Dental Office Nightmare

What's wrong with this picture?!

Published on September 29, 2004 By foreverserenity In Health & Medicine

I just returned from the dentist's office. What a collosol waste of time! If there was ever a profession that need overhauling, this would be it! I went in the hope of getting my tooth taken care of. As you know, I have a tooth ache from a loss filling and it's been giving me hell. Anyhows, I was so happy my dentist (this is actually my first time seeing him too) could see me today. I was early for the appointment, at least I got there 10mins early. Waited for 15-20mins then was called in. They took an X-ray of my mouth. Then I was asked to wait again. Well, one hour and 15 minutes later, I go in to see the dentist. He looked at my X-rays and goes, mmm, you're in pain uh? Duh! I mumbled something. He looked at my tooth and said, oh, we won't even bother to try to save this, it's your wisdom tooth. Duh, duh!!!!!?? Then you should go to the surgeon and have it remove and come back afterwards to see me, then we can talk. Well, I was steamed, pissed off, you name it. I wasted my whole time going there today. Not to mention I have to now make another appointment with this surgeon to have my tooth remove and there will be out of pocket costs. Well, you know what I say? I say, lets make the Hygenists the ones with the full DDS degrees and pay them anything they want. At least they get your mouth taken care of, they actually do something. While I was sitting there waiting, about six people came in and out all seeing the Hygenist. I know not all dentists are like that, I've had good experiences in a dental office, where the dentist actually do something. But since moving to this part of the world, it's been a nightmare. What do they actually do in this town? I guess I'll have to take the suggestion of getting a string and a chair! Gosh if it was actually shaking I might try that but it's firmly in the gum - waaa! Well, let me stop rambling, I'm just still ticked off. Ok, brethe deeply, think happy thoughts. I think it might work, an hour from now......I can't beleive the cost to my dental plan for today's visit - $93 minus my $5 co-pay! Think happy thoughts. Michigan is looking good right now - Stardock is hiring!

Comments

Angloesque

on Sep 29, 2004

In my humble opinion, dentistry is far too expensive for not having the malpractice nightmares that physicians have.

Here's my nightmare, and it's very similar to yours (though it happened a few years ago):

8 a.m. Enter dentist office.
8:30 a.m. see hygienist, who pokes my gums until they're bleeding and sore and tells me I need to floss (who doesn't? or rather, who does floss?)
9 a.m. X-rays
9:04 - 9:59 a.m.: read crappy magazines while gums bleed and ache.
10 a.m. Dentist comes in, looks at X-rays, says (this is word-for-word), "Looks good. See me in a year about those wisdom teeth." And he leaves.

Not having dental insurance, it cost 100$ for the hygienist and x-rays, and $144 for the damn dentist to come in for 15 seconds and say 11 words.

I have a friend in dental school right now because she wants to make good money and not have to work 40 hours a week. (Well, she was a friend, and she'll probably be one again when I need dental work done next....) For now, I'm boycotting dentists. I've seen two in ten years and have no problems--nary a cavity.

Note: one of those times was getting my wisdom teeth out. Try to go all the way under--trust me, you don't want to be awake for any of that!

-A.

sunwukong

on Sep 29, 2004

I can sympathize -- my sister in law is in a bedroom community in Indiana and her dentist did some bizarre things to her kids teeth (basically glued two adjacent primary teeth together). Unfortunately he's basically the "only game in town" and so she'll have to go far out of her way if she wants to change -- and who knows if the next guy in the next small town is any better?

I know you're ranting but I'll write it anyways: dentists are responsible for overall oral health while hygienists strictly perform oral hygiene treatments. In dental school you don't spend a lot of time concentrating on the techniques hygienists learn -- so the hygienists practice and practice and get really good and fast and can put most dentists to shame on the hygiene/perio stuff.

I'm not sure how it works in your state (or the USA, for that matter), but it's quite possible your 10 seconds with the dentist was required for you to be referred to an oral surgeon (the person who'll take out the wisdom tooth).

Finally, keep in mind dentistry is probably one of the least regulated health professions. All of them are small business owners and they're all looking out at their bottom line, i.e., hygiene is a low billable service so get cheap hygienists to do it; oral surgery is potentially high risk (think: high insurance plus equipment) so farm it out to the specialists who kick back a referral fee.

Good luck with the tooth!

