The high cost of dental procedures in the US

**Far from massive** · 04-23-2013, 03:27 PM

Hello all,

I have a tooth that has been giving me some trouble and after visiting the local dentist to get a qoute on a root canal and crown. Was told that either an extraction and an implant or extraction and a fixed bridge would be a better option. Both involved removal of the tooth (she said she could do a root canal and crown but that since the tooth lacks sensitivity to cold its likely dead and would probably wind up with problems 2-8 yrs down the line) she said that I could put a couple of thousand into the tooth doing the root canal and crown and still loose the tooth, this actually sounded good as my only other crown cost me $2500 6 years ago so I though her price on a fixed bridge would probably be pretty reasonable.

Well then she goes on to explain that it would be a good idea to remove some bone from the area of the tooth and implant some bone in its place ( this is an engineered product that is gene rich to aid in rebuilding the jaw structure after a tooth is removed to increase the chance of good osteointregration. Well all still seems so so then I get the estimate and its 12,000 dollars for either root, the fixed bridge or a single tooth implant.

What really kills me is the bone graft is only 1500 dollars of the procedure its the bridge that makes up 3000 dollars of the cost. I really have a lot of trouble understanding how a piece of either porcelain or porcelein fused over metal can cost more than 4-500 dollars. What a fvn racket! As far as the post and abutment go thats also a no biggie, all a post is made of is titanium with a fused titanium surface ( to aid in osteointegration) its basically just a bolt that screws into the jaw bone. She made a big deal about them using an actual minature torque wrench to install it to insure the correct amount of force is applied LOL. On top of the post is the abutment (small piece of titanium with the taper to allow for cementing of the fake tooth.

It really pisses me off that I have two options either pay half the price of a cheap car for a 3 hour procedure and a couple of hundred dollars worth of hardware or pull the tooth and let nature take its course. I know soo many people who have elected to go this route.

Of course the third which I am strongly considering is leaving the country to have the procedure done. This is the path that many are now choosing for both dental and surgical procedures as at least half of the cost is due to liablilty issues.

OK rant over, thanks for listening.

FFM

**bdos** · 04-23-2013, 03:40 PM

Just experianced something like this with the dentist gf cost me 3,500 to get all 4 wisdom teeth removed, this is why people dont stay healthy its so damn expensive.

**Dpyle** · 04-23-2013, 03:42 PM

That sucks man, sorry to hear that. Just last year i was faced with a similar problem, but I was lucky enough that it was my rear most molar aside from my wisdom teeth ( yeah still have those ). So I just elected for the 60 bucks for extraction and haven't had any issues thus far.

**canesfan804** · 04-23-2013, 03:48 PM

WOW!!! 12k???? I hope she is HOT AS HELL and is going to do it naked! Then follow the proceedure up with a BJ at the minimum.......

You could ask her to kiss you and when she ask why tell her you like a little foreplay before getting screwed.

**bdos** · 04-23-2013, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by canesfan804

WOW!!! 12k???? I hope she is HOT AS HELL and is going to do it naked! Then follow the proceedure up with a BJ at the minimum.......

You could ask her to kiss you and when she ask why tell her you like a little foreplay before getting screwed.

Hahhaha gold!

**Eddie_m63** · 04-23-2013, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Far from massive

Hello all,

I have a tooth that has been giving me some trouble and after visiting the local dentist to get a qoute on a root canal and crown. Was told that either an extraction and an implant or extraction and a fixed bridge would be a better option. Both involved removal of the tooth (she said she could do a root canal and crown but that since the tooth lacks sensitivity to cold its likely dead and would probably wind up with problems 2-8 yrs down the line) she said that I could put a couple of thousand into the tooth doing the root canal and crown and still loose the tooth, this actually sounded good as my only other crown cost me $2500 6 years ago so I though her price on a fixed bridge would probably be pretty reasonable.

Well then she goes on to explain that it would be a good idea to remove some bone from the area of the tooth and implant some bone in its place ( this is an engineered product that is gene rich to aid in rebuilding the jaw structure after a tooth is removed to increase the chance of good osteointregration. Well all still seems so so then I get the estimate and its 12,000 dollars for either root, the fixed bridge or a single tooth implant.

What really kills me is the bone graft is only 1500 dollars of the procedure its the bridge that makes up 3000 dollars of the cost. I really have a lot of trouble understanding how a piece of either porcelain or porcelein fused over metal can cost more than 4-500 dollars. What a fvn racket! As far as the post and abutment go thats also a no biggie, all a post is made of is titanium with a fused titanium surface ( to aid in osteointegration) its basically just a bolt that screws into the jaw bone. She made a big deal about them using an actual minature torque wrench to install it to insure the correct amount of force is applied LOL. On top of the post is the abutment (small piece of titanium with the taper to allow for cementing of the fake tooth.

It really pisses me off that I have two options either pay half the price of a cheap car for a 3 hour procedure and a couple of hundred dollars worth of hardware or pull the tooth and let nature take its course. I know soo many people who have elected to go this route.

Of course the third which I am strongly considering is leaving the country to have the procedure done. This is the path that many are now choosing for both dental and surgical procedures as at least half of the cost is due to liablilty issues.

OK rant over, thanks for listening.

FFM

I hate quoting but it's the only way to reply...dude just go to Mexico and get it done, they have pretty good dentist down there too.

**Knockout_Power** · 04-23-2013, 09:38 PM

Thats nuts man. This is what I do for work, if you could make it into Canada I could have a single crown done for $6-700 or a bridge for $2000.

**lovbyts** · 04-23-2013, 09:46 PM

Are you looking for options? I was told a root canal and bridge would cost me around $4000+ a couple of years ago. No brainer for me. I went online and did a little research, booked my flight and hotel and headed to the Philippines. I took my xrays and dental records with me and made my appointment. 3 days later everything was done and it cost me $700

If I had to do it again the only thing I would change is I might go to Thailand instead, they have a little better doctors/dentist there and have a lot of places set up just for tourist. Look into it. You can easily pay for your whole vacation and procedure and have money left over.

**Far from massive** · 04-24-2013, 03:51 PM

Thanks Lvbyts and Knockout Power,

I have PM'd knockout since Canada would be a lot easier to fly to twice . Since I assume that at least two appointments would be required for this type of procedure unless they have a Cerac machine that does bridges now? I don't know if any of you guys (other than Knockout Power obviously) are familiar with the Cerac but its the cats meow. Instead of having to go in and get an impression then grind the tooth place a temp and wait for the crown to be manufactured with the cerac a digital picture is taken the the machine takes a block of procelain of the correct color and grinds it to the shape of the tooth. For a simple broken tooth crown you are usually out the door in an hour and a half. This is the whole reason I went to the office I did they were advertizing on the web that they did cerac crowns for $899 on sale then when I arrived I found out they did not even have a cerac machine...they said it was a mixup on the website as if the web was the problem not their use of the web LOL.

Anyhow this looks like a plan either way, if I can not go the Canada route I will look into Thai, Phillipines etc.

**< <Samson> >** · 04-24-2013, 04:01 PM

Thankfully I live less than three hours away from Mexico. It is amazing stuff, my friend had 4 implants put in. Thousand, cash. . . . Looks solid.

Another one who had a large amount done for just hundreds.

I was too scared to get work done out there last time. I had two fillings put in and got a cleaning for 650 Bucks from the same guy I have been going to for years when I had insurance.

It's just not affordable, period. It's not like I don't want to spend that kind of cash, I just don't have it.

Next time, it's a run to Mexico for sure. Maybe grab some sauce since I'll be out there.

**Far from massive** · 04-24-2013, 06:24 PM

Samson, could you find out who your friend saw in Mexico? This is another location I had been considering. It would be another place that it would not be a big deal to make two trips to get the procedure done.

Please feel free to PM me the name of the dentist in Mexico if you prefer or just post it here. I am in the same situation I repair gym equipment for a living....these 12 grand medical procedures are just no doable on an 18 dollar an hour salary.

Thanks,

FFM

**oatmeal69** · 04-24-2013, 06:34 PM

I'm in the same boat. My 4 top fronts are caps, and they have long worn out their welcome, I'm living on borrowed time. I went in for an estimate and they give me the whole rundown about how I have to get them deep cleaned first, see if that holds up, then they're worried about receding bone, and all kinds of other crap. Then they pull the teeth - IF the deep clean works, then implants. My quote was also like $12K. I'm jobless right now, but even if I got a great job I could never swing that.
What are my options, just get them pulled and be toothless??

