kimbell1
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 274
Loc: Route 666, Painville, Texas 6...
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I started a thread concerning getting into this dental school in Texas and they were going to do some work on a root canal that has gotten bad. I had the repair work done and paid $490.00 After the endo work was done I had the gum directly above the tooth that was worked on receded about a quarter inch from the gum line. It has taken an act of God to get back in to this school for them to re-examine me.
I was told on my SECOND re-evaluation that I needed 5 tooth coverings (DB will censor the word), the left bottom wisdom teeth removed, a cavity filled and the cost would be no more than $1800.00. It was a bargain even though I first applied to this school for work on the botched root canal that caused the tooth to abscess under the Best if kept off the board that covers the tooth around January, 2004.
On Friday, I went back for my THIRD re-evaluation and now I find out that the cost did not include 'build ups ' for the tooth coverings which are usually needed. I may have to have the tooth pulled that I paid nearly $500.00 and spent 8 hours in a dental chair might have been for nothing. The new dental student that I saw Friday said that the tooth that was abscessed probably needs to be pulled and the one next to it needs a root canal. But it would be better in his opinion to pull both the tooth that was abscessed and the one next to it and have a bridge (I have no idea of the cost). I was told that I would be given an itemization for the dental work which did not happen. Now I am told instead of $1800.00 it will run at least $2000 and that probably does not include the cost of the bridge. The dental student's instructor checked his evaluation and I said that I might have TMJ since I grind my teeth. She rubbed under and around my face and said that I had swollen lymph nodes. I should have been at least given antibiotics for this since this indicates I have an infection (probably from the wisdom tooth that needs pulling.
I have waited nearly 10 months from the time I went that application to be a patient until Friday. I was in the endo department the second day that they were to finish on the abscessed tooth and I talked to this woman who said that social services got her into the school the next day. Must be nice.
This school has its head up its _______. For about $1000 more, I could already have started the dental work and be on the road to healing instead of this piece work. Fix a cavity this month and pull a tooth the next, etc.
So anyone considering a dental school and that it will be worth the hassles because you think you will get a good deal, THINK TWICE.
I don't mind giving out the name of the school that is located in Texas and I named it in an earlier thread about my dental problems and listed the name there. But at this point, I would rather not list the name unless asked and you are considering going to a dental school for dental work. So PM if you want the name of the school.
I also kept telling the would be dentist that saw me that I have had MAJOR headaches and I first thought that it was because of construction stirring up the junk in the fields that they were preparing for new houses. Now I figure that it is that wisdom tooth and it is emitting toxins into me causing the lymph node swelling. I am heading to Mexico if I don't get some antibiotics by the next visit in two weeks. I can get amoxicillian which is the same antibiotic that I was given by the dentist I first say before I applied to dental school. It is OTC in Mexico.
I don't know which will happen first, OD'ing on Tylenol or getting that wisdom tooth removed. And I kept stressing that I have these killer headaches. One poster told me that having a bad tooth removed made her feel like a totally different person. I know that if I was not retired and had the time to mess with this , there is no way a working person would have the time.
This is turning into a complete nightmare but there are now so many things wrong with my mouth that I doubt that ANY specialist could handle them all. I would probably be told to get in touch with the dental school since they have the resources to handle the job.
I feel like a charity case and yet I am expected to pay nearly what it would have cost in the private sector.
BTW, does anyone know what a bridge and removal of two teeth (number 14 and 13) would cost in a private practice? I am curious.
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Paranoia is just hightened awareness.
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want2bcalm
Member
Reged: 04/03/04
Posts: 120
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Please know that the $2000 is a real bargain. I have (weak) dental insurance. Maximum $1500 per person per year. I had my son's and daughter's wisdom teeth removed this summer. Just the wisdom teeth removal was $2500 per kid. I ended up paying $3000 of it because they had each used part of their insurance allowance on routine cleanings and sealants. I had a bridge done on myself years ago and it was over $2000. Teeth are very important. Keep them as long as you can. I too, grind my teeth and ground all the enamel off my molars which caused me to have countless crowns, root canals, etc. I have spent thousands & thousands of dollars on my teeth. It is a frightening thing. I am about to the point that the next for me will be implants.
