What are the charges put on your bill by your dentist?

[fac]

I just came back from my dentist and am curious.

For more than 10 years, I think I had a very good dentist in the sense that I like his work. I think he also teaches in a state U, his office was used to be in his house. Therefore he did not all the dental work and even cleaning, he only had one assistant.

A few years ago, he bought a practice and hired a few staff, then his staff began asking me to take x-ray of the last 2 teeth (molar??) every year, and I had an added charges of about $45. What bothered me what that except for the first two times, he didn't even looked at the x-ray and just put them in the bag of all my x-rays. I decided to leave him when the woman who cleaned my teeth spent less than 5 minutes in cleaning and let me waited for more than 10 minutes for the dentist to come in.

About 6 months ago, I have a new dentist and today is my second visit, I looked at the bill and the following are the charges

Prophy $99
Fluoride $28
Periodic Oral Evaluation $52

With my former dentist, I used to pay around $145 to $150, hence a total of $179 is not too high. However, what bothers me is the Fluoride charge, basically after the cleaning, she gave me 2 small cups of something and asked me to keep in the mouth for one minute, at the end, she asked me not to rinse my mouth for another 30 minutes. Then the dentist came in, gave me an oral evaluation, at the end, she asked me to rinse my mouth, then the girl told the dentist that I am not supposed to rinse my mouth because of "fluoride", hence I suspected what she gave me the two small cups was what she called Fluoride. What I didn't realize at the time was that I would be charge $28.

Are the charges unreasonable? outrages? or am I being nickle and dime?

BTW, I did a filling of one teeth just now and was charged $244.

Are these reasonable charges?

 

[poohj80]

We pay $22 for fluoride treatment. Insurance usually covers it for minors but not adults. It is optional at oru dentist and we are always asked if we want it or not since we know it will be a charge to us.

 

[fac]

Thanks. I feel better already that I am not alone.

I wish she would ask me though. I probably I would tell her I do not want it next time, I do not see the benefit, in particular when the dentist gave me an oral eval later and may have rinse the treatment.

Last time, she gave me something like a tooth paste and it was added to my bill later.

 

[hdecker]

Cleaning and exam - 54.00 total
Fillings 45.00 ea
Never offered flouride but kids can have their teeth sealed for 10.00. Thank goodness for small town dentists - we would go broke haveing to pay your prices X 5 people.

 

[mamalle]

Im not sure but I think around $85 for the kids every 6 months and for dh and I around $135. its all covered by insurance but the charge for teaching that the pediatric insists on charging for.. Of course our insurance denies it each time stating that is included with the visit and we are not responsible so..

 

[rsschneck]

I probably should not step in here since I am a Dental Hygienist. But here it goes. Every dental office has their own fees and fees differ in regions, cities, etc. etc.

I work in the city of Portland

Prophy $73
Exam $40
Fluoride $25
Sealants $30

We stop giving fluoride by age 16 unless I feel the patient could really benefit from our treatment and then I do not charge them for it. I do recommend a daily fluoride rinse like ACT, ACT II, Fluoriguard. This is inexpensive and I feel it is better to do a daily fluoride rinse instead of twice per year.

X-rays should be taken every year to 2 years MAX! I am sure the x-rays are viewed without your knowledge. These are important for a complete diagnostic appointment.

If you have questions ask while you are there. This is your appointment and your money make sure you are informed. If my patients do not want to pay for x-rays or flouride I suggest a daily fluoride rinse and make sure we take x-rays at their next recall appointment.

Go with your gut instinct. If you are not comfortable in that dental office there are lots of other offices that would love to welcome a new patient.

 

[rsschneck]

Cleaning and exam - 54.00 total
Fillings 45.00 ea
Never offered flouride but kids can have their teeth sealed for 10.00. Thank goodness for small town dentists - we would go broke haveing to pay your prices X 5 people.

With those charges my salary would be cut in half. I would NEVER get to go to WDW!

 

[DisneyDreamer2]

We pay about the same as the OP

Adult Prophy 89.00
Exam 48.00
Flouride 26.00

Our insurance covers 3 cleanings and exams a year but only to "reasonable and customary cost" so we usually pay about 5.00 per visit.

Our insurance only covers 1 flouride a year and I can't afford 26.00 extra per kid for 4 kids, so I keep track of when they get it and tape an index card to their shirt saying "no flouride today" on the extra visits.

By the way, our dentist is in a small office that's rather old fashioned, not the high tech laser dentistry I see advertised. I imagine that should be even more expensive.

 

[georgina]

I'm sure it varies by region. I paid $26 for exam, $57 for cleaning, and $38 for x-rays (done once every 2 years). I had to have a white filling replaced, and was charged $138, which I think may have been lowered by the fact that the previous one only lasted 4 years because he screwed it up. I didn't realize that adults got fluoride!

 

[canwegosoon]

I was never offered floride by a dentist, I had to ask for it. I was getting 6 cavities every 6 months...fast foward to recent history..I find out my childhood/young adulthood dentist did very poor work. Now I have just finished paying $20,000 for 4 implanted teeth...so it think any preventive work is well worth the cost. I will be missing my "car" 20,000 for years. But your costs seem reasonable.

