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Thread: a dental dilemma

  1. #11
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    Dental costs really vary by region. My son lives in Wichita, KS and dental work is about a third of the prices here. I flew there 4 times for implants because even with the plane tickets it was so much cheaper.

  2. #12
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    And a good dentist will tell you things like if you have a metal based crown with a porcelain cover and some of the porcelain chips, the whole crown does NOT need to be replaced. I have a spot on one that we are watching. I trust him to tell me if I might need to get it replaced. We discussed it last time and he was not concerned with any issues.

  3. #13
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    I think a will formulate a long list of questions and go back to the dentist. Just not clear enough on why it needs to be done and why so quickly. He said it needed to be done next month as if urgent. Especially about possible repair vs replacement.

  4. #14
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Did he take xrays? Sounds like he was concerned that there might be decay under the part of the crown that wasn't covering the whole tooth? I don't know why it would be urgent, unless he was worried about decay. An xray would show that, and/or any cracks that go too far down into the root area. Were there a lot of people in his waiting room?

  5. #15
    Senior Member Rogar's Avatar
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    I had a crown placed a molar that had an old filling about a year ago. I had dental insurance at the time which by my recollection was that total cost was close to $1000., which I paid 50% of. I recently dropped dental insurance. I think one advantage of insurance is that they can negotiate prices down. I've heard that people paying cash have had success negotiated doctor fees, but have never had the chance to try it.

  6. #16
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    Yea, I feel like the uninsured get to pay the difference on what is charged to those with insurance, ie higher cost. It just doesn't make sense to carry the dental though since I don't usually have any issues and will just use savings. I know I paid $850 back in TX for the crown so prices have gone up since then.

  7. #17
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogar View Post
    I've heard that people paying cash have had success negotiated doctor fees, but have never had the chance to try it.
    Apparently the ability to do that varies by locality. When all our dental work this year maxed our budget, I did ask the last two providers if there was any discount for cash or for not going through insurance. The best they could do was charge me what they would have gotten from insurance, which was at least some discount from "rack rate".
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  8. #18
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    I just used my Southwest credit card to fly to Cancun, cost about $5 for the airport tax is all each way. There are good dentists there. But what I did was take a comfy 4 hour bus (price is $15-30 depending on which bus, how far ahead you purchase) over to Merida, a fantastic and very safe city. I wanted to go there because it is a very beautiful ancient city with gorgeous antique houses and close to several awesome Mayan temple ruins and fabulous caves with underground springs to swim in. They close down the streets around the plazas almost every night for free folkloric dances etc. The business class hotel I stayed in was $35 a night hot breakfast included. Taxis are $2 each way, and the hotel will call them for you. I prefer the older hotels near the plazas, which are so fun to walk around in the evenings. If you would rather, You can get a super modern more pricey hotel right by the great hospital there which is also right next to the dentist I used. Consulate folks go to him, lots of Canadians and Americans as he speaks English and is well known. Food is cheaper than in US especially if you eat in the market. You need to go for a week plus one weekend to give time to get the crown ordered. I got a titanium crown with gold inside. It cost $350, had it done in November. That included a cleaning and one xray (I told copies of mine from my dentist here with me for him to look at too). Make sure to go in November to March, otherwise you will pass out from the heat! Check it out, I can send you the dentist's email if you want, he is good at replying to all questions. I can also answer any questions you have. If you would rather just stay near the beach, then Cancun is the place to go. You will go for 2 visits to get teeth cleaned and a temp filling put in. Then you come back 5 or so days later and get the permanent put in.
    Oh, and you can fly directly into Merida, with a different airline if you would prefer. I just did Southwest as it was practically free with the points.

  9. #19
    Senior Member boss mare's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinkytoe View Post
    I finally found a dentist to try here and he seemed very competent. After my exam, he informed me that the one and only crown I have ("installed" after cracking a tooth on popcorn) needs to be replaced and since I don't have dental insurance, my cost will be $1600. He said it shows signs of not covering in the back and that if I don't replace it, I might need a root canal in the future when/if decay sets in. Since this is a major expenditure out of the blue, I am wondering best course of action or if I even need to have it replaced since I haven't ever had problems before. If you were me, would you:

    Get a second opinion and look for better price
    Ignore
    Just get it done and be done with it.

    I've even thought of flying back to TX and seeing my old dentist but that's probably overkill.
    I have over 30 years in the dental field. From what you are explaining, It sounds like there is open margins, which can develop into cavities . and depending how big the open margins are, and if they are on the buccal ( cheek side) or lingual (tongue side) they may be repaired by preparing the tooth and placing a fill along the margins. If they are between the teeth ( distal or mesial) then cutting off the crown and starting over will have to be done. Prices vary so widely depending on where you live .

  10. #20
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    Thanks, boss mare. The margin or whatever he called it is on the back side (tongue?) of the tooth. It is visible if I hold a mirror to it but just barely. Just trying to understand the situation before I shuck out the bucks.

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