OT: any dentists on the board? Options

[Joe Bob]

Saline or silicone implants?

[anthony]

Andy, if you have the time you can save a lot of money by going to the dental school in San Francisco. I think it's the University of the Pacific dental school. My father had a lot of work done there and I think it probably cost him 1/3rd the price.

[d7n7master]

Does this hit home!!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

I changed dental insurance last month because my dentist's insurance adjustor told me in November that NONE of the crowns I need were covered by my insurance.
So I asked why. She said that my teeth were "worn" but "healthy" & DeltaDental doesn't cover "cosmetic" replacements. I said, you've got to be kidding me. This isn't Hollywierd! This isn't cosmetic!!! I'm sensitive to hot & cold - BIG time. My teeth are wearing down the effing enamel!!! If not corrected, soon I'll be looking at what is called "pulp" - the inner part of the tooth structure.
So I asked: "What do I need to do to qualify for my insurance coverage?"

She said, (no shit...) if you had a "damaged" tooth your insurance covers 80% of the procedure... BTW - they said I need 18 crowns @ 800 each. I said "thats bullshit". Are you telling me that last year I didn't - & NOW I need 18???
You MUST be mis-interpreting my dental coverage so I'll just take my business elsewhere. Effin' WANKERS!!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/pissoff.gif) What a fucking joke!

I'm waiting for my new insurance package to come in the mail. Cards, books...
If I were to add up "my" portion of my monthly dental insurance & how much Boeing has paid into the plan over the last 10 years, DeltaDental has scored many thousands of dollars for DICK.
During that time I had the 6 month/ twice a year cleanings, 2 cavities filled & one crown that needed replacement. I paid $350.- for the crown replacement, the rest was 100% coverage.

Now they want $14,400.-??? That just set me off!!! I had to wait 'til Dec. to change coverage or I would have changed coverage that same day.
Look around, you can find better coverage than a big D up your A$$.

[Elliot_Cannon]

I had a similar bridge done about 5 years ago and it was $6000. My insurance paid 80% then and sent me a check for $4800. Now my insurance has a $3000 cap per person per year. I don't go to that dentist anymore. He was good but expensive and wouldn't take my Visa card so I couldn't even get the frequent flier miles with it. It's becoming increasingly hard to get good health and dental insurance nowadays. It sucks but what ya gonna do?
cheers, Elliot

[bernbomb914]

I have an appointment with my dentist in TJ tomorrow along with my wife.I have been going to him for about 5 years and his prices are about one forth that would have to pay. His son just joined his practice last year. He was a Loma Linda grad and it doesn't get much better than that. I have been very happy with him. most of his business is from the US

Bernie (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[d7n7master]

QUOTE (bernbomb914 @ Jan 5 2005, 05:59 PM)

I have an appointment with my dentist in TJ tomorrow along with my wife.I have been going to him for about 5 years and his prices are about one forth that would have to pay. His son just joined his practice last year. He was a Loma Linda grad and it doesn't get much better than that. I have been very happy with him. most of his business is from the US Bernie (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

Just curious. Are you going to Mexico because it's less expensive than paying the deductible on your dental insurance or because they take your insurance as a done deal, or???

[bernbomb914]

no insurance involved

Bernie

[MattR]

What do you call a med school dropout?



...a dentist

Stay in school Dr Evil.

[DNHunt]

Hey MattR (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif) 5 year undergrad then 4 years of dental school with 25 credits per quarter. Hardest thing I've ever done.

Andy

I don't know the situation but things in the mouth involving missing teeth don't change that fast. Take enough time to make a good decision. If it was my mouth and there were no complicating factors (bone grafts, maxillary sinus lifts) I'd go with the implants. If I had to, I'd take them on 1 or 2 at a time. They take time and are a long process. We are getting results of studies that show that long term these are the most successful. Best chance of only paying for it once.

Bridges are tried and true. They've been standard treatment for a long time but they have their share of problems; 1. Distruction of healthy tooth structure on adjacent teeth, 2. Difficult to clean, 3. Prone to new decay where the bridge joins the tooth, 4. Subject the supporting teeth to extra stress, 5. Approx 5% of the supporting teeth suffer damage to the nerve and require root canals later, 6. The average bridge lasts 15 years so plan on replacing it later. Pay me now and pay me later.

If you can't swing all of this consider a partial denture. Not too sophisticated but great value. Your dentist will have to advise you on that cause they can be a pain in the wrong spots.

There is no perfect solution. No matter what you choose to do there will be a compromise between time, money and function.

Oh ya, Dental insurance sucks. Every wonder why insurance companies have big fancy buildings.

