Afraid of going to the dentist? Maybe you should be! I wasn’t really afraid at all. For most of my life I had no real dental problems. As a kid I’d worn braces and my teeth looked great thanks to my parents. I had a few minor fillings over the years but nothing major until I chipped a molar. Then the nightmare started.
I went to my dentist and he recommended a crown. Fine. I was a little disappointed that my dental insurance through my employer only paid a portion of the cost, but that’s to be expected. Cleanings and x-rays were entirely covered.
The real problem started a couple of years later when I started experiencing a lot of pain. I went to my dentist and he said although it’s rare, the remaining tooth under the crown was rotting and I’d need a root canal. Great. Got the root canal and paid for another crown (not covered by insurance) and thought all would be well for awhile.
Not so! Less than two years later I developed an abscess. The root canal had failed. Did I go back to my regular dentist this time? No! I needed a second opinion. The next dentist said I needed a root canal on the tooth next to the existing root canal and ended up pulling the tooth instead. Ahhhhh! He said it would save me “a lot of money” in the long-run. Toothless and disappointed I went to yet a third dentist. He said I needed an oral surgeon to remove the abscess. On to the oral surgeon. He didn’t seemed too concerned and made my appointment for two weeks away.
Over the course of the two weeks I became sicker and sicker. The third dentist had prescribed massive antibiotics that didn’t seem to help at all. By the time I demanded the oral surgeon take me in before my scheduled appointment I was so weak I could hardly walk across the room. The green stuff coming out of my mouth was disgusting.
I should mention that right before the real hell started the company I’d worked for for years went south. Yep, no insurance. So now I’m paying cash for major dental work that can’t wait. Wonderful.
The oral surgeon must have seen dollar signs when he saw me coming. Oh yes, he removed the diseased root canal alright, in about 15 minutes. He charged me full price too, no discount for cash. It came to over $2500 + lab fees, you do the math. Later on I would find out that he set me up for a sinus-lift and a bone graft by scraping my bone so thin it perforated my sinus wall.
Scared yet? I hope no one has to go through what I did this past year. What a nightmare! Until I found the best dental care EVER…
After I’d healed from the surgery and vowed to find better care elsewhere I began my search. High-priced health care isn’t unique to the State of Hawaii…it’s the norm in the US. On recommendation of some truly great friends in Baja Mexico, I found a great dentist who helped me get my smile back at a fraction of the cost I would have incurred in the States.
We can’t predict what life will bring our way. We CAN stay as healthy as possible and do all we can to prevent catastrophes. Visit my site http://www.healthyinhawaii.com and find lots of healthful solutions no matter where in this crazy world you are….To Your Health!
Healthy Living Aloha 