Nobody likes the dentist...

I walked into the dentist with an appointment for a $90 filling and walked out $539 less rich because of a ROOT CANAL! Yes, this happened. And I was livid at how it all went down.

Explanation... 

Six months ago I got my dental insurance discount card and set up a routine dental exam; the doctor did new patient x-rays and took inventory of all my teeth and any cavities. Now it was six months ago, but I distinctly remember being told that I had 2 small cavities which should be filled in the next few months. No major deal. I'll admit my own stupidity, laziness and frugality in waiting until one of them started to become a problem to deal with it. However-- I was told that they were small cavities that should be filled in the next few months. Not needed to be ... or else.

Here is how today went down... 

Show up early for my appointment, they can get me in at 8 instead of 8:30 [great!], dentists assistant Keely asks if there are any problems, I explain a toothache I've been suffering the past few days, she takes some x-rays. Enter dentist. He numbs me, starts picking and drilling at the tooth, says there's some decay. I'm still under the impression that I'm here for a filling. Afterall-- I've never been to dental school and nothing he's doing seems any different than any other filling I've had filled. He picks at it for a while and takes a few more x-rays, says it's a pretty deep cavity because it got under the original filling I had there already from years ago. I guess this is doctor code for "you're gonna need a root canal." Because at this point, while he's out of the room, patient hopping, Assistant Keely comes in hands me a clipboard and says, "You'll need to sign here for the root canal," just like that "for the root canal." Uh? What root canal? Nobody said anything about a root canal. Nobody discussed this with me, nor discussed any of my options with me. At this point I run my tongue over the tooth and notice a significant portion of the middle is missing and the whole tooth seems to be hollowed out.

I guess he didn't really leave me any options, huh?

I look at the assistant and ask, "How much is this going to cost?"

"I don't know" she stares blankly at me...

[I stare back baffled at her response.] 

... "Do you want me to find out?" 

[Oh, no! No need. Just bill me for it later!]

"Yes, please."
She comes back to tell me it's gonna be $428.         Of course! 

"...and it says here that they often need a cap? Will I be needing a crown at some point in time?"
"Yes, we suggest that, the temporary filling we will do today will only last so long."
"How much is that going to cost?"
[Can you guess what she said??]

"I don't know...." 

[I stare at her beyond annoyed]

"Do you want me to find out?"

"Y e s . . . p l e a s e ."

Well the crown is going to cost somewhere around another $400-500. 

My lucky day. 

Jordan is in class, so I just text him a brief summary of what has happened and he insists I get the root canal done and not to worry about the cost. [My wonderful husband.] I sign the form, but feel so uncomfortable not having even been give the chance to discuss the options I may have had to look around at other dentists and compare prices before continuing with the procedure he has apparently already started. Look at it this way; I'm basically in a doctors office complaining about chronic headaches when my skull is cut open for brain surgery-- 'Oh yeah, by the way we're gonna need to operate.'  ...'and it's gonna cost you a small fortune.'

When I leave I just sit in the car and cry for a few minutes because I am so furious at having just wasted $500 for something that more than likely could have been prevented. I was baffled that at no point was the procedure DISCUSSED with me, nor was I even given a chance to consult with my husband about our financial ability to have the procedure done, etc. I'm not terribly confrontational in every situation, so once the dentist came back into the room I simply asked him how a small cavity could have quickly become  a necessary root canal. He said I had had two small cavities and one big one. I corrected him, telling him the information which he had told me six months ago and asked if the fact that I had a deep cavity that needed immediate attention had been made clear to me, if - it would have been an easy fix to fill and never would have gotten to this point had it been taken care of with more urgency on both our parts. I could tell he was caught off guard by my blunt blame and question, he backpedaled and said that nothing can really be said for sure and it might have happened anyway. 

Doubtful. 

As I said, though-- I accept my portion of the blame for not just having had the cavity filled within a few weeks of the initial appointment and instead waiting for any sign of a problem to finally deal with it. However, I know that he did not explain the "small cavity" [which magically turned into a deep cavity] to be an immediate concern and he should have.

After I cooled off a little I called the office and talked to one of the front desk attendants and told her my complete disdain for the manner in which the whole morning had panned out. She was very apologetic-- and granted, I didn't expect much-- [not like she was going to shell out a discount or refund my money]-- I had, after all signed the slip and granted my permission to be operated on, knowing the cost. I complained about his bedside manner and pointed out that I felt swindled into a situation which at the time of it being presented to me-- had no real other options than to walk out with a gaping hole in my tooth-- leaving a procedure half done. 

So... my dentist is a used car salesman. 

Wait, at least used car salesmen wear ties. 

Worse. 

Needless to say, I will be looking for a new dentist. [And leaving a very bad review on google, yahoo and whatever else I can get my little typey fingers on!]