Dentistry - a license to print money!

[Mikkel]

Have been told by a naturopath that I am very acidic surprise surprise! But seriously though I also know that I've been drinking FAR too much V too and I just know that can't have helped either

Dunno if V is particularly bad - but all carbonated drinks are bad for your teeth. Too much sugar of any kind as well... Orange juice is pretty bad as well. It is to be recommended flushing stuff like that down with a good swig of water

An important part of dental health is that you salivate properly - if you feel yourself starting to have a dry mouth go feast your eyes on some good food, porn or whatever might make you drool
Methamphetamine teeth (search for it if you haven't seen the pictures - be warned though, it's disgusting) is what happens when your mouth dry out and you've stopped caring.

OMG that really is a large and unattractive hole.

Must develop party tricks for it! Gotta get something outta this

Just HOW big is that hole

It'll go well with a pirate get-up Otherwise it's a practical place to place the straw for your daquiri.

know how you feel bloody rip off merchants!

had braces as a kid $5000 thank you.....then

i had two of my wisdom teeth removed before xmas (had no choice LilSel was pissed off cos i was grumpy and in pain)
$900 later and still thinking was it worth how much i paid?

15mins work = $900
(at least i squirted blood on him )
i am in the wrong job

On the other hand - you don't really want some ham-fisted incompetent screwing up the job... As for all other trades competence has its price - although yes, these prices are ridiculous! Especially considering the average NZ wage...

[Number One]

after a condescending lecture on regular visits and flossing, he ripped the remainder of it out and charged me $375.00 for the privilege of being his patient. A bloody rort if you ask me as the lecture was the longest part.

That's what really gets on my tits!

I'm like - listen PRICK actually it was a BITCH in this instance (and I only thought all the below btw)

Don't you think I know that I should've HTFU a long time ago when this tooth was probably only in need of a small filling?! Don't you think with my 5 years in detistry chairside and and in surgeries + my training studying Dental Technology (crowns, bridges, dentures and ears/noses) I would know that I only get two sets in this life and that I best take bloody good care of set number two by flossing and brushing every day and visiting you bastards regularly to check out for nasty stuff!

So what is my problem then and what might help me?!

Here's two ideas, personally speaking only of course!

The biggie: MULA. Yes regular event free visits might not cost a lot but when there seems to be nothing going wrong in there and you do look after them and you parent and everything else...there is always something more important to spend it on.

A colleague at work told me about when she was broke and supporting two kids on her own she was able to afford to 'save' her teeth but only because of the interest free loan WINZ gave her for it...ironically her case manager was busy at the time making appointments to have a tooth ripped out herself because she couldn't afford to 'save' it...I'm considered rich by WINZ so I won't be getting nout from them me self and well it's now too late for lotto to save the day for that tooth

The other reason that kept me away for so long is that I know too much and I didn't manage my anxiety levels around it so just gave in to being freaked out by it all.

Thankfully nothing quite as dramatic as one woman I can remember us treating who used to have to be literally carried into the place and delivered to the chair where she would sit shaking and crying and would hit out at us at times and OMG poor woman she was a real sad state of affairs.

I did however sweat and have palpitations and I was aware that I had to concentrate on my breathing to stop from hyper ventilating! Crikey...and I used to be sooo hard?! Kids I tells ya they really do change things! This woulda been a cake walk for me when I was younger. Hell I had my upper wisdom teeth removed over the course of a day in between patients!!!! AND kept on working sweet as...am I going mad....or is it too late ROFL

Anyway the point of above rant is I don't need the lecture, I don't need your open disapproval, I don't need you to assume that I can and should shell out over $1800 over the next 12 or so weeks (and then another $2.5K "ish") for this one iddy biddy little tooth! I'll just slice my damn steak a little thinner and hate myself a little more ok! MUCH CHEAPER

ANyway - I am in efffing agony now that the blardy pain meds worn off but fark that is a large hole

[Number One]

mouth dry

out of it! I didn't know that

Come to think of it I ain't much of a drooler!

[Mikkel]

out of it! I didn't know that

Come to think of it I ain't much of a drooler!

Well, start practicing today

I'm sure your hubby won't mind...

[hdus001]

My ex got quoted $28,000 NZD to get her teeth sorted.

So we both went to Hungary for a holiday and visited one of the top dentists in Budapest. The entire trip (including the dentist's bill, accommodation, and return airfares) was about $8,000 NZD.

I had a ACL surgery done in India for about $5000 all up (incl airfare, a room for myself in a hospital that resembles a 5* hotel for 2 weeks, 3 meals a day for 2 weeks, follow up doctor visits everyday for 2 weeks). Loved the daily sponge bath as well.. I was quoted $13000 in Christchurch.

