Overwhelmed By DDs visit; Crowns, Root Canals, Periodontal... - Dental Health Message Board

justnotfair · 12-22-2006, 09:44 PM

So, this all started with my lack of not taking care of a cavity two years ago. The gapping whole seemed to be infected and I couldn't take the pain and went in yesterday as a ER visit. The Doc said I had an infection and that I would need a root canal ASAP but he thought the tooth could be saved (crown).

Today, I had the root canal and the crown was to be planned for Jan. I lucked out and was able to get a full mouth x-ray and got the following info:

1. I would need a Deep Cleaning for my entire mouth before any other procedure is done. I have deep plague build up behind my bottom teeth. The girl who performed the x-ray played the tape about Periodontal but did not say if I had it or not.

2. I have 4 wisdom teeth growing in that would cause severe crowding so all of them have to be pulled.

3. I previous fill in was done improperly and the decay is occuring below the filling and close to the nerve. He suggested a crown for that tooth and a root canal may be needed.

4. I have 3-4 cavities that can be filled in.

5. I need braces due to crowding and nonalignment.

I have no idea how I will be able to take care of all of this. It got me so scared; one of the reasons why I had not been; not a good excuse but whoa! This is the last thing I needed to here.

I have insurance but I will have to contribute a fair share. This is just so much. Much of it is my fault...I have not had insurance for about 23 years; I could not afford even basic care.

A part of me wants to cry. I knew there were a few problems and I knew I'd need braches. But will all this add'l things, I will not be getting braces for a year or more.

Thelma-Louise · 12-23-2006, 11:48 PM

Well in a way its good it happened this way - hopefully your pain has been aleviated with the root canal and now what is left to do is just prioritize the remaining work. You may want to check your dental insurance for each item so you know before hand what will be fully covered vs what your out of pocket will be - this may also help you prioritize things. My bro-in-law just had an extraction with sedation with an in-network OS and his insurance paid 100% - if you have something similar then you would know up front having the wisdoms removed would not cost anything so you can do it now if you wanted. Some insurances limit how many extractions can be done per year so again it would be prudent to check with them up front - maybe only 2 can get done this year at no cost and the other 2 next year - but maybe they will cover the cavities in full so you can do that this coming year as well. I would definitely leave the braces for last. I think the overall oral health of your teeth is more important right now. Based on the info you provided it really doesn't sound that bad so far. Also the extent of perio disease, if any - given that they recommend a deep cleaning, also needs to be determined - no sense filling cavities on teeth that may have significant bone loss around them if other options have to be considered.

So finish up with the crown, find out if you have perio and how bad, check with our ins co - if possible have the dental office submit written estimate claims so you have in writing what your cost should be, if any and then prioritize the rest. Look at this way - it took 23 years for this to happen - so even if it takes 2-3 years to get everything in shape - at least the damage from negligence can be halted, if not somewhat reversed or corrected, at this point.

AnnJorgensen · 12-25-2006, 09:07 AM

Last June my son had to have a lot of dental work..he is 18.......from drinking soda pop and not taking care of his teeth..
Our bill was 7000 $$$ my share...........I was over come.
I went with the dental insurance credit card, and now am paying 350.oo a month for 2 years..........my son pays half. It's overwhelming, and I thought I was the only one having to deal with these issues...lol
I certainly understand.

JCW247 · 12-25-2006, 05:55 PM

Another option to consider: Locate a dental school/college in
your area/surrounding area that might do it at a lower cost
if your insurance does not pay for it. Hope everything works
out for the better. Dental problems if not corrected can
cause other medical problems such as the heart.

Currently I'm dealing with bone loss and a $5,000 dental
bill if I go forward with the surgery and I don't have
insurance. This price is for the dental plan that I have.

justnotfair · 12-26-2006, 12:26 PM

Thanks for the responses.

I am feeling better and still on the antibiotic for the infection I had. The pain is 98% with only times when I forget NOT to chew on the root canal side. I was able to get my x-ray's not sure if I mentioned that and in the next few weeks get info as to whether the insurance will pay for a full month deep cleansing and I'll also get a quote on the other work.

This is all kind of crazy considering I was looking to get some work on my feet. Yikes!!! at the cost of everything.

Once I get the estimates I will update in the info and decide the order of operation, literally.

Thx

Happy Holidays