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12-02-2011, 01:56 PM
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#41
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 428
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Interesting I was just going to start a thread. Just happened to need two root canals two weeks ago. At the endo 999 and 1100 per tooth, plus about 125 for the initial evaluation, plus 45 for antibiotics, and the funny thing is I take care of my teeth,on a 4 month cleaning schedule.
So I go to my dentist for the first crown 1350 per tooth, for two teeth close to 5 grand. No dental insurance since retired, all I can say is wow at the price, anything goes wrong with these teeth they are getting pulled.
I pay as I go with dental since retired, but that is a little much.
Then again what can you do when you are in severe pain,if I get anymore might just get them yanked. My dentist is personal friend and it still cost that much,once I hit 65 then can get 10% discount.
Old Mike
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12-02-2011, 02:06 PM
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#42
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
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I have retiree dental insurance, which makes routine visits affordable, but I "need" two implants, at $3500 or so apiece. So far have passed; should try the local dental school. Nothing like being a test dummy...
__________________
Have Funds, Will Retire
...not doing anything of true substance...
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12-02-2011, 02:44 PM
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#43
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 9,343
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Just got back from the oral surgeon who pulled my wisdom tooth. My wrist hurt more from signing off on all the potetial problems that could occur from this procedure than my mouth did. I wonder if the local barber back in the day made his patients initial to the fact they might get infection or bone fragments in their sinuses? Anyhow the fear was 10 times worse than the procedure, and the price came in at the low end $280 which included a $100 xray. They wouldnt do it without one. I told them it would come out fine without an xray, but they werent interested in my cost saving " dental advise".
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12-07-2011, 07:44 PM
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#44
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 173
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut
Thank you. I had not considered this. I can buy into a dental insurance policy after I retire (100% paid by me!) but I was not going to do so. Now that I have given some thought to losing the negotiated rates, I think I will do so.
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The difference between negotiated and non-negotiated rates can be substantial. A few years ago I got a crown, negotiated rate $638, non $850. I'm in California and have a dental policy through Delta Dental sold by (gulp) AARP. It's around $60.00 a month but I did not have dental care as a child and so I feel the insurance is imperative. DH, on the other hand, has very good teeth and had great care as a child. He does, however, have a Blue Cross plan for seniors aged 65 and above for $30.00 a month. (I can't wait until I can get that plan.) We considered dropping it for him, but figured it all out and after 2x a year cleaning, the real cost of the plan is about $10.00 a month. Right after we made the decision to keep it, he wracked up a $1200 bill that we didn't have to pay.
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02-15-2012, 07:05 PM
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#45
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,339
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I lost 2 fillings a couple months ago and they're now getting painful so I went to the dentist for the first time in 13 years. I left with an estimate of almost $4000 of work that needs to be done to eliminate the pain. That's a lot of money for me but I don't think I have any other good option. I guess it's not too expensive if you look at it on a per month basis. 13 years is 156 months. That's only $25.XX/mo over the last 13 years. Chances are it's going to get worse though since I have a mouth full of 15-20 year old fillings. Up until now(age 32) I haven't thought much about dental costs but now i'll have to include it in all future budgets.
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02-15-2012, 07:56 PM
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#46
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 9,343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronc879
I lost 2 fillings a couple months ago and they're now getting painful so I went to the dentist for the first time in 13 years. I left with an estimate of almost $4000 of work that needs to be done to eliminate the pain. That's a lot of money for me but I don't think I have any other good option. I guess it's not too expensive if you look at it on a per month basis. 13 years is 156 months. That's only $25.XX/mo over the last 13 years. Chances are it's going to get worse though since I have a mouth full of 15-20 year old fillings. Up until now(age 32) I haven't thought much about dental costs but now i'll have to include it in all future budgets.
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Ouch! Both physically and financially. Teeth pain will eventually convince you that the cost is " cheap" to fix them, no matter what the price is. I have fillings that are older than you have been alive, I sure hope they never fall out. Unless you want dentures, bite the bullet and fix them as you will just wind up with more problems if you delay.
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02-15-2012, 07:59 PM
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#47
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 604
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronc879
I lost 2 fillings a couple months ago and they're now getting painful so I went to the dentist for the first time in 13 years. I left with an estimate of almost $4000 of work that needs to be done to eliminate the pain. That's a lot of money for me but I don't think I have any other good option.
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Have you considered any dental discount plans? I was able to find a plan in which my dentist participates for around $100/year, and it saves me money even if I just go in twice a year for routine stuff. If I need work done, it saves me even more. You can search online or PM me if you want more info.
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02-15-2012, 08:01 PM
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#48
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,339
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mulligan
Ouch! Both physically and financially. Teeth pain will eventually convince you that the cost is " cheap" to fix them, no matter what the price is. I have fillings that are older than you have been alive, I sure hope they never fall out. Unless you want dentures, bite the bullet and fix them as you will just wind up with more problems if you delay.
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You have fillings that are more than 30 years old? I was told that the average filling only lasts 12 years and that I should feel lucky mine have all lasted at least that long.
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02-15-2012, 08:04 PM
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#49
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,514
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mulligan
I have fillings that are older than you have been alive, I sure hope they never fall out.
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So do I. Does this call for a poll? A thread topic that has never been discussed before? how old are your fillings and what are you going to do about them?
Aaronc879, not making fun of your situation. Teeth problems are painful so get them fixed and budget for more. I had two broken teeth last year so I can honestly say I shared your pain - physical and financial.
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02-15-2012, 08:06 PM
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#50
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,339
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ksr
Have you considered any dental discount plans? I was able to find a plan in which my dentist participates for around $100/year, and it saves me money even if I just go in twice a year for routine stuff. If I need work done, it saves me even more. You can search online or PM me if you want more info.