Also had a tooth that had had a root canal and crowns done on it 2 or 3 times with all kinds of posts, etc. Finally, it got to the point where the dentist agreed that we just couldn't save it & I had it pulled. Luckily it was the last tooth in the back of my mouth so it really doesn't show. I cried when they pulled a tooth that I had spent thousands of dollars trying to save. However, the surgeon that pulled it said it had an abcess on the root that couldn't have been detected. I did feel better after it was pulled. Here is the real rotten thing---the tooth that was next to it is giving me fits. I get migraines on that side of my face & I'm sure they are partly related to the dental pain. However that is one of the teeth that the bridge is attached to so I don't know what in the heck to do. I can't go around with no teeth on one side of my mouth.
It is not just uneducated, poor people that can have bad teeth. I have endured every dental procedure in the book except for implants. I have had orthodontia 3 times. The worst was being convinced to have veneers put on my teeth that were the only non crowned good teeth that I had. What a rip off and the pain was excruciating. The dentist never really explained that they grind your teeth down to a post almost like they do when doing a Best if kept off the board. I think she damaged one of my nerves. My whole mouth would be in excruciating pain to the point where I would wake up. The d*r* dentist told me to take 3 advil. HA! I only wish the same pain on her some day.
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kimbell1
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 274
Loc: Route 666, Painville, Texas 6...
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MAybe you are right but I am so TIRED of these headaches. I also have lost about 70 pounds due to not wanting to much during the last 10 months. I see my primary care doc every month since January for pain meds and I get weighed each time and I am down at least 3 pounds a vist but usually 5 pounds or more. I showed the dental student my drivers liscense when I wiehed 218 pounds on the average and he could not beleive it was me since I now eight about 1`55 pounds. At least I look good and losing weight has helped my back problesm a little.
I agree that dental probems stink. While I have good medical insurance, I have no dental insurance that is worth the monthly payment. I would have to pay 3 YEARS before i could see the endo guy! And that is with about a $1500.00 limit which is a joke.
Good luck to the both of us on this.
Take care and I hope it works out for you. i though I had been through the wringer.
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dws1
Newbie
Reged: 04/27/04
Posts: 47
Loc: FL
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I am currently in the long process of getting implants and Best if kept off the board. Total bill will be 48,000.00$ now that to me is way too much. but because of my car accident I have to get it done. I can not believe how far they grind your teeth down for crowns. I have had surgery on my back allready. The dentist gives me demerol every time I see him but while he is doing the work all he does is give me novicane or the longer acting version. Oh boy I can't wait till I get all this finished!
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cmerts
Journeyman
Reged: 05/29/04
Posts: 87
Loc: my house
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When I had my root canals done and my bridge and caps done it was $1500 per tooth. I have soft teeth, grind them, and when I was younger I went to job corp and they make you go to their dentist to be a part of their program. Well they did unnecessary dental work and now I am paying for it literally through alot of pain and money. Finding good dental insurance that a dentist will actually take is a nightmare.
I wish you the best of luck. Can you find a good dentist in your town that will allow you to make payments? My dentist lets us trade computer work for dental work so that is nice but even then we still owe because their computers only have os many problems and my teeth have way too many problems.
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AngelWolf13
Enthusiast
Reged: 07/07/04
Posts: 258
Loc: w/ my '91 CE-24 in SoCal....
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i am so sorry that you two had to go through this. having dental problems affects not only the teeth but the whole psyche and causes any number of other problems. unfortunately, even with dental insurance, there is really no cheap procedure. when i had dental insurance i was still surprised how much a simple root canal set me back! after i got the thing drilled it was a looooong time before i could afford to get it capped! fortunately, for me, that was all i needed. i cannot even imagine what kind of hell it would be to go through what both of you have described! i am so sorry. have you tried western dental? oops, i don't know if that is just a california based organization or not. i just know that they take emergencies and offer a payment plan. might not be the best, but it's got to be better than that dental school nightmare you just went through! you are in my prayers.
the best to you both.
sincerely, c.(angel)
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kimbell1
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 274
Loc: Route 666, Painville, Texas 6...
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As to a payment plan, I don't think the school has one. Under normal situations, this would be a lot of money but it it me at a very bad time where I am paying off some big ticket items which will be finished (hopefully around this time next year).
