M.M.
answers from
Chicago
on
go get a 2nd opinion - that seems very, very high
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I just went to a new dentist and was told there was some decay under 2 fillings. I made an appointment to have this taken care of and was told that if the teeth just need to be cleaned up and re-filled the cost would be $398 per tooth. If the decay is more intensive, the teeth will need to be capped at the cost of about $1200 per tooth. Not sure if this is really expensive or the norm and not sure how to be sure a dentist wouldn't just go for option #2 to charge more. Anyone know if these are typical costs for the Chicago area and/or how to be sure your dentist is making the best decisions? Not to sound paranoid - the dentist seemed nice - but I just feel so at their mercy and the costs are significant. Thanks for any advice you can lend!
go get a 2nd opinion - that seems very, very high
I don't know about the normal cost in your area, but I just had a filling replaced here in Anchorage for $250
Oh....I'm on my way to the dentist to get my permanent crown on. I hate going. It cost $495 or something and depends on the size of the tooth and that's my cost with insurance. That's for a crown though.
Refills seem high, caps seem low.
My dentist is more interested in keeping as much of the original tooth as possible, and I trust him completely to only do the work needed. Honestly, if I didn't absolutely trust him, I wouldn't let him do any work on me. (A little bit of a coward, here.)
Best of luck.
The cost for a crown (the $1200) is inline with what I've seen. Insurance normally pays 50% of a crown.
The dentist would try option one because it would be the least destructive method to repair the damage. A tooth has to be ground down to put a crown on and the crown will last 10-15 years if it is done really well. At that point it has to be removed and the tooth grown down again for the new crown. This can only be done so many times, so it is not the first repair method used.
I had a crown done about 7 years ago in Springfield, IL, and it was around $900 or $950 without insurance.
My hubby had a filling re-filled about 6 months ago (Dallas area) and it was less tha $200.
A crown around here is a minimum of $1500.
