OT-Price of a crown

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue..I have 2 crowns and both times they had to be built up. The reason

for the crown is because there isn't much tooth left so how else did your

dentist think she would do it? Both of mine were $600. Judy

[Guest guest]

Sierra's question about the cost of haircuts has prompted me to ask if

anybody here has had a crown, and if so, how much did it cost?

A few months ago at the dentist's I was told that I needed a crown on a

tooth in which the filling had fallen out. There wasn't enough tooth

left to fill, and I need to keep that tooth if I'm going to be able to

chew on that side. When I asked how much it would cost and was told

$600, I was shocked! But I decided that I'd better get it done.

A few weeks ago I went in and the dentist drilled and drilled on that

poor tooth to get the decay out and get it ready for the crown. Then

she had to build up the tooth. When I went up to pay part of the cost,

the secretary told me that since the tooth had to be built up, the

total cost was $860! I was doubly shocked this time but didn't say much.

Today when I went in to get the crown put in, I did say that I didn't

like being told that the crown would be $600 and then finding out that

it would be $860. She said that they couldn't always tell what would

have to be done, which is true, but she could have warned me that

something else costing as much as $260 might have to be done. Then I

might have decided not to get the crown. Maybe I would have tried to

find a cheaper place or something. I was really upset at not being

warned about possible extra cost. To me, $860 is a lot of money for one

tooth!

Anyway, when I was checking out, she had come over and sat down beside

the receptionist. I heard her mumble something about " a thankless job, "

which I didn't appreciate at all. I don't think that that was very

professional at all. I think I have a right to make my feelings known,

something that I don't do enough. I will make sure that she doesn't do

any more " thankless jobs " on my teeth.

Well, I feel better now after venting to all of you.

Sue

[Guest guest]

Sadly, Sue, I have a lot of experience with root canals and crowns.

Every molar and two of my incisors have root canals and crowns. I am on

the second round with some of my teeth. And I'm only just about 45 years

old. Both procedures are very expensive around here (and I have one

dentist and have seen three different endodontists), but I am always

given fair warning about what the range of the cost will be and what

might make it more expensive. More often than not, I'm at the max!

For my last root canal - August 2003 - $1193

For the crown on that tooth (porcelain) - December 2003 - $1335

That root canal took five really long visits, so I suppose I paid less

than the patient per visit average, LOL. The endodontist also calls me

at home to check on me. I had such an odd thing going on the last time

that he said he had never seen it before and that my case would be in a

journal if he could save my tooth! So far, that tooth is still in my

head, but it really hasn't been that long.

Anyway, sorry you were surprised with the final cost of your crown. That

was your dentist's fault. I agree that her mutterings were very

unprofessional, and I would not return to her either.

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] OT-Price of a crown

> Sierra's question about the cost of haircuts has prompted me to ask if

> anybody here has had a crown, and if so, how much did it cost?

>

> A few months ago at the dentist's I was told that I needed a crown on

a

> tooth in which the filling had fallen out. There wasn't enough tooth

> left to fill, and I need to keep that tooth if I'm going to be able to

> chew on that side. When I asked how much it would cost and was told

> $600, I was shocked! But I decided that I'd better get it done.

>

> A few weeks ago I went in and the dentist drilled and drilled on that

> poor tooth to get the decay out and get it ready for the crown. Then

> she had to build up the tooth. When I went up to pay part of the cost,

> the secretary told me that since the tooth had to be built up, the

> total cost was $860! I was doubly shocked this time but didn't say

much.

>

> Today when I went in to get the crown put in, I did say that I didn't

> like being told that the crown would be $600 and then finding out that

> it would be $860. She said that they couldn't always tell what would

> have to be done, which is true, but she could have warned me that

> something else costing as much as $260 might have to be done. Then I

> might have decided not to get the crown. Maybe I would have tried to

> find a cheaper place or something. I was really upset at not being

> warned about possible extra cost. To me, $860 is a lot of money for

one

> tooth!

>

> Anyway, when I was checking out, she had come over and sat down beside

> the receptionist. I heard her mumble something about " a thankless

job, "

> which I didn't appreciate at all. I don't think that that was very

> professional at all. I think I have a right to make my feelings known,

> something that I don't do enough. I will make sure that she doesn't do

> any more " thankless jobs " on my teeth.

>

> Well, I feel better now after venting to all of you.

>

> Sue