Back from the dentist, and if that’s all I need done I’ll be happy. He said there was a little decay under an old filling, and so he redid the filling. And since the old filling was silver, and the new one is white, I am pleased about this for vanity alone. Also because all my silver fillings are old and gradually need replacing, so I’m glad that the one that needed replacing was an older filling and not a newer one.
He said that unless I keep feeling twinges, this means we’ve solved the problem. Continuing twinges = root canal. So you see this can go either way here, the Happy Path of Nice New White Filling and Not Going to the Dentist Again for Awhile—-or the Sad Path of Nice New $200 White Filling Taken Right Back Out to Make Way for Even-More-Expensive Root Canal.
Another mom at the bus stop this morning said her dentist charges $100 as soon as you walk in the door, so I thought it might be interesting to compare our dental costs. Yesterday, when he looked at the tooth and did an xray, the bill was $70. Today, with the filling, the bill was $200. I know fillings can vary in price depending on how significant they are: when they schedule one, the receptionist is always asking the dentist how much time, and for this filling the dentist said “2…no, 3,” whatever that means. So this was a 2…no, 3 filling, and it cost $200. Is this about what your fillings cost?
Today’s plan: wait for novocaine to wear off; then, eat candy.
Tangy Taffy is always a good choice post dentist. You want to make sure that work has really, really set.
Those costs sound about right. We have excellent dental insurance (that I’m thankful for often), but your totals sound about like what they tell us it costs, before letting us know they’ll pay it FOR US – you know, because they are so generous. Never mind that we pay monthly for the coverage.
Go easy on the candy today – you don’t want to regret that!!!! I absolutely hate going to the dentist.
I haven’t had a filling at the dentist since high school (i.e., my parents paid for it)(I know, you hate me). But I went to the dentist last week and got x-rays and it was $127 (before insurance). The cleaning (which they don’t do at the same time) will be about the same, plus I am paying a $40 fee for an apparently ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY oral cancer screen. What-evuh.
I must have REALLY good insurance, because I pay nothng for cleanings, about $12 for fillings, and I think I paid around $40-$60 for my root canal (I say I think because it was a year ago and I was on a lot of drugs. But I know it wasn’t more than $60)
Sounds about right…I just had a filling a few months ago as did MG.
I have a cute dentist whom I love so nanner, nanner, nanner. He can do almost anything and I don’t mind! (:-o But then I don’t have a fear of the dentist, obviously.
What is it about dental work? A person just CRAVES what you’re not supposed to have right afterward!
My fillings are usually around $150. Cleaning/checkup I think is 80ish?
That seems about right. We don’t have dental insurance, but pay for a discount plan so if we need more extensive work done–yuck, I don’t even want to think about a root canal. The words even sound awful.
I don’t know what our insurance pays. I suppose I should look at our EOBs huh?
Root Canal DOES sound awful. I really hope you have no more twinges!
I just went to a new dentist today for a cleaning…so I am not sure of the filling cost.
But that “2, no 3 filling” was probably how many surfaces they had to fill on the tooth. I had like 2 cavities filled once (years ago) and they charged me for 4 surfaces. I was like wha? huh? and they explained that to me.
I haven’t had a filling in years. I have a dentist appointment in about a month, though, so if I get a filling then, I’ll make sure to check the cost and report back.
not really sure about fillings but it’s 50ish for a cleaning methinks.
It depends on the dental insurance. If they are in network then they charge what the insurance TELLS them to charge. I am lucky with good insurance as well. Free cleanings and up to $800 a year. Then 70% of costs oout of pocket over and above that.
Also depends on your location like anything else I imagine. It costs more to LIVE in the NYC area, so everything costs more right along with it. The rent is what says what things cost.
I have no idea what they cost straight-out (thank God for our insurance, which is finally a good plan), but if you need a root canal don’t worry about it. I had one a few years ago, and it didn’t hurt at ALL. Plus it was way better than having the darn problem tooth.
