|
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.
|