OK, I'm 60 and have have filled cavities in my mouth for at least 50 years. Some of the metal fillings are chipping or falling out. Whenever I go to the dentist the solution always seems to be - 'you need a crown'.
Is it just me or have you experienced the same thing?
I just had my 1st crown, it wasn't that bad physically - cost $1,200. I don't have insurance.
I think the last filling I had, I paid $325.
I know I'm getting old when I complain about the cost of these things.
Back in the day my dentist did it all, schedule appointments, collect payment, but, no insurance submissions, and no medical assistant. That is what I think most of the $$$ is going to.
Comments
I had to get a crown some years ago. Even with insurance I paid over $800. I have had a few faulty fillings just replaced with newer ones. I have a mouth full of mercury amalgam fillings. They seem to be holding up quite well.
http://www.medicinenet.com/dental_crowns/page2.htm
True story - I was a kid, teenager I forgot how old, I knew my family didn't have money so I had some cavities filled without Novocaine.
Teeth breaking down around old fillings, or old fillings breaking down or admitting decay beneath, are common reasons to need a crown. It's best to try to address these issues while there is still some tooth structure to anchor the crown. An implant is a LOT more money.
Sometimes it's possible to add dental insurance to an existing health insurance program. In such cases, it is not unusual to have to wait 12 months after beginning the dental insurance before anything major is covered.
I would have a detailed discussion with the dentist as to total oral picture, and be as informed as possible about present and future likely needs.
@InformalEconomist: I've found that typically, dental insurance is not very good.....it often "caps" (pun intended) out at $1500 or less......and when you subtract the premiums....well, it's typically not that robust. Not to say it isn't worth it in some circumstances....it very well may be. I had it when it was offered by an employer, it was just quite limited.
I'm sure we've all seen that dentists on every corner are advertising implants like crazy! Even though in years past, that was not the purview of the general dentist, but rather, an oral maxillofacial surgeon, a periodontist, etc.....they are trying to expand their piece of the pie. You've probably also noticed that dentistry is starting to go high tech.......sometimes with crowns available in 2 hours instead of 2 weeks (made in the dental office), dental CT scans, fancy devices to detect oral cancer, ad infinitum
take care
Coincidently, a family I met while I was stateside had a daughter who was getting ready for braces. Her parents were discussing the in house financing the dentist offered them. Her teeth looked pretty good to me, but then again I'm not a dentist.
Derf
An alternative is to pay a third party to get negotiated rates - a "discount plan". You are limited as to the dentists who honor these rates (just as you are limited to dentists who take a given insurance plan). While I usually expect things like this to be scams, these programs seem pretty legitimate, and I have been using one for a few years.
Of course you should make sure that your dentist works with the plan you choose. There's usually no more than one business day wait before a plan becomes active. That's because you're activating a rate schedule, not insurance coverage that might immediately pay out more than you paid in.
As an example, these plans seem to represent $1100-$1200 as a typical rack rate for a crown, with $600-$750 being the negotiated rate, depending on plan and geographic region.
For a filling, procedure D2394 (posterior, 4 or more surfaces), one plan shows $325 as the rack rate, with the negotiated rate being $175 or less.
Generally, the higher the cost of the discount plan, the larger the list of participating dentists and/or the lower the negotiated rates.
Hi John,
Kind of like veterinarians, because as rjb112 posted, insurance is not very good. To compound matters, it's as difficult to get accepted to a veterinary school as a medical school, and we have come to take care of our pets better than our spouse or children!
Mona
http://www.riograndedental.com/
Juarez, Mexico is very dangerous!! One of the most dangerous cities in the world.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-50-most-violent-cities-in-the-world-2015-1#27-jurez-mexico-had-3994-homicides-per-100000-residents-24
I am a resident of Panama and the prices can be great and quality of care top notch. I know a number of Panamanian dentists educated and trained at the best schools in the US, But as John surely knows, you need to do your due diligence.
Mona
Hate the "being ripped off Feeling".... esp. from so-called medical people....
Last year I paid out about $300.00 for dental insurance for about $3,000.00 in dental work completed before my full retirement on June 30, 2014. Did the same the year before but had to pay out about $600.00 for insurance. Now, that is a total of $900.00 for insurance and about $6,000.00 in benefits received. Currently, I am carrying Blue Cross Blue Shield's Senior Dental and pay a little back of $40.00 month for up to $1,500 in benefits. With the price of dental care I figure it is worth it to carry the insurance so I will receive the insurance write down for the cost of the procedure even if I exceed the benefit amount of coverage.
Old_Skeet
It is another way of reducing costs. The hospital I used to work at employed nurse practitioners in the emergency room. They would take the patients with sore throats, headaches and other simple maladies freeing up the doctors for the more severe cases.
http://www.sirona.com/en/news-events/campaigns-and-promotions/cerec-packages/premium/
I felt like I was seeing a used car salesman every time I went for a cleaning, someone trying to sell me something !
Derf
Regards,
Ted