Before I had insurance I saw what the dentist was billing out his dental hygenist time at on my bills and it was enough to make my jaw drop. I know they are educated but HOLY COW!!!!! It is the sort of thing that has one considering letting the teeth fall out and replacing with wooden bits. Seriously. I go to the dentist next week and am DREADING a lecture on why I still haven’t got my wisdom teet pulled. Sigh. Is this adulthood? Living in fear of lectures from dentists and their hygenists?
My freshman year at college I had a tooth break on me, and it got me thinking, “hmmmm… Maybe I should go to the dentist since I haven’t been since I was about four.” (Please don’t judge me, my family was poor!)
One root canal
One crown
Two fillings
Four wisdom teeth extracted
About $1700. (All this work was done over the course of 18 months, thankfully!)
ouch! sorry about your dental work. I don’t know what I’m sorrier about: the filling itself or the price tag!
I’ve only had one filling, in college, when the parents were still paying the dental bills. I have no idea the cost. BUT, when I was pregnant, my dentist convinced me that my toothache was a sign that I need a nightguard. Price: $500. Nights worn: 2. The husband goes ballistic when he sees it collecting dust in the medicine cabinet.
I had a cleaning, x-rays, and oral examine yesterday for $155 so I’m better off than Michelle, but worse off than the lucky people with dental insurance.
In my dentist’s office, “2…3” refers to the length of the appointment. A half hour for “2,” 45 minutes for “3.” I have to go in for a “2” in two weeks to have a (small white) filling replaced.
Wow, it has been so long since I was at the dentist I really have no idea! All children’s visits are free here though which is wonderful!
Last year when I went to the dentist (for the first time in 5+ years) I had 15 cavities. They were all filled in with white fillings and I was unconscious for the procedure which cost me about 300 just to be comfortable.
The total bill was 2900.00. So 2900.00 minus 300.00 for the sedation fee and divided by 15 cavities equals 173.00 per tooth.
Insurance covered just over 1000.00 of that bill. Blah.
A regular cleaning with xrays costs me 160.00 before insurance pays.
But I avoid the dentist at all costs. I hate the dentist. HATE. As in I only go when something hurts. But then when I went the last time nothing hurt. I just knew I had a cavity in my front tooth because it had a small grey spot. Turns out I had more than just one. LOL
I’ll let you know what my FOUR FILLINGS will cost me in October. My appointment is at 11am on a workday. What do you think about me returning to work afterward? Will I be drooling on myself too much? Or is that totally do-able?
Oh oh oh oh ewww! I’m so not into the dental work. And that’s the only comment I’ll make on that one. Except that my fingers are soooo crossed that you feel no more twinges — except for the good kind, of course!
(note to Lindsay)
You dont need your wisdom teeth pulled unless they are hurting or moving your other teeth. If you have the room in your mouth for them let them be.
I DID have to get them done, and it was actually covered under my MEDICAL because of the pain, AND the fact that it was a surgeon that had to do it. I had all 4 done at once and it was the worst pain EVER. I have had 3 uteran surgeries, and major stays in the hospitals along with them, and NOTHING compared to my wisdom teeth extraction.
my little guy just had a trip to the dentist. Apparently, nursing all night was not the best for his chompers, and he needed a baby-tooth filling. Who ever heard of that?!? The interesting thing was, I got a flash forward of said three year-old in a frat house someday, because he was way, WAY too happy on the nitrous. I mean, we’re talking song-singing, giggle fit, “I likey this stuffy mama, snif, snif” happy. Yikes. As for you, I hope you ate lots of candy, got no twinges, and then headed back for more chocolate, just to prove that the filling worked.
I paid $325 for a surgical extraction of a molar and a medicated filling of another tooth without insurance. That was with the dentist telling the receptionist to take $50 off my bill because of my “fear of dentists”…though it was probably cause I was crying while he did it.