This post is in regards to the recent post that made it to the front page of this subreddit a few days ago concerning dental care. There were quite a few things in the comments that, as a dental provider, made me cringe. Alternatively, there were quite a few things that were surprisingly very correct. So I am going to go through my thoughts on frugal dental care based on what were recurring themes in the previous thread.
Disclaimer: I am a fourth year dental student, any dentists/specialist will no more than me... I am just trying to give my two cents. I am a dental provider and an individual without dental insurance, so I feel like I have insight to help you guys out.
1: Dental care is inherently expensive. It's obviously no surprise to anyone here, but dental care can be very expensive. I've seen full mouth rehab cases for as much as $60,000.
Why? That's a simple question with a complex answer. About 70-75% of what a dentist charges usually goes to overhead for the office. That is, payment for materials, instruments, paying personnel etc. Dental materials are stupid expensive, for an item that costs $10 at the local hardware store will cost $100 because it says "dental" on it. This is due to taxes, liability reasons blah blah blah. Dental school is expensive. With an average dept of around $300,000 after dental school, then buying a practice, and then a house... dentist are in a lot of debt...debt that they have to pay back. That of course is passed on to the patient.
2 Seeing a dentist regularly will keep dental costs to a minimum. First of all the number one person who is responsible for dental care is not the dentist or the hygienist. It is you. For example: If you see the dentist every 6 months, but don't brush your teeth in between appointments, there is nothing the dentist can do to help you. Brush... and yes, floss your teeth twice a day at least. This is your best bet. Toothpaste is the cheapest thing in dentistry, use it.
3 Some people just have bad teeth. Wrong... sort of. There are conditions (dentinogenisis imperfecta, cleidocranial dysplasia) where the teeth are not as strong as they should be, this is true. But for 99% of the population it is a hygiene issue, not a genetic issue. For example: one of the biggest myths I hear from patients is "My teeth used to be good, but when I got pregnant the baby leeched the calcium from my teeth." There is no scientific data to support any of that, yet I hear it over and over. The reality is, when one gets pregnant, priorities change, people change their diets, their hygiene habits etc. So taking responsibility for this, realizing it is in fact within your control, is in your best interest when it comes to dental care.
3 The longer you wait, the worse it will get. Most definitely. A small cavity at $200 can turn into a root canal and crown at $1600 quicker than you think. Getting things taken care of as soon as possible is best.
4 Dental care is cheaper in other countries. This is ultimately true, but be aware. In my short dental career, the worst dentistry I have seen has been completed out of country. I'm not talking about a filling that doesn't match the tooth very well, I'm talking about malpractice worthy dentistry if it were done in the US. I will not say that you should not go out of country for dentistry, but it should be noted that if it is bad dentistry, it will have to be fixed and it will cost you much more.
5 Dental schools are cheaper! Heck yea they are. If you have more time than money, dental schools are a great option. If you are low on funds and have plenty of time dental schools may be a good option for you. It is good dentistry, and it is cheaper... but it will take much longer to complete. For example: at my school, an extraction for a tooth is $75, whereas in private practice it will be about $200-$300. So about 50% less than private practice.
6 Dental insurance sucks. Most certainly. I'm not really sure why they even call it insurance, as it is more of a benefit. Usually there is a limit of how much they pay per calendar year, wont pay for certain things, only pay a percentage.. blah blah blah. It stinks in general, but that being said if you already have it, it helps a bit. And, there are fairly good insurances, but they are few and far between.
7 If you guys have anything else, I'll keep on adding them on here.
I'll also try to answer any questions you have, and I'll be as honest as possible.
May 17, 2018 at 01:08PM
