BritGuyTN

I need to vent

I have insurance and I just got a 350 dollar bill for 4 fillings

I had a check-up in the UK 9 months ago and there I was told I needed 1 filling and to keep an eye on one other

I go to the US dentist and he tells me i need 8 fillings!

He then starts to denigrate UK dentistry and tell me europeans have horrific teeth.

Now - I can honestly say I have seen more people with f@cked up teeth in the USA than anywhere I have ever been.

Ok , in his area (very affluent) maybe his clientele all have better white teeth than the average joe in the UK, but I'm sure the average american has no better teeth, and maybe far worse from a health/hygene perspective (not aesthically) than the average brit

also, to cap it all (pun intended) hes messed up the fillings and i'm experiencing the first proper tooth pain in my life.

I've already been back one and I have another 'adjustment' scheduled.

I just get the feeling that he sees me as a great opportunity to pay off his BMW 7 series a few months early - whats this crap about needing dentist teeth cleanings every three months?

i'm really pissed off

AdobePinon

Oh, I'm with you on this one.

Go see a second dentist. He'll also tell you that you need 8 fillings, but they won't be in the same teeth as the first 8.

Lord Lionheart

I'm with you on this one. My last dentist 'recommended' I needed 2 or 3 teeth capped. I changed dentists as he always seemed to recommend that I get work done, as well as admonishing his dental nurse like a child in front of me, and being rude to me after I accidently bit him after getting novocaine ( he backed down when I got pissed).
I changed dentists with my HMO and went to another dentist ( Hungarian guy) and he told me to come back in 6 months?!?!
Change dentists and/or get a second opinion.
On one hand you can't blame them, I was talking to one guy who had $100,000 or similar ridiculous figure in dentistry school loans to pay off, but no reason for the consumer to fund his career choice and subsequent lifestyle.

Yosser

$350 for 4 fillings.....that bloody cheap mate!

As many of you will remember I had a unfortunate accident with a rather hard piece of windsurfing kit a long time ago, basically cracked some teeth etc etc.

Well, I managed to blag my way into Baylor school of dentisty in Dallas, basically I have a student that is graduating in May working on my knashers. Well one of the teeth got pulled as it was damaged beneath the gum line. Baylor only want $1900 to drill in a Titanium screw into the bone and basically screw on a false tooth (implants there called), thats cheap the student replied on the outside (meaning average joe blog dentist) they charge like $3000.....what the F@ck !

Anyways so far I've had a root canal, 2 fillings, and I need 4 crowns...not bad only need $1900 and thats not including the $3000 for a frigging implant.

looks like I need to refinance the house just so I can look like George Hamilton.

Pigtails

I think it all depends on the dentist. I love my dentist. Now dental insurance is another thing - that's where you get taken for a ride!

fatbrit

Common scam that US dentists pull

You have a dental insurance plan through you employer.
You sign up to a participating dentist on that plan.
The dentist does work on your teeth and bills your insurance company $500.
The dental insurance company pays the contracted price with the dentist for the work done of, say, $280.
The dentist then decides to bill you for the remaining $220, i.e. the standard rate s/he charges, not the contracted one!

If you sign up to a dentist on the plan, you should only pay the contracted price with the dental insurance company for any dental work done. You do, of course, need to pay your co-pays and excesses, but the latter should be at the contracted rate only, not your dentist’s inflated standard rate!

You should receive an information statement from your dental insurance plan every time you have work done. Check the information very carefully before paying the bill from your dentist.

Manc

yes, especially if you have a shitty employer whom won't cover you.
The system sucks, don't you agree?

Pigtails

Not taking the bait. Won't do it!

ironporer

Me: Preventative dentistry my whole life, cleanings and such every 4 mo., I have lost 3 teeth in 5 years, and have 3 cavities to be filled by my dentist ($40 copay) in addition to a scaling (2 appts x 48$ copay each) and a cleaning (another $48), need a partial bridge ($3800...my part $1500 divided over 2 deductuble years).

Cathy- Never been to a dentist in her life in Spain...and not a single tootheache or cavity ever.

It's a F**king conspiracy!!!

psb182

last time I went to the dentist and got my check book out I puckered up my lips and closed my eyes in the direction of the dentist........he said what ya doin.......I told him I like to be kissed when I am getting ****ed

neil

I went to a new dentist this morning (last one was a waste of time). This one was great, very thorough and showed me everything (he had a camera to show me what he was seeing and to take pictures), so I actually saw what needs to be done and why. I have a cracked filling to be replaced and that was pretty obvious when I saw it.

The one thing I'm not sure about (mainly due to cowardace) is that they have suggested I have my wisdom teeth out simply because they're in an awkward place to clean and will cause problems later. They're probably right but I don't want to go through that!

I think my insurance is pretty good so I should only have to pay my deductible for anything I have done so I think what the hell - I'll go for (almost) anything to get my teeth in great shape.

fatbrit

It'a a Yank thing: wisdom teeth and foreskins must be removed!

neil

So you're saying I shouldn't let my doctor look next time I go.

fatbrit

If he can bill it, the knife'll be out!

AdobePinon

Wait until they offer to do both at the same time....