I can't eat until I can afford root canal

[undeterred]

I have a fragile tooth that is already broken. The dentist said extract or have root canal, but its in the front so I hate to have it extracted. My RC appt. is April 5.

Right now it hurts if I bite on it. So I bought yougurt and pudding and other soft or liquid foods so I don't increase the pain or break it any more. After the RC the pain will stop but it will still be fragile. This stinks. I have no insurance. I hate those who have opposed national heatlh care. Don't they have any human feeling at all?

[graywarrior]

1. Damn, I've been there.

Get to a dental school, or talk to as many dentists as you can to set up a payment plan. Call the dental assoc and ask for names of dentists who donate dental work.

[Left Is Write]

2. Can't they get you in sooner?

It's criminal to allow you to exist for weeks with that kind of pain!

eta - will they make a payment plan with you? Can you call around to other places to see what you can work out?

[undeterred]

4. I can't afford it sooner

And no, they want the money up front.

[Left Is Write]

5. I would seriously consider calling some other places.

You can't live like that. If it breaks and/or the decay continues unchecked, you'll wind up losing the tooth anyway. I wish I could help you. :hug:

[benburch]

26. How much do you need?

I bet we could raise it here.

[sir_captain]

3. After a root canal, you need to get a crown

a tooth that has undergone root canal has almost zero structural integrity. You'll almost definitely break it if you don't get the crown...

Good luck...

[undeterred]

8. The root canal is $630

and the crown is $1300.

I wonder if having the tooth extracted and getting a dental implant for that tooth would be cheaper.

[sir_captain]

9. I doubt it

The big cost for the crown is the fabrication--you're actually getting a pretty good deal. The root canal and crown I got was almost 3x what you paid (damn NY prices!) and it'd be the same thing for an implant.

Plus, having the implant put in would hurt...a lot.

In any case, I'm pretty happy with my crown--it's probably even stronger than a real tooth!

[samplegirl]

12. No it will be more

because you would have to have a post put in.

[SaveElmer]

14. They can put a kind of cement covering after the root...

I had that done, was a semi-permanent covering that was basically the same shape as a tooth. They did it right after my root canal. I had the cap put on later. Get the root canal if you can at all afford it. I let one fester and ended up getting an abcess, which hurt like crazy, and had to have it lanced, and then the tooth had to come out anyway.

[REP]

28. Where Can You Get a Root Canal for $630??!!

I need at least two root canals, and the last two I had done cost over $1,200.00 each (all molars with multiple roots). I have two broken molars, one probably needs a canal and both need crowns; a rotated and decayed molar that needs extraction and a premolar that probably needs a canal and crown. No insurance, plus I'm fully disabled, so I try not to chew a lot.

[undeterred]

31. They usually cost $300 to $400 per root

and mine is a smaller tooth which has only two.

[Danmel]

6. Do you live anywhere near a dental school?

Often they donate services to uninsured people and the students are very carefully supervised- it maybe a good option for you.

[undeterred]

7. There is one in Milwaukee- about 75 miles

and its been suggested to me before.

[sir_captain]

10. Personally, I'd be wary

a root canal is hardly the same thing as getting a filling, and imho you want someone really good (and experienced) messing around in there when there are lots of exposed nerves involved.

[samplegirl]

13. Try to

Call around and speak to the Dentist not a receptionist.
If you have to call him at home after hours and tell him your
situation. Most decent Dentists will accept payment in your
situation.

[SoCalDem]

29. My friend goes to a dental school

They only let the students who are close to graduating, do that kind of work, and there's always a 'real" dentist supervising. She has had very gentle "pre-dentists" working on her and has saved a lot of money. She's been very satisfied:)

[tjdee]

11. I'm so sorry.

I'm avoiding going to the dentist because there is no way I can afford anything. Even a root canal is way too expensive for me right now. Good luck with eating. :(

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. If ever a thread should be read by everyone in Congress

and the White House, it's this one.

Undeterred, you have my sympathy. I've been there. To an extent, I still am.

I consider this criminal neglect on the part of the U.S. government.

[undeterred]

22. When I was unemployed for 16 months a few years ago

I wrote to everyone in Congress 4 times -the whole House and Senate- and told them my situation, including how the lack of health insurance had affected my heatlth and ability to work. I got 5 response letters. Most of them just don't give a damn.

[Oeditpus Rex]

23. Were the responses generic?

If not, who were they from?

[friesianrider]

25. Couldn't agree more.

This is beyond horrible. I wish there was something I could do to help - no one deserves this.

[LynzM]

16. Oh dude, that sucks....

I'm so sorry. Teeth stuff sucks :hug:

You should totally email this to Michael Moore, by the way. He's looking for stories like yours :(

[boobooday]

17. I can relate

I'm sorry.

[nytemare]

18. Please call around, I feel like this Dentist is not looking for your best

interests. I just looked in my phone book here, and there are many listings that say "payment plans available" and "no interest financing".

It is hard to be in that kind of pain, but somewhere near where you live, I am sure there is a dentist that will be empathetic towards you. This guy just might not be the dentist for you.

I hope you get relief soon, keep us posted!

:hug:

[tinfoilinfor2005]

19. My dentist does a kind of a pro bono thing for homeless people.

So I know these kinds of things are done. But he is a fantastic guy, and I doubt that they all do that. You might call a dentist registry and see if they know of any dentists who are willing to set you up on a payment program

[Divameow77]

20. I can relate

I need a root canal and a crown also, can't afford it and I have insurance. Will still cost me close to $1000 w/ my insurance.

[jane_pippin]

21. Please call somewhere-maybe a payment plan can be made up for you.

I was in the same boat last year. One of my teeth fell out (FELL OUT!) when I was eating a sandwich one day. It was extremely unpleasant, as you well know. I didn't have insurance, and I didn't have a ton of money just waiting to be spent on a root canal and a crown, either. But, I did manage to find a really nice dentist who fixed me up and let me pay him over a few months for two--maybe it was three, I forget--visits. (He extracted it and put one of those "place-holder" teeth/cement/whatever it is in, then I had to go back for the root canal and the crown).

You just can't live with that kind of pain and stress for that long with out at least trying to find out if there's another way.

:hug:

[RevCheesehead]

24. If you're willing to travel...

my dentist here in Algoma did mine for about $1,000 (I had two of them done in one year - and I don't have dental coverage). But his office was happy to arrange payments for me, so I could pay in installments. I think any small-town dentist would be willing to do the same. Do you have anyone who can vouch for you, like an employer?

In the meantime, I'd recommend what the dentist did for me: Ibuprofen. Not aspirin, not tylenol... Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, and will reduce the swelling of the tooth nerve.

Good luck, and I hope you find some relief soon! :hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. I just had the root canal a couple of weeks ago...

Had to go to an endodontist, so it was about $1,000. The crown comes next month and will cost another $1,200.

One thing that helped me was holding an aspirin over the infected tooth and letting it dissolve. I don't know if that's practical for you or not...My aching tooth was a lower molar.

Once you've had the RC, you might want to use Sensodyne, or some other enamel-building tooth gel. Do continue to go easy on the other side of your mouth, lest you end up needing 2 root canals.

I'm sorry for the pain you're suffering. :hug:

[nytemare]

30. Have you heard anything new today?

Will the dentist let you make payments? I hope so.

[LSK]

32. you should call around every dentist office in town

Until you find one that can work out a financial plan for you. I think the nerve will die thou and then you will not feel a thing.

Ibuprofen works really well for the pain.