fed up with dentists

[huckfinn]

Your dentist is unprofessional and unethical. I would find a new dentist and make them aware that you have no dental insurance. While I have insurance and have never had an issue, I have friends who do not have insurance and their dentist's know this and charge them a different rate (lower) than those who have insurance.

My Mother was at the dentist once, in a small town where few had coverage.

She was behind another customer who was paying. The receptionist handed her the bill, the customer commented they had insurance. The receptionist took the bill back, tore it up, and increased the amount because it was paid by insurance. I don't believe there should be separate prices for insured or not....perhaps insurance companies need to go back to the customer getting reimbursed so the dentist doesn't know.

 

[rhuarc29]

$400? Jeebus! All my cleanings have clocked in under $200, except for the one that included xrays and came to $230. But I take good care of my teeth.

 

[james t kirk]

The comment about affordability applies to normal people but the people on this Board spend a thousand dollars a week to get their privates massaged. Surely, they can easily afford to have their teeth cleaned.

Good point.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

A dental hygienist once told me that the dentist she worked for will size a person up. If he thinks a person can afford his work, then he will recommend the maximum of work. If he thinks a person has limited means then he will give them a lower rate to fit their income. The bottom line, do not drive up to his office in a BMW 6 series wearing a Rolex watch.

 

[Mr Bret]

Not sure if this kind of service is available here, but check with the local universities who have a dental program.
Some services are offered and done by students in a supervised environment. The cost is usually just to cover materials used.

 

[SkyRider]

For example, my last cleaning and exam was $400.

Is the cleaning done by the dentist or a hygenist?

 

[Terminator2000]

Not sure if this kind of service is available here, but check with the local universities who have a dental program.
Some services are offered and done by students in a supervised environment. The cost is usually just to cover materials used.

Ya. I wouldnt go there. Unless u want frankenstein teeth. im pretty certain they make u sign a waiver for any damages occurring when the students experiment with your teeth.

 

[Mr Bret]

Ya. I wouldnt go there. Unless u want frankenstein teeth. im pretty certain they make u sign a waiver for any damages occurring when the students experiment with your teeth.

No big gamble for a cleaning and a scaling.
Maybe for a small filling.
I might think like you do for a root canal or a crown.

 

[einar]

In Ontario more dental patients have insurance than do not. Those with insurance pay a rate recommended by the industry per procedure, because that's all the insurance companies will pay, and those without insurance are charged the same. I am in the sizable minority without insurance. Cleaning is billed in 15-minute increments. Usually two or three of these increments, for someone who gets teeth cleaned regularly. I don't have my bills handy at the moment, but for me they are in the $165 to $200 range, or a bit more when I am told to get x-rays. I don't understand a bill of $400 for cleaning and a check-up. Unless the cleaning was spread over 3 appointments, and stinky is getting his teeth cleaned for the first time since Y2K.

 

[TeeJay]

One has to ask why not simply purchase private insurance

 

[nicegentlemen]

try the dentists at china town, got my cleaning and a filling done for cheap

 

[oil&gas]

The comment about affordability applies to normal people but the people on this Board spend a thousand dollars a week to get their privates massaged. Surely, they can easily afford to have their teeth cleaned.

A lot of 'normal' people outside this hobby could easily
spend thousands of dollars in other ventures like fast cars
and still complain about cost of dental cleaning. As far as
I am concerned paying to get my private part massaged
is not money squandering but as much a necessity as
exercise is to health.

https://www.buyextenze.com/info/penis-massage/

 

[stinkynuts]

In Ontario more dental patients have insurance than do not. Those with insurance pay a rate recommended by the industry per procedure, because that's all the insurance companies will pay, and those without insurance are charged the same. I am in the sizable minority without insurance. Cleaning is billed in 15-minute increments. Usually two or three of these increments, for someone who gets teeth cleaned regularly. I don't have my bills handy at the moment, but for me they are in the $165 to $200 range, or a bit more when I am told to get x-rays. I don't understand a bill of $400 for cleaning and a check-up. Unless the cleaning was spread over 3 appointments, and stinky is getting his teeth cleaned for the first time since Y2K.

When I was living in Toronto, my exam and cleanings were about $200 or slightly less. I since moved to Alberta, which is the only province that allows dentists to charge whatever they want, instead of a standard fee schedule...

I was shocked when I received the bill. $400 for a cleaning and exam. Cleaning was done by hygienist.

Am thinking of going private, but in all honesty, I have very few medical needs, and going to the dentist to get a cleaning and maybe a filling each year is about the extent of what I'd use. It turns out that the premiums are not worth it. It ends up being more expensive, or break even.

 

[Scarey]

I don't have private insurance and every time I visit the dentist, it costs me an arm and a leg. I am now living in a province that has particularly high dental rates.

For example, my last cleaning and exam was $400.

Today I went in for a minor procedure and the dentist pressured me into getting a full exam, xrays, and two fillings done.

She had told me I should get three done, but the other one was just discoloured. At the last moment I asked if we could just do two, and she was taken aback. There was an awkward silence, as if I just swore at her, and her reaction was so unprofessional.

