sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
So I just got a root canal done, and it wasn't that bad apparently it's much scarier when you hear about it then actually get it. So when all is said and done I'll have to pay $800, which in the grand scheme of things isn't bad but when you consider my insurance covers 100% of dental work up to $3000 it gets bad.
So it all started with a tiny hole in the side of my tooth near the gum line noticed during a cleaning, made an appointment to get it fixed, by the time I rolled around into the dentist they took pictures (and xrays) and noticed it had a pink blush to it which apparently was indicative of some swelling or something inside the tooth, he did an exam, drilled it, put a medicated filling it, said the tooth wasn't a cavity like caused by bacteria it was just a hole that appeared or something. But he sent me to a specialist, peridontist?, to have a consult. Went in to see him, all of 5 minutes, declared I was fine, then a week later went back to the dentist, said it looked fine, and actually put a filling in it to cover the hole leaving some "medicated filling" deeper in.
Fine and dandy, then a few weeks later pain hit... and OMFG the worst pain I've literally ever had, I had sensitivity to temperature like even breathing through my mouth which brought cooler air made it hurt, pressure hurt, I would have pain so bad it radiated into my sinus cavity and then eventually gave me the mother of all migranes, but the pain wasn't constant, it just kind of came and went, help dentist help! went to dentist and that was scary in itself as the when the pain hit it made it very hard to concentrate... saw dentist, he looked, prescribed some antibiotics, and some motrin, and took a bunch of xrays, and consult to the same specialist, which was about half a week later (he only is in the office on Wednesdays), by then the random pain was gone (antibiotics and enough advil to equal the motrin prescription) but there was extreme sensitivity to pressure including my sinus (btw, no it wasn't a sinus infection)
Saw the specialist he did something by putting cold on a tooth and ooh boy that hurt like a MFer, then cold on tooth in question and nothing, no feeling at all. Yup root canal. Which he so happened to have an appointment for like 45 minutes later which was perfectly fine by me. All good, have to wait a week for the 2nd part which was packing the roots, and putting in a temporary filling. And the kicker, the need for a crown (and apparently a post too?), and that's not included in the price.
So to recap
- Dentist put "bandaid" on tooth $$
- Multiple xrays $$
- Sent to specialist (in same dental office) for 5 minute consult $$
- Had "emergency" appointment (which ironically I had to go a couple days later than when I called because there were no openings to see the dentist so not sure how it can be classified as an emergency) either way it was literally an exam, and a prescription. $$$
- more xrays $$
- Another specialist consult $$
- Root canal (which was a separate charge from the consult by the same dentist 45 minutes earlier) $$$$$
- Restorative work on said tooth next week $$$$$$
No wonder I ran through my allowance for the rest of the year.
And all of this on that one tooth that he supposedly "fixed", I'm not even going to mention what a coincidence it was that tooth is where all the problems just jumped out shortly after being fixed.
So it all started with a tiny hole in the side of my tooth near the gum line noticed during a cleaning, made an appointment to get it fixed, by the time I rolled around into the dentist they took pictures (and xrays) and noticed it had a pink blush to it which apparently was indicative of some swelling or something inside the tooth, he did an exam, drilled it, put a medicated filling it, said the tooth wasn't a cavity like caused by bacteria it was just a hole that appeared or something. But he sent me to a specialist, peridontist?, to have a consult. Went in to see him, all of 5 minutes, declared I was fine, then a week later went back to the dentist, said it looked fine, and actually put a filling in it to cover the hole leaving some "medicated filling" deeper in.
Fine and dandy, then a few weeks later pain hit... and OMFG the worst pain I've literally ever had, I had sensitivity to temperature like even breathing through my mouth which brought cooler air made it hurt, pressure hurt, I would have pain so bad it radiated into my sinus cavity and then eventually gave me the mother of all migranes, but the pain wasn't constant, it just kind of came and went, help dentist help! went to dentist and that was scary in itself as the when the pain hit it made it very hard to concentrate... saw dentist, he looked, prescribed some antibiotics, and some motrin, and took a bunch of xrays, and consult to the same specialist, which was about half a week later (he only is in the office on Wednesdays), by then the random pain was gone (antibiotics and enough advil to equal the motrin prescription) but there was extreme sensitivity to pressure including my sinus (btw, no it wasn't a sinus infection)
Saw the specialist he did something by putting cold on a tooth and ooh boy that hurt like a MFer, then cold on tooth in question and nothing, no feeling at all. Yup root canal. Which he so happened to have an appointment for like 45 minutes later which was perfectly fine by me. All good, have to wait a week for the 2nd part which was packing the roots, and putting in a temporary filling. And the kicker, the need for a crown (and apparently a post too?), and that's not included in the price.
So to recap
- Dentist put "bandaid" on tooth $$
- Multiple xrays $$
- Sent to specialist (in same dental office) for 5 minute consult $$
- Had "emergency" appointment (which ironically I had to go a couple days later than when I called because there were no openings to see the dentist so not sure how it can be classified as an emergency) either way it was literally an exam, and a prescription. $$$
- more xrays $$
- Another specialist consult $$
- Root canal (which was a separate charge from the consult by the same dentist 45 minutes earlier) $$$$$
- Restorative work on said tooth next week $$$$$$
No wonder I ran through my allowance for the rest of the year.
And all of this on that one tooth that he supposedly "fixed", I'm not even going to mention what a coincidence it was that tooth is where all the problems just jumped out shortly after being fixed.
