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Dental care without insurance

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K

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
That's the boat I find myself in, unfortunately. Got denied health care recently, whew.

So anyway, went to the dentist today and had a cleaning... that was only $59 so okay, whatever...
But I have to have some old fillings resealed and they want over $200 per, two in total. That sounds a bit much tbh. They also suggested I get my wisdom teeth pulled and that's only $400 in total for 3. Am I being ripped off, or is that about the same price in most places? The wisdom teeh pulling sounds reasonable, but not the filling cost.
 
DietRob

DietRob

i've been begging for over 5 years.
Any dental schools around you?

I've heard that is cheap. May not be top quality but hey.
 
N

Neuromancer

Member
It's probably reasonable. The problem is (as I'm sure you know) most people having insurance is what drives the costs up for those who don't.
 
C

ChubbyHuggs

Member
I went to check it out and they told me $200-300 for each wisdom tooth. =[
Mine are growing in diagonally, so they will either push my teeth out or give me an under-bite. They're already staring to grow right under my other teeth, so I am in for a world of pain.
 
C

Ceres

Banned
Kagari said:
That's the boat I find myself in, unfortunately. Got denied health care recently, whew.

So anyway, went to the dentist today and had a cleaning... that was only $59 so okay, whatever...
But I have to have some old fillings resealed and they want over $200 per, two in total. That sounds a bit much tbh. They also suggested I get my wisdom teeth pulled and that's only $400 in total for 3. Am I being ripped off, or is that about the same price in most places? The wisdom teeh pulling sounds reasonable, but not the filling cost.
Click to expand...

$400 total isn't that bad for 3 wisdom teeth. I had dental coverage but my bill was more like $500 per tooth.
The thing to remember is that on top of that, you'll probably need antibiotics and pain killers. Not sure how much those run without health care.

Not sure about the fillings.
 
Zero Hero

Zero Hero

Member
Go to another dentist and get another opinion and see if the stories line up. Dentists are like car mechanics.
 
K

Koshiba

Member
ChubbyHuggs said:
I went to check it out and they told me $200-300 for each wisdom tooth. =[
Mine are growing in diagonally, so they will either push my teeth out or give me an under-bite. They're already staring to grow right under my other teeth, so I am in for a world of pain.
Click to expand...

I have to get my 5th wisdom tooth out soon. :( I got the 4 others out when I was younger and under parents insurance. I don't have insurance so I imagine it's gonna suck. I need to get it cut out like the other 4 were.
 
K

krae_man

Member
$400 for 3 wisdom teeth sounds way too low. I paid almost $1200 for getting 4 out almost 10 years ago. It was $890 for the extraction and $270 for the anesthetic.

As for the fillings, I don't know. Dental costs are all based on how long the tasks take. If doing those 2 fillings would only take an hour, $400 seems high. If it would take like 3, then that's probably a fair price(considering it will likely be the dentist plus at least one assistant).

Edit: Also cry poor. One of my front teeth hallowed from the inside a couple months ago(some super rare condition that my dentist has only seen twice in 20 years) and it took him and an assistant over 2 hours to clean up the inside of the tooth(the gums grew inside the hollowing) and put the filling in and he only charged me $120.
 
°

°°ToMmY°°

Member
ChubbyHuggs said:
I went to check it out and they told me $200-300 for each wisdom tooth. =[
Mine are growing in diagonally, so they will either push my teeth out or give me an under-bite. They're already staring to grow right under my other teeth, so I am in for a world of pain.
Click to expand...

that is just bullshit.

go to another dentist, as kagari found out about 100 for tooth is a fair price, 200-300 is really pushing it.
 
C

ChubbyHuggs

Member
I imagine the dentist is going to have to remove my top two teeth first since the Wisdom Teeth are halfway under both. Since they're half way out of my gums I wake up with blood pooled in the back of my throat, so I really need to go and get this shit taken care of. I don't know if they'll charge extra for removing the top teeth though.

°°ToMmY°° said:
that is just bullshit.

go to another dentist, as kagari found out about 100 for tooth is a fair price, 200-300 is really pushing it.
Click to expand...

That it'll move my teeth over, because they're already coming out and pushing up against my other teeth.
 
D

demosthenes

Member
Kagari said:
That's the boat I find myself in, unfortunately. Got denied health care recently, whew.

So anyway, went to the dentist today and had a cleaning... that was only $59 so okay, whatever...
But I have to have some old fillings resealed and they want over $200 per, two in total. That sounds a bit much tbh. They also suggested I get my wisdom teeth pulled and that's only $400 in total for 3. Am I being ripped off, or is that about the same price in most places? The wisdom teeh pulling sounds reasonable, but not the filling cost.
Click to expand...

That sounds really good for not having insurance.

