Thursday, February 7, 2013

Lesion Sterilization and Tissue Repair ( LSTR), an Alternative to Root Canal

 For many days, my son was having sleepless nights because of toothache. He visited a  dentist  who cleaned and treated the tooth and gave him antibiotics and pain reliever for a week intake but the tooth kept aching.  He did not want the root to be pulled so the dentist suggested a root canal therapy His dentist was charging PHP3,000/canal. This is cheaper as compared to up to PHP5,500 per canal being charged by other dentists. So if the aching tooth needs up to 4 canals the cheapest cost to save the tooth by root canal is PHP12,000.

But, PHP12,000 is still a big amount so I thought of  inquiring for other options. I inquired from  other dentists but almost all of them were saying root canal is the only way.  I did not give up and still tried calling more dentists.  Fortunately  one dentist suggested Lesion Sterilization and Tissue Repair LSTR.  The dentist said LSTR is another way to heal and restore the affected tooth to normal form.

As explained by this Dentist, I learned this LSTR (Lesion Sterilization and Tissue Repair) is a cheaper alternative to root canal. I learned further that most dentists who perform root canal are against and won’t recommend this procedure obviously because of competition.

So, instead of Root Canal therapy my son opted for LSTR. At first he was reluctant but after thinking of the savings, he consented. It was good that his tooth X-ray showed his tooth is still good and can be restored, otherwise, LSTR would not be applicable anymore.

The LSTR procedure did not take long. He was worried that there would be no good results because of the simplicity and brevity of the procedure.  But after few days of observing, he was happy of the result.  No more aching, no more discomfort no more tooth sensitivity.

 After 2 weeks he returned to the dentist for permanent filling.

We paid the dentist the total amount of PHP2700 all in all which covers PHP2,200.00 for the LSTR plus PHP 500 for the permanent filling.

Not all dentist charge the same amount.  I checked with two other dentists who also do LSTR and they both quoted higher amount.  One charges PHP3000 while the other PHP5000.

Now the big question: For how long will the good effect of the LSTR last?  I think I owe you an update sooner or later.


7 comments:

Arnie said...

Hi, how is his tooth now? And who's your dentist? Im planning to get the same treatment for my tooth but Im hesitant that it might now last long.

Morning Girl said...

After 2 years, my son feels some pain again. It lasted for around two years without pain but now, it looks like he has to go back to the dentist again.

Unknown said...

Go back to the dentist and let the dentist see what happened with the restored tooth. There are a lot of factors that will contribute to the present condition of your son's tooth - take note even we say that it has been treated, a cavity have a possibility to recur. As we know, having a cavity is multifactorial - we have a susceptible tooth, carbohydrates or sugars in the diet, bacteria present in our mouth and it develops over time. This is how important to regularly visit your dentist. We can't say that once a tooth is restored it is forever. Remember a tooth restoration cannot and will not withstand any forces given to it. We chew, we grind - even our natural teeth undergoes abrasion (wearing away of tooth structure). The only way to maintain the health of our teeth is to have it cleaned every 6 months and have your teeth checked if it develops a cavity or the restoration has worn out , if it does have it filled again.

Morning Girl said...

Thank you Doc Astet, you are very right. It is wrong to assume that once tooth is restored it will be in good condition forever. Now I learned that we also have to maintain it by regular check up and also we have to watch what we eat perhaps.

Manuel Kim said...

i had it done just today. i hope it works for me. the dentist that did the procedure said that the success rate was about 80%

Morning Girl said...

I pray you will get it in full.

Kathleen said...

San ka po nagpaLSTR? Thanks in advance!😃