Open wide — and your wallet too!
A dentist bill you won't believe.
Two weeks ago, I found myself back in that overly bright room, reclining in the dentist's chair, silently bracing for the verdict on my flossing habits.
Why do they even ask? It’s like a game at this point.
After poking around inside your mouth, they already know! They’ve seen the plaque party happening in the back molars. There’s no way they could miss the telltale signs of, “Oops, I forgot…for three months.”
Still, with the sincerity of a therapist and the judgment of a disappointed auntie, they ask, ‘Have you been flossing regularly?’
Even during my best experience at a dentist’s office, I couldn’t avoid that dreaded question.
Virtually everything else made me feel like a VIP client.
There was no wait. The receptionist was courteous. My X-ray technician was patient and accommodating. My periodontist was gentle and informative. My dentist was present and thorough in her consultation.
Right when I started to relax, the dentist dropped the diagnosis so casually it might as well have been a toothpaste recommendation.
“You need a root canal.”
There I was, laid up in the dentist’s chair, forced to face my worst-case scenario — the kind that comes with anesthesia, multiple appointments and a price tag so steep it could be a down payment.
They did all of that to build me up, only to break me down.
As I learned, a root canal isn’t a one-and-done procedure. There’s gum work to prevent the spread of infection, the root canal itself, and then the crown. Each requires its own appointment, a specialist and a separate line on a bloated, multi-page bill.
For the grand reveal, they ushered me into a closed-door, one-on-one meeting with a representative from accounting.
What was presented next wasn’t just a number. It was a reminder that dental care, much like life, can be full of surprises, and none of them are cheap.
Total: $4,111.
Instead of feeling like a VIP, I started to feel more like a contestant on “The Price is Right.”
The dentist recommended additional work that would bump my bill to a jaw-dropping $6,453. I’ve got a different tooth that’s cracked and could lead to trouble. She wants to correct it now. That, too, requires a crown.
All I wanted was a routine cleaning.
But the left side of my mouth began aching nearly two months ago. Mild discomfort soon morphed into severe pain. Chewing became a chore. Everything from waffles to French fries to cold beverages made me buckle at the knees after every misplaced bite or sip. It even happened on our daddy-daughter trip at Disney World.
I started drinking with straws. Triest, my loving lady friend, took it upon herself to prepare soft, easily chewable meals.
I exhausted myself searching for second opinions. Most of the dentist offices I called don’t accept my insurance, an HMO, which is a plan that provides coverage only within a specific network of healthcare providers. I tried a college of dentistry and was told they were booked through October.
Receptionists at medical facilities always tell me I’ve got great insurance. Well, if it’s so great, why doesn’t anyone accept it?
If my insurance is so great, why doesn’t it cover more of the costs of my root canal?
For example, I must pay out of pocket for each crown. At $1,727 each, they jump out as the most expensive line item.
My insurance covers 44% of the more comprehensive corrective procedures and 46% of the root canal-related ones.
I rarely require such medical attention, so my sticker shock might be misplaced. A little research on the price of root canals aligned closely enough with the dentist office’s calculations.
It will have to serve as my second opinion. The information at least eased my mind enough to remove the belief that I’d been hustled.
But my root canal can no longer wait. The left side of my mouth is miserable. Eating is not enjoyable.
Fortunately, I prepared for this day that I never saw coming.
Longtime readers will remember that I started socking away money into my Health Savings Account (HSA) last year. I’m grateful that it has grown large enough to pay for even the more expensive comprehensive treatment plan.
It will be my first time dipping into that nest egg. But what better time to do it?
My tooth is killing me.
And I want to enjoy French fries again.
The frustration of financial strain
The day my column on Round 2 of my financial fight was published, I received yet another attorney bill.
It boggles my mind that dental coverage is so poor. I have bad teeth and have paid thousands to prop up my failing mouth. It hits senior citizens the hardest because many Medicare options don’t include good dental. At the time when dental care is a matter of life and death we often can least afford it. I don’t know why dental care isn’t healthcare.
My father-in-law is a dentist and has seen our family for free when we've had to have dental work done! Dental insurance is even crappier than most health insurance 😭