@reddit

Complete rip off. I had a root canal for £300 and I'm private.

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PurpleDec@reddit

Just Google root canal cost. Says between £300 and £1000. Incisors are cheaper.

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throwthrowthrow529@reddit

I did to go to the best guy I could find in my area, he’s got a phd in root canals and lectures on them.

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Jambronius@reddit

The dentist should be referring them to another NHS dentist surely?

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DamoclesDong@reddit

Who is probably booked out a year in advance.

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Exita@reddit

Other way round I’m afraid. Even the Government now admits that private practice is effectively subsidising NHS care, and so most practices now can’t afford to be NHS only. They lose money conducting NHS care then have to make enough money privately to make up for it.

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windtrees7791@reddit

Yes now it is the other way around I agree,

I mean in the first instance without the roots of the NHS subsidies, a whole lot of these dentists who've been around for years wouldnt actually exist in the first place.

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V65Pilot@reddit

I have yet to have a root canal that didn't eventually need removing. Now I just skip that option altogether.

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Orangutan_Latte@reddit

Did they put a crown on it after? I only ask because I’ve had root canals in the past and eventually the tooth has just collapsed. In fact the filler was the only thing left in my mouth when I went back for treatment!!!. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I got a dentist who told me that if you don’t get the tooth crowned to protect it, eventually you will end up losing it. I was quite annoyed that I’d never been told this before!!!

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Jammy-Doughnut@reddit

My dentist in Turkey who removed my cracked crown (caused by the hygienist) confirmed root canals and crowns are a false economy. You're better off having the tooth removed and having an implant.

The removal of my crown and cleaning of the root area prior to my implant was free when having the implant installed.

Total dentistry costs for my implant including 3 x 3d scans and crown came to £1,378. My UK dentist quoted me £4,500 for the implant and crown. Scans were an additional, as was the removal of my old crown which they quoted me £275! So probably around £5,500 all in for an individual implant.

Yes there were travel and hotel costs on top for Turkey, this came to an additional £1,153.05, so total £2,531.05, over 50% cheaper than the private dentist in the UK and included multiple holidays in the sun!

The irony was, my UK dentist asked me which Turkish dentist I was going to use, and when I told him, he confirmed he and his colleagues had attended multiple conferences run by him to learn techniques he'd pioneered.

SnooCats3987@reddit

All of medicine, really. And auto repair.

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red_nick@reddit

I'm very glad I had removals rather than root canals. Since then I've had basically 0 issues.

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Practical-Purchase-9@reddit

I had one root canal and it never felt right. It was capped with a filling but sat a little proud I think, and I could often feel it and it made me worry. About a year later I heard a crack in my mouth and the tooth had split in two. So that time they extracted it.

I’d been to the dentist five times by then. Firstly for the first check on the tooth when I got antibiotics, and again for the first filling. That came loose so I ended up going twice more for the root canal and again for the removal when that broke.

Extraction was painless, after the anaesthetic wore off it felt fine, no discomfort at all. I have a gap but it no bother

I should have just had the rotten tooth pulled the first time. Fillings and root canal were just endless discomfort and problems.

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Lady-of-Shivershale@reddit

I just had my first root canal. It was for an upper front tooth I broke as a child.

The original dentist put a crown on my tooth. This dentist did a root canal, shaved my broken tooth down further, and put on my crown. She seems confident that I'll keep the tooth. Since it's a front tooth, I think she showed a bit more care than a molar would receive.

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takeawaylobster@reddit

Don't just jump to complaining to PALS, this is unlikely to be the dentist picking and choosing. NHS tier 1 contacts cover simple root canals but anything complex would need to be referred to a special interest dentist. Which is not covered by the NHS.

The files needed to do a rct along with othe materials can be more than what the nhs pays atleast in dollars. No one wants to work for free or lose money doing complex treatment like root canals. To you its omg greedy scammer dentist, to a dentist it is not worth thier time doing that for less than private fee.

The same shit happens in united states. Medicaid pays around 150 for a root canal but good luck finding someone to do it.

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rizombie@reddit

I think we are dealing with a pundemic of scams here.

