Need feedback on dentists

[TexasHusker]

So my daughter had braces for 6 years, and during that time, we found out that she accumulated 14 cavities. Well, we have a personal dentist friend here, "Dr Rich", who has a fancy practice, fancy cars, and has his own plane. He quoted us $4700 to fix the cavities. I thought "that's b.s.", so I took her to a more "economy" practice here in town that my wife called "ghetto". They found 12 cavities and quoted $1400. Problem solved. Except my wife is putting up a stink about it. Her rich friends say "Oh you can't go to that place, they have dentists that couldn't get jobs anywhere else...you've got to go to Dr. Rich." Well, I've done all I can do. Sometimes I feel like in my family, I am the lone defender of the budget and controlling spending. Everyone fights me "tooth and nail" (pun intended) on this kind of stuff and I just want to give up.

[james.hendrickson]

So my daughter had braces for 6 years, and during that time, we found out that she accumulated 14 cavities. Well, we have a personal dentist friend here, "Dr Rich", who has a fancy practice, fancy cars, and has his own plane. He quoted us $4700 to fix the cavities. I thought "that's b.s.", so I took her to a more "economy" practice here in town that my wife called "ghetto". They found 12 cavities and quoted $1400. Problem solved. Except my wife is putting up a stink about it. Her rich friends say "Oh you can't go to that place, they have dentists that couldn't get jobs anywhere else...you've got to go to Dr. Rich." Well, I've done all I can do. Sometimes I feel like in my family, I am the lone defender of the budget and controlling spending. Everyone fights me "tooth and nail" (pun intended) on this kind of stuff and I just want to give up.

I hear you man. Don't forget to exercise, get enough sleep and take care of your spiritual health.

Also, I don't know if this is any help or not, fights about money are often not about the money itself. There is often another issue (like a value clash or a communication challenge) that complicates the situation.

[bjl584]

So my daughter had braces for 6 years, and during that time, we found out that she accumulated 14 cavities. Well, we have a personal dentist friend here, "Dr Rich", who has a fancy practice, fancy cars, and has his own plane. He quoted us $4700 to fix the cavities. I thought "that's b.s.", so I took her to a more "economy" practice here in town that my wife called "ghetto". They found 12 cavities and quoted $1400. Problem solved. Except my wife is putting up a stink about it. Her rich friends say "Oh you can't go to that place, they have dentists that couldn't get jobs anywhere else...you've got to go to Dr. Rich." Well, I've done all I can do. Sometimes I feel like in my family, I am the lone defender of the budget and controlling spending. Everyone fights me "tooth and nail" (pun intended) on this kind of stuff and I just want to give up.

You're not alone. My stepdad is in your shoes with my mom's lack of budgeting skills.
I was that way too with my short lived marriage.
I wish I had an answer for you on this one.

[TexasHusker]

You're not alone. My stepdad is in your shoes with my mom's lack of budgeting skills.
I was that way too with my short lived marriage.
I wish I had an answer for you on this one.

my wife has too many rich friends. I guess my question is, is there truth that an economy type place would in fact give inferior dental care and perhaps screw up her fillings?

[corn18]

Are there any online reviews for both dentists?

[TexasHusker]

Are there any online reviews for both dentists?

nope.

[msomnipotent]

Can you ask the orthodontist who they would recommend? I suppose it depends on how big the cavity is, but I just paid about $100 to get one filled a few months ago. I didn't need it numbed, though.

[TexasHusker]

Where I live is a big small town in a way. For many years, the dentists have essentially colluded to keep their fees astronomically high. They are also unethical at least in our case. "Dr Rich" upcoded the fillings so that it would make it appear that they were larger than they were, and he could charge more. The "ghetto" place - a national chain - pointed this out.

More on this:

Dr. "Rich" found 14 cavities. 10 were considered 2393 (a larger cavity hence a higher price), 4 were considered 2392 (a medium sized cavity)

The "ghetto" place found 12 cavities. 10 of those were considered 2392, and 2 were considered 2391.


So Dr. Rich is trying to screw us twice: Through higher prices and through upcoding. Yet according to my wife we are supposed to trust HIM for our dental needs. I don't get it.

I told my wife "I guess i get to sell my car so that i can pay for his".

[~bs]

ymmv with dentists. yelp is your friend.

around here, a dentist killed a little girl when they messed up the gas mixtures doing root canals on a toddler.

[Thrif-t]

I have a niece who works at one of those chains as a dental assistant. Some dentists are good and don't want the hassle of their own practice anymore and just work for medical insurance. Some are young dentists just starting out.

My personal experience was horrible with one of those places that I took my daughter to for an expander. My insurance covered it so we went there. The dentist was horrible, as in he hurt my daughter putting the expander in because they didn't do the mold right and it didn't fit right. And then when he took it out he couldn't get it out and he freaking pulled out her molar with it. Horrific! My poor dd, I felt horrible. I should've complained or reported him or something, but I didn't. I was traumatized at hurting my daughter. So I'd never go one of those places again, I don't care how much money I have to pay.

Can you get any recommendations from friends and get another consultation with a private practice?

[disneysteve]

It seems to me there must be more than 2 choices: rich expensive dentist and ghetto dental clinic. I don't know how it is where you are but around here, there is no shortage of dentists, both private independent ones and "chain" practices.

One thing about your story that disturbs me more than the price is the differing findings between the two. One found 14 cavities; the other found 12. One of them is wrong. Either the rich guy is overstating things to milk you for money or the clinic is under-diagnosing which is problematic in other ways. You need to find out what is actually wrong before you can compare prices. Seek out another opinion from an independent dentist. Get another exam and another quote.

[TexasHusker]

It seems to me there must be more than 2 choices: rich expensive dentist and ghetto dental clinic. I don't know how it is where you are but around here, there is no shortage of dentists, both private independent ones and "chain" practices.

One thing about your story that disturbs me more than the price is the differing findings between the two. One found 14 cavities; the other found 12. One of them is wrong. Either the rich guy is overstating things to milk you for money or the clinic is under-diagnosing which is problematic in other ways. You need to find out what is actually wrong before you can compare prices. Seek out another opinion from an independent dentist. Get another exam and another quote.

I think we are going to do that. But that will be a third set of xrays. Is that much radiation harmful or is there really that much in a dental xray?

[disneysteve]

I think we are going to do that. But that will be a third set of xrays. Is that much radiation harmful or is there really that much in a dental xray?

Why not have the new dentist request the x-rays from the dentist who did them? It's all digital today so they can just email them.

[TexasHusker]

Why not have the new dentist request the x-rays from the dentist who did them? It's all digital today so they can just email them.

good point

[~bs]

my opinion is that its better to pay more for quality in this case. i used to go to a cheap clinic, but then ended up having to do a root canal because cavity went under their cheap filing and went undetected.

the dentist i go to now uses better quality fillings that dont seem to chip or erode very much (if at all). So every year, Im going in to get fillings replaced because the old ones are all slowly wearing out and leaving holes in my teeth. cost of a root canal was a lot more than more expensive fillings from a better dentist.