Just think of it this way, not having these things done can lead to SERIOUS complications. My mom has had about 5 root canals now, they are NOT fun. Wisdom teeth can cause major pain later, but ask another dentist if they think you NEED them to be taken out.

Best you can do is just brush and floss a shit load in the future and hope you don't get another cavity!
 
C

Commodore_Perry

Banned
I waited on having my wisdoms removed because I didn't have the money/insurance. It seriously fucked up all my other teeth and I had to have 2 root canals because of it. Now I have a very serious underbite. Get that shit fixed.
 
K

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
Hmm okay. Well the reason I asked is because my dad thought the fillings part seemed more expensive than it should be.

And the wisdom teeth cost, I did think was reasonable and will be getting done shortly. I just am really nervous about it.
 
D

dudeworld

Member
$400 for 3 wisdom teeth sounds good. I got all 4 of mine out over the summer and it cost $2200 but I was fully covered
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
AlexMogil said:
Seriously? Do I feel like I have a liver problem?
Click to expand...

I was told I should look into getting mine removed back in 2005. I still have them and don't plan on doing anything until at least mid-next year. They give me no pain and there's been no change.
 
P

Phobophile

A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
AlexMogil said:
Seriously? Do I feel like I have a liver problem?
Click to expand...

Except that's a valid question.

I've had my wisdom teeth in for over 11 years now with no problems whatsoever. They came in flush, didn't push on any existing teeth, and didn't cause any discomfort or pain, so neither my dentist nor orthodontist recommended I have them extracted because I felt like I didn't have a problem.
 
W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
Wow, $60 for cleaning? I was quoted something like $300 from my friend's dentist, without insurance.

I had to pay something like $830 yesterday for a custom mouth guard for a TMJ disorder :| Been feeling like shit this year and getting chronic headaches. Apparently insurance wouldn't cover it anyway but it sucks. Just hope I can get rid of my headaches.
 
K

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
Zoe said:
I was told I should look into getting mine removed back in 2005. I still have them and don't plan on doing anything until at least mid-next year. They give me no pain and there's been no change.
Click to expand...

The dentist told me that because of their location, you can get a lot more bacteria build up on the gums there, even with brushing. And in my case, I've had some slight alignment issues because of them too.

Wario64 said:
Wow, $60 for cleaning? I was quoted something like $300 from my friend's dentist, without insurance.

I had to pay something like $830 yesterday for a custom mouth guard for a TMJ disorder :| Been feeling like shit this year and getting chronic headaches. Apparently insurance wouldn't cover it anyway but it sucks. Just hope I can get rid of my headaches.
Click to expand...

It was some special they were doing :lol
 
X

xelios

Universal Access can be found under System Preferences
Old fillings resealed? What is that, exactly? I think fillings in the first place are 30-40% less than that price.

For wisdom teeth, that is a fair price for "pulling" them and not surgically removing them. I paid $400 for 2 (impacted) at the oral surgeon including anesthesia with BCBS. I had no pain on those whatsoever even though they gave me a month's worth of hydrocodone.

Make sure the dentist knows what they're doing though if they're just yanking them out, especially on the bottom ones else you risk nerve damage/loss of sensation/(non)permanent tingling. If you're not being sent to an oral surgeon I'm guessing they are at least mostly erupted. Make sure to ask what they think about your X-ray and the risk of nerve damage, and if they don't give you a durrr? look, go for it.


Oh and ~$60 for a cleaning/bite wing/pano X-rays is a pretty standard deal if you're a new patient without insurance.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Here are the charges I had last year (with insurance but out of network)

Code: 
Service(s)	Tooth Number	Submitted Charges
Resin filling	 	11	 $201.00
Amalgam filling	 	15	 $0.00
Composite filling	18	 $164.00
Composite filling	18	 $164.00
Composite filling	12	 $164.00
Resin filling	 	26	 $164.00
Composite filling	13	 $201.00
Composite filling	15	 $215.00
Amalgam filling	 	18	 $0.00
Amalgam filling	 	18	 $0.00
 
C

Cereal KiIIer

Member
Zoe said:
Here are the charges I had last year (with insurance but out of network)

Code: 
Service(s)	Tooth Number	Submitted Charges
Resin filling	 	11	 $201.00
Amalgam filling	 	15	 $0.00
Composite filling	18	 $164.00
Composite filling	18	 $164.00
Composite filling	12	 $164.00
Resin filling	 	26	 $164.00
Composite filling	13	 $201.00
Composite filling	15	 $215.00
Amalgam filling	 	18	 $0.00
Amalgam filling	 	18	 $0.00
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_brushing

That might help you.
 
X

xelios

Universal Access can be found under System Preferences
For those outside the USA this was the difference in prices for removing 2 wisdom teeth with oral surgery, before insurance and after:

iduR8O.jpg


As you can see you would pay $550 more without insurance. =/
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I don't know if I speak for anyone else, but the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread was, "Lisa needs braces!"