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Mesne@reddit

Essentially yes. It’s time consuming and they’ll be given the same amount as an extraction but that’ll probably take them 5 mins.

Idiomatic use of the language is the true definition of the language, not what it says in some stuffy book.

Less has come to be a common substitute for fewer, and therefore it is naturally correct by default, because that's how language works.

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Tuarangi@reddit

It was accepted as normal for centuries until the 1700s iirc when one guy (Robert Baker) decided fewer sounded better and had the money and influence to make his opinion become a "rule". There is documentary evidence of even royalty using less rather than fewer going back to the 10th century

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AutoPanda1096@reddit

I love chipping in with the Bob Baker story. You are dead right.

It's funny to see people defend British English one minute and then celebrate some American guy's view the next.

Ultimately people just like to point it out to appear "clever" but end up looking less educated.

Common sense.

Less always sounds ok. Less people. Less water. It's all good. Fewer does not sound ok. Fewer water.

Less has always been used for both.

You know what, you’ve been downvoted but you’re right. Necessary dental treatment should be free for everyone in a civilised country. It’s heartbreaking when patients come in and can’t afford what they need to have done, sometimes they even call and say they can’t afford a check up but beg not to be de-reg’d.

Sometimes the NHS wont refund pharmacies the full price of the drug. It varies month to month as to what the drug prices and reimbursements are. I presume the NHS mustn't subsidise dentists enough to make it profitable as similar is happening in pharmacy (and is why many pharmacies are closing down).

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JunoHu4287@reddit

The NHS reimburses pharmacies using the drug tariff price, essentially a national price list. The pharmacy will be buying from their supplier at generally less than this cost, so they make a profit on it, on top of the flat fee they receive for dispensing each item.

Occasionally (happening more and more now) due to supply shortages the pharmacy may have to buy a more expensive one. Unless this has been recognised nationally and the NHS agrees a temporarily higher price, the pharmacy then loses money on it. Sometimes the pharmacy will just refuse to order it but they can get penalised by commissioners and their regulatory body for putting profits ahead of patient need.

I would guess dental work works in a similar way.

It's similar to how NHS hospitals are funded as well. Every procedure has a code for it and the hospital is reimbursed for this on a fixed tariff system (payment by results). So a hospital might get £1500 for a hip replacement, but this is expected to cover everything that patient needs. Think dressings, drugs, nurse time, physio etc. Complex patients will cost more than the tariff, so the hospital loses money treating them. Most hospitals rely on a steady stream of straightforward, elective surgery to generate enough income to cover the cost of Doris who came in with flu 6 weeks ago and is now waiting for a residential home placement.

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ubiquitous_uk@reddit

I believe NHS contracts offer a payment per unit of treatment, and a limit of the number of units they will pay (from when this came up last year and a dentist was explaining it).

So for example (not real numbers, just an example), a dentist surgery could get a 1200 unit / year contract, allowing for 100 units per month. Each unit has a value, say £25. A childrens checkup could be worth one unit, a filling 2/3 units and root canal 10 units.

It looks like you've written the pound sign (£) after the number 376, but it should be written before the number like this: £376.

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Boomshrooom@reddit

According to my old NHS dentist most of them don't want to do root canals on the NHS because they don't get paid enough for them, it's not worth it, so they refer it to private.

I'm with a private dentist now and just had an old root canal replaced and it cost me £700, seemed to be more work than the original root canal too since it was difficult to get the old stuff out.

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bizarro_mctibird@reddit

I had a root canal a couple of years ago and it cost at least half this. private dentist as well.

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EyesRoaming@reddit

I had a root canal and then a crown. Approximately £1500 private.

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IronSkywalker@reddit

It only applies to procedures that are clinically appropriate.

Under the Primary Dental Care Commissioning Standard: Delivering Better Oral Health:

Dentists must offer NHS treatment to patients if it is clinically appropriate.

Patients must be informed what is and isn’t available under the NHS, and offered all appropriate NHS options before private ones.

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Briefcased@reddit

So this statement

Patients must be informed what is and isn’t available under the NHS, and offered all appropriate NHS options before private ones.

