Sticker Shock!!!

[Epson]

I know all about the high cost of medicine and procedures, but when I went to get a root canal today and was told it would be over a grand, I said pull it!  In the last seven years I have had 2 root canal and they cost less then half of what I was quoted today.

Has the cost of dental work increased that much in the last couple of years, fillings cost the same.  I told the Dentist that with SS all my teeth are probably going to crumble and at those prices it will cost me 40 Grand to fix all my teeth.  It might be cheeper to pay someone to chew my food for me and feed me like a baby bird

[eyeamdry]

Epson, does that include a crown (or cap) on the tooth?  Probably not and if you needed that, it would be $1,000 more.  I might have a dozen teeth left of my own.  The rest are crowns @ $1.000 each.  I didn't pay 1,000 for all because I've had some for 20 years.  It's a tough decision for sure.  I know I'll face the day soon that I'll have to make a decision to get mine pulled as I won't be able to afford to keep them up.  Lucy

[Epson]

Dryeye,

That price didn't include the crown, I thought the root canal and crown would be a grand.

[Reenie]

Hi Epson,

I've had multiple root canals and the price has varied greatly over the years and from dentist to dentist and tooth to tooth.  Consistently, the molars have been more expensive for both root canals and crowns, compared to the pre-molars, canines, and front teeth.  Also, the endodontists are more expensive than a regular dentist.  So if it's a molar and the quote was from an endodontist, around a grand sounds about right these days.  It bites, doesn't it?

Reenie

[eyeamdry]

It bites, doesn't it?

All of my crown are aching talking about the price of this.  Especially the two gold crowns.  I may have to turn them in to the pawn shop.  lol. 

[Patze]

Hi Epson,

Brother, I feel your wallet pain!!!!  I have seven crowns with six root canals...I can tell you about some costs!  I've been lucky with this dentist so far, he's pretty good and a lot cheaper that the "really good one" downtown - who was only "really good" in his own mind (I might have to have a cap redone because his shoddy work, and I paid a mint to the turkey too (before I got dental insurance)!). 

Several years ago, I spent a good $1500 per tooth with root canal/cap with the old dentist, and about $800 (with insurance otherwise it would be about $1500 per) with the new guy.  The new dentist takes his time and chats with me, not just inject the pain meds and disappear - a big change for sure.

I'm with Lucy, this is the last rebuild as I'll not be doing this again, I just can't afford to do it again, and I am so sick of all the pain.  I don't know about you, my night walking friend, but I just had 3 under the gum line previously done fillings redone as they were just crumbling (and the dentist says he needs to fill some more that are new - oh, the agony of it all! ).  I'm getting to old for all this crap, and now I know why some folks just have their teeth pulled instead of having to pay/deal with all this mess.

Are you near a dental school by chance?  A lot of times, you can get some really good quality work done a whole cheaper than a regular dentist.  I know I once worked with a gal who did this, and she saved a ton of money (now I know why girl friend always had nice clothes and cars! ).

I once saw an article where some magazine rated city dentists verses country ones (rated the procedures and costs), the country ones often rated as high as or higher in a few cases, and were a bit cheaper....something to think about I suppose.

Hang in there my friend, and keep us posted, okay?

Patze

[irish]

Epson, The cost of the root canals has really gone up. My hubby is waiting on a tooth to get worse and he will probably have the darn thing pulled. We can't stand the cost of this dental care and he is 70 years old.

The other aspect of this is that more people have dental insurance which helps to pay plus condsider the fact that dentists don't fill as many teeth as they used to and have had a lot of their "jobs" taken my other dental specialists. This causes them to advocate for the root canals-crowns, etc in order to make a living. Years ago the dentist did it all, fillings, dentures, extractions and braces. Irish

[ktfabian]

Eyeamdry-

I had to laugh when I saw your post about selling your gold crowns.  We actually have one place advertising on the radio in our area that they'll buy your old gold and silver INCLUDING gold dental fillings!  I guess in this rough economy, we all have to do what it takes to get by.  YUCK!

EPSON-  sorry about the sticker shock.  My husband just made the same decision about two molars.  not because of the price - we've got good dental insurance (thank goodness) but because he's tired of people poking around in his mouth.  He told the dentist to just add two more teeth to his partial denture and pull the next 2 bad ones out.  Hope you can find a less expensive dentist,
Tracy

[Bucky]

Epson, getting them all pulled isn't any cheaper either!!  Having that done in July cost me $5,500 with insurance!!!!  (Insurance we have is a joke . . $1,000 max. per year . . . ha, one major dental procedure and you hit your limit for the year).

From my experience, life is not pain-free once you have your teeth pulled.  I have had pain for the last four months since my extractions.  I may not have the "tooth" pain, but the gums can be very, very tender.  I'm still in the healing process.  They tell me things will get better . . I sure hope so!  Believe me, this is not fun!

Bucky

[Patze]

Hi Bucky,

Ouch!  I'm sorry that your still having problems with your mouth, it never seem to end does it?  One of my parental units had a hard time after the last of her teeth were pulled; it took several months for everything to heal (she would get these weird little sores/blisters) and then get her dentures.

Hey, the way I look at it, any insurance is better than out of pocket for everything!  I remember the "office manger" at the old dentist's office saying that the total cost of everything the dentist wanted to do would be like buying a used car", uh huh, right.  After paying more than 7 grand, I was only half way done.  I did talk to the manager again, and she revised it now as "buying a very expensive used car".  Yeah, quit going to him, and his office would call me all the time.   Guess they wanted to keep this sucker coming back for more and more.

Shoot, I just wish it would all be over, but I'm still having a lot done - I have a lot of "mini" cavities under the gums, trying to save what I can.  Oh well, I guess it needs to be done.  I guess I really don't need to retire!

Take care -

Patze

[Collie]

Epson,

Sorry to hear you are having problems with dental cost, it seems everything has gone way up in price. Pretty soon us poor folk will not be able to afford a visit to the doctor or dentist.

I only have to pay  20% of my total dental cost, so the dentist divides every thing into as many visits as he can, so he can charge me each time I go into see him. The last time I had my teeth cleaned, it took almost three months, and our of pocket cost were over $500.00, and that was with 80% paid by insurance.

Collie

[Patze]

Wow Collie, it took three months for a cleaning?  Please tell me that was a typo!  Boy that dentist is something, ain't he?  Whew!

The last time I had a cleaning, it took two visits because he has to numb everything before he can clean them - along with everything else, my gums/mouth are also hypersensitive.

Patze