Texas Wahine

on Sep 29, 2004

Interestingly enough, I had a dentist appointment today, too. Your experience sounds awful. My wisdom teeth are impacted, and they have recommended oral surgery, but they haven't pressed the issue too much, and since the teeth aren't bothering me much, I will wait for now. Yours sounds awful, though. Bless your heart. *At today's visit I got fitted for a night guard for my teeth (sexy, huh?) . . . from the time they first took the impression until today when I received the guard, my insurance has changed the percentage they pay on it, and my out-of-pocket cost doubled . . . it's going to be around $170, but they are letting me pay it out $40/mo . . . which is very nice and resonable of them*

foreverserenity

on Sep 30, 2004

Anglo - I wholeheartedly agree with you. Avoid dentists at all cost unless absolutely necessary. Which would be fine with me and I actually do now that I think about it. I only go to have the usual cleaning and if there's a problem with my mouth so having the dental plan is a crutch, it's mainly for the kids. However with the fact that I have a dental problem that's not being taken care of is hell, and I'm not just talking about the toothache.

Sunwukong - I know dentists are good for oral health and all that but, why is it such a nightmare with them? It's just a rhetorical question really. But I mean, it's just ridiculous the stuff people go through trying to get that important part of their health taken care of. The office hours are ridiculous first of all. They never keep convenient hours. Secondly, the cost is out of control. Ok so it's just like medical costs wherein the copay is there and the out of pocket expense is there too but it's just making no sense. If they're going to farm work out, as all of them do, then why not have it set up in one spot like a mall. Just have everyone under one roof, wouldn't that be convenient? Or at least have a network of referral not ones who keep the same whacky hours and the process of explaining and getting there begins all over again!

Texas, I've said it before, I like your dentist. At least they work with you. They are on planet earth. I know, I did say I was going to find a dental office that does that here. I'm still crossed-eyed from my pain but will look into it as soon as I can focus. The bottom line is, when u r on a budget and u don't have a credit card to flash all over, you have to fit your out of pocket expense into the budget. So, hence my problem. I will just keep taking pain killers and fit it in my budget really really soon.

Thanks you guys. It's good to see that I'm not alone on the way I feel. I mean, going to the dentist is scary enough as it is. I just do it cause I have to and my kids cannot find out that mommy doesnt' like it too. Can you imagine the problems I would have taking them in for their six months check ups!

sunwukong

on Sep 30, 2004

foreverserenity:

Secondly, the cost is out of control. Ok so it's just like medical costs wherein the copay is there and the out of pocket expense is there too but it's just making no sense

I'm not sure how it works in the US, but most dental associations publish a fee guide that forms the basis for billing. Individual practices are "free" to follow the guide with the usual constraints of what their patient mix is (which implies which treatments are most common) and what the local insurers are likely to pay for. Liability insurance for a dentist is much less than a doctor's, though it's not trivial. So the real answer about dental costs: it's what the dentist as a businessman determines what the market will bear in line with his financial plans (e.g., expansion, retirement, etc.)

If they're going to farm work out, as all of them do, then why not have it set up in one spot like a mall. Just have everyone under one roof, wouldn't that be convenient? Or at least have a network of referral not ones who keep the same whacky hours and the process of explaining and getting there begins all over again!

Several larger towns and cities have this sort of thing, but, like I said before, dentists are one of the most loosely regulated professions in health care. Combined with it being lucrative enough that anyone half-competent can make more than a decent living on their own, there's got to be compelling incentive for that kind of cooperation.

A nice bedroom community with lots of young families could possibly get the dentist/orthodondist sort of pairing going on. Likewise a retirement centre might be able to get dentist/prosthodontist/denturist combos. But oral surgery is "rare" enough that surgeons are usual on the move in a wide area, even if they have their own clinic.

foreverserenity

on Sep 30, 2004

Sunwu - there are cost guidelines published by each of the dental plans. They always give you a book for you to see what your out of pocket costs will be. And there always is out of pocket costs. You are right, big cities do have it set up better. When I lived in a bigger city the plans were a lot better. I had one that allowed up to $1000 for each family member. We got everything done up to that amount for each of us. All that happened was the premiums were deducted out of my salary prior to that. I didn't even have to make a copay for the visits. It's basically the employer plan that sucks of course. But like I said, it's better than nothing. You know what though, a forward thinking dentist in a small town where the need is there should think about a set up like I mentioned, having everyone under one roof. Wouldn't that be something?!

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