Question:
Does anyone have any recomendations in regards a dental service
anywhere - that does not charge an arm n a leg for the work done?!?!?
for the estimate I'v been given - I could just about fly anywhere in
the country to find a better service! and still come out better off!!!
it's Diabolically Atrocious what they charge ! I'd also be
interested in anywhere that does implants that don't cost a small
mortgage!
I fail to understand how they can justify it!
a bit like the health system really - what DOES it cost for a half
dozen qualified medical staff to stand around an operating table and
do their work!? what do they use that justifies it? I suspect it's
what the surgeon is charging to do it! is where the cost is involved!
whatever happened to doctors, surgeons, who were in the job for the
care of the patients - not to see if they can make a million$ before
the years end!
Answer:
Dentistry is an advanced degree that is very expensive to take - for a
time in Nz dental students were paying $21,000 a year for their 5 year
degree. Dental equipment is *extremely* expensive, there is no
government subsidy, dentists are business people in private practice,
they have to provide equipment, staff, X ray machines, rental. They
have to insure themselves heavily because one human error could see the
end of the career they have invested so much in. And they are highly
qualified professionals who expect, and work for, the standard of living
highly trained professionals expect.
It costs a huge amount to train as a doctor. The people hanging around
your operating table likely have 13 or more years medical training and
advanced studies in surgery. The equipment is expensive, the risk is
huge - so again, it costs them lots to qualify to cut off your leg or
sew your mouth shut or whatever, and the risk that they could lsoe it in
the flash of a blade is high. So overhead overheads man. Medical
Assurance is the really rich bastard in all this
A man once got a bill from his dentist. "To drilling a tooth $100"
He complained that the dentist only did a tiny bit of drilling, why charge
so much?
"All right, I'll amend the bill" said the dentist.
"To drilling a tooth, $5
To knowing where to drill $95"
There are so many ridiculous treatments people want these days, veneers on
perfectly good teeth etc just to look pretty!
And why hang on to just a few teeth to have partial dentures?
People are travelling to Asia for surgical treatment. I wonder if dental
treatment is also up to the same standard and as comparatively cheap. One of
the attractions is that for the same price as here or Britain you get treatment
plus a holiday.
I haven't had to have anything major done, but in my experience Graham
Symes & Associates in Wellington are reasonably-priced and don't try to
con you into having work done if it's not absolutely necessary - I've
got a bad patch on a molar that I was sure would need a filling, but
they check it each visit and say it's still fine, not decaying.
And they only want to see me once a year, not every 6 months. I think
it's about $60 for a checkup, clean & x-ray. I had two wisdom teeth out
many years ago and at the time I was very pleasantly surprised at how
little it cost.