And this statement

Dentists are not allowed to refuse a treatment on NHS but still offer it privately.

are clearly not the same.

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Puzzled-Special8730@reddit

It most definitely is not true

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Briefcased@reddit

Yup. Love the idea of any implant dentist having to offer it on the NHS too.

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GetCapeFly@reddit

Does that include the crowns?

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nohairday@reddit

Private specialists for root canals are a much more technical setup than NHS.

Mine cost around £2000 all told. That was the root canal, reviews, and getting a crown fitted.

This was for a molar that I'd had a root canal done on the NHS many years earlier and had not been done very well. Badly infected.

I don't know what NHS setup for equipment for a root canal is, but it was basically hack with a file visually when I had it done, as opposed to essentially microscopic focus on private.

From my experience, price sounds about right if it's covering the crown as well, and I'd say if you can afford it the success rate is usually better.

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Briefcased@reddit

NHS dentist here.

Root canal treatment is generally available on the NHS under band 2.

If the root canal is particularly complicated - for example it is a re-root treatment, excessive curvature, third molar, sclerosed canals etc then your dentist can refuse to offer it themselves on the NHS. You can be referred to secondary care (specialist treatment) on the NHS - but generally this is extremely rationed and only available for ‘strategic’ teeth. In my experience ‘strategic teeth’ generally means ‘not this tooth’.

It does get expensive though - because not only will you need the root canal - but you’ll also probably need a crown on top.

Do your job and you wouldn't be reported to PALS

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PrimaryWench@reddit

If only it was that simple

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Briefcased@reddit

I pray you get the dental care you deserve.

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HauntedFrogg@reddit

Go to Poland/Hungary and get it done for maybe 1/3 of the price you were quoted here

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Thraell@reddit

Eyup, I go to a lovely clinic in Poland for my extensive dental work (my teeth are fucked, I need implants & a whole set of crowns I've been putting off due to the UK cost). Easily one of the best decisions I've made!

Go to a hospital that has a hospital dental clinic. Get your root canal done for under £100.

Gluecagone@reddit

The NHS is heading this way by becoming a two tiered system.

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daneview@reddit

What do you mean by two tiered, genuine question

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clone1205@reddit

One wherein those who can afford private insurance/treatment costs are offered significantly better care than those who have to rely solely on the state funded option.

About a decade ago I had to have a colonoscopy that should have been carried out within 2 weeks to rule out possible cancer. It was contracted out to a local private hospital that specialises in a handful of outpatient procedures. My appointment was scheduled for 2 weeks time (because of the nature of what was being investigated), 3 days before my procedure I received a letter informing me that my appointment had been cancelled and would be carried out 6 weeks later. The fuckers had the audacity to include a leaflet advertising that if I were willing to pay for the procedure privately then they could guarantee that it would be carried out within 48 hours...

Wiggidy-Wiggidy-bike@reddit

modern dentists are near all scams near me. its effectly a £120 a year subscription model. £60 every 6 month from how every many signs ups they can find for check ups. happy to take as many private ppl as they can, but will take no NHS

root canal with no cap on the first molar cost me £200 ish like 8 years ago. it took 2 x 30 min sessions. zero issues with it since.

we are allowing so much shit its insane. if its costing 10x as much in 10 years, then maybe we need a bit of an investigation into wtf happened. i see a bit about using modern techniques, which sounds like something 99% wouldnt care about at all considering they want a extra grand

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You did, and it's appreciated 👍

Pay completely varies as it's a rubbish system and it's complicated. You get paid per unit of dental activity (UDA) at an agreed rate by the practice. Most dentists are self employed and so the quicker you work the more money you make but obviously no holiday pay or sick pay.

One check up = 1 UDA. If you examine a patient and they need treatment you would be paid more UDAs and it's banded into different amounts.

For example a check up and less than 3 fillings = 3 UDAs, a check up and 3+ fillings = 5 UDAs and it goes up to a maximum of 12 UDAs per course of treatment (no matter what the patient needs).

