My dentist bill

[Mormon Red Death]

$14,555

Yowsers....

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[Drunk Tank]

$14,555

Yowsers....

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[Donuthole]

My Dentist, Bill

is such a nice guy. He's a horrible dresser, though.

[falafel]

You going to pay it?

I went to a dentist about 8 years ago and he wanted to do about $10,000 worth of work of a period of time. I freaked and never went back to him.

A few years later, after not having any work done, I went to a new dentist. He filled two cavities and sent me on my way for about $200.

[Mormon Red Death]

You going to pay it?

I went to a dentist about 8 years ago and he wanted to do about $10,000 worth of work of a period of time. I freaked and never went back to him.

A few years later, after not having any work done, I went to a new dentist. He filled two cavities and sent me on my way for about $200.

I have 3 root canals that need to be done (as the pain is killing me). The implants can wait. It will end up costing $4,555.

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[Surfah]

$14,555

Yowsers....

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Holy shiz.

I once visited a dentist in SLC. She told me I had something ridiculous like 13 cavities. Two were so bad that they would require root canals. I was in disbelief. In fact the first thing she said to me when she greeted me was "What are you doing?" I was really taken aback by her tone and the disdain in her voice. I didn't even know how to answer her. Then she asked me where I was feeling pain. When I said I had no toothaches she acted incredulous and refused to believe me. I left her office with a list of everything that I needed and the projected bill. I didn't go back to her. About 6 months later I went to another dentist. After x-rays and an examination I had two small cavities. I explained to him what had happened with my previous dentist and he just kind of shrugged. He said that some young dentists have a lot of debts to pay and some see every shadow in an x-ray as a cavity.

[Katy Lied]

I'm pretty sure the cash price for a root canal is around $225. Crowns around $650-$800.

[Surfah]

You going to pay it?

I went to a dentist about 8 years ago and he wanted to do about $10,000 worth of work of a period of time. I freaked and never went back to him.

A few years later, after not having any work done, I went to a new dentist. He filled two cavities and sent me on my way for about $200.

I pretty much had the same experience. Dentists are a lot like mechanics.

[TripletDaddy]

is such a nice guy. He's a horrible dresser, though.

My, Dentist Bill! This is expensive!

[falafel]

I pretty much had the same experience. Dentists are a lot like mechanics.

I even think you and I had this discussion before.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Holy shiz.

I once visited a dentist in SLC. She told me I had something ridiculous like 13 cavities. Two were so bad that they would require root canals. I was in disbelief. In fact the first thing she said to me when she greeted me was "What are you doing?" I was really taken aback by her tone and the disdain in her voice. I didn't even know how to answer her. Then she asked me where I was feeling pain. When I said I had no toothaches she acted incredulous and refused to believe me. I left her office with a list of everything that I needed and the projected bill. I didn't go back to her. About 6 months later I went to another dentist. After x-rays and an examination I had two small cavities. I explained to him what had happened with my previous dentist and he just kind of shrugged. He said that some young dentists have a lot of debts to pay and some see every shadow in an x-ray as a cavity.

Sadly, that is quite common with dentists. I have shared this before, but we took our young son to a dentist and he told us that he needed a root canal ASAP. When he left the room the assistant (who had befriended my wife) tearfully begged my wife to leave, telling her that he didn't need a root canal. My wife took our son to another dentist and he said that his tooth was in perfect health. About a year later this particular dentist came in on a weekend, sat in a chair, took a big drag of laughing gas, and blew his brains out with a shotgun. Apparently he had been ripping off lots of patients.

I know of several people who had a similar experience with a dentist in Springville a few years back. Everyone who went in for a checkup somehow had a mouth full of cavities. When they went to get a second opinion (or third opinion), none of the other dentists could find a single problem. Shameless.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

is such a nice guy. He's a horrible dresser, though.

Does this mean that he doesn't wear a tie to the office? Or the orifice if you will.

I'm scheduled for a root canal tomorrow afternoon. If it weren't for the incredible pain, I'd be sure that he was lying.

[Portland Ute]

You going to pay it?

I went to a dentist about 8 years ago and he wanted to do about $10,000 worth of work of a period of time. I freaked and never went back to him.

A few years later, after not having any work done, I went to a new dentist. He filled two cavities and sent me on my way for about $200.

This story sounds horrible, but there can be a lot of factors. For example, someone comes in with 10 teeth and there are only two cavities. Fix the cavities= $200. Fix the cavities and place 4 implants with restorations = $10,000.

I'm not saying that's your situation, but I've dealt with that kind of situation. Does someone want their mouth restored or do they want their teeth restored?

I have 3 root canals that need to be done (as the pain is killing me). The implants can wait. It will end up costing $4,555.

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Is that price for the root canals alone? Or does that include build ups and crowns. I need to get out of Utah...

Holy shiz.

I explained to him what had happened with my previous dentist and he just kind of shrugged. He said that some young dentists have a lot of debts to pay and some see every shadow in an x-ray as a cavity.

