Hi there
I had a root canal treatment that didn't go according to plan.
The lady who performed the treatment for £320 told me that she could only get access to two of the three roots and that I had to be referred to an endodontist and even thou I paid the full amount to her, I had to pay again to the endodontist to get the remaining root and then get back to her to do the filling for another price and she never mentioned before starting that this scenario could happen
At that point I was pregnant and even thou my tooth was uncomfortable I never went back to her or anybody else until I had a chip on the same tooth 2 years later.
Then I went to another dentist because I lost faith on the first one and this second one told me that by the look of my x-rays things seemed to be quite normal and that he was probably able to treat the root as well as fix the chip
On my second visit to him, he clean it all up, put some air then some filling, then the blue light and so he closed the tooth with a nice white filling.
So I asked if he managed to reach the remaining root and he told me that he thought that it was better to just close it, he charged me £179, I still have the discomfort of a very sensitive tooth
I'll need an endodontist, so another fee plus the fact that his work will be all taken out for the root to be treated and then I'll need another filling.
My question is, how can all this happen? Do I have any rights on refunds?
Are these procedures within the law?
Please help, I'm from Brazil and there things are very different, I don't understand the laws around here for this kind of things
Thank you very much in advance
Hi, I believe the dentist was incompetent. By leaving a root canal live it will cause sensitivity in the tooth. The whole idea of root canal treatment is all roots are taken out and then filled, thus leaving the tooth in effect dead, so that no pain will occur - AT ALL. An xray should then be taken to check that all canals have been filled properly. The root they left in may well die but it may take years, or the root could become infected. The second dentist you went to should have queried the previous dentists treatment and why they just filled it to can only mean they to were incompetent. I have just had my second root canal treatment and my dentist says that the amount of roots can vary to each person and tooth. They are extremely fine, the size of a hair and take sometime to extract, in fact an hour and a half but my dentist charged 4 times the price of yours. I am not saying just because you paid less you shouldnt get perfect treatment. I definitely believe you have grounds to demand your money back from both dentists and I personally would write a letter explaining your discomfort and that the procedure they carried out meant that you havent benefited at all from your treatment. Is there a dental association you can complain to???? Do not have the tooth out though just because of these dentists. A tooth extraction can cause many problems one being bite as the teeth will move. You may need to consider going to a dentist that maybe your Doctor recommends or someone who you know would not put up with shoddy work. No dentist should leave a root canal in. Ask a neighbour, work colleague who they go to and eventually you should find a dentist that can do the work properly.
Just had an emergency extraction of a second molar. Had a root canal on that tooth over 10 years ago followed by a crown. $2000 for both. Went to dentist about 2 weeks ago and he took an xray that showed they left the tip of each nerve which left bacteria in them which had just now caused an abscess. Sent me to the endodontist who said there was a 50/50 chance of saving the tooth with a re-do root canal. Spent 2 hours in the chair only to find out the tooth could not be saved. Sent me home with another prescription for antibiotics (had finished my first course of 7 days) and told me to see my dentist for extraction ASAP. Charged me $500 and still had the infected tooth. Called my dentist and set up appointment for extraction next Tuesday. He said call him if the pain got too bad and they would remove the tooth emergently. Lasted 1 day and had to go last Thursday to get it out. I asked him if there was anything I could have done to prevent the infection. He said no, that the bacteria was left in there after the first root canal and had just been dormant for all those years. Regret trying to save it, the extraction was only $63.
I have a cracked #12 molar that needs either a crown or root canal ... But dentist said he wouldn't know til he starts to do the crown.
Then if he needs to do root canal he'd have to refer to endodontist because tooth has 3 roots ...
I don't want to extract but is that the best option
I have always had good teeth none missing but now this a worry
Any advice