Telling My Mom

[Mugz]

Hi CollegeBound!

Hoping today was a piece of cake....and your night was a piece of cake with ice cream!!! Fingers crossed your troublesome tooth is feeling better and the other ones are doing just fine tonight too and you have LOTS of reasons to celebrate tonight.

Let us know when you can!

 

[CollegeBound]

Mugz darling, I posted the results in the post above yours. Last post on page 8

 

[Mugz]

How did I miss that? Maybe we were posting at the same time....OR....pain meds kicked in???

 

[CollegeBound]

Are you still in pain? PM me!

 

[Mugz]

Oh My Gosh!!!! You have graduated!!!! YAY!!!!!! All that success in the chair AND cake, ice cream, presents AND A "Date" with a cute boy????? BEST. DAY. EVER!!!!!

Couldn't happen to a sweeter girl. You deserve ALL good things.

Enjoy it!!!!!!!!

Don't be a stranger around here, now.....we'll miss you!!!!!

 

[CollegeBound]

I'm not going anywhere! I will still be here for everyone else, and there are still braces in my distant future

 

[Mugz]

Yay~Glad you'll still be hanging out with us!!

 

[FearfulInMA]

Yay!!! So glad it was such a huge success and that you don't need to go back for a good long while!!! Enjoy it and take some time to feel proud of yourself for what you have accomplished!

 

[CollegeBound]

Thank you Fearful! Are you next this time?

 

[FearfulInMA]

I think I am. My appt is 9/29 at 10am. Got the text reminder yesterday, so there's no backing out now. And, I'm having increasing pain in #2... So there's that. I worry that this 'just a cleaning' appointment may, as usual for me, not be that simple.

Last time I saw the dentist I asked if I could just have 1 full year without dental work (until 4/2/15 to be exact). We were both hopeful at the time that this could happen, but it's looking way less likely the more pain my tooth is in.

I know that I did this to myself by avoiding the dentist for so many years (though there are plenty of others who somehow seem to be fine despite this), but it's still just so exhausting!

Ok... Rant over . Thanks for checking-in!

 

[CollegeBound]

Fearful, Maybe you can request a "just a cleaning" appointment and schedule another appointment for the fillings. They made me do that, possible because I needed 6 fillings, but whatever. That is why I wasn't too worried about my cleaning appointment.

Friends and fellow Phobes, new rant. Turns out Dr. AwesomeGuy turned out to be a liar by omniscient. He (nor did his lovely receptionists) didn't tell me that he isn't in our insurance network. Now, the insurance company is only paying 20% instead of the 80% that we anticipated. I am very irrate. If he thinks that I am coming back in March to his office, he is crazed. Rant ended. #dreamshatterd #fml #backtosquare1 #firsthashtagsforCollegBound

 

[FearfulInMA]

Even if work needs to be done (likely looking at a root canal at this point) it won't be done at the same time as the cleaning -- though the anxiety from waiting is way worse than the appointment is for me. For me, the anxiety is as much about knowing there are few options left for this tooth as about the dental work itself. And, I am always highly anxious for appointments -- especially cleanings because I am always worried about the unknown of what they will find.

In terms of your insurance situation, I'm surprised that, even out-of-network, your insurance only pays 20% for 'minor restorative' work (for a regular commercial dental plan, I don't think I've ever seen lower than 60% coverage for 'minor restorative'). I'm also surprised that the dentist did not give you a 'pre-treatment estimate' -- a fairly common practice where they check the fees against your insurance to estimate your out-of-pocket expenses. It is technically the patient's responsibility in all circumstances (medical, dental or otherwise) to know if their provider is in network, but I can certainly understand that this would come as a shock. I work in the health insurance industry. If you want to message me I can try to help you sort this out.

 

[CollegeBound]

Fearful, They gave me an estimate on the fillings, but not the exam, xrays, or cleaning. The way my mom put it to me, the insurance will cover whatever they would if I went to in "in network" dentist, and whatever is left is up to me.

One thing that I am questioning is how often are pan xrays required? I have heard every 7 years, and if so, why did they do an expensive pan x ray on me if I had just had one a year prior to my appointment this year?


I hate everything!

