Do I just have bad luck picking dentists?

[cashflyer]

Or am I that out of touch with modern dentistry?

A filling popped out of a molar about a year or so ago and I ignored it. As a result, I had to recently get a root canal done.

Last time I had a root canal done was 30 years ago when a tooth was damaged in a sports injury. The family dentist drilled it and filled it. Few hundred bucks. All in-house.

This time, the general dentist I picked charged me for an office visit to look at it and refer me to a "root canal specialist". The specialist then charged me $1170 for the root canal, and put in a temporary filling when he was done. He said I would have to go back to the general dentist for a permanent filling and crown.

General dentist today told me that the filling and crown would cost $1500. BUT that I would need a "deep cleaning" before he could do that, and the cleaning would cost $1000.


I know the cost of living went up a few percentage points in the last 30 years, but DAMN! $1000 to clean my teeth? $2700 for a root canal? Is this normal now?

And what happened to dentists that knew how to do this stuff in-house? Why do I need to go to two dentists for a root canal? Just to spread the wealth?

[1990C4S]

My double root canal was $1,200 from a friend who gave me a discount...not a dentist, an endodontist.

[gatotom]

root canal price is about normal, filling and crown,ahh the root guy filled it why do you need to get it filled again, the crown is going over it.

The cleaning at 1000.00, holy moly, that's off the charts.

I am in the process of a crown, have the temp in and next wk the gold, total cost under 1000.00, insurance pays the whole bill. I get cleaning every 4 months for about 100.00 that includes sonic time.

The best thing that has helped my teeth has been flossing every day, it really works.

[Gogar]

I don't think it's odd that you got sent to a specialist.

I got sent to the endodontist for my RC and it was a great experience, about $900.

IIRC my crown on top of it was around $1200.

All that was about 10 years ago.

[oldE]

Regarding the root canals, I suspect it depends upon the position of the tooth.

A few years ago I had a root canal in a molar. My local guy sent me to a specialist in the city (two hour drive one way). They put in a temporary filling and later my guy did the permanent filling.
Last year I needed a root canal in a front tooth. Local guy did the whole thing inside an hour.

Your results may vary.
Best
Les

[johnsjmc]

I,m 63 and go to the dentist about once a year . I still have all my teeth but I have had 2 root canals and about 6 or 7 crowns. Each time a filling fails now they tell me something like too big to fill again .
I lost my dental insurance when I retired.
Around here the insurance price for a crown is typically about $1200 with my ins. covering 60%.
leaving me a bill of about $450. without ins. the cash price became an even $1000.
I don,t know what the charge is for the root canal as they were done during the years I was covered @100%. If you consider the 30 yrs without a dental bill it,s just like delayed car repair.
$3000 over 30 yrs isn,t much. You've been pretty lucky.

[cashflyer]

My insurance will pick up about 60%.

It's not that I have had no dental work done in 30 years... just that the only other RC that was done was 30 years ago.

[johnsjmc]

Sorry misunderstood your original post.

[john70t]

Regrow and strengthen teeth.
Found on the net: No more fillings as dentists reveal new tooth decay treatment | Society | theguardian.com

Couldn't find link:
Another was a drill-less procedure: where an acid/other(?) was used to penetrate the opening and destroy remaining bacteria, then adhesive was used to plug the hole.

[dan88911]

Look at the bright side that rotten tooth could have killed you.

[cashflyer]

Could have killed me? It's not like I allow it to own any firearms.....

Sometime it hurt enough that I could have killed the people around me, though.

[john70t]

Many young people have died from complications from orthodontic infection.
I once had peri/endo carditis at the age of 20 after a wisdom-teeth extraction procedure.
It was the result of corrupt medical laws which allow concurrent billing by anesthesiologists .

Tooth infection goes into the bloodstream.
Then it's game over.

[Nickshu]

You were probably quoted a fee for scaling and root planing (s/rp) at $1000 most likely because they found uncontrolled periodontitis mild to moderate. Not a regular preventive cleaning. After your s/rp you'll need lifelong periodontal maintenance cleanings at a every 3-6 month interval to keep your gum disease under control (Falls into chronic inflammatory disease category). Your routine maintenance cleanings will be a couple hundred bucks. S/rp is usually done under local anesthetic and done one or two quadrants at a time but could be done in one long visit. If you don't comply with the maintenance thereafter then you'll be back in the same boat again in couple years only with even more permanent bone loss and pocketing. This cycle goes on until there's insufficient bone to support the tooth/teeth anymore.

