did you ever think you were getting jipped by your dentist?

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: S Freud
I've has similar problems, went to the dentist just yesterday, and its always nice when you pull up to park your car and there sits his brand new BMW.

don't begrudge him a nice car. how would you like to put up with people who complain the whole time they are there to see you that they can't stand you?

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: UltraPenguin
I felt ripped off when I went to the endotontist. The endo had the nicest dental office I've seen. $800-1000 for a root canal (30-40 minutes of work). I was uninsured at that time too! My regular dentist even jokes about how endos are making the big $.

they charge that much cause... they can. the alternative is getting your tooth pulled and then getting a bridge, partial or implant. still cheaper to get the root canal in the long run, and you get to keep your own tooth. nothing is better than that.

 

[Clocker]

Ya know i rather get ripped off by my mechanic than my dentist. I dont mind paying as much if i have to. I do mind getting more stuff done to my mouth than i really need too. that sucks. more work on a car, well its a bummer but at least it is not your mouth

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Clocker
Ya know i rather get ripped off by my mechanic than my dentist. I dont mind paying as much if i have to. I do mind getting more stuff done to my mouth than i really need too. that sucks. more work on a car, well its a bummer but at least it is not your mouth

how do you actually know the dentist is ripping you off?

 

[magomago]

Get good friends who will become dentists...two of my good friends will be dentists hopefully (one absolutely dominated their DATs) so I can visit both to keep them on their feet so they don't try anything...not that they would anyways

 

[UltraPenguin]

they charge that much cause... they can. the alternative is getting your tooth pulled and then getting a bridge, partial or implant. still cheaper to get the root canal in the long run, and you get to keep your own tooth. nothing is better than that.

I'm only bitching about the price of dental work in the US. In Taiwan the price for the same root canal is about 1/5.

A couple of years back, I needed to have four wisdom tooth removed. It would have cost a ton in the US. I saved ~$2k by flying back to Taiwan to get the work done (including airfare).

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: UltraPenguin

they charge that much cause... they can. the alternative is getting your tooth pulled and then getting a bridge, partial or implant. still cheaper to get the root canal in the long run, and you get to keep your own tooth. nothing is better than that.

I'm only bitching about the price of dental work in the US. In Taiwan the price for the same root canal is about 1/5.

A couple of years back, I needed to have four wisdom tooth removed. It would have cost a ton in the US. I saved ~$2k by flying back to Taiwan to get the work done (including airfare).

how much were they going to charge you here to get the 4 wisdom teeth removed?

 

[jfall]

and people wonder why insurance rates are high

 

[UltraPenguin]

how much were they going to charge you here to get the 4 wisdom teeth removed?

It was about 10 years ago, my dentist refered me to a oral surgeon. I think it was somthing ~ $3000.

My uncle (general dentist) in Taiwan extracted them for me, he lol'd at needing a oral surgeon.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: UltraPenguin

how much were they going to charge you here to get the 4 wisdom teeth removed?

It was about 10 years ago, my dentist refered me to a oral surgeon. I think it was somthing ~ $3000.

My uncle (general dentist) in Taiwan extracted them for me, he lol'd at needing a oral surgeon.

Were they impacted?

 

[UltraPenguin]

Were they impacted?

Yeah, I think most of them were impacted. I do remember one was a horizontal impaction. I remember that one because it looked so strange on the x-ray.

You can get discounts with some dentists and endo by offering to pay immediately. Sometimes 5 or 10% discount. At least some discount for a uninsured student.

Most of the foreign student I know never get any medical or dental work done in the US, unless its a emergency.

 

[Clocker]

you are right i dont know if i was ripped off. but if i had a choice of being ripped off it would be by a mechanic not a dentist.

thats the issue for me. since i do not know anything about dentistry i am like a gullible lemming.

best

 

[Coquito]

$600 for a nightguard. $2.49 for a mouthpiece from Modell's.

 

[AgentUnknown]

This is your health. Your health shouldn't be equated to how much the treatment plan costs.

 

[CorCentral]

Ahhhh, the sounds and smells of tooth drilling!
Luckily I've only had 3 fillings and a crown since '73

I hate dentists even though I have'nt had a cavity in 6 years, my palms still sweat waiting for the yearly checkup reading the car magazines in the waiting room :clock:

Maybe it's the alcohol in the beer that helps prevent cavities?

