So it seems that when my dentist said that the teeth cleaning was $125 per session

[conuly]

I misheard him and what he was actually saying is $125 per section, two sections per session.

Which means the price of this teeth cleaning has doubled.

Argh.

Comments

[movingfinger]

I have never heard of a dentist charging by the "section" in my life.

[conuly]

Well, once I'm standing there ready to pay with my mouth all freaking numb, I can't exactly argue, can I? (And given how often he's let us slide by without paying, I don't think I'd argue anyway.)

[altamira16]

They usually charge per quadrant for deep cleaning or scaling. Here you can see someone in Massachusetts charging for that service per quadrant. I was really upset when in graduate school someone yelled at me and told me that I needed to do that. I think the service was around $1000. I have a hard time with my teeth and am usually on three or four cleanings per year which is a pain but reduces the need for deep cleaning.

[conuly]

Given how long it's been since I had my teeth cleaned, that's certainly what it is, thanks.

[altamira16]

Yes, they have to clean below the gum line to remove all the plaque so you do not get periodontal disease. They only do two quadrants at a time usually because they give you shots in the quadrants that they are doing to numb you to the pain of having your teeth cleaned below the gum line. They don't do all of them at once because that would be bad for eating and speaking.

They are trying to get you to healthy measurements on the perio-gum chart.

[conuly]

They don't do all of them at once because that would be bad for eating and speaking.

Also uncomfortable. I walked home with my face buried in my coat and then just hid under a blanket until it wore off.

[movingfinger]

Yes, scaling and deep cleaning below the gumline are a different matter! I thought you meant for the regular cleaning!

[conuly]

HAHAHAHA no. Nooooooooo. I had to actually fight myself to get into the chair at all.

[adafrog]

OMG!

[conuly]

Yup!

[sarahthecoat]

yikes! I hope my dentist doesn't hear about this idea!

[conuly]

Honestly, given how very bad the state of my teeth is, the higher price makes a lot more sense. I'm not upset, just a bit dismayed, because this means I'm pushing my second appointment back quite a while in order to afford it.

(Also, I'm such an awful patient when it comes to my teeth that I would probably have nodded along if he'd just up and doubled it for the hassle. I think I hit him a few times in there, just out of reflex, and he's darn lucky he didn't get bit.)

[sarahthecoat]

oh dear!!

[conuly]

Yeah, and it's not like I wanted to. I have no desire to hurt my dentist, I'm well aware that swatting his hand away makes it more likely he'll accidentally hurt me, but my body seems to... not care?

[marahmarie]

I hear you...I practically have to be (should be, by all rights) sedated for certain dental work. Then again, my last dentist (almost 30 years ago; yeah, it's been that long) should've been sued (he broke my jaw and my mom's and messed up a root canal of mine by leaving the uh, root intact, then the tooth broke, which all still hurts to this day; it needs to be surgically removed because now it's all flush with the gum line) and was either a bit of a sadist or else just plain oblivious on top of that. I bit him and would bite him again.

[robby]

My copay is more than $110 per section. They want to include an extra antibiotic irrigation which isn't covered at all by insurance. I don't know if needed or not.

[archangelbeth]

I'd try the "it's not covered by insurance and I don't know if I can pay you for that part in a timely fashion. Do I really need that or can I gargle with something for a few weeks instead?" question on that one.

I'm glad that my spouse had an insurance policy with dental back when I needed all the major cleaning stuff, though. (Sympathies to everyone!!)

[alatefeline]

*headdesk*

[conuly]

Yup. I was going to schedule my next appt for mid-January, but I've tentatively scheduled it for early February instead, with the caveat that if it's not in the budget it'll have to be put off. I didn't explain to the dentist that my dog's grooming appointment takes higher priority. I don't think he'd understand.

[dewline]

Since dental isn't (going to be) covered by Medicare (as long as Doug Ford is premier of Ontario), this is a question of language I'm still worrying about. That, along with refits of existing fillings...

[conuly]

: (

[al_zorra]

Woo!

I had my annual third teeth cleaning last week (ya, I do it three times a year, at least these last years when the funds have been present -- as all those years, after 9/11 and George W/Cheney etc. killed our business, without funds I had no dentistry at all, three times a years seems prudent; I have also been blessed with pretty good teeth.).

The price had gone up but it was still less than yours ($187.00). And my dentist is premium.

OOOOPs. NOW I see this wasn't just the run-of-the-mill cleaning, but a different thing.

[conuly]

Yeah, it's been a really damn long time and they needed some extra TLC.