Dentist & Root Canal

Carly_2009

Just back from the dentist. Got root canal treatment done about eight weeks ago costing €500. I was told this is what i needed to do to save the tooth. So I said ok grand, I'll get the treatment (It was a choice between that and an extraction). Last week, while chewing gum, the tooth chips and a chunk comes off the back of it! So, I make an appointment and go back. I'm in the dentist chair all of five minutes max and he attempts to charge me €65 for the pleasure of him telling me I need a crown. I argue saying that I shouldn't have to pay for work that I've only had down a couple of weeks ago that went wrong. So, he says he'll only charge me €40.

Does anyone else think he was wrong to charge me to repair work I've only had done?? In all fairness if you had a tradesman in repairing something in your home that went wrong you wouldn't expect him to charge you.

Does anyone know if I have any course for redress??

Oryx

I had a root canal a few years ago. I was warned I would eventually need a crown. I was also told not to chew gum if I wanted the tooth to survive longer.

My dentist does not automatically charge for the type of return appointment you had, but he did charge for the additional crown when I did have to get it done a year after the root canal, (and I was just lucky I got a year instead of your week).

The only irritant I would see in your situation is his charge for your return visit, which is handled as a courtesy in lots of places. But he is entitled to charge for his time, youd have to demonstrate shoddy workmanship on the root canal to attempt to get free return work.

antoinolachtnai

You thought it was warranty work?! It's not like getting your car fixed, medicine just doesn't work that way. It's strictly pay as you go.

He really should have told you that there were risks, and that you might ultimately need a crown, or that other issues might arise. That's part of managing the case.

Cabaal

Getting root canal work is not some sort of guarantee that your tooth will be fine, there are risks and you just happen to be affected by one