**Far from massive** · 04-24-2013, 07:05 PM

If you are currently unemployed, you should see if there is a dental college in your area. I am in MD and the U MD has a dental college in Baltimore, its a sliding fee based on income. The downsides are that it usually takes more visits than going to a regular dentist, oral surgeon whatever and also there is usually a backlog...the UMD has a 2-3 month wait. However the plus's are that they are using state of the art equipment and techniques, these kids are the ones who will be making 200k+ a year when they graduate.

The receding bone is pretty much a standard deal, if your gums/jawbone was pristine the teeth would probably still be hanging in there. So I am sure you have some degreee of peridontitis so they probably want to at least do a deep scaling of the tooth roots and then see if the bone and gums will resolve before they try to drill holes and screw implants into your jaw. The jaw bone where the front teeth are have a much thinner width so this is really critical. The place where I went to, wanted to do a bonegraft to increase the chances of osteoingegration of the implant. While that sounds like a big deal its really nothing more than cutting out a small section of jawbone then tapping a chunk of product either demineralized cowbone or synthetic bone ( the latest stuff is made in a lab and is very stem cell rich) into the void, then waiting a month to let it integrate. This part of the procedure was around 2 grand parts and labor.

The dental colleges are very up to date on this kind of procedure and naturally there are a lot less patients to practice this kind of procedure than there are people who need routine cavity drilling and filling so this would be a great thing to do while you continue your jobsearch.

Good luck with the whole thing, do not get to discouraged with the job deal, my last period of unemployment lasted over 6 months but I really do enjoy doing what I am doing now so it was worth the wait.

FFM

**oatmeal69** · 04-24-2013, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Far from massive

If you are currently unemployed, you should see if there is a dental college in your area. I am in MD and the U MD has a dental college in Baltimore, its a sliding fee based on income.

That's good advice, but I checked into it last year and seem to remember the costs were less than a DDS, but not a lot less. It was like $8K vs 12K? That's still about $7,900 more than I have.

Originally Posted by Far from massive

Good luck with the whole thing, do not get to discouraged with the job deal, my last period of unemployment lasted over 6 months but I really do enjoy doing what I am doing now so it was worth the wait.FFM

Thanks man, I'm REALLY getting discouraged. Bumming $ from my brother makes me feel like a MAJOR POS.

**Knockout_Power** · 04-24-2013, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by bdos900

Just experianced something like this with the dentist gf cost me 3,500 to get all 4 wisdom teeth removed, this is why people dont stay healthy its so damn expensive.

ouch, I had one of my budies pull all 4 of my teeth for $250 and I just bought him a $300 bottle of scotch instead.

Dental prices around the world just kill me, especially in the UK. I have friends in London and Ireland who have paid for a vacation to visit me just in the money they saved getting their procedure done.

**Knockout_Power** · 04-24-2013, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Eddie_m63

I hate quoting but it's the only way to reply...dude just go to Mexico and get it done, they have pretty good dentist down there too.

I hear this answr a lot... the majority of these people end up with blood poisening or infections cause there are no quality standards set for what materials can be used in the restorations. Had a friends girlfriend go to mexico, to an American dentist practicing down there, and he did all of her front teeth in crowns so she looked good for her wedding. Within 2 months all but 2 broke and when I tried recovering the metal to reuse, I found out there was copper and other misc metals in the alloy. Metals you do not want entering your bloodstream. So after saving a couple grand getting them done, she spend her honeymoon on antibiotics and then full price back home to get them replaced.

**Knockout_Power** · 04-24-2013, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Far from massive

Thanks Lvbyts and Knockout Power,

I have PM'd knockout since Canada would be a lot easier to fly to twice . Since I assume that at least two appointments would be required for this type of procedure unless they have a Cerac machine that does bridges now? I don't know if any of you guys (other than Knockout Power obviously) are familiar with the Cerac but its the cats meow. Instead of having to go in and get an impression then grind the tooth place a temp and wait for the crown to be manufactured with the cerac a digital picture is taken the the machine takes a block of procelain of the correct color and grinds it to the shape of the tooth. For a simple broken tooth crown you are usually out the door in an hour and a half. This is the whole reason I went to the office I did they were advertizing on the web that they did cerac crowns for $899 on sale then when I arrived I found out they did not even have a cerac machine...they said it was a mixup on the website as if the web was the problem not their use of the web LOL.