If this dental stuff could mostly wait until next year with only the true emergency stuff like the wisom teeth and the bridge if that is what is needed and one tooth that affects my eating since it is directly below the tooth that was abscessed, then thing will be ok.
One thing good is the fact that they DO go slow and it will probably take this time next year to finish.
I know someone who had several teeth pulled in preperation for dentures and he was glad that he stockpiled all the pain killers he could get.
I never had a tooth pulled but one person that I know told me that he had one pulled and that it was so hard to pull that the dentist 9this was at the school) had to get on his CHEST for leverage. This scares the ____ out of me.
What a great time to have told my primary care doctor that I could do with less tranqualizers.
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kimbell1
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 274
Loc: Route 666, Painville, Texas 6...
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The abcessed tooth is called by me the 6 million dollar tooth after the old tv seies 'The 6 million dollar man'.
I want to keep this tooth in a botle. I may even have the thing bronzed when I can afford it,lol.
As for the old advil pain releif, I too wish the same pain you went though on that dentist because they can write hydro and other pain killers. I got hydro 7.5 after the root canal.
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dws1
Newbie
Reged: 04/27/04
Posts: 47
Loc: FL
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Well I have an appointment this thurs. to get my permanent crowns put on my to teeth then I start with implant work. Boy I hope that the oral surgeon gives me somthing better than mepregan(demerol/ prometh) pills, they don't work. I also have a question for anyone who might know.. I am going to be awake to have implant surgery has anyone ever gone through it awake? I can not wait untill this 48 thousand dollar 2 year nightmare is over. My teeth will probably be worth more than my car by then! 
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Lablady2
Member
Reged: 05/05/04
Posts: 174
Loc: New York City
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Dental work in this country is considered a "luxury" item it seems - not a necessity. I am fortunate enough to have a dental plan thru place I work - but you have to go to one of "their" dentists - not many good ones either - fortunate enough to have found one that is - because I am a dental disaster.
However, when I retire and move out of the NYC area - no dental plan dentists in California - and the cost of ONE Best if kept off the board can run upwards of $1200 - and my teeth are to the point where the next step is bone grafting and implants - $48,000 - could probably pay less for the condo I am buying - more like $148,000 with bone grafting etc etc. A real nightmare.........
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want2bcalm
Member
Reged: 04/03/04
Posts: 120
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Please keep us updated on how the implants go. I am so fearful to have them because it seems like every time I have any dental procedure it leads to more pain & more procedures. My teeth "look" pretty good because of the veneers, etc. but I KNOW they are not going to last forever and sometimes I will still have awful pain.
I just don't want to get into something like the veneers. They were really not necessary & as I said before done on the only "real" teeth I had left. The money isn't really the issue. It is more that I don't want to go from bad to worse because after the implants there is nothing left except dentures!
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kimbell1
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 274
Loc: Route 666, Painville, Texas 6...
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If you go to the doctor, does he try to find EVERY little thing wrong with you? No. But go to a dentist and they are bent on making everyhting perfect-not just addressing the problem you went in for. Compound this with the fact that most do not have dental insurance or bad dental insurance and you have to practically walk out until the dentist realizes that you are not going to pay for his kids college tuition just to get the dentist to fix the one problem you came in for. And I know that sometimes another problem legitmately emerges in the course of treatment .
Are dentist so hard up money wise that they have to do this hard sell? They are the ' car salesmen' of the health care system. Can't ever get that car that was advertised in the paper. But they always have a 'loaded' model available.
I have spent to date about $1300 for the original root canal and crwon and add the nearly $500 that I have spent on the endo work. I have spent nearly $1800 and still counting and in the end, the tooth will probably have to be pulled. We are not talking about a kidney but a back tooth.
I agree that teeth are precious but why can't we have proper dental insurance in this country? Anyone that thinks we have so great in this country SHOULD look at most of the countries in Europe where an operation does not bankrupt a family or individual. Same thing in Canada. And before anyone cries about having to wait for months to see a doctor or dentist, I had to wait nearly NINE months just to get into the dental school and I was never assured I would get in in the first place.
i would rather pay high taxes if they went to benefit me and the people of this country and the money be spent honestly than all these tax cuts and pork barrell contracts to Haliburton and all that money spent on Iraq.
