Monday
May212007
Terror of The Unknown Dentist
Monday, May 21, 2007 at 10:33AM
"If it is dark or dirty, if you hear screaming or smell that acrid, tooth-burning smell, if you see a pair of pliers or any kind of restraints...RUN, don't walk out..."
Okay, this is not a good start to the day, this parting advice from my DH, on the occasion of my first visit to our potential new dentist, on our new DentalPlans.com Dental Discount Program, for the lack of any kind of dental insurance on our new health insurance program.
I wrote about this when I made the appointment, back in April: Dentists & Dental Plans, and I promised I would report back, if I survived the experience.
I was terrified. But I thrive on fear, for some strange reason, in certain situations (where personal safety is not at risk), believing that if you are stepping up to do something you are afraid of, it's a cosmic opportunity for growth and maybe even An Experience -- always fun to write about, anyway.
So I went to see Dr. Wingfield Of The Nanston Dental Group on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta this morning at 10am. I walked the block up from my building and arrived at 9:30 to do paperwork and figure out this Discount Dental Plan vs. insurance issue, still nervous about how much this would end up costing, and then there was the whole other issue of Terror of The Unknown Dentist...
The office is on the 7th floor of one of the nicest buildings on Peachtree Street. The lobby was nice, the elevator clean and elegant, all signs pointing to good so far. When I walked into the dental office, I was pleasantly reassured: light, bright, modern, comfortable and clean. The receptionist was really nice. The paperwork was easy. I soon found myself sitting in a state-of-the-art dental lounger, with Martha Stewart (not my 1st choice, but still...) on a flatscreen TV above me, showing how to make fresh-squeezed lemonade and some yummy lime drink with limeade ice cubes and vodka...
I didn't have to wait long at all before the xray tech came in and led me through a whole set of xrays, which were surprisingly not painful or uncomfortable. Then the hygienist came in and did the preliminary exam and cleaning, followed by the dentist, Dr. Wingfield, who was great. I liked them all. Very professional. I felt completely comfortable. (I made appointments for DH & the 3 kids!)
The Discount Plan was more of a novelty than any kind of problem or issue. The finance person called to check all the information, and I paid $184 for the entire visit, including Vizilite oral cancer screening, which represents a 40% discount on typical charges for In-depth Exam & Cleaning, Full Mouth X-Rays, and Vizilite.
It can be kind of hard to compare & contrast health plans and dental insurance on a cost analysis basis, because there are so many factors that enter in. I know that we used to only have to pay $15 for fluoride treatments at semi-annual visits when we had dental insurance, but we were paying $150 per month for that insurance coverage, for a family of five, and when it came to any additional expenses, for fillings, sealants or other work, we always ended up paying hundreds of dollars (and more) due to "acceptable" charges, co-pays, deductibles, etc.
Here we are, with no dental insurance, which I think is quite likely to become more and more typical with the way health insurance is going. For a while, we just didn't go, and thank goodness everybody has reasonably good teeth, although I'm sure we'll have some deferred maintenance issues to deal with. The Dental Discount Plan seems like a very reasonable alternative in lieu of insurance, especially since it doesn't appear to mean discount dentistry! [Big, huge sigh of relief--][ooohhhh, nice smooth, clean teeth; minty-fresh breath!! ;-)]
Here's more info and a discount code for DentalPlans.com.
Okay, this is not a good start to the day, this parting advice from my DH, on the occasion of my first visit to our potential new dentist, on our new DentalPlans.com Dental Discount Program, for the lack of any kind of dental insurance on our new health insurance program.
I wrote about this when I made the appointment, back in April: Dentists & Dental Plans, and I promised I would report back, if I survived the experience.
I was terrified. But I thrive on fear, for some strange reason, in certain situations (where personal safety is not at risk), believing that if you are stepping up to do something you are afraid of, it's a cosmic opportunity for growth and maybe even An Experience -- always fun to write about, anyway.
So I went to see Dr. Wingfield Of The Nanston Dental Group on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta this morning at 10am. I walked the block up from my building and arrived at 9:30 to do paperwork and figure out this Discount Dental Plan vs. insurance issue, still nervous about how much this would end up costing, and then there was the whole other issue of Terror of The Unknown Dentist...
The office is on the 7th floor of one of the nicest buildings on Peachtree Street. The lobby was nice, the elevator clean and elegant, all signs pointing to good so far. When I walked into the dental office, I was pleasantly reassured: light, bright, modern, comfortable and clean. The receptionist was really nice. The paperwork was easy. I soon found myself sitting in a state-of-the-art dental lounger, with Martha Stewart (not my 1st choice, but still...) on a flatscreen TV above me, showing how to make fresh-squeezed lemonade and some yummy lime drink with limeade ice cubes and vodka...
I didn't have to wait long at all before the xray tech came in and led me through a whole set of xrays, which were surprisingly not painful or uncomfortable. Then the hygienist came in and did the preliminary exam and cleaning, followed by the dentist, Dr. Wingfield, who was great. I liked them all. Very professional. I felt completely comfortable. (I made appointments for DH & the 3 kids!)
The Discount Plan was more of a novelty than any kind of problem or issue. The finance person called to check all the information, and I paid $184 for the entire visit, including Vizilite oral cancer screening, which represents a 40% discount on typical charges for In-depth Exam & Cleaning, Full Mouth X-Rays, and Vizilite.
It can be kind of hard to compare & contrast health plans and dental insurance on a cost analysis basis, because there are so many factors that enter in. I know that we used to only have to pay $15 for fluoride treatments at semi-annual visits when we had dental insurance, but we were paying $150 per month for that insurance coverage, for a family of five, and when it came to any additional expenses, for fillings, sealants or other work, we always ended up paying hundreds of dollars (and more) due to "acceptable" charges, co-pays, deductibles, etc.
Here we are, with no dental insurance, which I think is quite likely to become more and more typical with the way health insurance is going. For a while, we just didn't go, and thank goodness everybody has reasonably good teeth, although I'm sure we'll have some deferred maintenance issues to deal with. The Dental Discount Plan seems like a very reasonable alternative in lieu of insurance, especially since it doesn't appear to mean discount dentistry! [Big, huge sigh of relief--][ooohhhh, nice smooth, clean teeth; minty-fresh breath!! ;-)]
Here's more info and a discount code for DentalPlans.com.
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