Anyhow this looks like a plan either way, if I can not go the Canada route I will look into Thai, Phillipines etc.

Cerac crowns have the highest rate of failure. One of our dentists bought a $180K cerac machine to try and save on his dental lab costs. About 7 months afterwards, he came back to us to remake all his cerac crowns and even had the nerve to ask for a discount cause it was all being done out of his pocket...

Little tidbit of info, Cerac is milled from a single monochromatic block so its all the same milky colour. If you look at your teeth you will notice they get lighter as they get towards the incisal which is semi translucent. The cerac blocks are just single coloured blocks and usually look like a peice of chalk in the mouth.

Not saying dont do this, cause people dont usually care if the colour is off for their back teeth, but it really is a shitty product.

**< <Samson> >** · 04-24-2013, 08:54 PM

I will look into this, and find the exact info. I know my grill is getting close to needing repair. Since I used to get a yearly periodontal maintenance. That alone is near 1k a year without insurance.

**Shol'va** · 04-24-2013, 10:02 PM

It's the same way with hair transplants. Bosley costs 11 grand, and elsewhere it can be as little as 4 -5 grand.

**Rwy** · 04-24-2013, 10:17 PM

such a rip off

i had my teeth whitened a few months back and they were back to nbormal color a month later

**Far from massive** · 04-25-2013, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by Knockout_Power

Cerac crowns have the highest rate of failure. One of our dentists bought a $180K cerac machine to try and save on his dental lab costs. About 7 months afterwards, he came back to us to remake all his cerac crowns and even had the nerve to ask for a discount cause it was all being done out of his pocket...

Little tidbit of info, Cerac is milled from a single monochromatic block so its all the same milky colour. If you look at your teeth you will notice they get lighter as they get towards the incisal which is semi translucent. The cerac blocks are just single coloured blocks and usually look like a peice of chalk in the mouth.

Not saying dont do this, cause people dont usually care if the colour is off for their back teeth, but it really is a shitty product.

Damn, very informative. I guess there is a reason why dentists wait and pay for dental labs to manufacture a composite? crown...learn something new every day.

**Far from massive** · 04-25-2013, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Knockout_Power

I hear this answr a lot... the majority of these people end up with blood poisening or infections cause there are no quality standards set for what materials can be used in the restorations. Had a friends girlfriend go to mexico, to an American dentist practicing down there, and he did all of her front teeth in crowns so she looked good for her wedding. Within 2 months all but 2 broke and when I tried recovering the metal to reuse, I found out there was copper and other misc metals in the alloy. Metals you do not want entering your bloodstream. So after saving a couple grand getting them done, she spend her honeymoon on antibiotics and then full price back home to get them replaced.

Thats a story I can relate to, my brother had braces as a kid and drank a lot of coke to boot. By the time he was 27 he was having restoration work done along the gumline where the enamal had been eaten away. It was done in the US but by a cheap Indian dentist. Well about 4 years later he started having a distended belly and all kinds of other stuff, after going to about a dozen doctors and having the hospital say exploratory surgery was the next option he found this one doctor who said he suspected that he was having a reaction to the metals used in the restoration. All the other docs told him he was nuts to believe this but facing the unplesant option of exploratory surgery he went ahead and had it all ripped out and ceramic? restorations done. Within a couple of weeks and two rounds of kelation he was more or less back to normal and in another two weeks his belly was no longer distended.

**Knockout_Power** · 04-25-2013, 09:54 PM

Its scary shit what is allowed to be used and unregulated in the medical field. Metals like nickel were only removed from allowable metals a few years ago which blows my mind, we have known for decades its not good to have in the body. Same with Berylium, but it is used in some places.

**oatmeal69** · 02-09-2014, 04:38 PM

Sorry to resurrect an ancient one. I'm still trying to find options and time is running out. I went to a couple more dentists and am getting estimates of ~ $13K for implants to replace my 4 front capped teeth. Because it's been so long since I got 'em capped, a lot of bone has eroded away, and they need to deep clean and fix that first, which is about a third of the total cost. Even if I got dentures, they still have to fix the bone and it'd only save me a few thousand. But... Dentures??
I'm literally looking at selling everything I own to get this done. - Car, toys, TV, and it still won't be enough.
I went to Clear Choice, and they aren't the cheapest but it's all done in house, and a lot quicker than the others, where I have to visit surgeons, etc. and let it heal over many months.
I guess I'm just ranting, but I can't think of options. I don't want to look like a hillbilly at 44. No chick in the world will consider me, good body or not! Any successes with foreign? Black market? - anything?