Dave

[Eric_Shea]

Move to WV and forget about it... (toothless smiley to follow) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[rhodyguy]

what do you call 5 people having coffee in shelton (or town of your choise)?

a full set of teeth. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

kevin

[Howard]

Personal experience here. As explained to me (apologies to all the dentists here if I screw up) a bridge puts an additional load on surrounding teeth. Since I didn't have that, implants were advised. Have 3 installed and will need another 3 on other side, all upper molars.

I paid about $3300 per tooth. Procedure
extract old tooth (if there). let heal.
drill and tap jaw bone to accept threaded post. wait at least 6 months so bone accepts implant.
remove protective cap, install tooth.

Bad news: it's expensive and time consuming
Good news: it's perfect, and soooo Porsche (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)

Itty Bitty drills, taps, dies and the neatest little torque wrench to install. You just have to experience that little click when he tightens it. And my dentist knows what he's doing, having rebuilt a Carrera 1500 speedster's Hirth roller bearing crank. Same kind of technology, I think.

When done, my teeth will cost about the same as a good 914-6. Here's a pic with the protective caps still on. Gross, but you guys always want pix.

[andys]

QUOTE (bernbomb914 @ Jan 5 2005, 05:59 PM)

I have an appointment with my dentist in TJ tomorrow along with my wife.I have been going to him for about 5 years and his prices are about one forth that would have to pay. His son just joined his practice last year. He was a Loma Linda grad and it doesn't get much better than that. I have been very happy with him. most of his business is from the US Bernie (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

The Mexico alternative can be viable when you know who you are dealing with, such as in your Dentist. Yes, Loma Linda grad says a lot; great dental school. There are quite a good number of US educated Dentists practicing in Mexico, a lot of which are in the boarder towns to service US patients. They pruchase a lot of their supplies from US distributors/manufacturers (like from my company). Implants, howerver, may be a different story. Not real popular Mexico, so the experience/knowlege base may be questionable. Personally, I've only met a hand full of Mexican Dentists that specialized in placing implants, and I seem to recall they were primarily in the DF and Aguas Calientes areas. Perhaps a quick check with the ICOI (Int'l Congress of Oral Implantologists), or The Academy of Osseointegration, might identify the more highly regarded implant Dentists that practice in one of the boarder towns in Mexico. FWIW. As an aside, my wife paid $40 for two fillings on one of her trips.

Quick story: Just prior to leaving on a trip to Guadalajara, I injured the joint in one of my toe's. Two days later, the jonit was swollen and real painful, so my sister-in-law took me to her sports medicine doctor at a neighborhood clinic. I asked my wife to interpret, rather than try to struggle with my poor Spanish. Doctor entered the room and asked "what can I help you with today?" Three x-rays, a prescription, and a second office visit, all for $60, I asked "where did you learn to speak English so well?". "I graduated from U of Oklahoma."

Andy

[MattR]

QUOTE (DNHunt @ Jan 6 2005, 05:59 AM)

Hey MattR (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif) 5 year undergrad then 4 years of dental school with 25 credits per quarter. Hardest thing I've ever done.

Lol.

I guess that Seinfeld episode really rubbed off. "dont you talk to me you anti dentite son of a bitch"

[Dr Evil]

Damn MattR,
I can't believe that you would tell that HIGHLY inacurate joke (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

I'm sure it was all in good fun. I would have liked to have been an orthodontist or someone specializing in implants and dental work. That work has a lot of the appeal of orthopedic surgery.

Andy,
If I were you and in any hurry, I would come down here and check out Bernie's doctor. Good dentists tend to associate with other good dentists and he may have a good one to recomend if he can't/doesn't do the bridge work. I would be glad to assist you in your trip down and back, crossing the boarder, etc. Do you have your green card or are you gonna be shut out if you leave the country? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)


What do you call the person who graduates last in their class in med school....

Doctor (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (Dr Evil @ Jan 6 2005, 11:05 AM)

Do you have your green card or are you gonna be shut out if you leave the country?

no worries, i'm free to leave the country. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

i'm thinking about it. i settled for the bridge on the one location but i lean towards implants for the rest.
better start saving some $$$ ...

thanks for all the good advice guys, very much apprechiated!
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/pray.gif) Andy

[TimT]

Try Costa Rica!!

Last year my mom,my aunt, and a friend of theres went to Costa Ricas for 2 weeks, and had lots of dental work done. My mom had one or two crowns fixed, overlays done etc. She said the dentists office was a modern and up to date as her US dentist. The price for all the work was about one third she of what she would have would have been charged here.

When she went to here US dentidst this year for her bi-annual cleaning, her dentist of many years approved of the work the Costarican dentist did.

So have a nice vacation in Costa Rica, and have your teeth done