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€1,500 just a tad expensive for a root canal?

  • 15-09-2008 10:54am
    #1
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,560 ✭✭✭


    Long story short - I recently visited my regular dentist after a bit of pain with my right-upper-5 molar.

    It has been heavily filled/restored over the years and he found an abscess under the existing composite filling.

    After putting in some anti-sceptic dressing and a temporary filling, he said that I'd need root-canals on the tooth. He said he could only access three of the four roots of the tooth and that he'd need to refer me to a specialist Endodontist.

    I managed to see said specialist last week. He said he can save the tooth, and that he can perform all required root canals on the tooth (4 in total) in one hour and a half appointment, but the total cost would be in the region of €1,500 - €1,800.

    Oh - and if the root canals work out, more than likely I'll have to fork out another €2K with my regular dentist for a crown next year.

    Apart from the money (!), I'm quite worried about the prospect of a solid hour and a half 'chair-time' under the drill.

    What do you think of (a) the cost, (b) the time and (c) should I just do a Larry Silverstein and say 'Pull It!' and go for an implant instead?


Comments

  • #2
    helimachoptor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,692 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    OP, I had a similar situation.

    Back molar broke off(approx 1/4 of tooth mass) went to dentist and she referred me to a guy in Foxrock (google limited to endontics) spent a good 2 hours in the chair didnt feel a thing. built back up the tooth. 1650 euro.

    Back to my dentist for a crown thats another 900.


  • #3
    Morlar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    helimachoptor wrote: »
    OP, I had a similar situation.

    Back molar broke off(approx 1/4 of tooth mass) went to dentist and she referred me to a guy in Foxrock (google limited to endontics) spent a good 2 hours in the chair didnt feel a thing. built back up the tooth. 1650 euro.

    Back to my dentist for a crown thats another 900.

    €2550 in total ? Is that for the same tooth ? Would you not consider a flight and hotel/weekend break to somewhere where its less expensive ?


  • #4
    egan007
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,934 ✭✭✭egan007


    Have you private health insurance?
    Seems high but also seems like there are complications...


  • #5
    youcancallmeal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,066 ✭✭✭youcancallmeal


    Wow and I thought my root canal was expensive at €800! I had very similar treatment to yourself op. It was a molar that had to have all four roots done by an endodontist because the roots didn't go as deep as all my other molars. Anyway it worked out well and I havent had any problems with it since. I had it done in two one hour sessions. No pain and the time flew by so I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. That was a bout 5 months ago and I'm going for a follow up shortly where if the endodontist is happy thats its going to last for a while then I'll get a crown which I have been told is another €800. Are you sure you were quoted the overall price for the root canal and crown? I was told what I was paying was the highest end of the scale for a root canal considering the difficulty and time needed to perform the procedure.


  • #6
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,560 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    egan007 wrote: »
    Have you private health insurance?
    Seems high but also seems like there are complications...
    Yes, but it doesn't cover me for dental stuff...I think I'll have to remedy that next policy renewal date.


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  • #7
    IanCurtis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,004 ✭✭✭IanCurtis


    Seems exhorbitant. I'd definitely look elsewhere.

    Dentists seem to charge whatever the fcuk they like. I went about getting a painful wisdom tooth removed, thinking it'd be around €200 or so and these robbers gave me a five year plan with about 4 appointments with consultants and all this rubbish.

    I said I'd rather have no teeth than pay what this "course of treatment" was gonna cost - over €4,000.

    They're worse than solicitors for robbing.


  • #8
    helimachoptor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,692 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    Morlar wrote: »
    €2550 in total ? Is that for the same tooth ? Would you not consider a flight and hotel/weekend break to somewhere where its less expensive ?

    Yeah just one tooth. I'll claim 40% back in tax so i'm not too bothered.


  • #9
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,690 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    I had a root canal a few months back on one of those big back teeth, four canals had to be filled etc, cost €750 for the root canal work, then €150 for a permanent filling a couple of weeks later after it had set.

    I'll get a crown on it soon, cost about €900 for the crown.

    The root canal work took about two hours, but the dentist took a break every half hour or so and took a fair few xrays so it wasn't that bad, and I didn't feel anything either.

    Dentist is in Dublin 1.

    I have VHI Dental which covered 70% of the cost, but you need to have a policy for more than a year before they will shell out on root canals etc.


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