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Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 5:10:51 PM

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I am about 28, I have had my wisdom teeth for about 10 years and never had an issue. One is perfectly straight and the other is kind of sideways, but never had a problem.
So, I woke up the other morning with an abscess. Awesome. I lanced and drained it, but I know that's not going to help with the underlying problem of a dead and infected root.
Now, I haven't been to the dentist in about 12 years (the last dentist I went to was horrible, it was physically AND emotionally traumatic) and I knew I was going to have to go sooner or later, but I wasn't expecting it right now (just got a $3000 bill from the hospital for my miscarriage, that's AFTER insurance......).
So I found a really kind sedition dentist who will allow me to be sedated for the entire appointment (including x-rays and cleaning). This is something I need because the last time I TRIED to go to the dentist I had a panic attack and vomited, I couldn't even let the dentist near me.
The trouble is I have no idea how much this is going to cost. I have a PPO "insurance", but all it really is is a discount plan, and even then they say the average savings is about 25%, not anything to write home about. The dentist isn't a "preferred provider", but none of the preferred providers will offer the services that I need.
I know I will need at least 1 extraction (possibly 2) and most likely about 20 fillings (I know, I know, don't judge me). Does anyone know how much something like that costs? I just want to be prepared for the sticker shock.

RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 5:28:21 PM

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Many health insurance plans do not offer dentistry.
Can you find out when the open enrollment is for your company's dental plan?

If not you might want to price private dental plans; ask your new dentist who he accepts.

Fillings can cost $75-100 each.
Extraction of wisdom teeth often costs more than regular extraction.
What is your PPO's coverage for an oral surgeon? (They are MDs.)
An oral surgeon might be more than comfortable having you out for the procedure and you can likely find one who is preferred.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 6:10:44 PM

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I have a dental plan, but it's not insurance, just a discount (I now wonder why we have been paying for it for so long).
I do wonder if the dentist will be covered under my medical, I will have to ask.

I am not really comfortable going to someone else, I need special treatment (I hate to say that, but at this point I realize that it's true), my psyche is too damaged to just waltz into the dentist's office. I am actually hyperventilating just typing this. I have a serious problem.

I'm actually very embarrassed to even admit all of this. I am a tough, independent woman for fuck's sake!

< Message edited by siamsa24 -- 7/26/2011 6:12:02 PM >

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 6:14:01 PM

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Be careful many of those dentist plans have a maximum payout of $1000 per year. You need to have the dentist give you a prebill, submit that to the dental insurance prior to the procedure and find out how much they are going to pay. I will never understand how dental is not part of health insurance especially with all the research how dental health effects a body's overall health.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 6:18:56 PM

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I am actually willing to pay whatever it takes, even if it takes the rest of my life making payments.
The pain is so terrible I can't even explain it. I haven't eaten in almost 4 days and I can hardly function.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 6:28:33 PM

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Is there a dental school anywhere nearby? They usually offer services at greatly reduced rates because their students need patients to practice on. They are well-supervised and not permitted to "practice" on people until the instructors feel they are qualified to.

If the abcess is in one of the wisdom teeth, any dentist can do a simple extraction for maybe $100-200? Just a rough estimate. Once the tooth is pulled, the problem & pain will be gone. OF course, you'll have extraction pain, but that's nothing like the abcess pain.

An abcess is considered a dental emergency, so if you call and explain your situation, they most likely will work with you in some way. Good luck, I feel for you, dental abcesses are absolute misery

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 6:45:37 PM

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I have an appointment with a sedation dentist.

I looked into a dental school, but a co-worker got an extraction at one and had her gum sewn to her cheek. She had to wait almost an hour for a real dentist to come and re-sew it. I don't even want to risk that!

The last time I went they gave me percocet to take and I still had a panic attack, I don't know if I can handle this even with full sedation.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 6:48:55 PM

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Sometimes medical insurance will pay if you go to an oral surgeon. I had some dental issues requiring an oral surgeon and my PPO health insurance paid for 80% of the bill. The doctor's office worked out a payment plan for the other 20%.

He also sedated me. I don't remember anything about the visit. The medication was Versed. That's some good shit.

< Message edited by smartsub10 -- 7/26/2011 6:51:58 PM >

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 6:55:30 PM

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I will have to call the office in the morning and see if it can be billed to my medical. I don't think he's an oral surgeon, he's listed as a "general practitioner"

I may just have to suck it up and pay whatever they ask, I need someone to take care of this, and I need someone willing to do it on my terms.
The way it sounds it's going to be about $5000 (I asked on another site as well)

We'll just add the bill to the pile I guess

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 7:04:07 PM

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to the OP

quote:

ORIGINAL: smartsub10

Sometimes medical insurance will pay if you go to an oral surgeon. I had some dental issues requiring an oral surgeon and my PPO health insurance paid for 80% of the bill. The doctor's office worked out a payment plan for the other 20%.

He also sedated me. I don't remember anything about the visit. The medication was Versed. That's some good shit.

I suggest you look into your medical plan and find out which oral surgeon will cover you.
If you explain to the office of the surgeon or perhaps to your primary care physician, she can maybe talk with them and then call in something like valium to help with your pre-appt anxiety that will be compatible with the anesthesia.

If you have an abcess you should be on antibiotics: a full course. You should also have substantial pain relievers.
Ibuprofen helps.

