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yester64
December 30th, 2009, 05:35 AM
Hi,
i wonder how everyone of you found the good and honest dentist.
My problem is, i actually had one but since i changed my job i switched the network as well. doh.
Now i got overcharged and got some stories from my dentist. I have to work it out over my provider now.
I have to say, that i am really with the dental care so far in general. Normaly i should be happy since my employers pays a lot and my co-pays are low. But like i said, i got overcharged.
Did that happen to anyone else? And how did you solved it?
I really have to find a good dentist. Right now i am on HMO. I used to have PPO.
Thanks for sharing.

pwnst*r
December 30th, 2009, 05:39 AM
Out of curiosity, how did you get overcharged?

Gizenshya
December 30th, 2009, 05:46 AM
Hear-say from friends and family. Doesn't come up inh conversations much, but it's worth asking if you're looking.

There was one I had once that I had heard about on the news, and they said he was great.

He was a manipulative lunatic. I came in for a cavity, and he fixed it. Then he said there was another he needed to drill after he looked at the x-ray, so he did. He then brought the x-ray in the room after the second filling and said he wanted to fill another. I asked him about the x-ray and the teeth, and the words he used were weird. I almost got the hint that he meant it as preventative. Then I more directly asked him about my second tooth he filled. He said that it was preventative, andthere was nothing wrong at the time. He just wanted to fill it before a cavity was there, since the tooth had a valley in it. I said... all molars have valleys in them. He said, yeah, I'm about to get to them.

That absolutely scared the hell out of me, and I said I was ready to leave. The man was treating each of my teeth like little dollar signs for him to harvest. I was so scared I never even filed a complaint.

OK, so that's not exactly a heart-warming story, but be careful where you get your info. And ask questions about WHY he or she is doing what they want to do, BEFORE they do them. and ask about alternatives.

Geezer60
December 30th, 2009, 06:41 AM
It took me 3 tries. The first was recommended by my daughter. Wrong. The second was from a phone book, The third was one I went to after a phone interview. I'm not kidding. He actually talked to me on the phone. I started calling from the yellow pages and asked to speak to the dentist regarding me becoming a new patient. About 50% refused to come to the phone or even call me back. Scratch them. My first question was are you aware that since I pay the bills, I make the decisions and that I'm considering you a highly skilled employee? That wiped out another 25%. The remaining ones were the young ones just getting started (I scratched any who's voice cracked.) and those who were confident in their ability and actually enjoyed having someone who would discuss options and tell them up front what was expected and needed. The gentleman I finally went with was pleased when I told him that I needed extensive work, that I had no intention of going into debt so we would be working together for a long time, and that I wanted him to do the work, not keep farming me out to specialists. I've been with him 10 years and will keep going back until he retires or I die. I also get occasional updates on the college educations I'm slowly financing.

yester64
December 30th, 2009, 06:50 AM
Out of curiosity, how did you get overcharged?

Well, long story. Its about crowns. I compared one day my schedule of my benefits and discovered that i did not suppose to pay as much as the dentist charged me. (lesson learned, check your benefits and see how much you have to pay)
Dentist claims that it is correct and approved by the insurance. Called insurance but they claim there is no such thing as approval and confirmed that i have been overcharged.
Now i am very wary of any dentist. I expect the worst regarding billing.

iponeverything
December 30th, 2009, 07:00 AM
Another option is just make a vacation out of it.

For the price of US dental care you take two week vacation to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia get excellent dental care and still only spend a fraction of what you would have spent if had the work done in the US. I had work done that included surgery (a bone graft), an implant and four unit bridge for under $4500. (extensive damage from car crashes, fights and other youthful follies). - I spent over $3000 alone just stupid root canals in the states..

LowSky
December 30th, 2009, 07:13 AM
Another option is just make a vacation out of it.

For the price of US dental care you take two week vacation to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia get excellent dental care and still only spend a fraction of what you would have spent if had the work done in the US. I had work done that included surgery (a bone graft), an implant and four unit bridge for under $4500. (extensive damage from car crashes, fights and other youthful follies). - I spent over $3000 alone just stupid root canals in the states..

Jeez... there's a lesson to take care of your teeth... I'm 26 and have not need any extensive work at all.

3rdalbum
December 30th, 2009, 08:12 AM
I'm not happy with my teeth. I was foolish when I was younger, and I never brushed.

When I finally got a terrible toothache from a wisdom tooth, I saw my father's dentist, who decided to put in a bunch of fillings all through my mouth.