You can quickly see the flaw in the system though as you will be paid the same for a patient that needs 15 fillings vs patient that needs 3 fillings. Except the patient that needs 15 fillings will mean you will be working for around or less than minimum wage when you calculate the time required for treatment.

Another example is making a denture for a patient on the NHS - for a check up and a denture you would be paid the maximum of 12 UDAs. But the lab bill is often more expensive than what you're paid so as a self employed person it's actually costing you money out of your own pocket to make a patient a denture.

Often the private element of the work we do subsidises the loss we make on some of the NHS patients and every now and then you'll have a run of "easy" NHS patients who don't need much work doing and boost your income back up.

It's also why many practices can't afford to take on new patients - imagine if multiple new patients needed 5 fillings, 2 root canals and 4 extractions (not uncommon). I'd be paid 5 UDAs for all of that which due to how long it would take to complete which would bankrupt the practice.

From a business perspective due to running costs at my practice a dentist would need to do around 48 UDAs per day (48 check ups) just for the practice to break even. Hence why more and more dentists are choosing/having to reduce their NHS contracts and see more private patients.

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sarah0815@reddit

I don't do this sort of stuff in the UK - I fly to my home country in Eastern Europe and deal with it since it costs me 500£ (flight included). The costs here are massively overpriced.

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Animalmagic81@reddit

Sounds more like a root canal plus crown this.

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PigletWeak5112@reddit

If they think the root canal has a low chance of success or the tooth is too far gone that only a specialist can treat they could believe extraction is the best clinical option. Technically root canal treatment should be delivered on the NHS though. They get paid the same for a RCT vs an extraction basically so it’s not in their best interest as can be very time consuming/fiddly. I’d maybe contact the surgery and ask for their reasoning for being unable to complete the RCT on NHS.

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Reedy99@reddit

Is there more to the story OP? I know waiting lists for NHS dentists are horrendous currently, so was this a private appointment?

I wonder if the dentist means they can’t do it on the NHS because OP isn’t registered with them with the NHS, and given the current wait times, only private treatment is available?

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MrP2471@reddit

30 or even 30+ years ago I found a cheap charlatan in Kenton, London N/W, and paid 700-800 £. The 1st time I bit on to it, it collapsed, and when I told said thieve prettenting to be a dentist, he said, yeah, that can happen !!! If you do have to pay maybe ask for some sort of guarantee.

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Traditional-Ruin2860@reddit

Can you not get any dental insurance through work? I took it out when I worked at Royal Mail for me and the mrs, she had a bit of work done and I had a checkup then I cancelled it. Saved us loads.

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Intelligent-Guess-63@reddit

What the NHS pays the dentist isn’t enough for the time it will take, hence their refusal to do it on the NHS. You end up in a vicious circle, where your run of the mill NHS dentist doesn’t have enough experience of complex root canals, or the expensive equipment, because they don’t do enough of them to gain the experience. It’s a reflection of the state of NHS dentistry in this country that started falling apart in the early 90s.

Nothing you can do but find a cheaper private endontist.

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xYorYx@reddit

For your cake day, have some B U B B L E W R A P

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Andy_Roid@reddit

For your cake day, have some Functional Teeth

!Central Incisor (Upper Right)!< !Lateral Incisor (Upper Right)!< !Canine (Upper Right)!< !First Premolar (Upper Right)!< !Second Premolar (Upper Right)!< !First Molar (Upper Right)!< !Second Molar (Upper Right)!< !Third Molar / Wisdom (Upper Right)!<

!Central Incisor (Upper Left)!< !Lateral Incisor (Upper Left)!< !Canine (Upper Left)!< !First Premolar (Upper Left)!< !Second Premolar (Upper Left)!< !First Molar (Upper Left)!< !Second Molar (Upper Left)!< !Third Molar / Wisdom (Upper Left)!<

!Central Incisor (Lower Right)!< !Lateral Incisor (Lower Right)!< !Canine (Lower Right)!< !First Premolar (Lower Right)!< !Second Premolar (Lower Right)!< !First Molar (Lower Right)!< !Second Molar (Lower Right)!< !Third Molar / Wisdom (Lower Right)!<

!Central Incisor (Lower Left)!< !Lateral Incisor (Lower Left)!< !Canine (Lower Left)!< !First Premolar (Lower Left)!< !Second Premolar (Lower Left)!< !First Molar (Lower Left)!< !Second Molar (Lower Left)!< !Third Molar / Wisdom (Lower Left)!<

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Hmmmm… I’d see if you can find another my dentist… my dentist (in Paddington) did a root canal for me on the nhs so maybe it’s worth shopping around

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Rooster_Entire@reddit

Just get some Fugi 9 and you’ll be a dentist!

