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This is the one place I like insurance because it at least gives some cost conscious perspective to proposed procedures. My insurance sucks but at least it’s u
by prepend 3y ago
This is the one place I like insurance because it at least gives some cost conscious perspective to proposed procedures.
My insurance sucks but at least it’s useful that insurance considers optional what my dentist says is essential. For example, my dentist only does tooth colored fillings and my insurance doesn’t cover them. My dentist says the covered ones are unsafe.
It’s a weird situation. My last dentist said I needed an “emergency crown” because my tooth would shatter at any moment. It was $3000. My insurance covered $600. The dentist said it was because my insurance was terrible.
Another dentist said the crown was optional and would cost $1800. That’s almost a 100% price difference.
And my most recent dentist says I don’t need a crown at all and it’s been two years since the “emergency.”
I’m not sure what’s going on, but of course it’s impossible to compare prices when choosing dentists and I don’t trust new dentists at all.
- pryelluw 3y agoIt’s at the point where I’m saving up to get my dental work in Mexico or Colombia. There’s no point of doing it in the states. I paid $6k for one implant. Ridiculous.
- packetlost 3y agoThe thing about teeth and crowns is, it's fine until it isn't. I've actually had a molar collapse while eating almonds. It's honestly more traumatic than you'd think. Anyways, as a result I did a bunch of research and it turns out that crowns are important for reducing further damage to the root. A split down the the root is it for a tooth, and prosthetics are not a great replacement. My dentist gave me a price breakdown between extraction or root canal and crown both as valid options. Just because they say it's optional doesn't mean they're trying to price gouge you (though clearly the former was).
- prepend 3y agoI understand how crowns work. My issue is that one dentist thought it was an emergency and it obviously isn’t. It’s not the optionality, it’s that one said it was not optional. And that one dentist charged $3000 and one $1800. And they don’t have options. That is the only price they charge.
- microtonal 3y agoHmpf, this is probably in the US? I always got the composite filling and it cost me almost nothing. The insurance pays most of it and the cost is not that high anyway. We all go to the dentist every 6 months, let them do whatever they need to do (a good cleaning every visit, X-Ray every two years), etc. And it doesn't cost a lot. (Western Europe)