Now my teeth on the right hand side are sensitive to cold, and those on my left side are sensitive to pressure. I have no idea what I can do about it, if anything.

iponeverything
December 30th, 2009, 09:25 AM
Jeez... there's a lesson to take care of your teeth... I'm 26 and have not need any extensive work at all.

By the time I was 26 I had already totalled 6 cars and done 2 stints in intensive care ;) I don't really care about my teeth, I am just happy I can walk and count past 10.

Exodist
December 30th, 2009, 09:34 AM
Jeez... there's a lesson to take care of your teeth... I'm 26 and have not need any extensive work at all.
Some humans bones are just different. Not everyone has the same genetic makup or/and everyone is raised in a different environment being exposed to different foods and what not.
Even though my teeth look very good, I have had all my wisdom teeth removed and about half of them filled while I was in the NAVY. I have and always have brushed 2 to 3 times a day with quality toothpaste and proper brush for my mouth and tooth size. **** HAPPENS!

Exodist
December 30th, 2009, 09:37 AM
I'm not happy with my teeth. I was foolish when I was younger, and I never brushed.

When I finally got a terrible toothache from a wisdom tooth, I saw my father's dentist, who decided to put in a bunch of fillings all through my mouth.

Now my teeth on the right hand side are sensitive to cold, and those on my left side are sensitive to pressure. I have no idea what I can do about it, if anything.
I use Sensodyne, it helps. (http://us.sensodyne.com/)

3rdalbum
December 30th, 2009, 10:32 AM
I use Sensodyne, it helps. (http://us.sensodyne.com/)

I use Colgate Sensitive, it doesn't.

Probably the same ingredients as Sensodyne.

And why is it with toothpaste, you've got:

Colgate Sensitive Enamel Protect
Colgate Sensitive Whitening
Colgate Total
Colgate Maximum Cavity Prevention

Why can't they make a toothpaste that protects your enamel, whitens your teeth, keeps your mouth free of bacteria for 24 hours AND gives you the maximum cavity prevention? Should I buy four tubes at a time and mix them up?

Exodist
December 30th, 2009, 12:44 PM
I use Colgate Sensitive, it doesn't.

Probably the same ingredients as Sensodyne.

And why is it with toothpaste, you've got:

Colgate Sensitive Enamel Protect
Colgate Sensitive Whitening
Colgate Total
Colgate Maximum Cavity Prevention

Why can't they make a toothpaste that protects your enamel, whitens your teeth, keeps your mouth free of bacteria for 24 hours AND gives you the maximum cavity prevention? Should I buy four tubes at a time and mix them up?

Colgate didnt help me. I hate the way Sensodyne leave a funk in your mouth, not as minty fresh as others. But unless I am eating solid sugar icing I am normally good to go.

I also use the Sensodyne Max strength/Pro enamel. Try it out a small tube for week or two. May work, if not you only loose 3 dollars.

yester64
December 30th, 2009, 08:33 PM
Another option is just make a vacation out of it.

For the price of US dental care you take two week vacation to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia get excellent dental care and still only spend a fraction of what you would have spent if had the work done in the US. I had work done that included surgery (a bone graft), an implant and four unit bridge for under $4500. (extensive damage from car crashes, fights and other youthful follies). - I spent over $3000 alone just stupid root canals in the states..

I've got told by my provider that you can in fact go to mexico and get your dental work done. THey will reimburse you if you can give them the codes from the mexican doctor. It does work the same way in europe where people go in the east to get dental done.

I like to add, that i had to go to specialists for my root canal. I just spend christmas with a very sensitive nerve and almost thought suicide is much nicer.
Anyway, i used a different specialist but i got told i had to get an injection into the tooth. If i don't want it i had to look for another dentist.
It made me really think that dentist are worst than car sales people.
With pain and time running out i took it. It was $200 Dollar i spend on it which is not covered by my provider. The same happened with another specialist.
I can not judge if it was necessary or not, but to be forced to have it made me think. If i did not had the pain i might looked for a different specialist.

iponeverything
December 31st, 2009, 04:28 AM
There should be some very good dentist in Puerto Vallarta and other areas with large expat populations.

lisati
December 31st, 2009, 04:36 AM
I'm not happy with my teeth. I was foolish when I was younger, and I never brushed.
I can relate to that, and have had several teeth pulled out. Some of what I have left have fillings.
I started going having trouble about 13 years ago, and hooked up with the dental clinic at one of the local hospitals, who have good prices, a fraction of the price of going to a private dentist. The down side is that about a year ago they stopped taking on clients for long-term care, and now focus on pain relief. The last time I went in they started dropping hints that I should sign up at a regular dentist.