Cannot afford dental implant - UK options?

[kellyrosie88]

Hello,
I recently posted before that the dentist said i need to have an extraction because i have a crown and the route canal tooth underneath the crown is infected, i originally thought that i may be an exception case on NHS but today i was struck with the news i'd need to pay over 2k for the implant.
I haven't stopped sobbing this morning as I can't afford the money, i am 32 and its the first molar on the left so if i have it taken out ill have a huge hole in my mouth which will be noticeable if i smile , the dentist also thinks because of my age dentures are not an option and i agree it would wreak havoc on my mental health as it has already thinking about it.

Is there any other advice that i could get, do you think going to another dentist might provide another option?
I am still crying and so stressed out, i couldnt afford the treatment even if it's in monthly installments

 

[MountainMama]

There is someone else on here who got a single tooth denture, which fit between the teeth on either side. I am pretty sure she paid for it out of pocket but it wouldn’t be as expensive as an implant.

 

[kellyrosie88]

There is someone else on here who got a single tooth denture, which fit between the teeth on either side. I am pretty sure she paid for it out of pocket but it wouldn’t be as expensive as an implant.

It sounds silly but a denture will really affect my mental health I’m just not ready for it

 

[MumOfBoys1985]

The only options I can see are - 1 single denture, a bridge if the teeth either side are strong enough to support a crown being fixed to them, an implant, a private re-treatmemt of the root canal by an endodontist or a gap.

Why won't they attempt to re-treat the root canal?

With the monthly repayment plans, depending which company your dental surgery belongs to you can usually get up to 5 years interest free credit. If you were considering an implant though you'd have to wait a while for the extraction site to heal before the process for implant can begin.

Understandably it's come as a huge shock so I think its important not to rush any decisions and just take some time to think about it all and get your head around it First of all.

 

[kellyrosie88]

The only options I can see are - 1 single denture, a bridge if the teeth either side are strong enough to support a crown being fixed to them, an implant, a private re-treatmemt of the root canal by an endodontist or a gap.

Why won't they attempt to re-treat the root canal?

With the monthly repayment plans, depending which company your dental surgery belongs to you can usually get up to 5 years interest free credit. If you were considering an implant though you'd have to wait a while for the extraction site to heal before the process for implant can begin.

Understandably it's come as a huge shock so I think its important not to rush any decisions and just take some time to think about it all and get your head around it First of all.

im not sure actually why they won't re-treat it as he said i could go private somewhere else for that, i think a bridge is out of the question due to my back molar has a quarter of it missing and that also needs to be filled at my next appointment so im guessing extraction and dental plant is only route to go down with them but gutted for the costs lol

 

[Gordon]

The bridge isn't out the question because of the back tooth, if it needs a big restoration anyway then a bridge would be less destructive than if the tooth was healthy. I would think an opinion from an endodontist would be money well spent though.

 

[kellyrosie88]

The bridge isn't out the question because of the back tooth, if it needs a big restoration anyway then a bridge would be less destructive than if the tooth was healthy. I would think an opinion from an endodontist would be money well spent though.

I reached out to other dentists in my area and one has come back and said a re-root canal and crown would be a possibility, with half the cost of an implant- is the re-root procedure alot more horrific than the implant? as I am extremely nervous I need to weigh up my options of saving a bit more for the implant and extraction or paying half the price for a re-root canal treatment.
I am confused what to do but I want to proceed with the simpler treatment - I cried in the dentist chair today just having an xray and then he spoke about how i'll need to see the hygienist too and booking fillings and i just cried, I am so fearful of the dentist.

 

[letsconnect]

@MumOfBoys1985 - he probably won't want to attempt the retreatment himself because it demands a high level of technical skill/training (and specialist equipment). So an endodontist (specialist in root canal treatment) would be more appropriate. Under the General Dental Council's rules, they must not attempt any treatment that they are not trained to do or that they don't feel confident to provide (" If you are not confident to provide treatment you must refer the patient to an appropriately trained colleague.").

@kellyrosie88 - Some people on this forum have been able to get a referral to an endodontist within the NHS system for re-treatment (this was in England). This seems to vary from area to area though (apparently, dentists need to contact their NHS regional team to find out about the NHS specialist root canal provision in their particular area and the referral protocol). It might be worth asking your dentist about this, especially if you live near a dental hospital.

As Gordon said, getting an opinion from an endodontist would be money well spent if you're considering getting it retreated. They would be better able to tell you if a re-treatment would likely be successful or not, and whether an implant might be a better option?