$5,000 !! Seriously!?!

[zippitydooda]

Sorry double posted.... I hate it when that happens.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

My former room mate had a missing tooth right in the front and she wore a little retainer thing with a fake tooth before she got the implant. Maybe you could check this out, even if just for the fact that it will make you feel better about smiling! I know my friend had to take it out to eat, but she lived well around it. This might be a better temporary solution until you can afford the implant! And I definitely second the second opinion!

 

[speckledhen]

Dental care is ridiculously expensive. It should be included in your regular medical coverage since your teeth can cause all sorts of health issues including migraines, jaw pain, etc.

 

[zippitydooda]

Quote:
X2

 

[Whispering Winds]

Quote:
This is true, and its the last year ready to graudate students who work on you, with the instructor just a few steps away. About 50% less. You might as well plan on staying the first day about all morning or afternoon, whenever your appt. is, because they are s-l-o-w and very precise in everything they do. . .but the savings is substantial.

 

[Whispering Winds]

Quote:
X2

x22

 

[TCollier]

I know here in our area there are a couple of dentist offices that are income based that do everything. My girlfriend lost her job and only paid a fraction of what the actual cost was while she was on unemployment. You may need to check into that I know it helped us out quite a bit. You may also have to get on a waiting list but it can be worth while to check into it. Check with the department of family services in your area for income based dentists and doctors.

 

[australorpchick]

Definitely shop around. It took us four trys to find a honest, good dentist here in Texas. We go to the dentist every 6 months and take really good care of our teeth. The first one we tried told DH that he needed all of his old fillings replaced and his crown replaced (but no new cavaties), gave him a $1,500 estimate and demanded full payment on the spot. The second one I tried gave me the price for a deep cleaning before they even examined me. Then proceeded to give me the most painful gumline exam I've ever experienced. Yes my gums were bleeding, because they heavy-handedly stabbed each gum until it sunk in to level 5. Funny, since 6 months prior, I had level 1's. Even worse, my gums are a healthy pink, and the crazy hygentist's gums were red and her teeth were nasty looking. They also told me I had a cavity. I paid cash for a second opinion and there was no cavity. The third dentist, billed my insurance for putting enamel on all (I mean all, including molars) of DDs' teeth, without my permission and here's the catch, without actually doing it. I threw a hissy and had them refund me the money, since it came out of my FSA. We finally found a great dentist right near our house. No cavities for any of us, and hubby just needs to have one crown replaced, as soon as we can afford it. Look into schools. I know there's an oral maxo-something-something surgeon who teachs at UTSA. Maybe there's a school closer to you.

 

[BlackBart]

Quote:
Yeah, dental is only covered in some cases if you are a immigrant, on Welfare OR have a Dental Plan through work or privately.

I pay 50% of all cosmetic dental work up to a maximum of $1200 a year. Big deal. I guess something is better than nothing.

Try a Dental College, they are usually cheaper.

 

[jodief100]

You can negotiate with doctors. I have a friend with a high deductable plan and he does it all the time. Most are reasonable people who understand these things. Shop around, get a few opinions and be willing to haggle.