[tri boy]

just come and see my mother!
she broke one of hers on a bit of toast a few months back. no money, plus having granddaughter for the day meant no dentist. she asked my assistance, i flat refused and hid on here.
she comes in not long after holding a pair of pliers wrapped in tissue and one bloody half tooth. got rid of the pain for free.

Holy hell. Ya mum is one tough bird. Respect.

[Pedrostt500]

A large Dyna Drill and a pair of Vice Grips for DIY dentistry.

[martybabe]

I need quite a lot of dentistry but I'm needle phobic and I have serious isues with the charges.

My teeth started to crumble when I lived in Jersey, gallons of diet coke when younger maybe but I just wouldn't pay the price. wait for it. £1000 for a filling and polish. Thats circa $2500 for one filling a bit of mister muscle and a scouring pad.

Kids marry a dentist.

[megageoff76]

Last time i went to the dentist, with a straight face I just told him to pull it out because it would just grow back anyway. The look on his face was priceless.

[imdying]

Linterman, AMP building, The Square, Christchurch.

Not the cheapest, but very good. Prides himself (in my experience) on causing the least discomfort possible. Does give light lectures on the benefits of flossing, certainly not overbearing though, and has tiny brushes and odds n sods as an alternative to flossing if you prefer.

Has TV googles you can wear during surgery (although hopefully you won't be there that long!).

He has looked after me well (for the last 16+ years), sends me a bill instead of demanding I pay up as soon as I'm out of the chair, and rings me every 6 months to remind me to schedule a visit when convenient. As it's a relatively pleasant experience, I generally do... he scrapes, cleans, polishes, xrays, scolds me on my lack of flossing, and sends me on my way. No idea what it costs per check up, but really, is dental hygiene really a place where one should worry about just trivialities?

Generally it appears that people who complain about the cost of dentistry, have bad personal hygiene habits, and as thus, have brought it upon themselves. Plenty of 'never even a filling' people out there...

[terbang]

Generally it appears that people who complain about the cost of dentistry, have bad personal hygiene habits, and as thus, have brought it upon themselves. Plenty of 'never even a filling' people out there...

Get off the grass, what a dumb and ignorant generalisation . There are lots of reasons that people need dentistry and feel the need to complain about the price, other than hygiene. As previously stated, the girls have difficulties after pregnancy, some of it could be diet. Personally I had a lot of dental work done due sporting injuries (kick boxing ) that eventually cost me a small fortune. So time to get down off yer high horse there Mr flossy perfect, use that organ (if you have one) that's between your ears and realize that others can have expensive dental issues along with good hygiene.

[imdying]

Get off the grass, what a dumb and ignorant generalisation . There are lots of reasons that people need dentistry and feel the need to complain about the price, other than hygiene. As previously stated, the girls have difficulties after pregnancy, some of it could diet. Personally I had a lot of dental work done due sporting injuries (kick boxing ) that eventually cost me a small fortune. So time to get down off yer high horse there Mr flossy perfect, use that organ (if you have one) that's between your ears and realize that others can have expensive dental issues along with good hygiene.

Sounds like a few too many knocks to the head did a bit more than dental damage... If you take a blatant generalisation to be an all encompassing statement, then you're a freakin moron.

[terbang]

Sounds like a few too many knocks to the head did a bit more than dental damage... If you take a blatant generalisation to be an all encompassing statement, then you're a freakin moron.

That was clever. I used the word generalisation, not all encompassing. Its called language and its english. Yup taken a few knocks to the head, but kept just enough brain cells, to be able to stay above calling someone a 'freakin moron' in lieu of any sort of normal intelligent response.

[Goblin]

No idea what it costs per check up, but really, is dental hygiene really a place where one should worry about just trivialities?

Generally it appears that people who complain about the cost of dentistry, have bad personal hygiene habits, and as thus, have brought it upon themselves. Plenty of 'never even a filling' people out there...

Seems someone has more money than sense if he doesn't even know how much he pays. I hardly think that a few thousand dollars for a few fillings or whatever treatment is needed is trivial.

As for your generalization of people who complain about the rip off prices dentists charge, you'll find the ones with poor hygiene NEVER visit a dentist.

[Mikkel]

Nice baiting...

Anyway, just had a small thought. Try googling smoking and teeth... Apparently it's not just bad for your lungs.

And it costs a small fortune too - every year. So if you smoke and find that visiting the dentist is a bit expensive there might be cause for considerations on that point as well.

As for your generalization of people who complain about the rip off prices dentists charge, you'll find the ones with poor hygiene NEVER visit a dentist.

You mean something like this?