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Thursday, May 25, 2017

One more hole in my head



It took weeks to get in to see the oral surgeon about my broken tooth. The local dentist didn't want to try to pull it. He was afraid due to my “massive jaw.”

The closest oral surgeon was over an hour away. They scheduled me for a consultation and were very clear that it would cost $150 just to be examined. I drove over and the surgeon thought he could pull the tooth without too much trouble. After weeks of dealing with a tender tooth, I was more than willing to let him try.

Before anything else happened, I had to pay an additional $205 on top of the consultation fee. Only then would he pull the tooth. Seemed a bit cold hearted to me, but I've no dental insurance so it didn't surprise me.

Fortunately, the guy did a great job with the tooth and got it all in one go. Smoothest bit of dentistry I've ever had done. He wasn't cheap, but he knew his stuff. Usually my roots break and I'm spitting out bits of tooth for weeks. That's one reason the local guy didn't want to touch it.

My grandfather was both tough and cheap. He pulled all his own teeth with a pair of pliers. When too few were left, he pulled the rest. Back then you could cross the border into Canada and get good quality dentures at a steep discount, so that's what he did.

Bad teeth run in the family. My dad had dentures at age of fourteen. At least his dad paid for them to be pulled. My father was determined I'd get decent dental care as a kid. I hated it, but I've still got most of my teeth. The loss of one back molar won't bother me much.

I'm glad that's over with, even though it cost a pretty penny.

-Sixbears.

12 comments:

  1. My last root canal was 2400 and that was two years ago.

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  2. My Dad had a saying about teeth....if you aren't true to them, they'll be false to you. I'm thankful I have all mine and I take care of them. Glad to see you had no problem except expense (ouch).

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  3. Yep, dentists make a mint. Even with dental insurance, I am paying $610 for a crown. I had a tooth pulled last year for $150, but again - that is WITH insurance. So if this is your only expense for a while, you are probably ahead. I hope now you get complete relief - when mouth hurts, NOTHING is fun.

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    Replies
    1. A bad tooth sure does suck the joy out of life. Already feeling better.

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  4. I'm going to be right behind you with a lower right molar that is rotten.
    I have insurance but it doesn't pay too much. I have to have a cat scan for $150, pull it, bone graft if necessary then an implant. Four months to heal up then a crown built up om it.
    My cost is right at three grand.
    For one tooth.
    They quoted me twenty four grand to fix them all.

    I got a good laugh out of that.

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    Replies
    1. Ouch! I decided it wasn't worth trying to save this tooth. It had work before so was in pretty bad shape.

      I paid 15 grand for my first house.

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  5. Everyone wants the money up front these days. That says it all about what god they worship.

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  6. My cousin was a very successful engineer who worked on world wide projects, but he had always wanted to be a dentist, so he went back to school and became a dentist. Sometimes it takes a long tome for your dreams to come true.

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  7. Very quickly this site will be famous among all blog viewers,
    due to it's nice articles

    ReplyDelete