< Message edited by angelikaJ -- 7/26/2011 7:05:43 PM >

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 8:10:04 PM

Toppingfrmbottom

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Daddy needs 9 teeth pulled, has one broken tooth, then he's going to need implants or dentures and 10 have cavities filled and his total cost was estimated at 10k. And the sedation fee was 300 dollars.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 8:16:33 PM

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quote:

You should also have substantial pain relievers

Agreed. I've had abscessed teeth and it's agonizing. Ask your general practitioner for a prescription for narcotic painkillers such as Percocet or Vicodin.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 9:50:23 PM

DarthVaderOfLove

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Here's what I did for dental pain, temporarily, and it worked. A doctor told me to do this, because I don't like narcotics. It may work for a couple days, until you can see a doctor. ASK A DOCTOR FIRST <---very very important.

I was told to take twice the recommended dose for Tylenol (Acetaminophen). Two hours later, twice the recommended dose for Advil (Ibuprofen). Two hours later, repeat. Back and forth. It worked for me, until I could get in to see a dentist, I think it was about 2 days. Eventually, this would probably do a number on your stomach, but it might help for the short term.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 10:09:57 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: angelikaJ

to the OP

quote:

ORIGINAL: smartsub10

Sometimes medical insurance will pay if you go to an oral surgeon. I had some dental issues requiring an oral surgeon and my PPO health insurance paid for 80% of the bill. The doctor's office worked out a payment plan for the other 20%.

He also sedated me. I don't remember anything about the visit. The medication was Versed. That's some good shit.

I suggest you look into your medical plan and find out which oral surgeon will cover you.
If you explain to the office of the surgeon or perhaps to your primary care physician, she can maybe talk with them and then call in something like valium to help with your pre-appt anxiety that will be compatible with the anesthesia.

If you have an abcess you should be on antibiotics: a full course. You should also have substantial pain relievers.
Ibuprofen helps.

I was going to suggest she talk to them about some Xanax rather than valium for the panic attacks. I need to take them for most medical procedures, including the dentist.

To the OP:

Your dental plan through your employer doesn't even cover yearly exams or cleanings, just discounts them? Search for dental plans on line and get an independent one. There is no point paying into a plan that offers little coverage. Most dental plans I know of (which also don't max out at $1,000 either) cover certain things like yearly check ups, cleanings, basic fillings, and need pre-approval for extractions, deep cleanings, root canals and the like.

Yes, if you intend to get all that work done, it is going to cost you a fortune, and it is going to take a long time to complete. I had a bad experience with a dentist a long time ago (early teens), and it made things bad for a long time after. So I know it sucks.

In the meantime, as others have said, if you aren't getting this done, like tomorrow, you need antibiotics and pain killers.

For the record, the percocet you received was for the pain. It won't do much for anxiety. For those, look for valium, ativan or xanax. I have had to really work with my doctors on the xanax issue, since they thought a .25 before a procedure would do something for the anxiety. I needed at least (yes, I'm a wuss) a full milligram, sometimes two of xanax to keep me from getting freaked out.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/26/2011 11:47:14 PM

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seconding the advice to look for an independent plan.

when i had mine out, i was in high school, and went to a football game the next day, and screamed and played in the marching band. =p i dunno what insurance i had, though, because i was a kid and qualified for all sorts of stuff and my mom would work her tail off to afford things. so i can't really help there.

but in adult world, a lot of "dental coverages" are just so terrible; you pay all this money thinking you'll be covered and, like you said, it's just a discount that barely saves you anything at all. so check out some independent options, and see if any of them will make it more affordable. and definitely try xanax for the anxiety -- i'm not generally one to advocate pills, but you've got to get the tooth checked; angry teeth can seriously endanger the health of the rest of you. when you get into your dentist, ask price questions up front -- a lot of times the good ones will tell you (and they may know of things to help you pay for the procedures, if you've got a big price tag looming). if you are too freaked out to ask, write your questions down and take them in -- that way the dentist can look them over and give you some answers, even if you can't articulate them yourself.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/27/2011 12:47:52 AM

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I can't take ibuprofen or any pain killers right now because my blood didn't clot during my D&C, I was warned not to take any pain killers until my post-op visit on August 8.

My body is just totally fucked up right now.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/27/2011 3:57:00 AM

zephyroftheNorth

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quote:

Your dental plan through your employer doesn't even cover yearly exams or cleanings, just discounts them? Search for dental plans on line and get an independent one. There is no point paying into a plan that offers little coverage

She may not have a choice, sometimes it's not possible to opt out of a plan at work. So yeah, getting additional coverage may be necessary.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/27/2011 4:34:41 AM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: zephyroftheNorth

quote:

Your dental plan through your employer doesn't even cover yearly exams or cleanings, just discounts them? Search for dental plans on line and get an independent one. There is no point paying into a plan that offers little coverage

She may not have a choice, sometimes it's not possible to opt out of a plan at work. So yeah, getting additional coverage may be necessary.

But won't the additional coverage depend on what she needs to get done? For example if you join an insurance coverage here, they will want to know which risk you present, so if your teeth are in good order you are low risk and you pay less than somebody where it's obvious that they will need some major investment.

As for temporary relief if somebody can't take pain killers, clove oil applied locally.

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/27/2011 5:54:23 AM

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Would it help if your husband accompanied you?

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RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) - 7/27/2011 9:29:47 AM

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Almost any dentist will be accustomed to patients who are phobic about going there. The ones who work on kids especially so. They all can prescribe Xanax or Valium to get through the first appointment, xrays etc. Many dentists will accept payment plans. Call and ask around.

However an absess does not mean you automatically need a root canal. It does mean you need antibiotics probably.

< Message edited by DesFIP -- 7/27/2011 9:30:08 AM >

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