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I had an appointment with my regular dentist today to get a hole repaired in my third molar, top right. My dentist has a cap on the number of patients they will accept with the insurance I have. And guess what? The list for this cap off is fulll, so basically I have no insurance with them. I love going to this practice too. I have 20 days now to get this hole repair before its mold and xray time for braces. My ortho wants this fixed before the appointment. I have two options for now:
1. Goto my January 9th appointment w/o inusurance, get a temporay amalagam filling at $105.00. The dentist said this may hold up for my entire treatment time. She is worried about the tooth decaying more while in braces. I will need a crown at some point.
2. Goto another dentist that will accept my insurance and fit me with a temp amalagam or crown. Payless and be insured! And pray that I can get this done before the 24th of January.
3.Any ideas?
I would go with option two but the time frame has me worried. I will call the new dentist tomorrow and see if they have any appointments open early enough. So that I can set up a new patient appointment etc. I don't know what to do at the moment. This insurance is going to drive me up the wall! It doesn't cover me for braces and now this! PLEASE HELP ME!
Last edited by HIMgurl on Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I would say, all you can do now, is just contact a few dentists in your area, explain to them your situation and ask if they can schedule you for an appointment before your braces go on.
Just keep looking, ask your family and friends, which dentist they use or even ask your primary doctor or even your insurance company. You have time til jan. 9th, so don't panic but instead try to follow option B and get another dentist.
Sin @ Well my family goes to my current dentist! lol. A co worker of mind gave me his dentist. His family enjoys going there so that will be the first place I call. His family has the same insurance that I do. Its a company covered ppo group plan.
I thought about canceling the appointment on the 9th but I'm afraid I won't have another dentist to goto if I do.
I love my dentist so for the $105.00 I'd pay him and let him continue to treat me. but I'm old, I make good money at my job... but there was a time that $105.00 would have meant me not paying my electric bill or buying food for 2 weeks....
so not knowing how much $105.00 will hurt you, it is very hard to give advise....
so for Plan B... to get your insurance coverage correctly... Ask everyone you know who uses your same insurance for the name of a dentist who they'd recommend. Have him/her do the work until you can return to your own dentist.
Pebbles@ I can afford the $105 payment for the crown that's no prob. It would be expensive in the long run! But my dental office should not have a cap on the number of patients they will accept. I would love to stay with them. But I have no idea when another patient is leaving their practice. Allowing me, I hope, to take their place on the insurance list. And I refuse to stay and pay everything out of pocket when I have insurance that the office accepts. It frustrating.
Its like a store telling me its closed and my money is no good but letting vips in to shop. Lol.
I guess my only choice is to find another dentist. Might as well use the insurance right?!
This sounds a bit like what happened to me but my scenario was "UK style"
As us brits will know a lot of dentists opted out of NHS treatment and went private - mine included. I made the decision to stay with my current dentist as he is the best one I have ever had and I would trust him with my life!
In the long run it costs me more but as I have a bit of a dental history the insurance plan offered was also expensive and would not cover treatment only check up's and scale and polish so there was not much in it.
I guess what I'm saying is a good dentist is hard to find. Go with your gut instinct if you really love your dentist you will pay to stay (I know its a bummer as I still feel miffed that I am paying for something that I could have done cheaper) Ironically the brace treatment is counted as private cost regardless of any insurance plan.
Can you ring round other dentists and get an emergency appointment or ask for a cancellation slot (not sure how your system works) but keep your original appointment as well then you have options
Muppet@ well I just made an appointment at another dental office. My new patient appointment is on the 9th. This office stays open late closing at 8 pm. So there is a good chance that they can get this fixed in time for molds. A temp crown or something else will do if they can't work me in before the 24th.
I'm sure that it will another week before I get braces. Have a feeling that spacers are in my future!
I'll just check back every few weeks and see if there is a spot open for me at my reguar dentist. I don't want to pay for regular dental visits and ortho out of pocket. Gotta eat! Lol. Ever notice that everything goes to pots when don't want it too! I should starting writing that braces story. This will be entertaining. lol
UPDATE: I just got back from my new dentist and I need a little more work than I thought. I have cavities underneath my fillings on three teeth! These cavities were taken care of last year, so how could I have them again? Tooth 14 has precedent over the hole in 31!
They can't see me until the 23 of Jan and my ortho prelim appointment is the next day! Its a 75 minute appointment so I'm guessing that two teeth can be done. Hopeful numbers 14 and 31. I really don't think that I will have braces until a week to two weeks after the 24th appointment. Right?
Actually another dentist will be doing the work because Dr. Abbi has no available appointments before the 24th. But I'll explain everything again to the other dentist. The hole has to be fixed first, I just can't postpone this ortho appointment! Don't want to lose the nerve to go. lol. I did tell the receptionist to call me if anyone canceled. And ask the dentist if I can have two appointments with him on the 23rd. There are two appointments open that day. The 8 o'clock and one at 12:30.
Here's what I need done. Can someone explain what mo and ol etc mean. Forgot to ask him.:
2 OL Amalgam- 2 surf.
3 MO Amalgam- 2 surf.
14 MOD Amalgam- 3 surf.
31 MO Amalgam- 2 surf.
I'm hoping that I can use the x-rays and bitewing for my ortho appointment. That would be less that I have to pay on the 24th.
Update Again: I really need to start that braces story. lol. Anyway, I just had the molds, pics and xrays taken today!!! The office called me last friday to see if I wanted to move my appoinment day up. So I did. FYI, the hole in my third molar does not matter so long as it is fixed before braces. I go back on the 23rd to discuss the treatment and what every else happens after molds. Insights?
So far I know that I will be in braces for about 26 months and I have bimaxillary protrusion. Thats not offical yet. Dr. Karr says that I may need an extraction but he doesn't like to remove teeth if they can be moved. I CANNOT WAIT!!!!
Thanks Ken. My dentist appointment is next so week, hopefully they can get four teeth done in 70 minutes. If not I'll know what to tell my ortho later that day.
My ortho appointment is just a disscussion one as far as I know. Get to put down my lovely deposit, learn about my treatment plan, and sign my contract! But I'm wondering if this is the time when spacers or other hardware would go on? Did you guys have another appointment after this one before braces actually go on?
Thankies
I have 20 days now to get this hole repair before its mold and xray time for braces. My ortho wants this fixed before the appointment. I have two options for now:
PLEASE HELP ME!
But my dental office should not have a cap on the number of patients they will accept. I would love to stay with them. But I have no idea when another patient is leaving their practice. Allowing me, I hope, to take their place on the insurance list. And I refuse to stay and pay everything out of pocket when I have insurance that the office accepts. It frustrating.
the insurance plan offered was also expensive and would not cover treatment only check up's and scale and polish so there was not much in it.