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I have a plan like that. It costs $30/yr and gives a discount of ~30% off the customary cost. Without the discount it would cost $5657. With it it costs $3961.30. That's for 2 root canals, 2 crowns, and 2 fillings.
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02-15-2012, 08:15 PM
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#51
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 9,343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronc879
You have fillings that are more than 30 years old? I was told that the average filling only lasts 12 years and that I should feel lucky mine have all lasted at least that long.
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I am not an expert on dentistry, but I sure as hell thought they were meant to last a lifetime. Maybe that good old silver they put in my 3 fillings in the 1970's stays attached to the tooth better. I sure hope it never falls out. Aaron you need to tell them if they are costing that much money, you expect to never need to replace them again. Good Luck!
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02-15-2012, 08:29 PM
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#52
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,855
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronc879
I lost 2 fillings a couple months ago and they're now getting painful so I went to the dentist for the first time in 13 years. I left with an estimate of almost $4000 of work that needs to be done to eliminate the pain. That's a lot of money for me but I don't think I have any other good option. I guess it's not too expensive if you look at it on a per month basis. 13 years is 156 months. That's only $25.XX/mo over the last 13 years. Chances are it's going to get worse though since I have a mouth full of 15-20 year old fillings. Up until now(age 32) I haven't thought much about dental costs but now i'll have to include it in all future budgets.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronc879
You have fillings that are more than 30 years old? I was told that the average filling only lasts 12 years and that I should feel lucky mine have all lasted at least that long.
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I have nine fillings that are older than you, too, although I've been warned that nobody can predict how much longer they'll last. Maybe it's the extra mercury they added to the silver.
The good news is that today's filling material is even more durable. You could try for a discount dentist or a dental school, but maybe you've already beat the cost (and the deductibles) of dental insurance.
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02-15-2012, 08:38 PM
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#53
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 13,566
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Ive just paid $800 for dental surgery for my 15 year old dog!
But it's true about dental work, whatever you put off doing, will always cost you in the end, usually more.
Dental work isn't something I've ever "shopped" but I wonder how much prices might vary between the older established dentists in your town and the newer, hungrier ones.
I've got fillings from the late 70's still holding on!
__________________
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching.”
Gerard Arthur Way
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02-15-2012, 10:07 PM
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#54
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 63
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With a history of dental issues, I began a year ago to get everything checked and fixed while I was still working. I got several crowns, and had an extraction for an upcoming implant. It was financially painless, because I was still working, and had a well-funded health spending account as part of my medical plan, which could be used for dental expenses. Then on January 1, my company changed health insurance providers, and declared that the spending account could no longer be used for dental, only medical. So now I have to pay for the expensive part of the implant process out of pocket, even though I thought I had planned ahead. I'm still looking forward to getting it done though.
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02-15-2012, 10:31 PM
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#55
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,913
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I have two crowns that are ~33 years old and were only supposed to last 15 years. I've had some fillings last for 5 years and some for 30 years - depending mostly on the dentist who did the work. Now that I have no insurance, I appreciate quality dentistry that much more.
If you are approaching ER and have insurance, I recommend to find the best dentist your insurance covers and have everything evaluated.
__________________
"One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute." William Feather
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ER'd Oct. 2010 at 53. Life is good.
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02-16-2012, 02:31 AM
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#56
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Palma de Mallorca
Posts: 1,419
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My childhood dentist had a horrible, horrible bedside manner. But my goodness, he could make fillings. I have about 6 that are between 35 and 40 years old, and my (wonderful) current dentist looks wistfully at them every time she scales my teeth. She's replaced two fillings in the 15 years I've been going to her.
DW now goes to her as well. Prior to that she had about 6 dentists in 20 years, what with changing city/country, and every single one had done the "Oh dear, who did this? They'll all have to come out" routine on her. I suspect that a lot of dentists would fail a "mystery shopper" test for unnecessary work.
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02-16-2012, 07:26 AM
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#57
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 1,543
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Don't forget that delaying dental work can also lead to heart problems on down the line.
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02-16-2012, 12:26 PM
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#58
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 9,343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigNick
My childhood dentist had a horrible, horrible bedside manner. But my goodness, he could make fillings. I have about 6 that are between 35 and 40 years old, and my (wonderful) current dentist looks wistfully at them every time she scales my teeth. She's replaced two fillings in the 15 years I've been going to her.
DW now goes to her as well. Prior to that she had about 6 dentists in 20 years, what with changing city/country, and every single one had done the "Oh dear, who did this? They'll all have to come out" routine on her. I suspect that a lot of dentists would fail a "mystery shopper" test for unnecessary work.
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Well, I wish I hadnt read these recent posts, as I just assumed my fillings would never need replacing and in fact, I had never even given them a thought in over 35 years. I didnt realize that this was common or there was only a 12-15 year "life expentency" for my fillings. Maybe I will get lucky.
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02-16-2012, 03:46 PM
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#59
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,924
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mulligan
Well, I wish I hadnt read these recent posts, as I just assumed my fillings would never need replacing and in fact, I had never even given them a thought in over 35 years. I didnt realize that this was common or there was only a 12-15 year "life expentency" for my fillings. Maybe I will get lucky.
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I have been told ~20 years for silver fillings.
__________________
"Knowin' no one nowhere's gonna miss us when we're gone..."
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02-16-2012, 03:54 PM
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#60
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,468
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I had a half dozen or so root canals with gold crowns put in by a terrific dentist in Meridian, Mississippi 37 years ago. He told me maybe as long as 20 years at the time, but after 37 years these are still going strong. I think one had to be worked on and that's about all. Of course these days, gold is more expensive than it was in 1975.
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Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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