Ok, I don’t have health insurance and haven’t seen a dentist for about three years. I figure since I am finally one paycheck ahead on my bills I could probably spare a bit of cash and get a teeth cleaning. That’s the goal, that’s all I want: to see a dentist, any dentist, and get a simple cleaning.
But this is apparently too difficult a goal to achieve. Every dentist I can find by googling “dentist” in my city either isn’t accepting new patients, has a 6 month wait, wants to do quite a few unnecessary X-rays and what-not before even scheduling me for a cleaning, or won’t tell me how much it is going to cost.
That last one gets to me the most. I need to know how much this endeavor is going to cost before I go. I can afford maybe $150 for this deal (but really, why would a half hour teeth cleaning cost more than this?) but not one single dentist will give me a price so I can price shop around. One even told me they would have to charge me $179 to do new patient paperwork and x-rays, and flat out refused to tell me how much more it would cost to get an actual appointment. You know, where they actually render a service rather than pad their pockets. I’m unlikely to go for another three years after this, so I don’t need all this “we need to retain your patient information” crap. I’m not coming back, don’t bother.
Look, I don’t need nor want X-rays! I just want a trained dental assistant to scrape around a bit and give me a long-needed cleaning! If I have a cavity or something, let me know and I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, but at least give me some options here.
I think ideally I just want this to be as easy as getting a haircut. I call in and schedule an appointment. I show up, they do their thing, I pay them the rate agreed upon at the outset, and I’m out in half an hour. But no, that would be too easy.
This is so frustrating I’m tempted to just buy one of those little metal picks, a bottle of extra strength fluoride, and some heavy-duty floss and give it a go myself.
FWIW I have had the same US dentist for about 25 years, but have only seen him twice since I left the US. I saw him today in fact. For a filling (kinda two fillings, although they are on the same tooth), 7 x-rays and cleaning, I was charged about $900. Just a cleaning is supposed to be $95, but I don’t think anyone pays only that. I don’t have insurance either and they were very disappointed when they found out.
The dentistry in Prague is hit and miss (mostly miss), but in Dubai it is very good and about half the price of the US… I’ll plan to do it there from now on.
Check around for a school of dentistry … the student hygenists get a chance to practice, you get a cheap appointment, and if they find something they can pass you along to a dental student to practice on =)
Sort of like going to a barber school for a haircut.
Don’t expect this to be a quick option–when my mom was in school for dental hygiene, she did my teeth once, and I was in the chair for at least two hours, mostly waiting for the instructor to come around to check and re-check my mom’s work. People with bad, tartar-encrusted teeth or gum disease often had to come back for two or more appointments.
The moral? Bring a book, don’t expect to work a full day, and cultivate a zenlike attitude if you plan to attempt this.
In my experience dental schools are harder to get into and still charge about half. I went to the University of Illinois Dental School with a swollen jaw, this was in October of 2007 and they told me the first available appointment they had, so I could have the tooth pulled was April 2008. Like I could really wait 5 months with a swollen jaw, taking ibuprofen every four hours.
And, at least at U of I Dental they charge half the cost anyway and procedures take awhile. A root canal will cost about $800 and they take about six months to do it. So it’s still a savings but only if you can wait
Call 1-800-Dentists, I did that and I explained to them very carefully what I needed. They were great.
The problem I had was at the time I didn’t have dental insurance and no dentist I called would do anything to me unless I first put up a cash deposit. So that figures into a lot of it. I imagine dentists get stiffed a lot. Nothing like paying $1,500 for a root canal then having it fail and then still being expected to pay a failed procedure.
Just another data point, but I found calling around to local dentists in Philadelphia a surprisingly easy process with plenty of transparent pricing for an initial visit, x-rays, and teeth cleaning.
But seriously folks, the x-rays, insurance and return visits every 6 months means they can rely on you as a constant stream of revenue. You’re not doing them any favors by not playing along, because $150 cash in their pocket really doesn’t amount to a hill o’ beans to them. I know that doesn’t help you much, but there’s your reason.
I would second the dental school option. I’ve heard that they actually want people who have not had a cleaning for a while. And if it takes a while to get in…well, nothing hurts and you’ve waited this long, right?
A cleaning after three years is not as quick and easy as a cleaning after six months. I once went three years between dental cleanings, and they had to use this waterpik thing on me and it took quite a while. Now, I have insurance, so I play the every six months game, and it goes much, much faster. For things like fillings, they are able to tell me the price up front, too, so I’m surprised they can’t tell you what a cleaning would cost.
Well, part of the reason they can’t tell you how much it’ll cost is because they don’t know how long it’s been since your last cleaning (I know this is shocking but sometimes people even gasp lie about this). If your teeth are in bad enough shape, you may need debridement, which may have to be done in two or even four sessions, instead of one. Even if you don’t lie about the last time you had a cleaning, you may not be aware of the state your teeth are in.
So the dentist (or her receptionist) quotes you a standard fee for a cleaning for a regularly seen patient, and then you come in and they find out your mouth is a mess. It’s going to take a lot longer, and cost a lot more. They tell you this, and now you’re ticked at your dentist who is obviously a horrible crook and just trying to pay for her yacht.
That doesn’t even take into account other problems that might be found, like cavities. Or a bad problem with grinding, which should be treated before you crack all your back molars and need crowns.
I know it seems like a cop-out, but honestly we don’t know what it’s going to cost. Until we’ve seen you, it’s pretty hard to say. And if we guess wrong, then you’re REALLY mad.
I chickened out for 15 years once :eek: :smack: between dental visits.
Sorting out the neglect took two lengthy sessions over two days, involving 12 fillings.
(Now I’m a good boy and go every six months. )
So I completely understand why dentists won’t quote for an unseen, neglected mouth.
Presumably the same applies to garages if you want a fixed quote to sort out your un-maintained car…
Because generally they’re sitting or standing a little way behind you and to the side. And jamming loads of miniaturised torture tools into your mouth while shining a soothing light into your eyes.
)