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Thu 12 Apr, 2007 08:02 am
I need to go back to the dentist because I seem to have lost a filling. There's a problem.
I had skipped the dentist for around 8 years. When I went I started going to a close dental office covered by my insurance. They did xrays and said I need 9 fillings. Then they started to fill my teeth - two or three at a time. After 12 fillings they said there were more needed. I Started looking at the invoices, learned how dentists labeled teeth. I think they might have filled the wrong ones. I know when I asked for a refill because of a snagging filling they refilled the wrong tooth. So. I want to start at a new dental office, get a second opinion. But, I want them to be responsible for any problems they've caused and any faulty dentistry.
Should I go in and have them fix this tooth, get my records and go? Should I have a new place fix this tooth and have them review my records? Should I just give up on the old place fixing anything and start fresh?
I'll need to have this tooth fixed pronto.
Call them and tell them you are moving out of state and would like a copy of your records (many docs and dentists will tell you that the records are their's - not your's - so they won't give you the originals. I think they do that as a CYA in case someone tries to sue. They wouldn't want to get caught without any records...)
Anyway, get a copy of your's and take them to another dentist. Unless you can find another dentist that will sign a statement saying that the original dentist screwed up, you don't have much chance of getting anything out of these guys.
Get the original xrays lilk.
Gotcha! I'll call another dentist.
You can usually "borrow" the xrays but you should be able to get copies of your files to keep. They are yours. You'll have to go in and sign for them I think. The xrays will be sent to the new dentist, not usually given to you so you'll have to just tell them you are getting a new dentist. You could always say you're insurance has changed if you don't want to tell them they suck.
I made an appointment for next thursday. They said to have the dentist send them the records. Should I just do that - or pick them up myself?
Bella Dea wrote:You can usually "borrow" the xrays but you should be able to get copies of your files to keep. They are yours. You'll have to go in and sign for them I think. The xrays will be sent to the new dentist, not usually given to you so you'll have to just tell them you are getting a new dentist. You could always say you're insurance has changed if you don't want to tell them they suck.
Good idea about the insurance change - it might be a more comfortable conversation for me.
How could they fill the wrong tooth? That doesn't make any sense to me.
Well, I said "this tooth snags food." They asked which tooth. I pointed and then they filled the wrong tooth.
So. I'm rethinking this. I'll have to wait almost 2 weeks to have the cavity refilled. I have to go in and see the new guy for a general check-up first. I'll spend less $ if I go back to the old dentist and $ is an issue right now.
I spent 1080.00 for a root canal the day before yesterday. When I paid them after the surgery I asked if, since I was paying the bill up front, I was entitled to a discount.
She gave me a terse "No, I'm afraid not."
I wasn't pleased and shall never return to that particular establishment.
Yikes! My dental insurance is minimal. I think I cam capped at $1,000 per year and I pay 30% or so of most procedures.
Most dental insurance is a racket so I would rather pay cash than give them my hard-earned money.
I think it comes out in the wash
I have no health insurance. I rely on the taxpayer funded health scheme for any treatment and put $100 a month into managed investments, specifically set aside for health issues. Have over $10,000 in there now.
Had I paid medical insurance I would have paid in the order of 8,000 by now.
gustavratzenhofer wrote:Most dental insurance is a racket so I would rather pay cash than give them my hard-earned money.
I think it comes out in the wash
I actually agree with that, and in paying cash for procedures, I do
get a 10 to 20 % discount from my dentist.
I would agree that it comes out in the wash. But I have very little expendable income each had to month. If I had to pay for a pricy procedure like Gus', I'd have to borrow money from someone. The insurance is like a back up payment plan.
littlek, I can't wait for yout to have a decent paying job with fringe benefits.
Helping out family is nice, but they do take advantage of you, no matter
how you see it.
And yes, in your case, it is better to have dental insurance. Just make
sure you go to a competent dentist, not all are - we probably can all
relate to that having had "butchers" along the line some time.
I can't wait either, Jane!
The new dentist (with whom I'm staying) doesn't see what the other dentists see. He treated the visit as a second opinion and consultation. He has the records, the xrays, but not the future plans that they had for me. He asks that I get those future plans so he can really tell what's going on with them. I'm assuming that last bit is for professional curiosity.....?
The whole I have is a broken filling. Part of the filling is still there, plugging up the drilled-out cavity. He gave me a choice between redrilling/refilling the cavity or getting a crown. He explained the pros and cons of either choice. I think I'll go with the crown thing. But, there's no rush because the gap is in the filling, not the tooth itself.
Pretty good news, I'd say.
He sounds good.
Did he talk about the cost differences of crown vs redrill/refill?
Not so much the difference, he did tell me the cost of a crown. Also that I'd be paying over two visits and we could work out weekly payments over a few weeks.
I just looked up my benefits - my insurance will cover 50%.
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