Temporary Fillings - More Pain Than Before?

[margaretcarnes]

expect to pay about 80 for a check up, Around 30 or so per Xray (which they WILL do of course) plus hundreds if root canal treatment is needed. Crown wise most private UK dentists use Cerec - a rocket nose cone type material. Around 500 for a crown but very quick and easy using Cad/Cam.

Wow! is that the cost of private in the UK? I'm glad I'm NHS

Yes - and about 45 for a simple hygienist appontment twice a year. I lost my old NHS dentist of course with moving to the LOS in 99 before the big shakeup. But to be honest - even though I now live close to a UK dentist which is supposedly taking on new NHS patients - I am wary of making the move back to NHS from private. Main reason being that friends who have remained with the NHS just don't seem to get the same attention or quality of treatment - and still have to pay at least part of it.

There are plenty of health schemes these days which help to pay for dental costs as well. At the moment I am contemplating giving the NHS one a try while remaning on the books of the private dentist and see how they compare before making a decision either way.

One thing is for sure though, my old dentist in HH did a much better clean and polish than they do in the UK these days. At least it felt as if something had been done!

[Albie Quick]

Hi, thought I'd add something to the discussion as I worked for 2 years for a series of private dental practices in the UK.

5 years ago, the cost of root canal treatment and crown ranged from £500 - £700 in the practices where I worked, with ceramic crowns being the most expensive, (excluding gold crowns that is). I don't know the current UK costs, but be prepared for a shock.

As I don't think implants have been mentioned, I'll bring them into the discussion. I don't know what they cost over here but in the UK you're likely to have to pay around £1,500 per implant. It's worth bearing in mind that the best training and qualification a dentist can get in the UK in order to perform implant surgery is a 3 year Masters' Degree course. (My brother-in-law is 2 years into the Course and his Course fees so far are in excess of £25,000). Therefore I would always check out the qualification/experience of any dentist over here who was offering me implant treatment. One serious word of advice.... if you are considering implants, always ensure that the dentist has assessed the bone density in your jaw, and if he says it's fine, get a second opinion. If you don't have sufficient bone density, then implants are not a viable option and you might have to 'bridge' that gap!

[PeteC]

Implants here run approximately from 48,000 at many clinics, up to 90,000 Baht at the top hospitals. The hospitals are also able to do bone grafts to your jaw bone if you don't have enough native bone remaining. Have been told they use cow bone. Pete

[elem]

Thanks for a lot of useful info from everyone...I have to decide shortly on an implant or bridge, had a rootcanal treatment and deep cleansing and arificial bone (non-animal) put in since about one year. I am now in the process of getting several opinions on the bone density before deciding... and got a 'clip-on' fake tooth (or whatever they are called) done here for 1500B in the meantime...

[joehoover]

I would go for root canal, I have been told by 3 private dentists I need 4 root canals, I don;t doubt it as I have had problems for a year, huge swellings, abscesses, severe pain. I've had my gums cut by NHS to squeeze pus out, all unpleasant. Trouble is the NHS won't perform a root canal. They are supposed to and are supposed to do all the work for £200 for everything you need, but this is just not affordable so the NHS dentist will just say they need removing, lucky I looked online for opinions aswell as seeking other dental experts opinions as losing 4 molars would have meant no chewing of food for the foreseeable future. YOu may think you can get implants at a later date but they are more expensive and you can't have them if the decay and abscess has eaten away at the bone, I am missing a lot of bone in my jaw as it has been eaten by the decay so implants are not an option. Get the root canal, it is never worth losing your teeth, and it could mean you keep them for a lifetime.

I just had my second impacted wisdom tooth out which having left them so long had caused the damage to my other teeth by pushing in on the other molars roots. I am now deciding if I should pay for the root canals in the UK, although been uoted anything from £350 - £950 a tooth before the crowns or waiting til I am in Hua HIn or Bangkok in December. I may get the most urgent one done now and try and do the rest in Thailand.

Can anyone recommend a very good Edodontist in Hua Hin or Bangkok. From what I have seen they are not huge savings but would be if I get the remaning 3 of the 4 I need done there, could save me almost £1000

[Takiap]

Bangkok is full of world class dental clinics, but if you don't want to go that far, there are quite a few which have opened up in Hua-Hin lately as well. Our neighbor recently had root canal treatment and capping etc done at Dental 2000 and it cost 6000 per tooth.

[margaretcarnes]

Bangkok is full of world class dental clinics, but if you don't want to go that far, there are quite a few which have opened up in Hua-Hin lately as well. Our neighbor recently had root canal treatment and capping etc done at Dental 2000 and it cost 6000 per tooth.

That sounds like a pretty good price Takiap - in fact maybe even TOO cheap by Western standards! (Given what we have been hearing on here about prices.)
And you have come out and named a practice which is fine. But in my own experience the problem in Thailand was always that of finding a decent dentist who could do more than the basics, and who came with recommendations from other farang.
Hopefully things are changing. I never had a problem at all with my second HH dentist for cleans and simple fillings. But she - and I understand many other Thai dentists - wasn't licensed to inject. So she used a Chinese gum massage technique while doing a small filling which admittedly did work.
But earlier in 2000, having been bodged by Dr Nikhorn I spent 4 days in Bangkok searching for a dentist there to sort out the problem with no success. Granted in those days we couldn't seek advice on forums, but in one large flash practice on Sukhumvit I was led to a chair and examined and smiled and nodded at before walking out in absolute disgust because non of them spoke any English at all and just kept nodding and doing nothing. I was recommended to a practice on Patpong 1 which never seemed to be open, and eventually gave up on the search.
Last year Billy went to the dentist on Petkasem near the Breakfast Bar for an extraction and actually had an xray done first, which was progress. But the end result wasn't good with some bits left in the gum.
What we need here is some longer term results really together with more names of recommended practices.

