So today when I left the dentist here in sunny Arizona with an estimate of $5000 to have two crowns and one root canal, I felt a bit -- how can I put this nicely--sick, screwed, scared, and generally @#$%! What am I to do?
Even with my insurance it would be $3500. That's a hell of a lot of money to fix a mouth that I can't believe is that messed up. I don't even know why I'm posting this. What do I expect you all to do? I just need a chance to mull this over. My husband's reaction was unprintable. He is not very willing to mull. He yelled and screamed and swore and swore some more. He threatened violent action against the whole dental profession.
So I called and cancelled the upcoming appt. that I had made. I don't know how that works...The receptionist was OK. (She didn't yell at me, at least.) Maybe they get cancellations a lot after people leave their office and have time to register what they've been quoted. I had been referred to this office by a lady in my church, so I thought I was making an educated choice by going there.
These are the times when I wish I were "home" in Idaho going to the dentist I've been going to for 35 years. I think he was a good dentist. He told me when I needed crowns, etc, and if I couldn't afford them right then he let me wait until I could. He didn't schedule two of them at once and then just throw me the horrendous bill. My teeth have almost all been crowned so how much more can we do?
Now I'm taking penicillin for an infected tooth that I knew was bad, and suffering from shock over the possibility of going into serious debt to try to get my dental work done. I finally went to one of our neighbors who has five children, knocked on her door just before dinner time, and asked her who they go to. I figured if she has five kids she must have a reasonably priced dentist. She gave me a name. I'll call as soon as I can and see what gives there. That's all I know to do.
All I really wanted was my teeth cleaned. That's all I wanted. I just wanted that pokey thing to pick at the tartar and then that spinny thing with the gloppy peppermint paste to spin over my teeth. Then they would spray water, I'd swish and spit and they'd floss out the pumice grains and I'd go home. My teeth would be smooth and slickery and I'd be happy. I wouldn't even have paid anything because my insurance would have covered it. My insurance would have covered it all!!
What the hell is happening to me here? Why does it have to be so hard? Why was my trip to the dentist not the least bit pleasant?
9 comments:
I hope the second dentist can give you some better news. It's always good to get a second opinion.
Oh, man, that's just terrible! So sorry you've had to endure this! Let us know what the second guy says, and, feel better!
I totally understand! I had gone to the same dentist in Twin Falls almost my whole life and finally decided it was time to bite the bullet and go to a new recommended dentist who filled seven cavities that I know didn't need to all be done (some were just minor decay from having braces). And after all of the work and money spent, my jaw started hurting horribly and I couldn't chew on that side. I went back and he told me that the tooth may have just had too many cavities filled and that I needed a root canal and crown. Seriously? I went in with NO pain and came out needing over $1,000 worth of work? So, I went to a specialist who told me that he didn't think that I needed a root canal just yet and that my roots may recover from the work done to it. After over a year, I can finally chew on that tooth again and haven't had jaw pain for a few months. Needless to say, it's been a year and half since that visit and I am going back to my dentist in Twin Falls this time! So, I understand your frustrations. Good luck figuring it all out!
Wow, that is seriously crazy!!!! I would deff get a second opinion.
Jo dear, calm down. This is what our dentist told me years ago when he had just started his practice.
In school, and in all those "conventions" they go to, this is what they are taught. You MUST schedule X number of procedures a day in order to make X number of $.
No Shit!
He said that he can't run his office like that, that he cannot with a clear conscience tell patients that they need work that is years away or maybe never needs to be done. I know this is true, my sister has worked for a dentist for years that works like this, and it's the norm!
Maybe a plane ticket to your old dentist would be cheaper and yield better results? Plus you could check in the loved ones:)
THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED?!?!?!?!? Oh my gosh.
Woah!
Oh man....how horrible. I hope that your second opinion goes much better!
I'm very suspicious. It seems to me the dentist has some very expensive toys to pay for.
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