Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am on my R&R in the beautiful islands of the Philippines. Went yesterday to a dentist for solving all my tooth problems. He found 2 that needs filling and 1 that may soon be a problem but gave me the option.
So I went for 3 dental filings and cleaning.
Cost in all?
Php1,800 or in dollar terms, thirty-six bucks.
Just last year about the same time in the US, I was having this crazy "necessary" gum treatment that robbed me of $3,000. Then they identified the 3 exact same teeth as identified by the Filipino dentist but the US dentist was charging $240 for each filling.
So, $720 for 3 filling excluding the cleaning vs $36 for the same including the cleaning. I will be ignoring his calls when I return.
I hope you will reconsider having the tooth pulled. It's a slippery slope.
I figured out something about dentists' prices. You should ask for a discount. Believe it or not, a 50% discount is not a big sacrifice for the dentist. It's about what they get paid by insurance companies! It really doesn't hurt to ask. I did this successfully when I didn't have insurance and the dentist readily agreed; in fact he offered 50% off when I was thinking more like 25%. He and his staff treated me perfectly normally after that so I guess they were happy with the arrangement. Explain your situation sincerely and say you will pay cash on the day of the appointment.
Re alarmist hygienists, mine tells me every single time that I have gingivitis and my teeth are going to fall out any day. I just smile pleasantly and thank her for the information. When the dentist comes in after the cleaning and x-rays he says my teeth look fine.
Last1Standing: Please re-read my post. You do not need to know my financial details, but going bankrupt should be some indication.
I'm glad you were happy with your results.
Have you checked the local dental schools? have you checked the local social service agencies to see if they have no/low cost dental services for those without the financial resources?
I know of at least ten resources in Arizona that offer free or low cost dental services in Arizona ... and Arizona is not a state with a strong safety net.
Last1Standing: Please re-read my post. You do not need to know my financial details, but going bankrupt should be some indication.
I'm truly sorry about your financial predicament. It doesn't really change the gist of my advice, which is to think creatively and positively. If you really CANNOT pursue a specific option (paying full price), then you hunt for other options. Here's the strategy that has served me best in that type of situation: I brainstorm 20 solutions. I put them in order with the most desirable one at the top. Then I try them one by one. Usually by the time I get to about #6 the problem is solved. I used this exact strategy to find good dental care during a time of financial hardship. One reason this works for me is that I have a deep belief that all problems are solvable (except for death, which is actually a solution in itself). This strategy has stood me well through a great many problems that would have defeated other people. I used it to buy a new car, pay off my mortgage, save my house in divorce court without an attorney, get my house repaired, get health insurance, get surgery, start life over in a new profession, and many more things I needed but didn't have the resources for.
To tell you the truth, when I really need something (we all need health and dental care), I don't even think about whether I can afford it. Affordability doesn't enter into the equation. I focus solely on the desired result and apply strong thinking and practical effort to achieving the result. The law of attraction (which I don't otherwise fully subscribe to because it deemphasizes effort) says, "What you need is somewhere out in the world. You only need to connect with it." My belief was, "Somewhere in the world there is a dentist who will work with me at my income level." It turned out to be true. Both of the solutions suggested by jlawrence01 above were on my list, along with 18 others.
My situation at one point was worse than bankruptcy. When I add up all of these things, large and small, that I've achieved with this strategy, they have made a 1000% difference in my quality of life today, all due to that one belief that all problems are solvable and that in any situation it's possible to find the one best solution that works.
Of course, this strategy can also be used to achieve things that are not strictly necessities but deeply desired, and thus I actually live somewhat above my income level because again, I don't let affordability stand in the way of getting these things. I think the words "I can't afford that" are crippling and I try not to use them.
Bottom line, IF I were you, and I am not, I would set a goal of saving the tooth, not losing it.
[Sorry, I know this is off topic of the original post but perhaps some will find it useful.]
I thank all of you who posted with encouragement, suggestion, etc.
