"You don't go mud wrestling with a pig because in the end you only wind up looking foolish and the pig tends to love the attention." -- Anon.
Have you ever tried to engage in a somewhat intelligent and serious conversation with your dentist while you were sitting quietly in his comfortably padded , genuine Corinthian leather oversized chair visibly trembling and waiting for the pain session to begin?
If you have ever tried this almost universal approach to personal anxiety reduction you would have immediately noticed that both the dentist and his well trained assistant have only one game plan in mind: helping you through your current oral trauma no matter what it costs you or your ever vigilant insurance provider.
Last Thursday my friend Vic discovered that a front crown on the upper right portion of his gum area had become extremely loose. He had difficulty eating solid food and the crown was rubbing against his gum causing him pain and overall irritation. The gum was extremely sensitive and required immediate attention.
He tried to make an appointment with his regular dentist and hoped the visit would resolve his problem. He was told his dentist had the flu and was asked if any dentist would suffice. He answered yes any dentist would be alright.
On Tuesday he went for his appointment and discovered that the tooth had cracked and a part of it had broken away. It would now need to be extracted crown and all. He did not plan on this happening since the last time a crown came loose the dentist was able to recement it successfully into place.
He was also told that it would be a good game plan to have his teeth cleaned and a few Xrays taken of his upper and lower gums to update his patient file information. He agreed to have these procedures done and luckily there was an appointment vacancy also available that very day.
The female hygienist performed her task in an efficient and friendly manner. She took extra care around the overly irritated and sensitive section of his upper gum. She finished the manual cleaning of his teeth, successfully scraped away the accumulated plaque deposits that had built up around his teeth and then offered him a fluoride rinse to complete the treatment.
He was then led to another dental office and told that the dentist would be with him shortly. A dental assistant entered the room a few minutes later and told him she needed to take Xrays not only of the affected area but also his whole mouth. This was the dentist's orders. He complied.
When the Xrays were complete the dentist entered the room. He looked at the pictures and then took his silver colored pliers and carefully removed the crown. He then relayed the bad news that the toothh had broken and the crown and post were useless. He would have to extract the remains of the tooth. The dentist then froze the area with a shot of novocaine and extracted the remains parts of the fragmented tooth.
The dentist sat at a desk nearby and told Vic of the dental work he might require: permanent tooth implant ($3400); partial dental bridge to bolster gums chewing powers ($3300) ; and finally a back molar ($1100 for the root canal excluding the new crown.
Vic was shocked by this doctor's callous and unrealistic attitude towards his patient. This doctor and others in the building were all fixated on one thing: how much will your insurance carrier handle for you? He tried to explain to this money grubber that he was a retiree living on a fixed income. This made no impression on the doctor.
The next day Vic received a sympathetic telephone call from the dental office's billing secretary. A female associate tried to console him on the loss of his front tooth and asked him how he was handling the loss. He told her it was only a tooth and nothing more. She assured him she understood his position and his desire to have the tooth replaced as quickly as possible.
The number of options she cited were far too expensive and unrealistic for a retired person lving on a fixed income. He said she was understanding of his financial situation but said she was going to forward a copy of the replacement cost of the tooth to his insurance company. The amount for the tooth alone was "$3800.
Vic said he was struck by the humor of it all. Surely, he reasoned, the materials used and the medical equipment involved did not warrant such a high price tag. To him this was another example of how costly and unrealistic the cost of medical and dental charges and services have become.
