Fear has abated but money is issue now.

[gonzooo]

totally depressed over teeth and money.

So a few months ago I went to go see a dentist, he was fantastic, I had two teeth pulled etc. and it wasn’t as bad as I had been thinking it would be for years.
But it was really expensive.
I’m lucky my dad was there to bail me out of that one but he won’t be this time… and my insurance doesn’t cover very much
So I called up the office again and asked what the estimate was to get work done, so I could figure out what I could afford with my insurance. Basically the receptionist who was so lovely when I went there the first time with my dad's credit card, now told me not to bother coming back since she knows I can't pay, it would be nearly $17,000 which is half what I make in an entire year and my insurance covers only $1000. So what the hell am I supposed to do? Just sit here and let it get worse, even though I've gotten over most of my fear? Just as I decided that just facing the fear is better than the depression of teeth rotting out of my head... Now I can't afford to do it. I’m so depressed, I’m crying now thinking about it. My teeth are so horrible I think about it all day long, it keeps me up at night, i need fillings in almost every tooth, two extractions, a bridge, a crown, implants... i'm only about 22 years old!! i just want to fix it and there’s no chance for me to fix them now... I don’t know what to do… It’s the thing in my life that makes me the most unhappy and almost every day I think about dying, how the whole situation is hopeless and getting more hopeless and painful all the time. every minute this is on my mind. I don’t know what to do.

 

[aurora89]

Hang in there. First of all, do you need everything done all at once or can you prioritize? maybe your dentist could help you? Can you split the Either way, try to find a dentist that will let you work out a payment plan. See if you can explain your situation and how you feel like dying because of it and see if you can work out something like $50-100 a month to pay for your dental work.

Also consider dental tourism. There are plenty of wonderful countries that have dentists that are just as good if not better than ours-- I know Thailand is a popular destination, but there are others. Just do your research on medical/dental tourism boards, look at the pros and cons... chances are you could get everything done and have a lovely vacation for less than half of the estimate your dentist gave you... I would very loosely estimate $5,000 to $7,000.

I hope this helps you. Hang in there! Everything is going to be okay.

 

[bumpthumper]

You might be able to begin with what needs fixing the most, and slowly work your way towards everything else. The estimate you got was for full treatment, but you might try a different dentist, and when you ask them for a treatment plan, ask them to list THE most important work first, then begin there.

Also, a different dentist may not think the same exact work is needed. Where the dentist you just saw might want to do crowns and a bridge, the next dentist might say you can do fillings and a partial denture. You won't know until you check it out. Different dental offices have different pricing too, so keep that in mind.

Try not to let the expense drag you down. I'm not sure where you are, but even with insurance, you might qualify for something I've heard mentioned on here before, it's called CreditCare, I think. There are options out there, you'll just have try to find out what can work for you.

Don't give up - please, just be patient and try to find a dentist that will work with and for YOU, not your wallet. They are out there!! Best Wishes - - -

 

[gonzooo]

Thanks for your replies guys. I think I was just really frustrated yesterday because of the nasty tone of the woman I spoke to. She literally told me “You know what, even if you did get insurance, don’t even bother trying to come back here, you can’t afford it.” All I wanted was for the doctor to re-evaluate my teeth since it’s been about 6 months since my last visit… but it seems like a lot of dentists don’t really care for patients, they only like the rich ones that can pay 5 grand upfront.. I also suffer from mood and personality disorders which make things much worse for me.

I have looked into CareCredit, but I was denied because I owe so much from other medical conditions. I would certainly like to take out a loan, just to get this work done, but no one will give me any money in this condition. Also I have thought of going to Israel for treatment for my teeth but that can be quite expensive also. I am really in the dumps money-wise, being enrolled full-time in school and self-supporting etc… I just want to save whatever teeth I can while I still can. And I am really frustrated doing all this alone without any parents or friends to help me out. In the meantime I’ve been brushing like 5 times a day and flossing and rinsing and everything. I wish I had just kept up with that before : (

 

[chickenjen]

Hi,
I think you might need to find another dentist. I mean, you have insurance and fillings aren't THAT expensive and insurance usually will pay for those. I had fillings done yesterday and they were $150.00 a piece, insurance will pay 80% and all I had to do was pay the 20%. (My insurance plan is crappy too, $1500 A year, $50 deductible)
I agree with bumpthumper; each dentist is different with the treatment plan. I just left a dentist whose only goal was to put veneers on my remaining teeth. He didn't want to do anything else. I didn't want the veneers, so I went to another dentist who said that there are other things they can do to fix the damage caused by my grinding my teeth besides veneers (total cost $15,000 NOT covered by insurance--- considered cosmetic).
The moral of this story is don't lose hope!!! There is a dentist that will work with you and the limitations of your budget, you just have to keep looking until you find one.
Best of luck to you,
Hugs,
Jen