[lizzy]

Just had treatment and a crown fitted by an excellent dentist at the Smile clinic on Petkasem near the Poly Clinic. Everyone there speaks good English and the dentist has trained in US amongst other places. The experience was pain free as she gives injections and cost 13,000 which included a follow up appointment at no cost. I could have had a cheaper option.
They advertise implants etc. I will certainly be using her services again when I come back to Hua Hin.

[dotx]

I go to a dentist in Bangkok who uses the gas (nitrous oxide). If you're afraid of dentists (like I am), the gas is a god-send. It's a great place, very modern, great dentists. I'm going back for an appointment next week because I need an implant. I've had root canals done twice (not in Thailand) and I'm glad I did that rather than extracting the teeth. The root canals weren't fun, but they weren't horrible either. Again, using the gas makes a huge difference.

[terry+carmen]

I also go to Smile dentist on Naebkhehad Road near "The Shed" they have quite a few dentist specializing in various treatments. Have had caps, extractions, bridge and fillings and other treatments during the last four year and ALL were painless. Never had that in the NHS butcher shops in the UK!

In every case where an extraction was considered an X Ray was done first. They avoid extractions where ever possible. I would recommend then to anyone especially treatment for children.

They have just enlarged the surgery adding more treatment rooms, free laptops while you wait, waitress service for tea/coffee but that is not always available. You can also use the 10% discount cards available around town.

[Noz]

Well, 3 weeks on from my original post and the temp filling is still holding. Have been chewing on the opposite side to be safe and no pain from it. Unfortunately another couple of health issues have taken precedence during my time in the UK, so any thoughts about dental treatment here have been shelved. I'm certainly more comforted about the prospect of root canal after reading some posts above and asking around during my visit, so thanks to all who replied. Like Terry, I used the Smile clinic on Naebkhehard Road near The Shed and although only had the one temp filling, found them to be pretty good, so might go back there. Just not sure how long I'll put off the visit though.........

[margaretcarnes]

I go to a dentist in Bangkok who uses the gas (nitrous oxide). If you're afraid of dentists (like I am), the gas is a god-send. It's a great place, very modern, great dentists. I'm going back for an appointment next week because I need an implant. I've had root canals done twice (not in Thailand) and I'm glad I did that rather than extracting the teeth. The root canals weren't fun, but they weren't horrible either. Again, using the gas makes a huge difference.

Hells teeth I haven't heard of any dentists using gas for years! Is it the complete knock you out gas or just used as a sedative dtox?
To be honest I'd rather have injections and know whats going on....

[dotx]

I go to a dentist in Bangkok who uses the gas (nitrous oxide). If you're afraid of dentists (like I am), the gas is a god-send. It's a great place, very modern, great dentists. I'm going back for an appointment next week because I need an implant. I've had root canals done twice (not in Thailand) and I'm glad I did that rather than extracting the teeth. The root canals weren't fun, but they weren't horrible either. Again, using the gas makes a huge difference.

Hells teeth I haven't heard of any dentists using gas for years! Is it the complete knock you out gas or just used as a sedative dtox?
To be honest I'd rather have injections and know whats going on....

You're awake. Sort of. You can hear everything, can answer, etc. but it's like things are happening far away, in another room or something like that. You can move with no problems too (very hard to open your eyes, though), in case you want to signal the dentist to stop for some reason. If they take the mask off (you usually keep it on throughout the whole treatment), you're completely awake before you can count to 10. But when the mask is on, you're just drifting off somewhere. Not in a bad way. It's actually a nice feeling. Hard to explain if you've never had the gas before.

[Brit Jim]

I would take it as it comes Noz, apart from them persuading you to have root canal treatment.

Thai dentists seem to be addicted to root canals, and will recommend it for any kind of problem that you have. I don't go to dentists here, as I know the old 'root canal' story will come out. If it's a back tooth, as in your case, I'd rather have it removed than go through the expense and pain that root canal treatment will obviously result in.VS

I could not agree with the above more!!!!

Ive just had root canal surgury in London on the NHS and to be honest I would always go for extraction from now on. Four trips to the dentist and they still cant find the final nerve in the tooth so they have referred me be to a NHS specialist to complete the process. I have to wait another 4 to 5 months!!!!

The pain in the affected tooth is horredouse and Im actually on the sick now! Im seeing my dentist this afternoon and I will be TELLING him that I want it pulled out. Going private for canal treatment is approx £700 ridiculous!

I would never do root canal surgury again!!!

The best options for pain relief have been:

1. Cloves oil dabbed on cotton buds onto the affected tooth.

2. TCP

3. Co - Codamol if available?

[GLCQuantum]

Never remove a tooth if there's a chance of saving it.