 

[probzy]

They are all expensive.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: UltraPenguin

Were they impacted?

Yeah, I think most of them were impacted. I do remember one was a horizontal impaction. I remember that one because it looked so strange on the x-ray.

You can get discounts with some dentists and endo by offering to pay immediately. Sometimes 5 or 10% discount. At least some discount for a uninsured student.

Most of the foreign student I know never get any medical or dental work done in the US, unless its a emergency.

Most general dentists here will not take on extracting impacted wisdom teeth. It's a much more risky procedure that they feel oral surgeons are better able and equipted to handle it. You are lucky you have an uncle who is a general dentist and still extracted them for you. what is the malpractice situation like in Taiwan? i'll bet it can't trump the crisis we have here.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Clocker
you are right i dont know if i was ripped off. but if i had a choice of being ripped off it would be by a mechanic not a dentist.

thats the issue for me. since i do not know anything about dentistry i am like a gullible lemming.

best

i wouldn't want to be ripped off by anyone...but that's me.

your teeth are really important. you can neglect work on your vehicle, and it's painless (except for your wallet) to get it fixed eventually. you neglect work on your teeth and it's not so painless. you have to eat every day and if you don't keep that oral engine tuned up it's not going to be a picnic.

people don't realize how many other health issues stem from not taking care of your teeth and gums. heart disease, premature labor, general malaise, facial changes, poor nutritional choices, and other bodily sicknesses can stem from poorly maintained teeth and gums.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Coquito
$600 for a nightguard. $2.49 for a mouthpiece from Modell's.

no way were you charged $600 for a custom nightguard. that is outrageous.
what dental office was that at?

as far as the $2.49, that's really going too cheap and not likely to protect efficiently from your bruxing.

 

[Clocker]

I think we may have a misunderstanding. Since I am concerned about my health i do not want any unnecessary treatments. I am also concerned about price but more importantly i do not want additional treatments that are unnecessary. and in turn those unnecessary treatments may be a detriment to my health.

 

[RalphTheCow]

Originally posted by: Clocker
I think we may have a misunderstanding. Since I am concerned about my health i do not want any unnecessary treatments. I am also concerned about price but more importantly i do not want additional treatments that are unnecessary. and in turn those unnecessary treatments may be a detriment to my health.

That's my complaint against my dentist. He did a root canal that I don't think was necessary and I think still has something wrong with it since the area around the outside of the tooth root hurts. It has felt worse after 2 years than it did before the root canal. And I think he should have discussed it more with me - he just went ahead and did it. I think he should at least have referred me to an endodontist.

 

[Yossarian]

you're a bunch of rabid anti-dentites! next you'll be saying they should have their own schools.

 

[Plasdom]

Originally posted by: Clocker
ok so how do you know if a dentist is a good dentist

Recommendations from people whose opinion you trust. Also, before they do any work, they should show you the x rays, explain what they are about to do and why.

I had a root canal recently on a tooth that was filled. No noticeable cavity on the surface ('cos of filling). X ray, however, showed that there was a small cavity underneath the filling and very close to the nerve.

 

[bobsmith1492]

I've never had a cavity, which is nice.

Unfortunately, my mouth sucks anyway; I had a gum graft when I was like 6, the drilled a hole to help my molar erupt when I was like 5, then had braces at 17, and finally implants for the upper canines (no adult teeth there). Fortunately, part of missing those two adult teeth was that I'm missing all 4 wisdom teeth.

I wish they just hadn't done anything in my freakin' mouth; then I wouldn't have to worry about keeping everything perfect instead of just cleaning them.

 

[Coquito]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: Coquito
$600 for a nightguard. $2.49 for a mouthpiece from Modell's.

no way were you charged $600 for a custom nightguard. that is outrageous.
what dental office was that at?

as far as the $2.49, that's really going too cheap and not likely to protect efficiently from your bruxing.

I have enough coverage for it, as long as nothing else major comes later in the year. This dentist was recommended by a ton of people, but I knew he was expensive prior to visiting. He's down in Forest Hills, off Continental on the R.

The mouth piece is thick plastic, & is molded to your teeth just like the guard. As long as I don't have to throw down an outrageous co-pay, I'll go with his prices.