And, some older dentists will "watch" the small shadows grow and grown until a patient has pain and then instead of spending $200 on a filling they are looking at losing a tooth or spending upwards of $2000 for the root canal, build up and crown. Sometimes it's really cool when the patient leaves the old dentist and goes to a newer, maybe even younger dentist that gets to tell them the bad news. Then the patient thinks the new dentist is making stuff up because the old dentist said nothing was ever wrong and it had been years since they have a cavity. So, they don't do a thing. Until Saturday afternoon at 5:30 when they call, swollen and in pain.

I pretty much had the same experience. Dentists are a lot like mechanics.

Sadly, that is quite common with dentists.

Oh, bullshit. "Quite common." It's the uncommon exception as you state here...

I know of several people who had a similar experience with a dentist in Springville a few years back. Everyone who went in for a checkup somehow had a mouth full of cavities. When they went to get a second opinion (or third opinion), none of the other dentists could find a single problem. Shameless.

There was one idiot and plenty of others that are competent and honest.


MRD, I hope you get taken care of and have a good experience. I'm sure, like most, your dentist is honest and does his very best work for every patient.

Differences in treatment plans are not uncommon between dentists. Some dentists see only fillings. They will cover an entire tooth with a silver filling. Others will see the need for a crown. In the long run, the crown is ultimately better for the tooth and the patient, but it will cost more money.

Dentistry is interesting from the standpoint that it's a reparative and preventative discipline, but it's also a cosmetic/elective option for many people. Some dentists are comfortable only doing fillings and extractions. They will routinely offer treatment plans that are very low cost. Others will inquire with patients if they are interested in changing the cosmetic aspects of their mouth and smiles using veneers, whitening, white fillings and crowns. They offer these services to patients and their plans will be significantly higher.

In some ways, it's like a woman that goes into a plastic surgeon and wants a little lipo but ends up coming away thinking she needs a tummy tuck and a boob job. Obviously, it's in the best interest of anyone to render more services. If I have a patient that comes in with a toothache but also complains that she hasn't ever like her smile, am I trying to rip her off by suggesting she whiten and even veneer her teeth and get an implant to replace a missing tooth?

It's a dumb dentist that unloads all the veneers, crowns, implants, whitening, and replacing old, ugly fillings with new white ones without discussing what he is proposing to the patient. But that doesn't make him immoral. It makes him a bad communicator.

In many ways, the $200 guy may be a worse dentist than the one that allegedly "overtreats."

For the record, I in no way excuse a dentist that would deceive a patient and drill or otherwise treat a tooth that is not decayed, broken or esthetically unpleasing to the patient. I am not defending such practice. That IS disgusting, but I do not believe in anyway that it is "not uncommon."

In the end, however, I can tell you that it is "uncommon" in my office...it doesn't happen. I hope and believe most of my colleagues are as honest and are also looking out for the best interest of their patients. As in anything, there are bad apples, but they are not common.


Jeff, feel free to make the gratuitous and predictable thin-skin comment.

[Viking]

Sadly, that is quite common with dentists. I have shared this before, but we took our young son to a dentist and he told us that he needed a root canal ASAP. When he left the room the assistant (who had befriended my wife) tearfully begged my wife to leave, telling her that he didn't need a root canal. My wife took our son to another dentist and he said that his tooth was in perfect health. About a year later this particular dentist came in on a weekend, sat in a chair, took a big drag of laughing gas, and blew his brains out with a shotgun. Apparently he had been ripping off lots of patients.

I know of several people who had a similar experience with a dentist in Springville a few years back. Everyone who went in for a checkup somehow had a mouth full of cavities. When they went to get a second opinion (or third opinion), none of the other dentists could find a single problem. Shameless.

I wonder if some family members of ours had the same dentist? Two young daughters; the oldest with 7 fillings by age 7...fillings in a lot of teeth that were going to FALL OUT, too!!! I told our family member to never go back, yet sadly, she still does.

[Portland Ute]

I wonder if some family members of ours had the same dentist? Two young daughters; the oldest with 7 fillings by age 7...fillings in a lot of teeth that were going to FALL OUT, too!!! I told our family member to never go back, yet sadly, she still does.

So, Viking, curious what you would do with a 7 year old that has teeth that will FALL OUT?!?

Would you take those teeth out?

If you did, would you then put a fixed retainer on that arch to prevent crowding and impaction of the permanent teeth that would follow due to space lost from removing those baby teeth?

Or would you just leave them until they become painful and infected?

A 7 year old has both permanent and baby teeth, BTW, so, keep in mind, some of those teeth might not be ones that will just fall out.

Also, of the baby teeth most likely still in a 7 year old, some of those baby teeth may not come out until the kid is 12 or 13. Seems to me that would be a helluva long time to leave a cavity in a tooth and not have it cause a problem for the child. Those same teeth also hold the space for the permanent bicuspids and canines.

Another possibility: The kids just have crappy teeth or really poor oral hygiene or both and the dentist is just taking care of the kid.

I know...inconceivable.