I am sticking with the plan to have them pulled.
I applaud all of you who think a different way would be better. But that is for your lives. Not mine.
With the family history I have of everyone but me needing full dentures before age 20, and both of my kids having full dentures at an early age (thanks to Pepsi and failure to brush...... even though I did take them for regular dentist appointments).
Please believe me. No matter the better idea you have and want to share, I am having them pulled.
I thank all of you who posted with encouragement, suggestion, etc.
I am sticking with the plan to have them pulled.
I applaud all of you who think a different way would be better. But that is for your lives. Not mine.
With the family history I have of everyone but me needing full dentures before age 20, and both of my kids having full dentures at an early age (thanks to Pepsi and failure to brush...... even though I did take them for regular dentist appointments).
Please believe me. No matter the better idea you have and want to share, I am having them pulled.
I did as well NYgal. I have a full upper and a partial lower. I did it 7 years ago and I am now at the beginning stages of replacing them. I will begin with implants in the lower jaw to replace the missing teeth. I have 7 left so it will require 4 implants. Simultaneously I will replace the upper denture with a new one. In 5 years I will get 6 implants and have the entire upper replaced.
As some suggest dental schools could be a good option once the gums have healed for implants. I felt like you and with my teeth wiggling like piano keys it was time. I hate dentists.
I have the kind of upper dentures that are held in by implants that they click on. Suppose to be 4 implants. Something about my jay bone it rejected 3 implants in the area in the front. So now my dentures are held in by 2 implants and I do have 2 teeth that also hold them some. The point is implants aren't necessarily the answer.
Apparently the original dentist (or hygienist) was correct that your two teeth are in trouble and confirmed by the second opinion dentist.
FWIW I agree just get them pulled. You many not even be a candidate for implants anyway and they're a huge effort and expense including the possibility of needing bone marrow transplant in the extracted spaces, to provide a foundation for the implant. After you get the marrow, you have to wait several months to see if it actually "takes" enough, too. THEN after you go to all the trouble of getting a couple implants what happens when some other teeth "go"?
So you'll eventually get a partial just like people have done for decades before implants became a thing. Not the end of the world.
I'd just try and attempt to go for quarterly cleanings and do the best hygiene possible thereafter. It WILL make a difference in the life of your remaining teeth.
runswithscissors[/b];49973733]I still don't understand what happened here.
Apparently the original dentist (or hygienist) was correct that your two teeth are in trouble and confirmed by the second opinion dentist.
FWIW I agree just get them pulled. You many not even be a candidate for implants anyway and they're a huge effort and expense including the possibility of needing bone marrow transplant in the extracted spaces, to provide a foundation for the implant. After you get the marrow, you have to wait several months to see if it actually "takes" enough, too. THEN after you go to all the trouble of getting a couple implants what happens when some other teeth "go"?
So you'll eventually get a partial just like people have done for decades before implants became a thing. Not the end of the world.
I'd just try and attempt to go for quarterly cleanings and do the best hygiene possible thereafter. It WILL make a difference in the life of your remaining teeth.
I do not understand what your problem is. You seem to be the only one who is experiencing it.
Six month visit to HYGIENIST for cleaning and inspection, also x-rays. Her x-rays showed a possible need for a ROOT CANAL plus new crowns. I was going bankrupt and told HYGIENIST that I could not afford the extensive dental work indicated.
Second visit to HYGIENIST I understood it to be a visit to learn the costs. I was under the impression they were going to send x-rays and other info to my insurance company. But apparently they did not do this, they greeted me with "we need to do another x-ray". This info was not shared with me during my first visit.
Visit a week or so later with the DENTIST who took another x-ray showed NO evidence of need for root canal.
BOTH x-rays (hygienist and dentist) showed big cavity in one of the teeth with a crown on it.
I hope this helps you.
Please, stop running with scissors. It can be dangerous.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Four words to ban: "I can't afford that."