I know you can do it on Monday. How do you normally relax in the office? Or even in the chair?

 

[FearfulInMA]

That does make some sense. They are doing what is called "balanced billing" -- billing you for the amount that is different form the "usual and customary rate" (UCR) and their fee. My dentist is not in my network but they generally do not balance bill me anymore (I have also been a patient there for quite some time and the rates that my plan pays are in a reasonable range) -- it's totally the choice of the provider and is pretty common practice to balance bill. It often really depends on how low the UCR is -- sometimes they are unreasonably low.

I've only had a panoramic x-ray before getting braces as an adolescent and then before getting my wisdom teeth out 6ish years ago. The office I go to doesn't have one so they do bite wing x-rays once a year.

As for how I relax, I think I have a couple of things that help:
1. I have spent a lot time practicing deep (diaphragmatic) breathing to manage anxiety. Google it It's important to practice when you are NOT anxious in order to be able to do it at times of high stress/anxiety. I usually do this on my way to The Chair and before dental injections and any other times I start to feal anxious.
2. I try to make small talk about anything NOT having to do with dental stuff. I often will plan this out ahead of time because the anxiety sometimes makes it difficult to think clearly. For example, I know when I go in on Monday, I will talk with the office manager and tell her that I just found out that I made it onto a charity team for the Boston Marathon (OMG -- I am soooo excited about this! I just found out yesterday, so this has definitely been a good distraction). She volunteers there every year so I know that she will be excited to talk about this. It's a huge deal for runners in the Boston area. I try as hard as I can to just act 'normal' as possible and try to pretend when I'm there that going to the dentist is no big deal (yeah, right!) -- kind of a fake it 'til you make it approach.
3. I have been seeing the same dentist for more than 6 years and I completely trust him to do his best to provide pain-free dental care and also to do really good, skilled work. I think that, because of this, as soon as I hear or see him I remember that I'm 'safe' and things will be ok.

Does any of this seem helpful?

 

[CollegeBound]

Congrats on the Marathon team! I am too lazy to even run to the end of our street! (the end of our street is only 1 house length away)

I usually listen to fast paced music and keep it LOUD. I try to relax my toes, then my legs, and work my way up to my head. I normally never get there. I try to talk the the hygienist about random things. The dentist usually keeps things on dental topic stuff. I don't talk to him much. LOL.

I still normally puke the morning of Dooms Day and sleep maybe 3 hours the night prior, but those are most of my basics.


Others can/should chime in with other relaxation methods.

 

[FearfulInMA]

So funny how we're all so different! I almost never talk to the dental assistant (they come and go so often and the recent ones have been pretty quiet) and my dentist almost never talks with me about dental stuff -- unless it's absolutely necessary. He plays really good music in the office so I'm quite happy to listen to that. And, he's usually really good about talking about non-dental things and making me laugh while he's doing whatever dental things he's doing. I'd rather be distracted that way than left to my own thoughts with headphones on.

 

[CollegeBound]

Lol! I like to just concentrate on the music. I am less freaked out by whatever is going on in my mouth that way. I just hope that the next dentist I go to for cleaning and stuff in March is nice. A great sense of humor would be icing on the cake!

Side Note: I had chocolate cake for breakfast this morning just because I knew that it wouldn't hurt my teeth! What a rebel!

 

[Mugz]

Chocolate cake for breakfast is my FAVORITE....with a cup of coffee with hazelnut cream OR a carmel macchiato...no surprise why my teeth are riddled with sugar bugs! Come to think of it I wish I had some right now.....got any left???? Breakfast, your place, tomorrow!!!

Do you go to the psychology thing for school this Saturday or is it next week? Do tell!! I need a happy distraction.....

 

[CollegeBound]

Lol! I like my chocolate cake with milk! You will have to come fairly early if you want to eat with me because I have school!

Psych thing on this Saturday. Freud was DEFINITELY checking me out today! And he accepted my friend request! Woo hooo!

 

[Mugz]

Milk is good but I gotta go with vanilla ice cream ... Depending on teeth, of course!!

Well, well!! Way to go Freud...but how could he NOT when you flash him that great smile? Can't wait to hear what goes on Saturday! Definitely has to make class more exciting! Have fun!!!