"DENTAL PLAN"

"Lisa needs braces!"

"DENTAL PLAN"

"Lisa needs braces!"

"DENTAL PLAN"
 
X

xelios

Universal Access can be found under System Preferences
deadmuffin said:
wait until you have insurence to get your wisdom teeth pulled out.
Click to expand...

On some (most?) plans there is a one year waiting period for that, and it's not always feasible to wait that long (if you're in pain or your wisdom teeth are impacted or damaging your other teeth).
 
M

Mudkips

Banned
I had a cleaning, full xrays, filling, and wisdom tooth pulled, across two visits.
Cost me $78.20 after my insurance.
I have another wisdom tooth he wants to pull, and another cavity to fill.
I think that'll cost me $38.20 if I get it done before the end of the year (already paid my annual $50 deductible).

So $116.40 for cleaning, x-rays, 2 fillings, and 2 teeth pulled, across 3 visits.

Kagari said:
Erm... you can still get cavities even if you brush regularly.
Click to expand...

Floss. It's the one thing that helps, and the one thing no one does.
 
M

Mudkips

Banned
Zoe said:
I've only had one cavity that was between the teeth...
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter.
Food between the teeth breeds bacteria which weakens the tooth. Where that weakening first shows up on an x-ray irrelevant. Seeing as how you chew with the face of your teeth, it makes perfect sense that most cavities are on the surface. The source of the problem, I guarantee it, is between your teeth.

Or let's try this - how often do you floss?
And how often do you floss? (This time don't lie.)
 
E

esquire

Has waited diligently to think of something to say before making this post
I would rather pay out of pocket than deal with an insurance company. I had the lovely experience of paying for dental insurance my whole life and the day I had an actual dental problem my insurance company refused to cover me. Long story short, if you can afford not to have it, don't buy dental insurance. Just remember that an insurance company's job is to deny you coverage regardless of the circumstances. Shop around and use your best judgement. I was lucky to find a good dentist who doesn't gouge me on service.
 
S

Shabadoo69

Member
i work for a dental software company so i know a few things about this. Most dentists will set their pricing similar to those dentists in the area, so you will pretty much pay the same anywhere you go. You might pay a few dollars less in a filling but and extraction might be more. It all will equal out. Most dentists are honest and reasonable you might get a few that are a little shaddy but keep in mind they are trying to earn your business. You can get a second opinion but my suggestion would be find a nice friendly dentist that you like and that has up to date technology. The technology makes a HUGE difference!!! Once you find a great Dentist make sure the hygienist is hot and you have yourself a winning combination!
 
A

ampere

Member
alr1ghtstart said:
That's pretty cheap. A cleaning + x-rays run me $100+ without insurance. It sucks.
Click to expand...
.

About this for me, I'm still in university and my mom pays, but I can see how nice it would be to have dental insurance.
If you need a filling... it starts to really hurt
 
S

StopMakingSense

Member
esquire said:
I would rather pay out of pocket than deal with an insurance company. I had the lovely experience of paying for dental insurance my whole life and the day I had an actual dental problem my insurance company refused to cover me. Long story short, if you can afford not to have it, don't buy dental insurance. Just remember that an insurance company's job is to deny you coverage regardless of the circumstances. Shop around and use your best judgement. I was lucky to find a good dentist who doesn't gouge me on service.
Click to expand...

Yeah. A lot of dental insurance is pretty crappy.
 
D

daycru

Member
I go to the local junior college, $25 for a cleaning. It takes FOREVER, and once I had to come back a few days later to finish for reasons I don't remember.
 
P

PhoenixDark

Banned
I work at a dental practice. $60 for a cleaning is pretty low; we charge $85 which is competitive with other practices in the area. I'll check our composite/filling prices again but $200 seems about right
 
W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
daycru said:
I go to the local junior college, $25 for a cleaning. It takes FOREVER, and once I had to come back a few days later to finish for reasons I don't remember.
Click to expand...

I think we have one around here that does it for free. Downside is that each visit is like 3 hours and you have to go in twice I think. I've never done it.
 
P

Persona7

Banned
I just checked my bill for my wisdom teeth getting pulled last year and they charged the insurance company $1250 for the surgery and 75 for anesthesia.
 
R

RDreamer

Member
My wife jus thad her wisdom teeth pulled and altogether with insurance kicking in 50% it cost us about 1400 bucks for 4 of them. 150-200 of that was some 3D scan thing because one of them was too close to nerves, so he wanted to get a better look with that.

I have to get mine done really soon, too. I've got one all the way in and level with my other teeth and everything already. The other 2 are poking through. Don't have any more than that, and I don't have any pain at all, so I'm hoping I can put it off until we get our taxes back.
 
J

Jake.

Member
i live in australia and have public health care (there is private and public here) and still had to pay about $3000 AUS to get all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled.
 
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