Dental Scam Perhaps?...

[TomBrown]

I have a 2 year old filling on a molar that is causing some discomfort and got a recommendation to visit a nearby dental clinic.

However, after getting a 200 Baht x-ray, they said they weren't sure if I'd need a root canal or just a new filling (or replace two fillings next to each other).

The quoted price for a root canal would be 20,000 Baht, that's beyond my budget for just now. Once I got home I checked their web site which had the fees, and a molar root canal treatment was displayed as 8,000 Baht.

Obviously any trust I had with this dentist has pretty much gone and am looking for a new dentist.

I suspect that I only need a new filling, but I do have a small dull pain in my tooth so maybe I do need a root canal(?), however I'm not paying 20,000 baht.

Reading through the forums here there are so many recommendations and varying costs.

Ideally I want an honest dentist who will tell me if it really is just a replacement filling (or two) or if I really need a root canal.

Any recommendations from experience?

[mettadoc]

Depending on how many roots need to be filled, the cost might vary (teeth have either 2 or 3 roots). Also, typically once a root canal surgery has taken place a crown is placed on top, as teeth treated by root canal surgery become brittle and are in danger of fracturing. Possibly the dentist already included that cost in his estimate. You will find great dental clinics in Soi Tonglor, not cheap but excellent quality. When it comes to dental care, I would not shop by price alone. If indeed you do have an ongoing dull pain, you may indeed be a candidate for root canal surgery. Good luck!

[CHdiver]

Depending on how many roots need to be filled, the cost might vary (teeth have either 2 or 3 roots). Also, typically once a root canal surgery has taken place a crown is placed on top, as teeth treated by root canal surgery become brittle and are in danger of fracturing. Possibly the dentist already included that cost in his estimate. You will find great dental clinics in Soi Tonglor, not cheap but excellent quality. When it comes to dental care, I would not shop by price alone. If indeed you do have an ongoing dull pain, you may indeed be a candidate for root canal surgery. Good luck!

Where is that road in Pattaya?

To the OP, Root Canal Work is usually around 6 to 8k Baht for a back Molar here in Pattaya (the one in the front are cheaper). If you use the Search Function on the Forum, our valued Forum Member Tropo did recomend a Dentist some time ago. Search Tropo and Dentist you you will find it.

Edited July 28, 2010 by CHdiver

[swisstouristpattaya]

Depending on how many roots need to be filled, the cost might vary (teeth have either 2 or 3 roots). Also, typically once a root canal surgery has taken place a crown is placed on top, as teeth treated by root canal surgery become brittle and are in danger of fracturing. Possibly the dentist already included that cost in his estimate. You will find great dental clinics in Soi Tonglor, not cheap but excellent quality. When it comes to dental care, I would not shop by price alone. If indeed you do have an ongoing dull pain, you may indeed be a candidate for root canal surgery. Good luck!

Where is that road in Pattaya?

To the OP, Root Canal Work is usually around 6 to 8k Baht for a back Molar here in Pattaya (the one in the front are cheaper). If you use the Search Function on the Forum, our valued Forum Member Tropo did recomend a Dentist some time ago. Search Tropo and Dentist you you will find it.

go to nakhon phanom, 3 x cheaper...and honest.

[MB1]

I have bookmarked a dentist in Rayong 089 Sukhumvit Road, T.Tha Pradu, A.Muang, Rayong 21000

Tel: +66 (0) 3887 6167..

http://www.pattayadentist.com/clinic_directory/map_rayong_dental_center.html

The Rayong one is the one I use whilst in Thailand and have been happy with price and service, never used the one in Pattaya.

@PattayaDentist.com

88/14-16 Mu 5, Pattaya-Na Klua Rd., Na Klua, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150.

Tel: +66 (0) 3836 7449 Hotline: 08 7000 1551, the price list for root canal treatment is as follows..

Front tooth (incisor to canine) 2,500 baht, back tooth (pre molar) 3000 baht and back tooth (molar) 5000 baht..

Give em a call and see if the prices I've given are correct..

Link to price list below..

http://www.pattayadentist.com/prices.html

Edited July 28, 2010 by MB1

[sarahsbloke]

I just had an infected root treated

Root canal 5,000bht (about 5 visits for my molar over 2 months)

Post and fill 1,200bht (1 visit)

The tooth will become brittle in the next year, so crown after 6 months (have to wait to see no re-infection in root)

Crown 5,800bht (2 visits)

You don't always need the post, but you will need the crown ... the tooth will break if you don't.

Things like x-rays are usually included in the price, shouldn't be any extras.

I would go somewhere else.

Edited July 28, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[TomBrown]

Thanks for all the advice.

I'll add Pattaya Dentists to my short list of dentists.

sarahsbloke; Where did you get that root canal done? Would you recommend the place?

[flyingfox]

I would think a hospital like Memorial would have better rates than a clinic. Any thoughts?