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Clivewilliams@reddit

It depends on the complexity of it. Be aware though, that if you do go private, there are massive price differences between different clinics - it pays to shop around - and work off reviews of their work. I would certainly go to a dentist not linked to your NHS one, so there's no question of them benefiting financially from their diagnosis. I would expect they get a referral fee from your dentist if they're part of the same group, and I expect that's part of the fee you pay.

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ConsciousPresentOne@reddit

lol just take a holiday to turkey and get all your teeth fixed perfectly and whitened for that price whilst enjoying a long weekend in the sun 😂 fuck the uk rip off prices

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pleasedontwearthat@reddit

not helpful in your situation but I found this very eye opening.

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I currently need two root canals. Principally as a result of the NHS dentist i had at the time botching fillings, which repeatedly fell out and eventually cracked the tooth..... With one then turning into an abscess which is thankfully self-controlling and not spreading.

Suffice it to say, i've given up and accepted that a bit like the custom orthotics i have to wear - Dentistry on the NHS only exists as an abstract concept, rather than something usefully available.

In practice you've just gotta go private for if you want treatment that's actually worth a damn (.... or even any dentistry at all given the insane waiting lists - I'd previously been told it was a 6 years long when i first wanted to try and get a different NHS one!)

Overall, while i can't say i'm thrilled about the extra expense i can't really afford - Given the night and day difference in the quality of the work, ability to get an appointment, and the options available.... The premium vs the NHS's payment chart wasn't actually that excessive.

The only thing i can't see much point in doing would have been paying the dubiously competent NHS dentist who barely spoke english (not just "they had an accent" it was "er, can you actually understand me and then meaningfully explain your proposed course of treatment?" levels of bad) privately to unlock white fillings etc vs just finding a better one.

Interesting to hear about the crown alternative - I'll be asking my own about them next time i'm in.

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NathanielJames007@reddit

Similar to you, I had to have an endodontist fix a root canal that an NHS dentist did. Whether they did it privately or on an NHS band, it'd still have been a bodge job.

Simply put, dentists on the whole cannot perform the procedure properly. They don't have the right kit. Or knowledge/experience. Or time!

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Skinny_Bob88@reddit

Reading about that dentist who's been screwed for over 100k for not doing unnecessary fillings on kids and adults was a wild read and a perfect example of what's going on these days

Be very aware of scamming dentists

Root canals are under £100 kiddos.

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tutike2000@reddit

It's under 500 in most of the UK. And about 100 in Eastern Europe or Turkey

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RugbyRaggs@reddit

I flew to Romania, stayed for a week, went to a private dental clinic, got a proper clean, redone root canal due to chronic infection (complicated one, now can go back for crown), and a tooth pulled. All got quite a lot less than you're looking at.

If you want to know where, message me (don't want it to seem like I'm advertising on public forum etc).

I do have a friend out there, so had another reason to visit. Just made sense.

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Inucroft@reddit

They're having you on

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Disasterous_Dave97@reddit

Some dentists don’t like doing difficult work as they know they won’t be able to do the work properly. I know of people declined for NHS root canals but private guys have taken it on and done a good job. Private prices vary wildly. Listen to BBC radio today going on about how NHS dentists are over worked and not earning their max potential.

All work should be doable or referred to an NHS dentist that can do it if yours isn’t skilled enough.