"Okaaaaayyy....." in a very condescending and sarcastic way.

Instead, she should have said, "Sure, no problem, we can always do the other one when you're comfortable.

I didn't want to do it because it wasn't really necessary, I didn't want to do so many at once because it's uncomfortable, and I really can't afford it. The dentist has no right judging me. I am a customer, and she should respect my wishes.

Also, I had one terrible dentist before this who literally botched every filling. I had to replace three or four fillings that she did on my front teeth within one or two years because they were so poorly done. The other dentist at that clinic told me I needed a root canal on the front teeth. Later, I found out that it was a lie, four other dentists I saw after never even mentioned it. I am so glad I didn't do it, because it would have weakened my teeth.

Basically, what I've noticed is that every dentist I've seen is a money hungry and pushing many procedures at very high costs. There is definitely a focus on making as much money as possible by doing as many procedures as possible and taking so many xrays.

Has anyone else felt this way about dentists. I really dread going to dentists because of:

the pain
the sights/smells/sounds
the rude/condescending/judgemental dentists who never have anything nice to say about my teeth
the outrageous bills I get
the unnecessary work they do that damage your teeth
the pushiness

I am so fed up. I wish I had a friend who was a dentist and another who was a dental hygienist!!

</rant>

Alberta maybe?

http://www.canada.com/health/high+r...a+insurer+refuse+increase/11574557/story.html

I'm very lucky as my company provides 100% coverage up to $2000.00 a year. Having said that my dentist keeps me on speed dial every October when my benefit plan rolls over, and they can milk my plan for more money. I get treated like a King though, but some of the prices are very high for what they do. Average filling is 220-300$ depending on the tooth. They haven't adjusted to the oil crash yet where all the companies had awesome benefit plans.

 

[AJstar]

Dental advice on an escort board--- PRICELESS

As my brother is a Dentist,I hear 1st hand many of the issues.
Most of the previous posters are just FOS.
They are VERY heavily regulated.
Their fee guide over 35 years has not kept up with their expenses, even though its a private consulting company that recommends their fees.
The 'insurance fees' are the regular fees & when they try to give a break to some people,sometimes at a loss,the people still think they are being ripped off.

My main suggestion to all those armchair quarterbacks is to become a Dentist yourself.
Of course you can't as you will not have the brains, hand skills, & patience. Forget about the continuous training required or the high overhead expenses.
But, hey it's an escort board,
bitch away.

 

[dirkd101]

Good for your brother, nothing like hearing from a dentist himself about this, but like any fee schedule, they are put in place for transparency, for all to see. I also know some dentists, although I'm not related to them, but I also know dental office managers and hygienists, the dentist's slaves and they will tell you another story. Like any back yard mechanic, who is also trained and has expenses at his shop, there is a book rate and a friends and family rate and also the back yard rate. A good dentist I know has a back yard rate for those who don't have insurance, as he knows that these published fees are higher because of insurance plans. I even know an orthodontist who will does braces for friends for only the half which the insurance company charges.

Your brother whining about fees isn't like the other dentists, who have more than one practice, employing a stable of hygienists who actually do all the work cleaning, polishing and checking. The dentist takes his cut by walking in the room to have a look inside the patients mouth after she's done all the work. They have billing departments that know the ins and outs of the "heavily regulated fee schedules" and know what all their customers plans cover, to the nickle.

 

[Keebler Elf]

Why is a dentist giving a discount to friends and families a problem? You don't think this goes on everyday, everywhere, in every profession?

If they're not charging the regulated rate, they're "losing" money out of their own pocket so I don't see how that's something to bitch about.

What this thread really seems to boil down to is... dental care is expensive. Shocker.

 

[Gentlescorp]

Why is a dentist giving a discount to friends and families a problem? You don't think this goes on everyday, everywhere, in every profession?

If they're not charging the regulated rate, they're "losing" money out of their own pocket so I don't see how that's something to bitch about.

What this thread really seems to boil down to is... dental care is expensive. Shocker.

If the dentist is family own like Upper Village, discount is available without any issue. They are the boss and they have nobody to report or explain to. My first visit was $230 for 3 X'rays and a wisdom tooth filling. The follow up 4 days later with one more X'ray was free of charge even tho' they know I have insurance coverage. The one on Victoria park and Finch charged me $280 last yr just for cleaning and un-necessary bone density test which I didn't ask for. They said it was with 20% discount for paying cash with no ins. coverage...lol. The worst thing was one dental Assistant came in and talking to my dental assistant about how she made a few extra hundred bucks for the clinic. WTF.? I never go back there after that.

 

[shakenbake]

A good dentist, like a good mechanic, is important, and can save you much money and harm. I am very lucky with my dentist,who has saved two fo my teeth from harm and from expensive procedures. It also depends on where they studied to become dentists, I have observed in my own experiences with dentists.

 

[stinkynuts]

Some have suggested going to dentists in lower income areas, but I don't know if I can trust them. My worst dentist was in a low income area, she was a Philipino woman who botched a whole bunch of fillings. She was not very intelligent.

I guess it's hit or miss. I don't really know anyone for a referral, so I guess the best I can do is rely on Yelp to see their reviews.