**Euroholic** · 02-09-2014, 04:41 PM

Go to malysia or india there western trained doctors and everything is cheap. A few birds i no go overseas on boob job holidays

**oatmeal69** · 02-09-2014, 06:03 PM

What about Mexico? No flight, I can stay with relatives in TX.

**Sfla80** · 02-09-2014, 06:56 PM

Just had 6 extractions....one of them was impacted 2 inches into palate/sinus area. Did not have the 15k for implants either....one area is still empty. The rest has a partial flipper. Basically like dentures right now. Put everything on "care credit" card

**Sfla80** · 02-09-2014, 06:58 PM

Are you in pain.....caps falling off?

**oatmeal69** · 02-09-2014, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by Sfla80

Put everything on "care credit" card

I tried to get a loan... Got approved for $800 at 26%, LOL

Originally Posted by Sfla80

Are you in pain.....caps falling off?

Not in pain, but they're loose, and my gums are swollen and tingle.

**Sfla80** · 02-09-2014, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by oatmeal69

I tried to get a loan... Got approved for $800 at 26%, LOLNot in pain, but they're loose, and my gums are swollen and tingle.

Sorry brother...I know the feeling u are going through. First dentist I saw wanted to implant entire top row.....35k

**oatmeal69** · 02-09-2014, 07:18 PM

LOL, I got that too, but they only quoted me $25K.

**Euroholic** · 02-09-2014, 07:23 PM

^^^ im not sure about medico but you should deff look into asia you would prob get it all for half the price

**derekkpapa1** · 02-09-2014, 08:45 PM

I was at a bar one night putting a few back and ended up bullshit with another guy there. Turn out his job was set up medical procedures in other countries (I am in USA). He said for half the cost here he can get someone first class flight nice hotel and procedure done and almost all the time better all around procedure and after care. I should of got his number but I know they do that for sure you might want to look into it? Good luck anyway

**lovbyts** · 02-09-2014, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by oatmeal69

Sorry to resurrect an ancient one. I'm still trying to find options and time is running out. I went to a couple more dentists and am getting estimates of ~ $13K for implants to replace my 4 front capped teeth. Because it's been so long since I got 'em capped, a lot of bone has eroded away, and they need to deep clean and fix that first, which is about a third of the total cost. Even if I got dentures, they still have to fix the bone and it'd only save me a few thousand. But... Dentures??
I'm literally looking at selling everything I own to get this done. - Car, toys, TV, and it still won't be enough.
I went to Clear Choice, and they aren't the cheapest but it's all done in house, and a lot quicker than the others, where I have to visit surgeons, etc. and let it heal over many months.
I guess I'm just ranting, but I can't think of options. I don't want to look like a hillbilly at 44. No chick in the world will consider me, good body or not! Any successes with foreign? Black market? - anything?

Refer to post #8
Seriously look into it.

**oatmeal69** · 02-10-2014, 07:36 PM

I think that's the only way it's ever gonna happen. I do have a good friend in Thailand...

**capetown** · 02-11-2014, 01:13 AM

Might be a dumb question but isnt dental coverage something that most employers offer in the states? I am starting to feel like i take this stuff for granted.

**lovbyts** · 02-11-2014, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by oatmeal69

I think that's the only way it's ever gonna happen. I do have a good friend in Thailand...

It's a good excuse for a visit if nothing else. Ask him if he knows a good dentist and have him set up an apointment so you can go the day or next after you get there. Take your xrays or whatever you have. It usually doesnt take more than a few days to a week to get the crown made, sometimes less and some places now can make them while you wait.

**oatmeal69** · 02-11-2014, 08:04 AM

The problem is that it's some pretty major work that needs doing. Surgery, Bone restructure, deep cleaning etc before I'd even be able to get implants. The bone stuff takes weeks if not months to heal so that means multiple visits. Last I checked flights to/from Thailand weren't cheap. I could however possibly do the Mexico one, as I can just drive 12 hours. - But... Mexican DDS? Sounds like a punchline from a bad movie.

Also, I'm seeing horror stories. If something goes wrong, you're screwed. You can't sue, and there's really no recourse available, other than a DDS who will pay for everything in that case.