Well, I just got back from my root canal. Took about 2 hours. It was a "tough case" per the endodontist. When I finished, I went to the front desk and this young woman said, "Ok, your part is $680.0 today." Well, I have never had to had anything like this done. My regular dentist just bills me, or insurance pays. With this SjS, and not knowing what it was before so having zillions of tests, doctors, etc, my medical bills are through the roof. and I work 1 FT job (bad pay) and 2 PT jobs (even WORSE pay...lol) just to help my husband (we have 4 kids). Needless to say, I got a little weepy. I told her I would call the ins. company in the morning as soon as they opened for business then call her right back, have it paid quickly, blah blah blah. She just kept looking at me like I was an idiot, and said, "The insurance company is NOT going to pay for it all. And, besides it will take a month to get them to pay us." omg....I said, "Well, no one told me I had to pay upfront, and you called me 3 times about my appointment. I should have just had it extracted!" I was so upset. She never said ANYTHING nice. When I left I assured her that I would call her (OMG, this endo knows my brother in law, an orthodontist!) She just rolled her eyes and said, "ok..." smirk. :'(
I can never get a break.
Wow Cat - two hours is a long time! :o I've never had a root canal - but have heard they are ridiculously expensive.
Any dental work is expensive!! Our dental insurance only covers $1,000 a year and that can quickly be used up. I'm not sure what it is that makes dentistry so expensive?!?
Not to discourage you, but just something to keep in the back of your mind . . . many of us with SjS have dental "issues". Mine would just literally crumble to pieces even if I wasn't eating anything. The lack of saliva does a number on our teeth.
Hope the pain you've been experiencing over the weekend is gone now that they did the root canal.
How in the world do you find time to hold a FT job, plus two PT jobs? Do you get to sleep at all?
Bucky
Oddly, I had a root canal appointment today too.
Alas, when he got in there, we found the tooth was too far gone to save. I ended up getting two teeth pulled instead. I look like I've been clubbed upside the head, but in the end, I suppose it's just as well. My dentist has recommended a couple dental implants in the future to restore my chewing surfaces.
I'm hoping I caught the rest of my teeth in time.
Big sympathy for you. The costs is so significant and dental coverage is ridiculous. My dentist is really good, and I don't mind him being reimbursed for his expertise. But it sure would be nice if insurance companies would get it through their thick penny-pinching skulls that dental health is SUPREMELY important and deserves real coverage. It's like these people think I WANT to go get 9 root canals for what exactly? Cosmetic purposes? Really.
Punks.
Bucky,
I have a teaching degree, but decided not to teach, so I am labeled a Highly Qualified Teaching Assistant. I also, open, close and clean my church. My husband vacuums the sanctuary. I also clean my Chiro's office. My husband has been doing most of it because my energy is so low.
Ravven,
Thank you, a huge, soft hug to you! My brother-in-law is an orthodontist and told me that if I didn't have the RC it may cause all kinds of things like headaches...I already have migraines...but, I tell ya...for the cost??...I'll have any teeth not in my smile yanked!
I had a pretty bad infection in the tooth where we had wanted to do the root canal and that's definitely no good.
The one thing I talked about with my dentist is making sure I have enough chewing surface overall because of the digestive issues that Sjogren's folks tend to have. We wanted to preserve as much of my natural bite as possible. I really don't want to have to "smoothie" my diet for the rest of my days, ick! Now I'm having to look at the cost for 2 implants. Another ick.
Don't know which prospect turns my stomach more :P
Hope everything turns out well for you! The root canal I got just over a year ago has worked out well for me.
I too have dental issues that need to be addressed and some of my teeth "broke/crumbled", and gums.
Bucky, I was told that as this is due to Sj...then medical insurance covers the dental repairs.
I will have to do research on this, but, in the meantime if anyone has info/ links it would be appreciated.
Rayven-
Dental insurance companies.
Punks
LOL.
quietdynamics
I had to have some of my gums surgically cut to prep for two new crowns-one is a replacement-and the endo said he can see where the enamel has eroded from the back of my front teeth from throwing up because I have gastroparesis. The other two dentists that I have seen in the practice have not mentioned this (although it's something I've worried about since I started having symptoms of gastroparesis in November 2005).
I asked my health insurance company some time ago if they would cover dental issues caused by a health problem and the customer service rep told me the key is all in the billing codes. If the dental office has an experienced coder on staff and knows how to bill using MEDICAL codes (ICD9) instead of dental codes, you've got a good chance of getting approved.
Which reminds me that I've got to talk to the dentist's office about this very subject as the endo was through their office and very astute.
Have you, or anyone else on the forum, had any success with getting your health insurance to cover dental expenses? What ICD9 codes were used? PM me if you'd feel more comfortable.
Dental insurance is not like health insurance....It does not pay for much, maybe half of the cost if you are lucky and there is usually a cap of like $1800 or less per year. With my dental insurance the cost per crown is still about a thousand dollars out of my pocket. Dentists have to get the money up front now a days. I have a friend that is a dentist and she said that they had to start charging up front because so many people come in, have work done and don't pay their part so that billing after the fact is not an option. If you don't pay your part they will not finish the work as they should not. Lesley
QUOTE "If you don't pay your part they will not finish the work as they should not. Lesley"
Lesley, so leaving people in pain is okay? Terrible. Dental/Doctor services are so high because of greed and people who sue. (Well, okay, greed again!) No one (I) shouldn't have to suffer pain because they don't "think" I will pay later. And, yes, insurance companies only pay so much per year, but dental services cost so much more. Mine is $1500, with the RC being $1300, and the necessary crown being $800! With the pain I was having, I was in tears, and seriously didn't want to be around.
If you and the dentist can manage this, it usually works out for the best for you......Do part of the work and use as much as is left of your dental ins for that year. Many times they can put a "temporary" filling in and it will stay for up to a year (or whatever). When the next calendar year comes around, the dentist will then finish up the work and bill the insurance company. You, of course have to pay what's left.
I read this somewhere just recently. It might have been on here. My dentist has done this with me many times and he is totally straight arrow. Good luck all.
Yes, Lucy, I have done that,too! Great advice :)
Fisher: Whose acct has been deactivated?