# How much dental work did you have done last year? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 21, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912 "2014-02-21T21:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/1 "2014-02-21T21:02:08Z")
Inspired by [this thread about dental insurance](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=716321), estimate the dollar value of all dental work you received last year. This is the total cost of the work, not just your out of pocket. Include regular cleaning and checkups, but do not include premiums for dental insurance. PTF ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/2 "2014-02-21T21:07:30Z")
Two cleanings. $120.00 for both. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/3 "2014-02-21T21:09:21Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Two cleanings. $120.00 for both. this, plus one series of xrays. probably $400 for everything. But, I’m looking at a crown and/or root canal this year ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/4 "2014-02-21T21:13:42Z")
First phase of a tooth implant and two cleanings and filling in some chips on the bottom of a front tooth (I forget what they call it when they do that) and some x-rays the orthodontist wanted my dentist to do because his machine wasn’t good enough or something came to somewhere close to $2,500. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/5 "2014-02-21T23:21:59Z")
Zero. I get my teeth cleaned every 3 years. Haven’t had a cavity in many years. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/6 "2014-02-21T23:30:41Z")
Zero. Didn’t even have a cleaning. Have never had any dental issues in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/7 "2014-02-21T23:35:24Z")
$2000 apprx. I had gum surgery 2 years ago so last year I was on the quarterly cleaning schedule. I also had a set of xrays and an old chip repair replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/8 "2014-02-21T23:58:48Z")
I got killed last year. Two crowns, one when my old filling collapsed, a deep cleaning, some regular cleanings and one cavity. Though part of it was from the woman who took over the practice down the street where I had been going for years needing to pay off her loan. I’ve split. But my teeth are crappy. The rest of me is fine, at least. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/9 "2014-02-22T00:57:54Z")
Gums, teeth, mouth is what percentage of the body? 1-2%? It always seemed strange to me that I would spend more dollars with dentists rather than physicians to heal my body. But, I can’t imagine a life without eating. I love to eat! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/10 "2014-02-22T01:06:06Z")
Two cleanings/checkups at either 500 or 600 baht apiece, I forget which. But that’s only US$15 or $18 apiece for no more than $36 total. ---
**Author:** ![JacksMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@JacksMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacksMom)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/11 "2014-02-22T01:09:43Z")
1 root canal do-over with new crown, 9 fillings (7 of which were surface fillings), 2 cleanings. I will probably spend the same amount next year, as I anticipate another root canal/crown and I’m prone to surface cavities. If I had any sense I would take the plunge and go with implants. FWIW, I don’t have health insurance but I have dental insurance. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/12 "2014-02-22T02:14:38Z")
12 crowns, zoom, invisalign, 2 cleanings 23,000 approx ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/13 "2014-02-22T02:37:19Z")
2 cleanings plus one set of routine x-rays. Somewhere around $300 for the year. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/14 "2014-02-22T03:06:10Z")
Last year, for me, one cleaning. I skipped my second cleaning because of husband’s serious health problems. For husband - last year, about $500, early in the year, with a lot more work planned. Then his brain tumor demanded all the attention, so there went that plan. This year, now that we can concentrate on his teeth again, we’ve already maxed out his dental insurance through my job ($1500 benefit per year), and much more to come. All the meds he has to take have seriously messed up his teeth, and the new meds he got in the hospital just make things worse. We joke that we’re financing our dentist’s next vacation or two. And despite driving him to five dental appointments, with at least four more to come, I haven’t scheduled a cleaning and checkup for myself. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/15 "2014-02-22T03:09:53Z")
1 replaced crown that ultimately failed, tho’ dentist only charged ins. and refunded me the out of pocket on the attempt. Then a bridge for the whole mess, then 2 more crowns. I have a nasty grey dead but otherwise very much attached tooth right in the front bottom, that I want capped for cosmetic reasons, but never have the damn money. Looking at the same amt. this year. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/16 "2014-02-22T03:12:20Z")
Adult braces and all the assorted stuff…around 5,000 so far. That’s a guess, because I try to not look at the total amount, only what we need to pay. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/17 "2014-02-22T14:08:38Z")
Nothing for me last year. I haven’t had dental coverage for the last four years. Once, two or three years ago, I did pay out of pocket for a cleaning, checkup, and x-rays. I did sign up for dental coverage a few months ago when my wife got a job that contributed to the premiums. I still need to get around to finding a dentist… ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-dental-work-did-you-have-done-last-year/681912/18 "2014-02-22T15:47:43Z")
None for the last couple of years,even though I have good insurance. I know I should go, but I hate it and I never have cavities. I will probably go this year though.