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[judecorp]

I am so exhausted I can barely sit here. Bleh. I got up early to go to the dentist to get those two old fillings redone to the tune of $266 because my stupid dental insurance believes resin fillings are "cosmetic" and therefore covered at a lower percentage. That's annoying. What's MORE annoying is that Dentist of Doom decides to tell me when I am getting my novocaine shot that she "saw on the x-rays" that I have "a little bit of decay" in between two other teeth that "need to be taken care of ASAP." She actually wanted to do them /today/ but I said no. But I don't get it. These x-rays were taken at my cleaning 2 weeks ago. She didn't see it then?

After I get the fillings replaced I go out to pay and ask what it would cost for this new problem. The receptionist hands me a "treatment plan" and my estimated payment is $250 - one filling is listed as a "3 surface" and one a "2 surface." And I'm sorry, if FIVE tooth surfaces are decaying, wouldn't she have noticed it during my exam? Honestly, I do not understand this situation and can't tell if I'm overreacting or not. It just seems like I'm getting scammed into dental work with the "oh, by the way"s. So frustrated. Not sure what I'm going to do.

After the dentist, I ran to work. I had 4 visits scheduled (plus staff meeting), but I got no-showed at one which is majorly annoying. Then I went to the park to walk with Anne and Marti Maraschino, then picked thespian up in Fields Corner, then got Jen, then went to dinner at La Paloma where we had to wait almost 30 minutes. So dinner was late (ugh) and I ended up doing my Follistim injection in the car in the parking lot. Not exactly the sterilest of environments, I'm sure.

I wish tomorrow was Friday instead of Thursday. This has been a freakishly long week.

Comments

[anitsirk.livejournal.com]

perhaps those are the numbers of the teeth? i had tooth #1 removed, so maybe your decay was on numbers 2 and 3?

our dental plan is the same way with composite fillings, which is so fucking annoying. just cough up the extra hundred bucks, delta dental- i know you have it.

i think there's a bit of over-treatment done at the dentist. it's a big money maker. next time i go, i'm gonna be all "look, i don't have the money to do this. is it necessary or can it wait?"

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Sadly, no, the tooth numbers are 4 and 5... and one of them has an estimated 3-surface filling and the other a 2-surface filling. *shrug* I actually ended up calling and cancelling the appointment this morning and told them I would reschedule for a later time. I plan to call the senior dentist and ask his opinion on my x-rays.

And yes, I wish Delta would just pay the frickin' money! But I, too, wonder about over-treatment... which is why I am concerned about a surprise set of fillings not noticed at my exam, but at ANOTHER filling appointment. If this was so serious, would it not have been noticed during the exam? When I tried to play the money card, I was offered a number of payment plans. I said, "You know what, I'm still working on the last two fillings, so I'm going to have to wait until September to even think about it."

[triggerhappy.livejournal.com]

I can't remember for sure, but your regular dentist is on vacation or something, right? Or maybe I'm dreaming...

Anyway, if it is that the regular one will be back at some point soonish, I'd wait and talk to them.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

My dentist is on maternity leave. I have no idea when/if she is coming back. I wish I knew.

[rizzo41.livejournal.com]

Can you find another dentist office in your plan or is that one office your only choice? If you have more to choose from I'd go elsewhere. Couldn't hurt to get a second opinion and maybe someone a bit more personable. Ask around at work to see who likes his or her dentist and who doesn't. I could tell you a really great one, but, well, he's in New York.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I'm worried that if I go to another dentist, Delta Dental will refuse to pay since I just had an exam. I'm going to call the senior dentist at my dentist office and ask him for his opinion about my x-rays. I need a free minute to do that, though. Haven't come up with one yet. Bleh.

[rizzo41.livejournal.com]

While you're at it if you call your dental insurance and explain that you think your dentist is making you get all kinds of stuff done so she can milk all kinds of money out of the insurance company they might be a little more inclined to pay for a second opinion...

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Oh, good idea!

[lunamoonwmn01.livejournal.com]

whoa on the dentist thing. get a 2nd opinion maybe?

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I'm going to call the senior partner and ask about things. I cancelled the appointment I made for the two new fillings and am going to wait until then.

[rachelmichellek.livejournal.com]

I miss La Paloma.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

It's yummy!

[skatured.livejournal.com]

GAH! I hate dentists...bunch of con artists. Dentists and Mechanics should start a union, they have so much in common.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Dude, I agree 100%!