M
Mirage
Junior member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2018
- Messages
- 19
I made an appointment with a dentist to begin my maintenance program, and this was the first to get my teeth cleaned and xrayed. Most dental discount plans cover (there is no such thing as insurance anymore) 2 cleanings and xrays per year. And I made it clear that this is what I wanted to have done, the first of one of these two appointments. Am I making sense to anybody reading this?
The person who makes the appointments said, "oh ok, so you haven't been in yet to have that done, so we will set you up and get that done with a 'new patient workup'." The day came and I went in. Someone came in and said she was going to take the xrays and then someone would be in to probe the gums, go over the xrays with me, and see what has to be done next. And I said, "and then they will clean my teeth, right?" Well no, I was wrong. I was there to see what kind of a cleaning would need to be done at another appointment. And my blood pressure shot past 160.. I said that's what I thought I was there for! The dentist was equally astounded that I was astounded, and said "wow, a lot of people seem so surprised!" Well yes, I guess they are!! Hello.
The dentist came in and looked at the bridge and asked how I was I was doing with it and I said not very well at all, and feel like everything I eat falls in behind and in front of the teeth -- is there something I could put in to fill the void in the bridge teeth to prevent that. She said no. And I said it's just that the whole appliance is just very uncomfortable but better than nothing. And then she said well I did have the choice to get the implants and that is what I chose. Well NO I did not have the choice! With no real insurance anymore, living off social security and a meager savings, no I didn't have a choice. That is what I could afford, and barely. I really hate the intimidation they throw at you. Average senior people cannot afford a mouth of nice implants which cost the equivalent of a mortgage. Which brings to mind another issue I'll address in another post.
What they USED to do when you got your teeth cleaned is this: first they took xrays, they cleaned your teeth (removed plaque) and polished them. Then the dentist looked at the xrays and then looked at your teeth. Part of the looking at your teeth process INCLUDED the poking around the gums with a pick to see what kind of periodontal work you may need. ALL of this USED to be included in each of the 2 cleanings your dental discount plan covered.
Is this the new thing now? You go in. They do xrays. They probe your teeth. They look at your teeth, but instead of cleaning them they decide what kind of cleaning you need -- for another appointment. In my case I need the full monte scaling and antibiotics, which is going to be another agonizing day of terror for me, all the shots. The first week in June. I am already panicking. I am terrified. My husband isn't helping and calls them all ripoff artists. And the dentist office got two appointments instead of one! I cannot even go to the dentist chair anymore without taking my best friend into the room with me for support, that's how afraid I am. Dentists should love me (feeling is not mutual). I am walking $$$$ for them because no matter what I do, the periodontal side is winning.
I said I need some kind of sedation for the next one, so they wrote me a prescription for two crummy pills that didn't touch me last time and won't this time either. My fear is way greater. When I checked out I had to pay $10 for that visit, because it apparently isn't _really_ covered by the dental discount plan, or they figured a way to get around that too. Here is the kicker. Since I'll be "sedated" (what a joke), I had to pay for the whole next appointment in full, all $650 of it. Now it just seems to me, first of all, that the twice-a-year cleaning has just become obsolete because they found a way to tell you why it just doesn't work, and that you need a separate appointment to tell you what kind of a cleaning you need. I feel that this is not right. At least my blood pressure went back down to 119/20 when I left.
Last time I had a deep periodontal cleaning done, it was done under one code beginning with D4. They also put in an antibiotic, which was less than $100 if I remember. My dental discount plan covered all that for less than $300 at the beginning of last year. It seems that between then and now they have come up with a whole lot of new periodontal codes beginning with D4 that aren't covered by any dental discount plan, and are designed to get your money. These include applying the antibiotic beneath the gum (don't forget, that antibiotic has to be ordered by them (probably a code for that), and you have to worry about whether your pharma plan covers it), and there is a code for each tooth, as well as a code in case two or more of the teeth are adjacent, also if the antibiotic is inserted between, or in the front or back of the tooth. I swear, I just can't believe this and wish someone would just stop the nonsensel
It is absolutely crazy! In fact I would call it downright sleazy, and I am wondering who on earth is allowing the dental community to get by with sliding around what is covered. We already see how they got around tooth extractions. Has anyone actually had a $75 extraction done? I've had a few extractions done with teeth loose enough to almost fall out, but oddly enough, they all had to be done by "specialists", which jacked up the price to $300+. I also would like to know if periodontal work will ever be covered by any kind of REAL insurance, or if there will ever be real insurance without unrealistic annual caps which makes it all a lie anyway, and how much worse this is going to get before it gets better, if ever. It seems to me too that implants would cost a lot less than bridges because implants seem to be a lot easier to make and place. Am I right or wrong about that?