We can not be the world's policeman or saviour. We should take care of or own people before we help other countries.
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Paranoia is just hightened awareness.
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moonshade
Old Hand
Reged: 12/01/02
Posts: 454
Loc: searching for my lost shaker o...
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I agree completely about the dental fees, and the very hard to get dental insurance.
I have tried to get just dental insurance, and it's near impossible. I found one company, but discovered only 4 dentists in my area took the plan. And they al had 4 month long waiting lists for any patient with that insurance.
Kimbell- U took the words out of my mouth! It's an awful situation.
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*** insert profound statement here ***
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kimbell1
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 274
Loc: Route 666, Painville, Texas 6...
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Before the state change to the crappy dental plans that they now offer, we actaully had decent insurance though it was not cheap. But the problem is that in the Dallas area, dozens of dentists were listed that were supposed to participate in the plan but when I started calling dentists, they never heard of the insurance.
When I did find a dentist that took the insurance, this was the worst dentist that I had used to date. I normally use this dental clinic that I am pleased with and they are usually inexpensive as dentist go and do not push care that you do not need. But one of the dentists there said I was going to need a lot of work. That is why I bought the insurance. Unfortunately, my dentist did not take the insurance.
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SuseCue
Member
Reged: 04/25/04
Posts: 169
Loc: Tampa, FL
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OK..My curiosity is killingme. Can someone PM me and tell me what is the word that keeps getting censored? I can't think of any dentel term that would also be a censored word. It is driving me nuts! lol
I just happen to be going over my benefits plan at work as it is the enrollment period for State employees right now.
I just realized I was paying $70 a month for Dental Insurance for me and my son. What a rip off! I don't think we even went to the dentist once in the past year. My son is going to be 16 years old and he had his last check up in August 2003 and still does not have one single cavity.
With me, my dentist spent all of 2003 replacing all of my fillings in my mouth because he convinced me they were old and needed replacing.
Well, the day he finished replacing the last filling, he shows me a payment plan for what he says I need next. Now he wants to start putting posts and crowns in all of the teeth that he just spent almost a year replacing the fillings in.
I just smiled at him and said no thank you. I think I will wear the fillings for a while before I get rid of them.
What a nightmare. I am dropping this Best if kept off the board insurance. I can't even afford the copayments. So what is the point of paying $70 a month?
Dentists have to be the biggest scam artists. I do have to say though that the whole year he spent working on me, he was very generous with the pain medication. I think he may have been bribing me...and it worked.
Susie
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Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
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barett
Newbie
Reged: 07/07/04
Posts: 46
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I hate dentists for the same reason. They used to charge what people could afford to pay. Now they want your life savings, your house, plus - a bank loan and credit card charges to the max. In other words, they can't imagine what could be more important than your teeth. Greedy sadists.
Well, who needs teeth with nothing to eat? Time for them to get real, and realize that teeth are #1,543 in the list of financial priorities a family has to pay.
Barett
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spondylo
Journeyman
Reged: 08/13/04
Posts: 68
Loc: Mid Atlantic Region
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Quote:
Are dentist so hard up money wise that they have to do this hard sell? They are the ' car salesmen' of the health care system. Can't ever get that car that was advertised in the paper. But they always have a 'loaded' model available.
What you said reminded me of what my retiring dentist told me once when he knew I was going to have to find a new dentist. "Some dentists think you should have a Cadillac Mouth; but some of us realize that people are perfectly happy with a good ole dependable chevy."
Sure enough the first dentist I tried after mine retired gave me a "plan" that sounds much like the one you got. I was appauled. So I moved on to another one who is very content to keep my "chevy" in good condition without major overhauls.
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kimbell1
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 274
Loc: Route 666, Painville, Texas 6...
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I love the old doctors be it medicine or dentristry. These young docs think they know everyhting and yet the old one got you well faster and cheaper.
They also seem like to be in health as a 'calling' than money like new docs.
They also are in general, the most understanding of pain. Maybe because they are at that age.
Thsi igves me a new idea for a thread Old doctors vs Young ones-which are best?
Thank you again for posting.
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