€380 for Tooth Extraction

andrewk08

Hi
I broke the side of a tooth 7 months ago and went to a dentist. He told me that the tooth should come out and that another Dentist did all their extractions. So he charged me €80 and made an appointment for me to see the specialist the following week.
I went to the specialist and was asked did I have any allergies etc. or was I on any medication...usual stuff.

I sat there for about 5 minutes listening to what the first Dentist had told me and was handed a bill for €120 and told that the extract could be done on the next visit for another €180, a total of €380.

I couldn't believe this, I paid €200 to be told that the extract could damage the tooth beside it.

The only saving grace was that I cancelled the final visit and I still have the tooth, which has given me no trouble what so ever. The rough edge has even smoothed off.

My problems are that the charges were not made clear to me and also if I had have gone to another dentist it would have cost €80.

PS There is nothing unusual about the tooth.

andrewk08

Yes, the tooth may have to come out eventually, however if I lasts another 5 years, this is worth far more to me.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

So whats your question?

Oral Surgeon

Did the first dentist do anything else that day or just charge you €80 to refer you on?? Did they take xrays? I find that hard to believe...

Was the second dentist an oral surgeon and did they take more xrays? If so €120 for an oral surgery consult with xrays is cheap. Your consult may have been 5-10 minutes but the receptionist must book 20-30 minutes if you had come in with a list of medical problems and medications that needed discussion... Everyone pays the same consultation fee regardless of the difficulty of the consultation. An oral surgeon could hardly charge one person a €50 consult and another person €200 if theirs took longer....

You may think that there is nothing unusual about the tooth but how do you know that? It may have features clinically and radiographically that tells the dentist/ oral surgeon that it could be tricky.

If you choose not to have treatment now and leave it too long then I would expect to have to pay for the consultation and xray again... so that would definitely mean that your 80 and 120 have been "wasted"....

andrewk08 wrote: »

Hi
I broke the side of a tooth 7 months ago and went to a dentist. He told me that the tooth should come out and that another Dentist did all their extractions. So he charged me €80 and made an appointment for me to see the specialist the following week.
I went to the specialist and was asked did I have any allergies etc. or was I on any medication...usual stuff.

I sat there for about 5 minutes listening to what the first Dentist had told me and was handed a bill for €120 and told that the extract could be done on the next visit for another €180, a total of €380.

I couldn't believe this, I paid €200 to be told that the extract could damage the tooth beside it.

The only saving grace was that I cancelled the final visit and I still have the tooth, which has given me no trouble what so ever. The rough edge has even smoothed off.

My problems are that the charges were not made clear to me and also if I had have gone to another dentist it would have cost €80.

PS There is nothing unusual about the tooth.

joeysoap

Can you not just go a dentist and say you want a tooth extracted anymore?

Oral Surgeon

joeysoap wrote: »

Can you not just go a dentist and say you want a tooth extracted anymore?

Of course you can and if the dentist feels that the extraction is within their abilities and that in doing the extraction themself, it is in your best interest- then they will do it....

Historically, dentists have been accused of being brutal and uncaring. This was because they would take that tooth out whether they should or not....

In today's environment of patient involvement and consent and indeed today's litigious culture, who could blame a dentist for referring a tricky tooth, a tricky patient or a tricky tooth in a tricky patient elsewhere??

Dianthus

andrewk08 wrote: »

Hi
I couldn't believe this, I paid €200 to be told that the extract could damage the tooth beside it.

PS There is nothing unusual about the tooth.

There's a bit of a contradiction here! The extraction must be quite tricky or challenging in *some* way, if you've been referred to a specialist, & this warning given about the adjacent tooth.
The fee issue- what's the breakdown on the €80; were xrays taken? Any other treatment done?
Specialist consultation fee- a consultation& a fee for same is considered standard practice for all medical specialities.
It's quite frightening that out of 2 consultations, one with a dentist& one with a specialist, things are still not crystal clear as regards the challenges of this extraction& intricacies of the procedure. I would strongly advise you contact the dentist&/specialist with any queries, before having this tooth extracted.

andrewk08

Finally went to another dentist and he recomended that this tooth should probably be extracted.
He took it out there and then and yes, it was a normal extraction.