[thatguy]

APC dental clinic on 3dr road. They are just south of Pattaya north rd across from "Drive Golf" in the small strip of stores.38488677

[CHdiver]

This could be a good and cheap Dentist too, did read some good reports about this Clinic:

Dental 4 you

[PattayaParent]

I just had an infected root treated

Root canal 5,000bht (about 5 visits for my molar over 2 months)

Post and fill 1,200bht (1 visit)

The tooth will become brittle in the next year, so crown after 6 months (have to wait to see no re-infection in root)

Crown 5,800bht (2 visits)

You don't always need the post, but you will need the crown ... the tooth will break if you don't.

Things like x-rays are usually included in the price, shouldn't be any extras.

I would go somewhere else.

This is what my Kiwi dentist told me in Dubai when he did my root canal and I didn't want a crown.

He was right, 12 years later the tooth broke and I had to get the crown put in at the dentist on South Pattaya Road just up and across from Friendship.

[djinn]

Look the thread on the Pattaya forum "the finest dentist"

[NALAK]

been to many dentists last few weeks, i need root canal and crown so they say but non of them i have been to can do root canal filling, just say come back after filling and i do crown, so i have decided to wait until i go to England in a month get an honest opinion from a dentist and know it will be the truth. ok will cost more but i am sick of these every thing needs a crown lot. dentist, vets,doctors should all be made to wear masks. dick turpin did so we all new he was a crook.

[mollyp]

german dental laboratory on the hill on the left going down into jontiem---------------take a look

[leemo]

Absolutely agree with molly. Having tried 'recommended' dentists in double figures over my first 5 years or so in Pattaya, and at great cost in terms of both money and damage to previously trouble free teeth, Micheal at the German Dental place on the hill gave me a full examination and then sat me down to explain the works. They also have their own lab on site, so everything is done to higher and controllable standards.

The full Monte wasn't cheap or even modest but I didn't expect it to be, having been through the mill with 'read a book and bought a certificate' robbers wearing white coats, many of which I suspect aren't properly qualified to treat animals let alone people.

But 4 years later and with a guarantee for life (yes you read right!) which includes annual visits for (free) cleaning and general service, the confidence that comes from peace of mind is priceless and I have no hesitation to recommend this surgery. And no, I am not on commission.

Note that proper dental care includes having teeth checked not just in throbbing pain but also in peacetime. Unfortunately, as with many other things we tend to take our teeth for granted and regret being negligent only when the problems kick off...take it from one who has regretted precisely that, and often!

Hope that helps.

[Mauric42]

german dental laboratory on the hill on the left going down into jontiem---------------take a look

Don't use that company (just near Sugar Hut, right?). The boss is a German who smooth-talks his clients and then has the actual dental work done by incompetent local Thai dentists (he takes you there in his car and then leaves you and goes back to his HQ -- probably for a few G&Ts). This is according to a British friend of mine who needed 2 adjacent crowns. So this German guy, probably to save money, got the local dentist to make a 'joined-up crown': the problem with that is that you can't then floss between the teeth and infection develops. The Brit had to have $3000 worth of work done back in UK to sort out the problem. I'm wise to this stuff as I'm from US and lived in Panama for 2 years where they try that shit all the time.

[tropo]

You want to hear about honesty. My dentist (Warin Leekpai on Pattaya Klang) filled my tooth with a temporary filling to test it out before he made the decision to perform root canal. After 3 weeks the pain was still there when I bit hard so I had root canal done. The total price will depend on what type of crown you decide on (gold, platinum or porcelain). I think from memory the root canal (3 visits) was 5000 baht and another 2000 for the crown. It's no surprise you need to book at least 2 weeks in advance for this dentist. He has a detailed price list in English and Thai on the front counter.

My wife had a sore tooth from biting a stone in her food. He saw her just before lunch, no charge, just to check it out. This guy is not greedy and very, very good.

Do a search for the exact location as it is documented on another thread. After this endorsement I may have to book 3 weeks in advance for my next appointment lol.

Edited August 5, 2010 by tropo

[PattayaParent]

I just had an infected root treated

Root canal 5,000bht (about 5 visits for my molar over 2 months)

Post and fill 1,200bht (1 visit)

The tooth will become brittle in the next year, so crown after 6 months (have to wait to see no re-infection in root)

Crown 5,800bht (2 visits)

You don't always need the post, but you will need the crown ... the tooth will break if you don't.

Things like x-rays are usually included in the price, shouldn't be any extras.

I would go somewhere else.

This is what my Kiwi dentist told me in Dubai when he did my root canal and I didn't want a crown.

He was right, 12 years later the tooth broke and I had to get the crown put in at the dentist on South Pattaya Road just up and across from Friendship.

The dentist I went to (can't remember the name but there's a complete glass window that you can see into the waiting room and the word ZANZHART across it) had wanted to do the root canal until he found it was not necessary so I'd assume he was capable of doing it.

Don't know his costs though and it was 12 years ago anyway.

Edited August 6, 2010 by PattayaParent

[Sleesy]

Hi Gents,

My Mrs has just been quoted by our regular Phuket Dentist...

9,000 thb for Molar root canal

4,000 thb for the post

10 to 16,000 for the crown !

Has anyone paid this much before ?

(Most I can find someone paying on Thaivisa is about 13,000thb)

Regards

S