Just be glad it's not severe... Then you'd have to come see me and I'm much more expensive. :-)

Your PPOT resident periodontist.

[Nickshu]

One other thought on general dentists referring some parts of your care out of house... Not all root canals are the same. Perhaps your guy felt your specific case was too difficult to do in house.

Since the time of your family dentist 30 years ago a lot has changed and certain procedures have a much higher success rate when done by a well trained specialist who has the latest technology and training. Also there is so much going on in Dentistry now that it's virtually impossible for one GP to master all areas. Your GP only wants the best care for you.

Also what I see in my area is the guys who do "everything in house" charge fees the same or even in some cases more than the local specialists. Unfortunately however the quality of care is not as good. All pateints see is "he was a nice guy and took my dental plan" but the work could be utter garbage.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by john70t

Regrow and strengthen teeth.
Found on the net: No more fillings as dentists reveal new tooth decay treatment | Society | theguardian.com

Interesting.
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[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

After your s/rp you'll need lifelong periodontal maintenance cleanings at a every 3-6 month interval to keep your gum disease under control (Falls into chronic inflammatory disease category).

Ok... So if I do this, I am committing to a lifetime of quarterly 'maintenance cleanings'. Is there another option? Perhaps an option that does not have me forking over $100 per month for the rest of my life?

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Ok... So if I do this, I am committing to a lifetime of quarterly 'maintenance cleanings'. Is there another option? Perhaps an option that does not have me forking over $100 per month for the rest of my life?

Not really any other if you want to keep your teeth (and/or keep any implant replacements) and minimize oral inflammation that contributes to heart disease and stroke.

The maintenance cleanings are risk based generally. Once you have gone thru the s/rp you can start on 3 month maintenance. If you demonstrate low bleeding scores, excellent homecare, and good health over 1-2 years, and you lack systemic risk factors for periodontal disease (smoking, diabetes, various others), then you may be able to remain stable on 6 month maintenance but usually not any longer. For me I have very few patients who are candidates for any less than every 4 months, but as a periodontist I only see the worst cases.

Problem is that once you have demonstrated that you are genetically susceptible to periodontal disease then this susceptibility tends to increase with age so your need for care will rarely become less. This assumes you are interested in oral health, which like all healthcare, your participation is elective but you do pay the price for not doing so. The choice remains with you.

If you have questions, call three dental specialists in your area, ask them who the three best general dentists are in the area. Go see the one name that all three give you and get a second opinion. This is the best way to find the best DDS' in your area because as specialists we work with everyone and see all their work.

[recycled sixtie]

Well Cashflyer having read your original post I find it hard to believe that you would ignore a filling falling out. Was it not uncomfortable? It happened to me a couple of weeks ago at the start of a hiking holiday. I was on the phone the next day making an appointment and got the cavity filled 5 days later.

Preventing high costs of teeth work can be achieved by flossing and cleaning teeth several times a day. I still have to get the occasional root canal( 6 months ago for the last one) and it was $1400 at the specialist(ins. co covers $600).

Nickshu as he says sees many extreme cases. Being preventive is very important. Both my parents now deceased had all their teeth extracted when they were in their 30's. False teeth are not for me and fortunately we have wonderful docs like Nickshu that can prevent that happening.

Cheers, Guy.

[cashflyer]

It hurt some when the filling was out, but did not really bother me a lot until the nerve became exposed. I have developed a lot of distrust for dentists over the last 10 years, and just don't go.

Add to that I travel a lot for work, and scheduling a dentist can be problematic. Especially when you get the dentist that tells you how busy they are and that they can schedule you 3 weeks from the day you call. My planning does not always go 3 weeks out, and even if it does, it can be difficult to make my schedule work with theirs. That single opening 3 weeks from now may be right about the same time I am 4 states away. When I call a dentist, I am looking to get an appointment sometime in the next few days - not next few weeks.

Scheduling myself in 4 times a year? Probably not going to happen. For both reasons.

[CarreraDan]

Harvey,
Both my mother and I have had extensive work done in the Upstate. My dentist retired but my mother found one she likes even better. I can pm you his contact info. He does everything in house and even makes permanent crowns while you wait. I guess it is a pretty slick setup. Take care.