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Cait-cherryblossom@reddit

I was also told I would need to go private if I needed a root canal. I took the tooth out best decision I made as root canals can also fail

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BuffaloPancakes11@reddit

I’ve had root canals and crowns on the NHS, but the same dentist once tried sneaking me into a plan that was private, if it wasn’t for my brother at the time noticing the quoted costs and telling me I’d have ended up paying almost £2,000 more than I needed to

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Wife needed extensive dental work. She had multiple root canals, crowns and then veneer work to create her natural smile. It was over £15,000 in total.

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SnooRevelations9128@reddit

15K?! Holy crap. were they all necessary or partly cosmetic ?

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mumwifealcoholic@reddit

All of that is cosmetic. Dentists will present it to you as essential work.

It isn't.

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CommercialShip810@reddit

Root Canals are cosmetic? Tell me more

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mumwifealcoholic@reddit

You don't need them,, just pull the tooth. Many of us dont' have thousands of pounds laying around to save a tooth...I paid out of pocket for a root canal on a front tooth..because obvs I didn't want to walk around a front tooth out..now, ten years in, it's failed. Not worth for me, should have just had it pulled.

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CommercialShip810@reddit

Ok caveman.

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Merrin_Corcaedus@reddit

It was necessary. Her issues were hereditary unfortunately. This is the post procedure picture.

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Mr_Pink_Gold@reddit

I mean, honestly the whole NHS dentist structure needs a shake. lots of dentists don't do NHS surgeries and basically only take private costumers. If you can't find an NHS dentist willing to do that, I highly recommend going to Spain and doing it there. It is cheaper to fly to Spain and do the surgery there.

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Far-Fun4526@reddit

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Mdl8922@reddit

They'll just pull the tooth. If they're anything like me I'm assuming they're trying to keep their mouth as full as they can for as long as possible haha

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Mdl8922@reddit

Good luck mate. Honestly, if you can get any treatment at all, do it, even if it means getting the tooth taken out.

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Everyone knows you need a crown over a root canal

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belfast-woman-31@reddit

I didn’t when I got mine done. Dentist never mentioned it and I hadn’t even had a filling at that point so wasn’t something I researched.

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RabbitRabbit77@reddit

I don’t think RC’s fail, but they do only last about 10 years. I have one that’s 8 years old and it’s already giving me problems.

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belfast-woman-31@reddit

Yes sorry that’s what I meant by fail. Thank you for clarifying.

Both mine just crumbled and broke after a few years.

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EntertainerNo8806@reddit

So, as much as £700 is incredibly expensive, it's well worth it to me.

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ConsciouslyIncomplet@reddit

‘Castaway’ it….

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thecornflake21@reddit

This should be covered on the standard NHS band pricing. Your other option is take out a denplan policy for a year...

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B.S. I‘ve had a root canal on NHS.

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ShortGuitar7207@reddit

We have a private dentist for which we pay a monthly subscription. My wife needed a root canal and they refused to do it and said she'd need to get the visiting specialist to do at £1000! Why the hell are we paying our dentist, if they can't do basic dentistry?

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bennytheballjojn@reddit

I made the mistake of using an NHS dentist for a root canal......you get what you pay for. Ended up having to go to an orthodontist and paid £1800 to get it done properly. The standard of treatment was leagues ahead of what you get on the NHS. The tooth lasted 10 years and then had to be removed and replaced with a £3000 implant. If you can afford it just get it extracted and get the implant.

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tiggergirluk76@reddit

The NHS notoriously doesn't pay dentists enough to do a lot of work. If it doesn't cover their costs including staff and other overheads, there's no reason why they should be forced to do that work. They are private practices and not funded by public money. It's the government's problem dentists aren't paid enough for NHS work.

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Yeah my nhs dentist referred me to a private clinic for a root canal and it was about two grand. I was lucky to be able to claim part of it back through a work scheme but yes, unfortunately this is the shambolic state of british dentistry. I dont know how people are expected to afford it.

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CiderDrinker2@reddit

TIme to check out flights to Budapest.

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BednaR1@reddit

Go Europe. Much better care better professionals (doctors not technicians) with a much better and newer equipment. Even with plane tickets it will be much cheaper than that murder of a price you got

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FaithlessnessAny9564@reddit

At that price it would be cheaper to fly to another country and have it done there. That is shocking.

