Release the beast

[hurleygirlie]

Hey guys,This is like my first post ever here. Im going to the dentist tomorrow but I need a little insight from everyone pleasse! So I have not went into the dentist for like ever but 2 years ago i did and got a filling. Well now my teeth are so bad my front teeth are developing cavaties and I finally have dental insurance and the money to pay for the rest. I wanted to get four crowns on my front teeth but when I went to this dentist she refused to work on me! Started off I told her thats all I wanted to work on right now is my front teeth because this is what I can afford at the moment. My dental insurance doesnt cover implants and thats what I saving for next. She told me I need a full mouth xray and I asked if I could just get a upper mout xray or just my front teeth that needs work on she said NO. You have to do a full mouth itsw free with your insurance so you have to...which I think isnt really true. SO we did the xray and I have like back teeth that are missing and some that are just so badly decayed. She told me the only option I have is dentures but all my front teeth are fine minus the top four. I said well Im looking to get the dental implants on some of my missing and bad teeth in the back she said it will be too much money and working on my front teeth would be unethical. So, I just left. All my fears of going to the dentist just came true and I really hate going . My teeth were originally nice but my father when I was 16 just got dentla insurance and the dentist would have me there alone in hte back while she worked on me and claimed I had so many cavaties but I didnt and she put fillings in random areas.SO now I have terrible teeth because of that. But yeah guys whats your opinion about this situation should I tell another dentist the situation I just had or just ask to get my fronth teeth fixed because this is what my insurance will help pay for? please please please Im too young to get dentures and I feel horrible how the dentist treated me.

 

[letsconnect]

Hi hurleygirlie ,

I'm sorry to hear about what happened. The dentist's suggestion must have come as quite a shock to you . It does sound as if she was unable to explain to you why exactly she thought that front crowns wouldn't be an option. There might be a valid reason for her recommendation. Crowns are not exactly cheap and your co-pay on the insurance would likely be quite a lot. If the dentist reckoned that crowning the 4 front teeth would not work in the medium-to-long term, she may have thought it unethical to do so. The aim of dentistry is to leave you with a healthy mouth, that is, eliminating any ongoing disease. Restoring teeth at great cost if the restorations are likely to fail because of ongoing disease would be unethical, because you would pay a lot of money for an unsatisfactory outcome.

Having said this, there is usually more than one way to skin a cat, and another dentist may well come up with a very different solution which involves keeping your restorable teeth. So if you are in any doubt, a second opinion would be very wise! Ask friends, family, acquaintances or colleagues if they can recommend a dentist. You can also check out dentist review websites on the internet.

Dental implants are indeed quite expensive. Quotes on the internet often refer to just the metal part (the implant) itself, which can cause a lot of confusion. One complete implant - which includes the implant itself, the abutment and the "crown" (that is, the fake tooth) - costs about $3000 to $4000, and can cost more if it is not a simple and straightforward procedure (for example, if bone needs to be added to an area to make the implant stable). So the costs can quickly mount up for multiple implants. Seeing how many people get on just fine with complete upper dentures (the natural suction is much better than in the bottom jaw), many people feel that the expense and procedure isn't worth it.

It would be a pity to remove teeth that can be saved. A second opinion would certainly be a very good idea .

If you like, you can also request a digital copy of your x-rays and post them in the dentistry questions section of the forum (otherwise, it'll be pure guesswork for our dentists here!).

Your dentist is not allowed, by law, to put crowns on your front teeth and do nothing else, if this would clinically be the wrong treatment. They could get into a lot of trouble. The insurance company wouldn't pay for it, either, if their inspectors think the treatment is wrong. Another dentist may well have a different perspective though, and come up with a treatment plan that is acceptable to you.

I hope you will be able to find a dentist who you get on well with, who takes the time to explain your options to you, and who can come up with a solution that works for you