The person who makes the appointments said, "oh ok, so you haven't been in yet to have that done, so we will set you up and get that done with a 'new patient workup'." The day came and I went in. Someone came in and said she was going to take the xrays and then someone would be in to probe the gums, go over the xrays with me, and see what has to be done next. And I said, "and then they will clean my teeth, right?" Well no, I was wrong. I was there to see what kind of a cleaning would need to be done at another appointment. And my blood pressure shot past 160.. I said that's what I thought I was there for! The dentist was equally astounded that I was astounded, and said "wow, a lot of people seem so surprised!" Well yes, I guess they are!! Hello.
The dentist came in and looked at the bridge and asked how I was I was doing with it and I said not very well at all, and feel like everything I eat falls in behind and in front of the teeth -- is there something I could put in to fill the void in the bridge teeth to prevent that. She said no. And I said it's just that the whole appliance is just very uncomfortable but better than nothing. And then she said well I did have the choice to get the implants and that is what I chose. Well NO I did not have the choice! With no real insurance anymore, living off social security and a meager savings, no I didn't have a choice. That is what I could afford, and barely. I really hate the intimidation they throw at you. Average senior people cannot afford a mouth of nice implants which cost the equivalent of a mortgage. Which brings to mind another issue I'll address in another post.
What they USED to do when you got your teeth cleaned is this: first they took xrays, they cleaned your teeth (removed plaque) and polished them. Then the dentist looked at the xrays and then looked at your teeth. Part of the looking at your teeth process INCLUDED the poking around the gums with a pick to see what kind of periodontal work you may need. ALL of this USED to be included in each of the 2 cleanings your dental discount plan covered.
Is this the new thing now? You go in. They do xrays. They probe your teeth. They look at your teeth, but instead of cleaning them they decide what kind of cleaning you need -- for another appointment. In my case I need the full monte scaling and antibiotics, which is going to be another agonizing day of terror for me, all the shots. The first week in June. I am already panicking. I am terrified. My husband isn't helping and calls them all ripoff artists. And the dentist office got two appointments instead of one! I cannot even go to the dentist chair anymore without taking my best friend into the room with me for support, that's how afraid I am. Dentists should love me (feeling is not mutual). I am walking $$$$ for them because no matter what I do, the periodontal side is winning.
I said I need some kind of sedation for the next one, so they wrote me a prescription for two crummy pills that didn't touch me last time and won't this time either. My fear is way greater. When I checked out I had to pay $10 for that visit, because it apparently isn't _really_ covered by the dental discount plan, or they figured a way to get around that too. Here is the kicker. Since I'll be "sedated" (what a joke), I had to pay for the whole next appointment in full, all $650 of it. Now it just seems to me, first of all, that the twice-a-year cleaning has just become obsolete because they found a way to tell you why it just doesn't work, and that you need a separate appointment to tell you what kind of a cleaning you need. I feel that this is not right. At least my blood pressure went back down to 119/20 when I left.
Last time I had a deep periodontal cleaning done, it was done under one code beginning with D4. They also put in an antibiotic, which was less than $100 if I remember. My dental discount plan covered all that for less than $300 at the beginning of last year. It seems that between then and now they have come up with a whole lot of new periodontal codes beginning with D4 that aren't covered by any dental discount plan, and are designed to get your money. These include applying the antibiotic beneath the gum (don't forget, that antibiotic has to be ordered by them (probably a code for that), and you have to worry about whether your pharma plan covers it), and there is a code for each tooth, as well as a code in case two or more of the teeth are adjacent, also if the antibiotic is inserted between, or in the front or back of the tooth. I swear, I just can't believe this and wish someone would just stop the nonsensel
It is absolutely crazy! In fact I would call it downright sleazy, and I am wondering who on earth is allowing the dental community to get by with sliding around what is covered. We already see how they got around tooth extractions. Has anyone actually had a $75 extraction done? I've had a few extractions done with teeth loose enough to almost fall out, but oddly enough, they all had to be done by "specialists", which jacked up the price to $300+. I also would like to know if periodontal work will ever be covered by any kind of REAL insurance, or if there will ever be real insurance without unrealistic annual caps which makes it all a lie anyway, and how much worse this is going to get before it gets better, if ever. It seems to me too that implants would cost a lot less than bridges because implants seem to be a lot easier to make and place. Am I right or wrong about that?
