Thursday, June 12, 2008

Back in My Day...

*insert offbeat comparison to the good old days here*
I'm feeling old and ornery right now. Just went to the dentist, and as soon as I said I hadn't been there in years, she says, "Well you're going to need a deep cleaning and planing" ummm what?! So then she does the exam and says my gums are healthy and I have 2 small cavities. I pull out my handy Patient Charge Schedule provided by my insurance company, which says that amalgam, resin and composite fillings are covered 100%. So are basic cleanings. So I tell her I want a basic cleaning. She said no, the whore. She said even though my gums are healthy, she can't just DO a simple cleaning after diagnosing me as needing a deep cleaning. WTF. So off I go to talk to the staff about insurance coverage. They say that if I get an amalgam, resin or composite filling, I'd have to pay $50 each for some BS de-sensitizing stuff in it. Are you kidding me? She says that if I got the "other" kind of filling I wouldn't need that. On a hunch I ask, "And let me guess, THAT one isn't covered by my insurance?" She shakes her head no. Oh yah, that True Coat, they put that on at the factory. (10 points if you can name the movie)
So then they add a periodontal rinse, not covered, and a periodontal exam (also not covered) and tell me that it'll cost about $250 for a cleaning and 2 small fillings. I told the lady forget it. I'm not coming back. She said Well, insurance coverage isn't what it used to be. I said, No, dentists aren't what they used to be.
Right now I think dentists are right up there with auto mechanics. They will find some way to charge you a ton of $ even if your insurance (or extended auto coverage) covers what you need. They will FIND a way to make sure you need more.

And now, to make me - and presumably, you - feel better about it all, a few pictures from our Sunday trip to the Aquarium and the beach. At the beach, GB was picking up what he thought was sea glass. We didn't have the heart to explain that it's just pieces of broken bottles.
Kendra - there's the pic showing my walking advertisement, ahem, I mean ARM... I was reaching down to pick up Belly after he banged his head off the iron railing. He's a tough one...


7 comments:

Chris said...

Hhhmmm, Maybe I need to become a dentist. Sounds like a good rackett! What a scam!!

Laura Marchant said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laura Marchant said...

I was so wondering what your tattoos looked like. I never would have guessed you had so many. Looks awesome!

Kendra Field said...

SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Wineplz said...

wow! that is one elaborate tattoo! Not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. You are one tough broad to get something like that! I'd be like Phoebe on Friends and cry after getting stuck once. ;)

carrie said...

after my last visit to take the gremlins to see the dentist, I decided not to go very often. I hate to say it, but I just think they're looking for ways to charge us in the name of "good dental health."

I want their mouths to be healthy, but not at what they're charging!

Monique said...

"sea glass" so funny! You sure do have a good way of explaining.
Even though I don't go to the dentist as much as I should, your making me wonder how much these crooks could conjur out of my pocket. hmmm.....