My godfather Svetlana, who works as a dentist, confidently refutes the fact that treating bison is expensive for modern Russians. When I started arguing with her, not knowing firsthand how much the two small fillings cost, she said: “Whoever wants to saves money in the dentist’s office, and a lot, and if a person agrees to pay more than you can, then why refuse? ". Having heard this phrase, I began to wonder how exactly it is possible to reduce the amount of expenses for dental treatment. As a result, I learned a few simple but effective recommendations. Now I sincerely regret that I could not think of this before.
You need to choose the right dentist
Having realized that a problem has arisen with the teeth, it is worthwhile to clearly understand its appearance and scale. Kuma said that the main difference between a private clinic and budget dentistry is not at all the beauty of the rooms and furniture, but the range of services and the prices set for them.
State dentists do not engage in dental implants, do not install braces in them and do not perform a number of other expensive manipulations requiring highly qualified specialists, as well as expensive equipment and special materials. But in such an institution you can put a seal, the cost of which will differ significantly from that requested in an expensive private clinic.
As for luxury dentistry, such places should be visited only if it becomes necessary to obtain a service that requires a specialist to have good skills and appropriate specialization. By the way, cheap services in private offices are seriously overpriced. Knowing this, the client can save quite a lot by placing seals at half the cost, and implants from a reliable master.
Demand justification for diagnosis
After the specialist diagnoses you, ask his justification and visual confirmation. This is most often done by x-rays of the oral cavity and the results of examinations using the intraoral camera, clearly reflecting the real extent of the problem. A specialist who does not want to deceive you will show and tell you what's what, indicating the causes and possible solutions to the problem.
Sveta said that many modern dentists openly juggle while doing their job. Some generally offer the patient to pay for one type of work, but in fact they do completely different manipulations, the cost of which is much lower than declared.
Trust but check!
Each time the dentist indicates the need for a specific manipulation, it is necessary to check the information provided by another specialist, especially if the procedure is expensive and serious. It is possible that the specialist simply wants to draw extra money out of you, imposing his services that are completely unnecessary.
Rechecking the diagnosis is definitely worth it when your specialist speaks about the big problems that occur in your oral cavity, but you suspect that in your case the trouble is in banal caries.
When planning a dental treatment, you should definitely find out from the dentist about what kind of troubleshooting tactics he is going to adhere to.
You always need to compare prices.
Even if you need to put the smallest filling, be aware of the prices for this service not only in the nearest dentistry, but also at competitors. Kuma said that in one city the cost of the same service can vary by one and a half or even two times.
Particular attention should be paid to studying the price segment when an expensive intervention is planned, for example, the installation of an implant. Sveta said that only in our city, having visited three private dental clinics, it is possible to install the same prosthesis for 110, 100 and 75 thousand rubles. Serious difference, right? Of course, now for residents of the capital region such a difference may seem almost a penny, but I understand perfectly well that people live in Russia who have been collecting this amount for several months.
Always ask your dentist for cheaper treatment options.
Kuma said that only a tiny fraction of her clients are interested in savings on dental treatment - basically everyone agrees to the procedures that the doctor calls (usually these are the most expensive options for manipulations). This is a big mistake, because many modern procedures have less expensive alternatives. An example of this is a tooth extraction procedure, which you can always ask to be performed mechanically, and not with a laser or ultrasound, as some unscrupulous doctors suggest in expensive clinics. Believe me, the end result is the same.
By the way, if a specialist refuses to conduct such a consultation, then you are better off looking for another doctor - most likely, they are simply luring money out of your wallet.
How to find money for dental treatment when you need a very large amount
Six months ago, my father had a problem: he had to remove three teeth, fill four and place a prosthesis. He began to save a lot of money for him (about 180,000 rubles), but, knowing the advice of Kuma, I dissuaded him, because the whole amount was not needed right away, it was possible to allocate money gradually. I perfectly understood that if he started saving up, he would not get to the dentist for another couple of years at least.
So, I took the treatment plan that the doctor gave him, and drew my dad's attention to the fact that removal is the cheapest procedure, so it can be done immediately after receiving the advance payment. Sealing will cost a little more - I advised him to plan such procedures for the dates following the receipt of the main salary. As for prosthetics, it required quite a lot of money - I advised to put aside a certain amount for this for several months in a row.
Dad did as I advised him, and now he walks with healthy teeth.
Treat your teeth as carefully as possible, and approach the question of treatment as wisely as possible - even this, as it turned out, can be saved.
