Dentist/insurance question

[mynametaken]

I have a question that I can't answer via google and was hoping the braintrust at hornfans could help. A friend of mine went to the dentist and found out she needs her wisdom teeth removed and I think a root canal. I think she has gum problems that need some procedure as well. Of course, she has no insurance and was going to pay out-of-pocket. I told her she should get insurance first but now I can't figure out what to recommend. It seems that some require a waiting period before major procedures.

Anyone have recommendations on insurance providers and/or dentists in the Austin area for these procedures?

 

[gardere_owns_OU]

save money and actually get paid... i had my wisdom teeth removed by scirex (PPD research does it as well) FOR FREE. if she has a full 24 hours to spare and take a one time investigational pain medication she should take this route.

they'll also pay her $300 bucks too.

catch is they only remove two at a time and she'll have to wait at least another 30 days before doing another test. i did this and it was worth it.

best of luck.

as for dental insurance i would call a castle dental office. they always have posters advertising some kind of insurance. maybe that will help.

 

[01 grad]

Investigational pain medicine....YIKES! What about the poor sucker who gets the placebo? Don't they have to use placebo in all medical trials?

Guess if you really need the 300 bucks and have a high tolerence for pain it wmight be worth it.

 

[gardere_owns_OU]

it's not like that.

once the local wears off and you start to fill pain they administer the investigational/placebo you're sent out of that little office and back into the main room.

investigational our investigational for a purpose. they might be as effective as a placebo. they'll ask you if you're still feeling pain and then offer you the advil/tylenol. they don't make you suffer by any means.

the'll treat you with food, tv, mags, books for the study.

it was well worth it. without dental insurance, getting those teeth pulled won't be cheap.

 

[Summerof79]

assuming no they can just yank them out and don't have to break them up... $1500 is one price I was quoted, but I think that might have been with anesthesia. $2300 to cut out the chicklets before rooting.

She probably also needs a deep cleaning underneath the edge of her gums. THAT is actually probably more important than getting the Wisdom Teeth removed. Bad gums can mean dentures or huge surgery costs for graphs.

 

[Texanne]

You said she had no dental insurance. For the gum disease, I recommend that she contact a dental hygiene program at a community college. We have an outstanding program here at Temple College, and a four-quad cleaning (which is what she'll need if she has gum problems) costs $10. That's right -- a procedure that will cost about $1,000 out of pocket in the professional setting will cost $10 here. And it's an unbelievably good cleaning, too.

She would be treated by a second-year student who is ready to see that challenging of a case. Utmost care will be given for your friend's comfort, and the benefit is that she will be doing a great thing for a student who needs to see a Class 4 or 5 patient (some with moderate to severe periodontal involvement).

Austin Community College also has a DH program, but since I don't work there, I cannot address their costs or quality.

PM me if you'd like the phone number for the Temple College Dental Hygiene Program -- it's where I get my own teeth cleaned, and it's the best cleaning I've ever gotten! It's open to anyone who has teeth.

 

[mynametaken]

Thanks for the tips, I'll pass them along. Any ideas on where to get a root canal?

 

[Uninformed]

The root canal is generally an emergency and should be taken care of first. Dental Schools can do it for a reduced fee, roughly half of the cost of a dentist. There is one in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. The first 2 are part of the UT system. Remember when you go to a school, the procedure will take much longer and the people taking care of you will be less experienced but more thorough. The perio work is also part of the first phase of treatment. If it is scaling and root planing that is required the hygienists can do it at a much reduced fee as described above. If surgery is required, it will require a periodontist or periodontal resident.

 

[AstroVol]

I pursued the options GOO is referring to, and they told me that since all four of my wisdom teeth had broken the skin, I was ineligible for the study. I was about 25 years old at the time. Something to consider.

 

[Texanne]

I wanted to add that the UT dental school in San Antonio is widely regarded as the best in the US.