Going to the dental school to have dental work done

[Major Nikon]

I had a filling fall out and needed to go to the dentist to have it replaced. I have a regular dentist, but my wife has been going to the Baylor dental school in Dallas for the past couple of years, and she talked me into going. I have to say the experience was far from what I expected. The down side is I've had to make several visits to the school, which is about a 50 minute drive from my house. I thought I might relay the experience for those here which might be looking for other options for dental care. There are some pluses and minuses which some may wish to know. I don't know if all dental schools operate this way, but this is just my experience from Baylor.

The first visit was just an examination (by a student and instructor). They have to accept you into the program before you are offered any care. During that visit they evaluate what you need and formulate a preliminary plan for care. They don't seem to base their decision on financial need. At no time did they ever ask me exactly how much I made. I was accepted. My next visit included the most extensive set of dental x-rays I've ever received. A student did them, but an instructor checked the x-rays and had the student re-do the ones that weren't perfect.

Next I was assigned a student for my treatment plan. It should be noted that they decide what treatment you are to receive. I'm not sure if you can opt out of any treatments they decide to give you. Perhaps you can, but I got the impression you can't. In my case I needed very little in the way of work done, so it wasn't a big deal. However this may be a consideration if you need extensive work done and can't afford it all. The school doesn't file with any insurance plans. My insurance pays for preventative treatments only, but I had to file the claims myself.

What I was most amazed about was the thoroughness of the treatment. They asked me what seemed like an endless stream of questions about my current health, health history, eating, medications, type of work, family situation, and exercise habits. They check my blood pressure at each visit. Some type of dental preventative specialist (I forget the title), who was not a student, advised me on what types of daily preventative habits I needed to have for my particular situation (brushing, flossing, fluoride rinses, regular cleanings, etc.). A periodontist evaluated my gums (even though I have no problems with them). Another non-student dentist did a very thorough examination of all my teeth. My student did my cleaning and replaced my lost filling. At each step, her work was checked by an instructor. My cleaning was very thorough and included fluoride treatments for my molars.

The prices are quite good. I paid $30 for the cleaning, which included fluoride treatments. The filling I had replaced cost $75. I don't remember how much I paid for the x-rays, but it wasn't much compared to a regular dentist.

All in all I thought the experience was quite positive. I wouldn't mind at all going back, but the 50 minute drive (assuming no traffic) into Dallas is a bummer, so I'll probably go back to my regular dentist for my next cleaning.

[msongs]

1. it's your choice, the "bummer" or the low price high quality treatment. went to a school myself so

for 30 years got reduced fee or free treatment, free coming when a student needed a case study for passing the exams and I met the qualifications. highly recommend dental schools in principle.

[Turbineguy]

2. So that's about 1/6th

of what my Dentist charges me. When I was in HS (late '60's) I had my teeth cleaned at Loma Linda Dental School. It was $5.

[Major Nikon]

4. The next previous filling cost $250 at a regular dentist

It was a small filling and that was over 10 years ago. I'm sure it would cost more now.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

3. Been going to UCLA dental school for 20 years.

Recommended.

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. it's good to know about this option. My dentists are all UCLA grads. If

I'm ever without dental insurance, it's good to know UCLA treatment is still an option.

[demosincebirth]

5. Many dentist live in fancier houses than MD's. Just the opposite from

15-20 years ago.

[southernyankeebelle]

8. Before you start juding dentist and their life style let me give you some facts:

I have a sister who is a dentist. She graduated with honors. She went to school over 10 yrs. She has to keep up with the changes to her field. She has her own practice and has employees that work for her that she treats very very well. At christmas time she would give the employees money and I don't mean the little old $100.00 or $25.00 an employee. She gives them $500.00 and an employee christmas party every year. She is always at work because she can't afford to be out because if she doesn't work no money comes in. She has had another dentist come in with her who works for her. She recently had breast cancer and she had to remove her breasts. She worried the whole time because not alot of income was coming in. Some of her friends (dentist) helped but many had their own practices. She went back before she really should have. But she has a business and employees that all needed to get back to work. She has 2 daughters both in college. One going to dental school and the other wants to get her masters so she can teach in the dental field. Now that is allot of money. My sister was one of 6 kids who was very very bright and we kept telling her to rich for the sky. Our father was a senior enlisted soldier until he retired. Our mother stayed home and we got by. She could sew and was a great cook. Our father died when my sister was 11 yrs old. She worked and went to college. She has earned everything she has gotten. She has done pro-bono work on patients. Even today it is a struggle because many people are doing without going to the dentist unless they have to. So remember doctors study a very long time and if they have a nice home they have earned it. I don't begrudge a rich person. I just want a rich person to pay their fair share of taxes. Capitalism works if you have laws.

