Comfortable-Scar4643 t1_ivgw3t8 wrote
Reply to comment by peteysweetusername in Didn't know dentists really worry about our dental costs by scwelch
Let’s hope all of this will result in more cost transparency. I would vote for a law that requires dentists to publish rates for all procedures.
peteysweetusername t1_ivgwrkw wrote
You can’t ask?
Comfortable-Scar4643 t1_ivh1wbs wrote
Of course you can ask. But I’d like to choose between a couple different dentists before I’m in their office. I also find that I’m met with a blank expression when I ask him how much something will cost. It’s almost like I’m being rude by asking how much something I am buying will cost. I find many of these dentists and their staff to be incredibly obtuse.
Dentists are always wondering why people don’t wanna go to the dentist. Sure maybe it’s the pain, but maybe it’s that people get raked over the coals and every last dollar in their wallet gets sucked out by some greedy dentist.
I work in retail, and people are always asking me how much my products cost. I don’t complain. I tell them straight up. Who gives a shit. Some will and some won’t. But I’m tired of these people trying to hide how much it costs. You experience at the car dealership too. Everyone hates going to the car dealership also. And that’s why.
HobNailBoots1 t1_ivix0nw wrote
Comfortable-scar. When you ask how much something is to a dentist it’s a bit like damaging your car and calling a shop and saying how much to fix my car… the dentist would need to take X-rays and examination to give you a cost.
gel_retardation t1_ivhip8a wrote
The long and short of that is just that it depends. Specialist care will generally cost more, some teeth benefit from certain types of filings/procedure versus others, it also depends on what fees are contracted by insurance, in network vs out, and that's not even counting the different ways each dentist might approach a problem. One doc may suggest sometimes herculean effort to save a tooth, another may think it's not worth the investment of time and money. It can be confusing and misleading to quote prices online or over the phone (but staff will do it if you know the specifics). Dentists need to evaluate teeth in person before they can quote you accurate numbers though and I can't tell you how many people have the wrong idea of what they think they need.
As far as the astronomical cost of dental care (really Healthcare in general), that's a convo for another day
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments