Emergency NHS Dental treatment can anyione receive it?

[nellypope]

I am a privately registered dental patient (there are no NHS places available for me) and last December (4 months ago) I needed an emergency filling in a back top right molar. Obviously I had to pay for this (£95)! The dentist told me that I would undoubtedly need a root canal on the tooth within the next month. I went back a month later to see my dentist for this root canal and was told that it would be very expensive (£900). . . I cannot afford £900, especially as I was then warned that the procedure may not be effective.

It's now April, and the tooth has been OK so far, but I feel as though I have a ticking timebomb in my mouth, and that I may wake up some morning in extreme pain. SO my question(s) are as follows.

1) If the tooth has been OK for the last 4 months, is there a chance it will be OK now?
2) If I was visited with extreme pain, and was unable to pay at my regular dentist, would I be eligible to be treated at an NHS emergency clinic.
3) How painful are self-extractions, should I need to get handy with my husbands pliers ;-)

[LoftyLottie]

As far as I know anyone can attend an NHS emergency clinic.

[LoftyLottie]

http://www.nhs.uk/chq...=74&subcategoryid=742

[J9PUR]

To answer all 3 questions:
1) Unlikely. Depends on the reason why root canal treatment was neccessary (carious exposure of the pulp? degree of exposure? non-vital pulp chamber?).
2) Yes
3) Not to be recommended, especially for an upper molar, unless you are happy to fracture your maxillary tuberosity, create an oro-antral fistula, fracture alveolar bone, fracture adjacent teeth, loosen adjacent teeth........

[Old_Geezer]

Have you since tried to see if an NHS dentist is taking on more patients recently?
It appals me that we pay into a system and yet the service isn't always there.

[boxtops]

I've had private root canal treatment over the years and none of mine has cost £900 - the last one - including a crown - was much less than that.

[sometimesit]

You should try 2 things.
I ring your dentist for advice. Tell them that you cannot afford that sort of money.
Can they recommend an NHS dentist.

If that draws a blank the ring your doctors surgery as they will have details of local dentists taking on patients.

From my experience my dentist has always been helpful with advice and support.

Also my doctor has infomation about dentists as does pharmacies.

You are not alone with this problem
Whatever you do don't DIY dentristry as you will probably end up in A&E in a lot of pain.

[DTCwordfan]

Yes go for the self dentistry, nelly. We would appreciate it if you could report back with descriptors of the technique used, the results, the pain, the blood and follow-up.

And if you could arrange a YouTube upload, that would be brilliant.

MB after a dentist's name means "More Blood."

[ubasses]

http://www.nhs.uk/ser...x?ServiceType=Dentist
Have you tried the above nhs website, you put in your postcode and can tick a box to only show dentists that are taking on new patients.
I cannot believe how bad some parts of the country are, where I am we have them advertising for patients.

[bednobs]

haver you actually tried for an nhs dentist recently? i ask because there is a big government push on getting people to an nhs dentist. Also the way dentists work might mean they have space at the beginning of the financial year (april) Where do you live?