 

[DianeV]

I dont know offhand about the other charges but our dentist now charges $44 a tooth for sealants and my daughter needs 2. Insurance doesnt cover them either! My other daughter had 4 done last year and it as $40 then

 

[zumbergc]

Whats a tooth sealant?
I've have the floride done as a kid, but whats the sealant?
Thanks,
Connie

 

[calie_j]

I am very lucky to have a rural dentist who does his own cleanings (no hygenist) and discusses your options and prices for anything extra. My last visit for the 2 kids was $188 for both exams, $27 for a baby tooth extraction, and he took $22 off of the price because he used the x-rays the orthodontist did on DD for the extraction (free consultation at ortho and wasn't charged for the x-rays there).

 

[Poohstar]

In June, my daughter 7yo had sealing done on I believe on 3 teeth (maybe 4) for $114. In August, my son had his 1st dental visit and here is the breakdown.

specialist exam $46
Intraoaral-periapical - 1st film $12
bitewings - two films $24
prophylaxis, child - $46
Fluride w/o prophylaxis, child - $24
Total of $152

At the same time my daughter had her 6 months check up, cost as followed,

periodic oral evaluation $36
prophylaxis child $46
fluride w/o prophylaxis child $24
Total of $106


Here is an estimate of work needs to be done for my son,

amalgam- 2 surf. prim or perm $100
prefab stain steel crown - primary $178
therapeutic pulpotomy - $113
resin-one surface, anterior $87
amalgam-2 surf. prim or perm $100
amalgam- 2 surf. prim or perm $100
amalgam- 1 surf. prim or perm $79
prefab stain steel crn - primary $178
therapeutic pulpotomy $113
prefab stain steel crn - primary $178
therapeutic pulpotomy $113
amalgam - 2 surf. prim or perm $100

Some seem to be repeat but they are for different teeth. Total is about $1439, could be more or less. It will be a big dent in our wallet since we don't have any dental insurance. We will try to work out a payment plan with the dentist, hopefully he will be willing to do that. For now, my poor husband has to work extra to cover the bill.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

I am depressed now! I think I may look for a new dentist.

It's $125 for each of us to get our teeth cleaned. That includes the cleaning of the teeth by the hygenist($80) and the exam by the dr ($45). Our insurance pays only what's "allowable" which is $38 and $18. So we *each* end up paying $69 for just getting our teeth cleaned.

It kind of makes me mad. Our insurance promotes that they pay 100% to get your teeth cleaned twice a year. But we have to pay $69 x 4 = $276 and that doesn't include xrays.

Advice?

 

[Forevryoung]

Here is an estimate of work needs to be done for my son,

amalgam- 2 surf. prim or perm $100
prefab stain steel crown - primary $178
therapeutic pulpotomy - $113
resin-one surface, anterior $87
amalgam-2 surf. prim or perm $100
amalgam- 2 surf. prim or perm $100
amalgam- 1 surf. prim or perm $79
prefab stain steel crn - primary $178
therapeutic pulpotomy $113
prefab stain steel crn - primary $178
therapeutic pulpotomy $113
amalgam - 2 surf. prim or perm $100

Some seem to be repeat but they are for different teeth. Total is about $1439, could be more or less. It will be a big dent in our wallet since we don't have any dental insurance. We will try to work out a payment plan with the dentist, hopefully he will be willing to do that. For now, my poor husband has to work extra to cover the bill.

How old is your son? I might take the xrays and get a second opinion. It seems like a lot of work but might as well get it taken care of NOW instead of waiting and the issues getting bigger.

My dad is a dentist and dental work is not cheap. There is a saying though "you get what you pay for"...

 

[DianeV]

If you go to a dentist that 'participates' with your insurance plan alot of times they accept what the insurance pays and you dont have to pay the extra..like with our Blue Cross. The dentist always bills it seems a few dollars more or so for each thing and writes off whatever Blue Cross doesnt 'approve'

 

[Poohstar]

grumpy gal,
you should not be depressed. At least you have insurance to cover for some of the dental expenses.

Forevryoung,
thanks for your advice, I thought about doing that but was afraid of the additional consultation cost from a new dentist. From the price I listed of his previous works done for my kids, doesn't seem like he over charges as a pediatrics dentist, right? I had a big problem with my daughter when she was younger. She needed a molar teeth to be extracted, I was required to bring her to an oral surgeon. For that job alone, it cost me $450. After being terrified on that chair, my duaghter had such a hard time going to any dentists. One of the dentist wouldn't even do any work on her unless she is put out in a hospital . Of course I refused to that. Until we found this dentist now who had his own way of calming my daughter in his chair. We stayed with him ever since.

 

[Delilah Bleu]

Adult cleaning - $66 (same price for last 5 years)
Adult four bitewing x-rays- $48
Child sealant - $35 per tooth
Child cleaning/flouride - $62
Child two bitewing x-rays - $32
All items above covered in full by insurance with the exception of a $25 annual co-pay (includes cleaning 2 times per year)

My dentist is a one man office and has two assistants. He cleans our teeth, the assistant does the x-rays (he has also done them). We've been going to him for 10 years (me) and 6 years for dd. Her first check-up was at age 2.5. He's great!

 

[rsschneck]

I am depressed now! I think I may look for a new dentist.

It's $125 for each of us to get our teeth cleaned. That includes the cleaning of the teeth by the hygenist($80) and the exam by the dr ($45). Our insurance pays only what's "allowable" which is $38 and $18. So we *each* end up paying $69 for just getting our teeth cleaned.

It kind of makes me mad. Our insurance promotes that they pay 100% to get your teeth cleaned twice a year. But we have to pay $69 x 4 = $276 and that doesn't include xrays.

Advice?

Check to see if your dentist is on your insurance companies list of doctor's. Doesn't sound like it. Double check and you either keep paying or find a dentist on your insurance companies plan.