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Sauronshit@reddit

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Terrible-Group-9602@reddit

I'll have to brace myself for the cost

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Doily_Enjoyer@reddit

I was offered private specialist or the nhs dental hospital for mine because it’s my front tooth and appears to be calcified.

I did take the private referral (for the waiting time) but got pissed about so much I never actually got anything done.

Is there a dental hospital nearby that they would refer you to? They did try to warn me off it, saying it would be trainees which was weird because it’s not like folk come out the womb holding drills and those wee scraper things.

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I had root canal work done privately because my NHS dentist said it needed a specialist. I was quoted £1800 in London, but there's a root canal specialist near my mum in Yorkshire and he did it for me for about £750 with a porcelain crown.

You need to shop around I think.

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firthy@reddit

I had a bogus’ done last week and it was £750 private, and I thought that was a lot…

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My guess is that they cannot do it due to the complexity. It’s entirely feasible that it could be referred to private - but equally feasible that the private dentist submit as NHS coverage.

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DrinkBen1994@reddit

I got an abscess from a tooth injury that required private treatment and I paid about 900. Maybe complex cases are more expensive but that does sound steep.

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Far_wide@reddit

Wife was told the same.

I know it sounds like a terrible idea, but I can recommend a great dentist in Tirana, Albania. Totally high-tech, fully English speaking etc. Plus you get to have a holiday in Albania, which I can also recommend.

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upsidedown_life@reddit

Well done for getting a NHS dentist. That in itself is a miracle 👏

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TheSecretIsMarmite@reddit

Not much use if they refuse to do NHS treatments at NHS rates though

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Own-Helicopter-5558@reddit

Yeah my dad had this and ended up having to go private, cost £1800 for the root canal.

I had been on NHS waiting list to have wisdom teeth out of 18 months after years of problems. Paid the NHS fee when I was referred in Jan 2024. Finally had the appointment on Friday after 3 cancellations, sat in the chair at the hospital with the plastic apron on ready to go, talked it all over with the dentist and signed the waiver and another dentist walks in, sticks a finger in my mouth and says "Sorry we are not going to do this procedure, the benefits don't outway the risks." I said I had been in agony for years, multiple infections needing antibiotics, regularly on codene for it. She just didn't want to do the job.

4 days later and I am still completely dumb founded. I am not convinced we have a health service anymore, the staff I have interacted with over the last few years just don't want to work, it was the same on the maternity wards when my kids were born.

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Ok-Variation3583@reddit

Look at getting referred to a university dental hospital, I got one for free before

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blue30@reddit

I've had root canal on NHS probs about 5 years ago. There was a max payment cap of a few hundred quid.

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Complete_Item9216@reddit

Call 111 and explain the situation. They will most likely provide an emergency dentist and you will pay NHS fee. Will not be the best practice though.

haigscorner@reddit

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Dragonogard549@reddit

sounds plausible an NHS dentist wouldnt do them but that private price isnt realistic at all, looking half that, at mosty=

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RonLondonUK@reddit

NHS dental treatment is divided into three bands, each with a set cost.

Band 1: covers examinations, diagnoses, and advice, and also includes X-rays and a scale and polish if needed.

Band 2: includes all Band 1 treatments plus fillings, root canal treatment, and extractions.

Band 3: includes all treatments covered by Bands 1 and 2, plus more complex procedures like crowns, dentures, and bridges.

A root canal treatment falls under Band 2, meaning the cost is £75.30 in England.

This fixed cost provides an affordable option for patients needing root canal treatment, ensuring access to essential dental care.

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PatserGrey@reddit

Can you check with different dentist? It may be quite a while back but I had RC done under NHS, the only real expense was the more expensive crown I opted for

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Princes_Slayer@reddit

Blimey I was scared of needing my first root canal (I’d heard horror stories from friends). I told my NHS dentist to just pull it (side of mouth) and they talked me out of it saying I’d have a gap and might not like the appearance, but to at least give root canal a try. So I did, and it was a none issues. Cost me tier 3 price

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