Coming from the dentist....:)
By arkaf61
@arkaf61 (10881)
Canada
March 21, 2009 1:20pm CST
SO hubby finally got a dental plan and I had to do something about my teeth. We haven't had a dental plan for about 10 years or so, and other than emergencies I have avoided the dentist. So much so, than at this point I have - or had - 4 teeth to extract. Rather 2 rooths and 2 teeth.
So I took 1 last week, and 2 yesterday.
I am lucky in the sense that I am usually quite good when it comes to taking teeth out. No excessive bleeding/good clothing, no pain etc.
Yesterday was the more complicated that I have had so far for several reasons. First I had two roots to take out. Two molars one on each side of my mouth - which is now posing a bit of a problem to eat. Then contrary to what usually happens with me, one of them needed more than the regular two needles to numb the area. He gave me two on each side and went onto the next patient while it worked. The thing is when he came back and started the extraction I was still feeling it. So he gave me two more, but even after a bit it still didn't work, so he had to give me 2 more.
But then after that it was perfect and the root was out in seconds.
The second one was fine with the anesthetic, but a problem to come out for some reasons. In the end the dentist had to cut the tooth in smaller pieces to be able to get it out. And all the things he had to do to make it work are what is hurting me right now. Not exactly the place where the tooth came out but around it where he pocked and opened and... grrrrr
So have you had dental work done on you lately? Just regular cleaning or something more like me?
7 people like this
15 responses
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
21 Mar 09
I haven't been to the dentist since we changed plans after retiring, and it is hard to fathom how the rates can have doubled when I haven't even used their service. Makes we wonder whether I should just drop the thing. Haven't been for new eyeglasses either...
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (158131)
• United States
22 Mar 09
I got my glasses last year, but hubby has not been in ten years. He forgot his appointment the other day too. Mine were in the neighborhood of five hundred dollars. Yikes!! I am not on company insurance yet, and hubby is not insured at all. We are even changing life insurance plans. It is hard to afford anything. I have not had a physical in who knows how long, although my employer has paid for some free screenings each year on site. Cholesterol, bone density, blood sugars, etc. I told someone in another discussion that we are going to get everything we can done this year because my income jumped up so much and I do not want to owe taxes. I would rather give the money to doctors.
2 people like this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
21 Mar 09
Well, my plan is paying 80% and this dentist is really nice because usually we have to pay in full and then send the papers to the insurance that will refund us. But that can becomes a bit complicated if we don't have that much money to start with. Just between last week and this one - two visits to the dentist - the total was over $400. But this dentist does it the other way around, when we go there - as long as he knows us and that the insurance is legitimate - we only pay our part - in my case 20% - he is the one that sends the claim to the insurance company and the check from them goes directly to him. This way we can actually afford it.
I know what you mean though. Before we used to have the right for one appointment for glasses every year ( for free ) Now we don't have that anymore. Grrrrrr
1 person likes this
@celestial007 (32)
• Philippines
21 Mar 09
yeah we have to check our dentist once in a while because our teeth is so very important..we need to care for hour teeth. what about our smile if we do not have a teeth..just think about that.
2 people like this
@sunnyshine02 (5)
• China
23 Mar 09
er......what you said is right,I agreen with you.but my teeth are bad.I'll take highly of it.i like to smile too,beacuse i think someone smile is very beatifull.
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
22 Mar 09
Hello Arkaf,
Sorry to hear about your dental nightmare! Dental work is just no fun.
Hubby and I are (by nature) meticulous about our teeth. Although, our coverage was recently overhauled. Prior to that overhaul we had our semi-annual exams and cleanings like clockwork. Now we can't even find a dentist who is a participating provider of the new plan. We have dental insurance that we can't even use. It's very worrisome!
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
11 Jun 09
Oh my! Lady luna that's even worse. Having a plan that we can't even use easily hurts more than my tooth extraction grrrrr
I have an idea.. how about controlling the prices that dentists can charge to an amount that is reasonable and then people won't need to have a dental plan. Oh .. wait that would spoil all the fun for the insurance companies huh? 
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
23 Mar 09
I did not have dental for a few years either..and I just did the emergency stuff...then I got coverage. I did 3 root canals last year then ran out of coverage. I am one more root canal and a cleaning this year. I am wondering if getting the molars pulled is a better idea. A root canal is 4 visits.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
11 Jun 09
Yes, I know what you mean. I actually told my dentist to take out instead of doing root canal or else I wouldn't have enough coverage for everything. He did, except for the last one. For that one he actually kind of fixed it temporarily and in January I will be doing a root canal.
@thebeaddoodler (4262)
• Lubbock, Texas
21 Mar 09
UGH! Your extraction sounds like all of mine. My roots all had "hooks" and "spoons" on them except the very front ones. The last dentist to pull teeth for me took out the worst 2 that I had, but he really knew what he was doing. Although he had to cut them into pieces and fish and poke around in the gum to get all the pieces out, I had very little soreness or swelling. Some of the teeth I've had pulled left my jaw swelled and bruised and the hing on my jaw so sore I could hardly open my mouth. I wished then that I'd known this dentist 20 years earlier when I started having them all pulled. Good dentists who know how to make their patients comfortable and pull teeth with minimal effects are hard to find now days. They all want to do the expensive root canals and caps and. . .and. . . anything to get more money out of the insurance companies.
2 people like this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
21 Mar 09
You are so right about the dentists. Thankfully mine is actually quite good as well. He was my dentist 10 years ago, but when we lost our dental plan I didn't really go to the dentist unless there was no other way. So now we got the dental plan back and I decided to go back to him because I know he is good.
