Finally made an appointment and have tons of anxiety

[LoopFeed]

Finally worked up the courage to make an appointment and have it tomorrow, really worried about how bad my teeth are and the amount of work I’d need done, I have dental insurance but still somehow have the fear that’ll I’ll go and won’t be able to have any work done, on top of that I’ve had a really bad toothache lately and I’m very worried about not being to get that fixed

 

[Enarete]

Hi LoopFeed,

dentistry nowadays is amazing and a lot of things can be fixed. If it helps, most people think they need more treatment then they actually do, so chances are that the news won't be as bad as you think. When it comes to finances, dental insurance is a good thing. Rememeber that it's not black or white in sense of "I have the amount of money or not" but rather about how to spread the cost. There may be things that need to be done first and some that can wait. Your dentist should be able to find a way that is manageable for you.

Here is an article you may find useful:

Fear of the Diagnosis

Are you terrified of being told you need a lot of dental treatment or that things are worse than you expected? Get tips for coping!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

All the best wishes and keep us posted

 

[JaySee19]

You’ve taken the first step - and that is so brave! Plus you don‘t have to wait too long until your appointment. If you’re like me the next 24h are going to be horrible with all thoughts concentrated on the dreaded appointment. It’s like a wall - life stops at that point, I couldn’t imagine anything afterwards. But of course life goes on and after the appointment you’ll know what the situation is - and be more in control.
I was both immensely relieved - the first steps had been taken and problems were going to be solved - and angry at myself for not going earlier. Because it really wasn’t that terrible. But if I’d gone earlier it would have been even less terrible!
So pat yourself on the back for taking that first step.
And as @Enarete says, dentistry is improving all the time and they can work miracles these days. If your dentist is anything like mine he/she will want to help you. They don’t want to just yank teeth out and send you on your way. And they are also clued up on the financial side of things, together you’ll find a way to get yourself sorted.
Good luck!

 

[LoopFeed]

Ended up needing tons of work, wisdom teeth need extracting along with 3 additional teeth and crowns and root canals on my front teeth, unfortunately my insurance will probably only cover the extractions leaving the 12k needed for the other stuff purely out of pocket, not sure how I can work it out but am hopeful some sort of payment plan can be sorted out or I can at least stretch out the work over a period of time, still kinda stressed out over this but hopeful that I can finally get my teeth fixed

 

[Enarete]

Well done on getting through your first appointment! Sorry to read you need a lot of treatment. Have you considered getting a second opinion? Sometimes different dentists differ in treatment approach and price.

 

[JaySee19]

Well, you now know what needs doing - congratulations on taking that first step. It sounds really expensive, but I’m sure they can spread it out so you can cope financially.
Dental insurance in the US is a real problem. It’s as if teeth are just not important - but they are! I hope you find a way to get things sorted.

 

[geos]

Do you know if your dentist offers payment plans? Also is it 12K in one go or is that over time? Maybe smaller amounts can be more manageable to plan for.

 

[LoopFeed]

I do

Do you know if your dentist offers payment plans? Also is it 12K in one go or is that over time? Maybe smaller amounts can be more manageable to plan for.

I don’t think it’s 12k all in one go, luckily I have a full time job and am still living with my parents and they’re willingly to let me use my whole salary on this instead of helping with bills so I’m cautiously optimistic that I can space out the work and slowly get it all done

 

[BoxerMom]

Another option for you to consider in regards to the out-of-pocket expenses - you could apply for a CareCredit card. There’s no fee to apply. When I first applied I think my limit was maybe $2000 or $3000. I used the card and made a couple of payments then requested a credit increase, which they granted. Check to make sure your dentist accepts it first. They usually offer interest free for 12 months. It has helped me pay for my work. Best of luck.

 

[LoopFeed]

Had a consultation appointment and insurance ended up mostly covering the 7 extractions, only need to pay 200 out of pocket, so I have that scheduled for the end of the month, hope the rest of the procedures can go as decently smoothly