[demosincebirth]

9. Charging 1300 bucks for a crown and some dentist make 'em right

in their offices. That's a fair price? Thats three weeks wages for some. I guess you didn't know that.

[REP]

12. My crowns are gold and gold ain't cheap

Not only are they gold, they have custom posts to fit my unusual fused and otherwise weird roots. My dentist made the impressions for the posts and crowns, and when they came back, did all the work to finish them do they'd fit on my teeth. My insurance covers a lot but not all of it, and I think her prices are more than fair for the work and materials (the lab she uses makes crowns with a very high percentage of gold); my crowns look and feel fine and best of all, I haven't had problems with those teeth.

I've had bad dentists - one reason I need some of those crowns - but good dentists and oral surgeons like the ones I have now are worth what they charge - especially if their prices are fair to begin with. They also make payment plans for the uninsured - I know, because I refer everyone I know to them :-)

[demosincebirth]

18. Unless you have insurance, you pay up front. If you are unemployed or

poor, no dental payment plan for you. I knew man who had an abscess tooth for one month and went to 5 dentist to see if he could get it fixed and would pay every week. No dice until he finally got a root canal at the local county hospital, but had to wait another week. $$$ that's all they want...no exceptions. fuck the poor, unemployed and uninsured.

[PCIntern]

6. With a reasonable student and decent faculty

it's the best treatment you can get.

Good luck and enjoy the experience. Know this: your student will never forget you.

[BiggJawn]

7. Always got excellent care at the dental school.

The only reason I don't go there anymore is the 150 mile round trip.

A cleaning where I live is $130, and 2 fillings cost $400. There's a cheaper dentist just down the street from me, but he charges 1/2 what I'm now paying for truly hideous shit-quality work.

[femrap]

10. I printing this out...

I go to OSU Dental school and they just increased their cleanings from $50 to $60. And you get yours for $30.

Fuck OSU.

eta: The last student I had 'laid' on my face....my eyeglasses were plunged into my skin. I kept asking him to back up a little.

[jberryhill]

11. Temple U is awesome

[Shandris]

14. You have to be very careful though...

I went to a dental school for a pre-exam and to get my teeth pulled, and get dentures. They said it would be $55 each to have my teeth pulled, but that was just with novacaine. Unfortunately, I'm practically immune to the 'caines for some reason (seriously -- my last dentist had to give me 5 shots and I still felt every root twisting and turning, I practically ran off half his customers in the waiting room) so I asked how much it would be to get them pulled when I was asleep.

They told me it was, and I quote, 'a little more expensive. Maybe $90 per tooth or so, I think.'

Imagine my surprise for the $4,800 dentist bill AND the FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR HOSPITAL BILL (!!). AT A UNIVERSITY, with a STUDENT DENTIST!

When I asked about Financial Aid, I was told -repeatedly- that there was none, by the person that the dentist told me was the only one who knew about payments.

Eventually I discovered that they'd changed the name of the 'Financial Aid' office to something completely unrelated (The Office of Financial Cycle Recurrency) and, unless you specifically ask for that office, they're not supposed to tell you it exists, but in a technical sense, there IS no 'Financial Aid' office.

[SwampG8r]

15. when our kids were small we

couldnt afford dental insurance
to this day 25 years later i thank tallahassee community college dental sciences programs
if not for them all of my family would not have been able to afford any dental work
all supervised by a phd in dentistry
go to the school it will be fine

[SoDesuKa]

16. Dental Work Done by Real Dentists

Depending on the work you get done, there's a chance you'll get a real dentist, even at the dental school. A lot of general dentists want to specialize, and they go back to school for it. I had endodentistry done by a general dentist who was there to learn root canals.

One difference between a student and an experienced dentist is self-confidence. The experienced dentists are confident in their manner; the students are tentative.



Root canal work is radical.

[Laluchacontinua]

17. Enjoy it while you can. State/federal funding cutbacks will send the prices higher.