It feels funny this time because both our taken at the same time, and while one I don't have any discomfort, the other one is a bit sore in the places where he was poking.
Oh well only one more to go, and them I'll be fine :):):)
1 person likes this
@davidbenjamin (147)
• Canada
22 Mar 09
I FEEL YOUR DENTAL PAIN!! about a year now i finally got a dental plan after not having one for close to 10years...tTHIRTEEN EXTRACTIONS!!!!! i had to have 13 taken out and i had to wear a denture for another six months after that!
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
11 Jun 09
Oh my.... that's exactly it!
Thankfully I ended up only needing to take 5 out, but it's alot. I'm happy that they were all at the back and that there was no need to teach the front teeth.
It's really sad that dental work is so expensive. I was actually adding up in my mind the number of patients they usually have per day and an average amount per patient and it's ridiculous how much they're making !!!!!
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
25 Mar 09
hi arkaf...it sounds that your worries are over since its done..well i guess mine is i need a bit of plastering of two teeth in the side which of course had already done years back..but it is already discolored and im contemplating on a jacket instead...
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (86266)
• United States
23 Mar 09
I had perfect teeth growing up. Then because of a certain medication I was given a couple of years ago, I developed a problem with one of my teeth. The dentist did a root canal which I slept through. I didn't have the money to go back until two years later. And when I came back that root canal was in awful shape. I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that that dentist had always been fired. So the new dentist told me I'd have to have the tooth pulled.
So the day that they extracted the tooth they of course they numbed the area. Unfortunately, when they went to pull the tooth, they had not done a good job at all of not allowing me to feel it. It was so painful. When they were done I told them I had felt it. They felt really badly. Too bad they didn't feel badly enough not to charge me for anesthia (I just know I spelled that wrong) that didn't work! 
This may not help, but if you go to dental schools, you can get the work done cheaper. And they have a trained dentist watching them, so you would be safe with that. I thought I'd tell you that in case you lost your dental plan someday. I wish I had a dental plan! I know a person is supposed to go to the dentist every six months, but who can afford that?!
This may not help, but if you go to dental schools, you can get the work done cheaper. And they have a trained dentist watching them, so you would be safe with that. I thought I'd tell you that in case you lost your dental plan someday. I wish I had a dental plan! I know a person is supposed to go to the dentist every six months, but who can afford that?!1 person likes this
@mssnow (9484)
• United States
22 Mar 09
I know how you eel about not having a dental plan. i havent had any kinda medical insurance for over ten years. It can be very frustrating. I have bad teeth and lots of medical problems that will eventually add up to a major thing. but no one cares about that. they say that my problems are not life threatnting so too bad for me. Glad you could get dental though. I hope you can get everything taken care of. :)
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
25 Mar 09
So far, all the dental visits I did were to do cleaning and patching.
Holes in my molars are showing and the dentist did a patch on it.
Then the scaling to get rid of all that plague build up over the months!
Never really like it. Cos after the plague is removed, the mouth just feels weird for a few weeks after!
Hmm... removal of root eh? I guess he did some cuts on your gums to open the opening to your tooth a little wider in order to remove the root. And then sew back the gums to close the wound. It will take a while to heal.
Take lots of protein food like fish if possible to aid in the healing. 
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
22 Mar 09
I go to my dentist for regular cleaning, other than that,I don't go to any dentist. Their professional fee is so high that I can't afford to pay it. But I am planning to have braces this year.
@ancy114 (102)
• India
22 Mar 09
hmmm t's goodto hea tat u get rid of ur cavity.... t's not good to have a cavity ...any ways ur teeth is very much important..coz smile is the only medicine tat cure our beloved ones worries.... even i 'd two cavity teeth i went to dentist n i saved all other teeths of mine... anyways takecare of ur teeth..brush twice a day ..
@Jennlk84 (4206)
• United States
22 Mar 09
My entire childhood I visited the dentist at least twice a year. Twice a year for cleanings and then if I had to have a filling or any other work done, I'd visit him on those special occasions. Now that I don't have medical insurance, it has been 2 years since I've visited the dentist. I really hate that I don't have the insurance to go right now. I like taking really good care of my teeth.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
22 Mar 09
I know what you mean. For me it was the last 10 years. We covered emergencies - and when I talk emergencies I mean awful pain that we couldn't help with painkillers - and the kids visits to the dentist. But nothing else. It's just now that we can do it again.
Way too long.
Hope you get insurance soon.
@kimberlynnF (170)
• United States
22 Mar 09
Uuuugggg! I had oral surgery done and I was in horrific pain. It turned out that the place that was cut out turned into a dry socket and I had to have the bone sanded down and the gum sewed up around it. I am on pain meds now and a special mouth wash. I don't envy anyone having to go get mouth work done. I bled a lot yesterday from all that.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
22 Mar 09
I have to confess that the pain wasn't that bad, and it's gone today. But it was more like a soreness that kept being there. I am usually good with any dental work because I heal really fast and don't bleed much, but this one kind of was a bit more complicated.
@orenji (39)
• Philippines
22 Mar 09
I just can't believe the things I'm reading here. $600 per tooth extractions? Cutting the tooth in smaller pieces to be able to get it out? My knees are wobbling. The first thing hurts on the pocket and the second thing is really a major pain. I just can't imagine it. Tsk tsk. I hope you all feel better soon. Oh well, I've been visiting the dentist every month for the last six months now. For cleaning, filling, extractions and for the brackets. Good thing my dentist is a good one, he really knows what he is doing and not at all causing any extra pain or discomfort as the monthly adjustments of the braces can become really bothersome. I'm up for an appointment again this weekend. :)
1 person likes this
