Re: Root Canal imminent....is a crown mandatory?

On Feb 5, 8:53 am, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

I don't know what "plan" or "insurance" you have. Most insurance plans
covering procedures on the basis of UCR (usual, customary and
reasonable) will pay for root canals at 80% of UCR (note that some UCR
schedules seem to have been discovered in a time capsule from the time
of Ramses II)--some will pay less.

Well I just got the insurance. In order to get some treatement. There
is a 4-month waiting period for Root Canal type treatements before the
Insurance (Mega) will cover it. I do have a plan via Cariengton. I'm
still new to this, so I'm reading the chart and trying to figure out
how much I'll have to pay out of pocket.

I had thought the charge for root canal, was root canal entire
procedure. After research, I see crown, filling, etc etc each
individual part of the process is a charge in itself. Is that
correct?

You haven't said what tooth you are dealing with, nor why the tooth
needs root canal.

Upper Right Molar. The tooth has a hole in it. It's been aching for
a while. 1 month or so ago sometimes it'd be so bad I couldnt' sleep.
It's extremely sensitive to heat or cold. Sometimes I get pain
attacks when driving on the beltway or if I"m on the metro. It's been
perfectly fine for a few days. The pain seems to randomly come and
dissapear as it chooses.

Around these parts (Brooklyn, NY) the fee for an
endodontist for an average molar tooth is in the $1000-$1200 range.
Less complicated teeth or those done by a generalist will likely be less.

I'm in Washington DC.

The majority of teeth requiring root canal need to be crowned, or at
least a restoration that covers the chewing surface. This is to
minimize the chances of cracking. Fees for crowns vary widely, but $1K
is a pretty fair guess of an average nationwide. A post and/or core may
be needed as well. Given this, a total fee of $2000-$2500 might be
right; out of pocket fees of $2000 indicate you're not getting much help
from your plan, and if you're paying for this I can't see why from this
example.

I think the problem is the insurance doesnt' kick in for this yet.
The other option is to wait 4 months after the root canal. The
Careington plan hopefully will give me a good discount on the Root
Canal.

It is not unusual for a patient not to be able to crown a tooth
immediately. In this situation (and esp. if I know the patient can be
trusted to return) I will sometimes restore the tooth with a filling
after shortening the tooth (therefore removing the tooth from most
biting forces) as long as they know the tooth MUST be restored more
definitively within a reasonable period of time (maybe a year). There
are few common scenarios in my office more disheartening than having a
patient go through a root canal, and next year having to extract the
tooth because it has cracked or rotted.

ODL. Mama mia! Talk about doomed if you do, doomed if you don't :/

Thanks for your reply Steve BTW, some of my friends are just finishing
medical school. I have respect for you guys and the service you
provide. I hope no one takes my alarm at dental costs as a knock on
the work you do or on your profession.

It's just that, well, I'm financially shot right now, unemployed too.
I only got the plan and insurance because the pain was becoming too
much to bear.

Cheers,



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: root canal re-retreatment chances of success?
    ... ROOT CANALS POSE HEALTH THREAT ... find causative agent of some devastating disease. ... living tooth lacks a blood supply to its interior. ... antibiotics don't faze the bacteria living there because they can't ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Re: Root Canal Or Extraction?
    ... I actually have pain above the last tooth I ... > Toxicity from Root Canals ... >>California Judge Approves Landmark Warning on Mercury Use in Dentistry. ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Re: Root infection can cure even it is cemented?
    ... I didn't have any problem with that tooth. ... Toxicity from Root Canals ... Mercury amalgams are said to be the caskets of the body. ... the warning to be posted in dentists' offices here today. ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Re: Root Canal??
    ... > Is it possible that the tooth is aready dead and therefore, ... Toxicity from Root Canals ... Mercury amalgams are said to be the caskets of the body. ... >California Judge Approves Landmark Warning on Mercury Use in Dentistry. ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Re: Need a Root Canal?
    ... Where the onlay or crown connects with the real tooth there is ... ll root cancel fillings have the potential to casue bad health. ... Toxicity from Root Canals ... Mercury amalgams are said to be the caskets of the body. ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)