I just annoyed that I allowed myself be ripped off by the first dentist.

res ipsa

General dentists are a spectrum from gatekeepers, who refer all compex procedures to have a go heroes who try and do all complex procedures. In general the former are more experienced dentists & or female, the latter are more recent graduates &or male.
Decision-making is a complex procedure & based on past experience & the vibes you get from a patient. It isnt always easy to tell whether an extraction is simple or surgical based on the xray. An anxious patient might be referred for a simple extraction whereas a relaxed patient might have a difficult extraction in a general practice without incident.

andrewk08

Maybe I didn't explain this very well.

The dentist (very experienced) told me that he didn't do extractions - at all.
So I ended up paying for the first dentists visit and a second visit at the same clinic (€80 +€120), €200 to be told that when extracting, it may scratch the other tooth. The third visit, €180, would have been the extraction.

Firstly, it was not clear to me that this would be the cost. (€380) and secondly, the tooth was taken out as a non surgical extraction by what you refer to as a generalist for €80.

davo10

How would you have felt if the second dentist started the extraction, the tooth broke, he/she wasn't able to get it out and had to then refer you to have the roots surgically removed? You'd have a few weeks of pain while you waited for an appointment.

Medical/dental treatment is not an exact science with guaranteed outcomes. What may be simple to some may be difficult to others, what may be successful for one patient may be a disaster for another. I refer all molar root canals, not because I can't do them or don't want to, but because I know an endodontist will do them better, I don't do surgical wisdom tooth extractions because an oral surgeon will do them more safely, quicker and with less trauma to the patient. I could have a go at both and they may work, but I also could make a mess of them.

andrewk08

This dentist has been doing extractions for about 20 years, I'd say (judging by his age). I'd say that makes him pretty experienced.
When the dentist said he could remove it, I had faith that he could do what dentists have been doing for years.
As it turned out, it was a straight forward job.

I have no doubt that specialists are required for difficult extractions.
Incidentially, how does an oral surgeon do an extraction "more safely"?

davo10

andrewk08 wrote: »

This dentist has been doing extractions for about 20 years, I'd say (judging by his age). I'd say that makes him pretty experienced.
When the dentist said he could remove it, I had faith that he could do what dentists have been doing for years.
As it turned out, it was a straight forward job.

I have no doubt that specialists are required for difficult extractions.
Incidentially, how does an oral surgeon do an extraction "more safely"?

Even the most experienced dentists can run into complications during treatments.

Less likely to damage the very important nerve that is in close proximity to impacted wisdom tooth roots, less likely to push a root on an upper tooth into the sinus, less likely to fracture the buccal plate of bone in a site where an implant is planned to be placed.

res ipsa

In fairness to you, 2 consultations at the same practice at 80 & 120 euro for the same problem within a short time frame is a legitimate grievance in my opinion, bearing in mind i haven't heard the other sides story. I tend to charge a lot more for treatment than consulting.

If i was to see you at 80 euro & refer you within the practice you would pay 300 for the subsequent short consult & extraction on the same day assuming you were happy with that.

Maybe you should write to the practice & they might change their procedures.

Oral Surgeon

andrewk08 wrote: »

This dentist has been doing extractions for about 20 years, I'd say (judging by his age). I'd say that makes him pretty experienced.
When the dentist said he could remove it, I had faith that he could do what dentists have been doing for years.
As it turned out, it was a straight forward job.

I have no doubt that specialists are required for difficult extractions.
Incidentially, how does an oral surgeon do an extraction "more safely"?

So let me take you through 5 years dental school, 3 years oral surgery training, a few years of crappy hospital jobs and even more years of private oral surgery practice and try to explain this in one single post.....!

They just can...