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Dental Emergency

MissCricket
MissCricket
I had a filling fall out a few weeks ago and I immediately went to my old dentist, hoping they would do something. They said I needed a crown and it would cost me over $500.

This past Monday, I go to my new dentist and he says I just need a new filling and it'll cost me only $100. That was the good news. The bad news was that I had another broken filling and a new cavity and he needed to charge another $200. My insurance would cover it but I used up my allowance for the year.

My old dentist failed to mention the new cavity and did not address my other broken filling. I brought it up during my last filling and they said it was no big deal. My new dentist says it's a big deal.

So getting a second opinion saved me lots of money but I still need to come up with $300. I got paid today but I am broke until next week seeing as I paid bills and put money away towards rent. I tried to apply for CareCredit and got denied. I'm 25 and STILL trying establish credit. I'm hoping for a silver lining somewhere.
billwfriend
billwfriend
sorry about needing dentist to fix problems...that is never fun...I lost my dentist and have not gone in over year...was asking mom who had taken over for doc black when he retired..? she couldn't tell me so now I do not know where to go to dentist...might try local to my house...see office down street here and guess I could go...no telling what they will charge for cleaning and Xrays....don't think I need any additional work right now...just cleaning and Xrays...

good luck raising $300....thats a lotta cash
billwfriend
billwfriend
will your new dentist delay billing? or do you need to pay at visit?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Start looking for dental schools. If you can find one, they usually have a clinic and do the work for reduced prices and the students work is supervised by a teacher. I have heard others say it is how they got their teeth done.

Some cities have a free dental clinic maybe once a month or even several months, but you would have to get in line at like 4:00 AM in order to be guaranteed to be seen that day and wait until it opens because the line is really long.
MissCricket
MissCricket
My dentist will only do the work once I pay for it, so it's not that bad.
Messenger2010
Messenger2010
I've been lucky to have dental insurance... I got it where I work about five years ago... I knew my teeth were a mess but I never really used it except for emergencies. An emergency being in so much pain that I couldn't stand it. LOL

With the changes upcoming with insurance coverage I decided to use this insurance. Well actually, like most things in my life, I used it after I needed it. I had two fillings fall out within a week of each other and decided it was time to get some work done.

So after the two fillings, I had a crown put on one tooth, then had a surgery to remove a tooth, the tooth that was removed was good but it needed to come out for the next step was getting a partial... and now just one final appointment... a second crown on a front tooth...

So in the last four months, two fillings, two crowns, a tooth pulled, and a partial... after not using the insurance for the last three years I got my money's worth this year...
MissCricket
MissCricket
I normally have dental insurance and I'm given an allowance of $1,000 a year. Unfortunately, I already used it up this year and that's why I have to pay $300. If I didn't use up my allowance, I'd be fine.
Messenger2010
Messenger2010
That's why I did all my work this year... right now I have an allowance of $1,500 with a $50 deductible... everything I'm looking at for next year is $1,000 max... so I wanted to get the "worst" over with this year...

Hope it works out for you...
hollygrove
hollygrove
I don't have dental insurance and just had a crown put on a broken tooth. It cost 1200 dollars, but I can pay it off as I"m able. ( The benefits of seeing the same dentist for 24 years) .I've paid 600 dollars in the past 3 months.

We have a dental office here in town that has a sliding scale, but it's really a catch 22. Mike ( my dentist) was out of town for a week, so I went to this clinic. They insisted on pulling a tooth that Mike said later could have been saved. They also expect payment in full the minute anything is done. I hated depleting my savings to pay in full. Also, the dentist at the clinic ( I think he had been out of dental school for 14 minutes) wanted to extract "older " fillings that are fine.

I stick with Mike because he knows my teeth and the potential problems I might have. I"ve been on medication of some sort since age 12, so my teeth are weak. He wouldn't put a partial in because he felt my teeth wouldn't support it. I wonder if the clinic would have said the same thing. It turns out that the sliding scale of the clinic would have only saved me about 120 dollars with the crown, and I"d rather have the peace of mind being with someone who really knows me and my mouth!
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