Today I went to a dentist I found on a list of providers from my insurance carrier because I felt as though I had broken a tooth and I also know that I need work done. In any case, I had prepared myself for paying several thousand or more for work that I need done including perio work. The dentist told me that although I have beautiful teeth, I need extensive work and would need to be referred to her associates who are not in my plan (endo and perio doctors) for the gum work and several root canals and crowns I would need. I asked for a ball park figure of what this would cost as I was prepared to pay it. She said with the insurance coverage (which she first said that my insurance company may or may not pay), it would cost close to $4,000.00. After a small gasp, I said that this seemed reasonable. After the appointment was over, the receptionist composed my proposed dental plan, which looked extremely extensive (19 entries listed) with a total cost of $5,800.00 at the bottom of the list and a place for my signature as authorizing this. After my initial dismay, I still thought, "ok, I can deal with this" and was still prepared to go through with it, until I discovered that this did not include any of the perio work and probably endo work. I told the receptionist I would have to think this over and took a copy of the list and also told her that I was not going to sign this until I had reviewed it. My insurance company will only pay $1,200.00 deductable per year. I feel very uneasy about this. What do you think?

Thank-you very much,

I think you need to go to a dentist that would be covered by your insurance plan. Also you can negotiage the amount, ask if this is the insurance price, if this was covered, or offer to pay 80 percent as full payment. If you are paying cash, there should always be discounts if they are not being paid though insurance.

I'd also recommend a second opinion. Why would the dentist you saw not do the root canals or crowns? Most dentists are well qualified for this. What kind of perio treatment do you need? See a well qualified perio hygienist before going to see a periodontist, she might be able to help you get the disease well under control which will save you money at the periodontists. It may be worth paying for the hygiene service out of pocket and use your dental benefits for the root canals you need. Just my thoughts.