I need...

[Amethyst Hunter]

...Good thoughts, hugs, and a shitload of money. Not necessarily in that order. (Hint: Right now I have a box of kleenex, and dollar bills don't wipe well.)

I went to the dentist for the first time yesterday in who knows how many years, because until I became employed I couldn't afford it (Even given my employment, I take a hard hit in the wallet. Let's just say that I'm one of them who lives paycheck to paycheck, literally). It wasn't by choice. For about 2 weeks I've been having pain in the left side of my face that was uncomfortable enough to have me eating ibuprofen like candy every couple of hours. Well, now I know why.

I have to have not one, not two, but SIX FUCKING TEETH (including all 4 wisdoms) taken out. Preferably as soon as possible, because the area with the pain is where one tooth has gone rotten all the way down to the bone. One of the back molars also has to go, because thanks to my shitty wisdom teeth growing so far over into the root of it, it won't be long before that one starts dying off too. And needless to say, the wisdoms themselves are so bad that they've turned black. I'm surprised I don't have any pain from them (although the gums in those areas do get inflamed and sore from time to time, as they did last weekend).

I broke down crying in the dentist's office. I hate and fear the pain involved here, and I hate that now I'm going to look like a stupid hillbilly with the one rotten tooth taken out (it's up front enough that you could see it when I opened my mouth). The cost alone in these extractions...we're talking potentially thousands of dollars here. Money that I don't have. Period. (Needless to say, no, I have no insurance.) I'll be lucky if I can get any help from outside sources (which I'm currently looking into). Happy fucking Thanksgiving and Merry fucking Christmas to me, indeed.

Well-wishes and other advice are greatly appreciated right now while I go back to hiding under the blankets.

[taxguykarl]

Ask the dentist's business manager about payment plans. Also inquire with other dentists as prices vary widely.

[ReadyToRetire]

Oddly enough, I also went to the dentist yesterday for the first time in forever. I had one tooth on the upper right that had broken 3 seperate times. But the one that drove me to seeing a dentist was a tooth on the lower left that felt like something was lodged down in it.
Turns out there was...a piece of the other tooth wedged it's way into the gum under the tooth.

While fixing that, he went ahead and pulled the other tooth. I was all ready for some pain during and after. The anestesthia <sp?> shots were not great, but the surgery itself was painless. Also, not really much pain afterwards so far either. Although, cold fluids do hurt alot, while hot stuff didn't bother me at all.

The exam, 2 xrays and extraction set me back only $211. Unless you're gonna need a root canal, I don't think the extractions should run into the thousands. Different people I talked to around here <florida> generally said their extractions were in the $200 range.

I don't know your area & costs or your threshhold for pain, but I truly believe each of these are far less than you are thinking.

[Gerrinson]

Actually, you may be in luck with the wisdom teeth. I had one that got infected prior to removal, the the infection killed the root. There was very little pain involved and the healing went faster with that one than with any of the others.

Also, my oral surgeon knocked me out completely for the bottom wisdom teeth. Maybe you can have the same? Goto sleep and wake when it's over is the stress free way to do it.

[dalesys]

One thing I have learned: Megadose Vitamin C can postpone the day of reckoning.

I've been about six months since my first twinges and have amped up to 30gm/day. Yeah, 5 1000mg tablets every 4 hours, while I'm getting enough money.

This is about the fourth time I've intentionally done this, so it works for me.

Erm, and I'm using no painkillers of any kind (yet).

[Shpepper]

Try checking and see if there is a dental school close to you. They will usually work on a sliding scale.

[tropicsgoddess]

Try checking and see if there is a dental school close to you. They will usually work on a sliding scale.

That and the pricing is much cheaper but they may have a wait list. I recommend checking in with them.

[Food Lady]

Also, some counties have income-based care. The wait is long and it's a hassle, but you may not have to pay.

[taxguykarl]

Also you can base your medical deduction on the amount of the bill or when you actually cut the check--your choice. I got a teacher a 4-figure refund based on her dental work, once.

[Der Cute]

University/Tech Schools, Dental Schools. Check your county/state for low income dental assistance. Call shelters (of all things) and see if anyone knows. Start calling around NOW, because if an infection occurs, your teeth are too damn close to your brain.

I went to a clinic specifically for low-income/uninsured people and had an emergency tooth extraction for $60. I did have to prove I was dirt poor; file for charity. But I got it done. This place would only see you for one emergency/issue at a time, you can't fix all 4.

Is there any way in Hades you could go to Tijuana? I did in 2009. $200 for the flight, $100 ish for the motel and a couple grand for the teeth - but it was 4 porcelain crowns, 2 root canals, bleaching, super cleaning...you name it.
What county /state do you live in? I could do some digging for you.

[csquared]

I'll add another vote for the dental school.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Teeth update

Had the consult with the oral surgeon yesterday.

This is going to cost me about $2400. I have no idea how the hell I'm going to raise that kind of money. My job doesn't pay nearly enough. (But then retail never does)

*sigh* Yeah, I'm resigned to being poor for the rest of my life. Some days I really just want to give up and say the hell with everything. It just doesn't seem worth it. I think the only reason I stick around is just so I can see what else crops up to surprise me.

Still need to check with the dental office and see if they'll let me pay in installments, but I strongly suspect they'll want the whole sum up front the day of surgery (which will be Dec. 1st. I CANNOT wait any longer than those 2 weeks because if I do, the doc says I'll be risking a second, and perhaps worse, infection in the one tooth, which could really mess things up. I don't want to get to that point. I have a friend who had an abscess once and it damn near killed her.)

Any way you look at it, I'm fucked up shit creek. Dental school isn't an option. I don't have the time or money to hunt down one (or a second opinion; besides, those x-rays at the first dentist's were pretty clear-cut. There's a big shadow in the one tooth that should never be there) and frankly, I want a professional for this sort of thing. I WISH I were exaggerating the $2400 figure, but they printed out the estimate for me so it's right there in black and white. I will be getting put out - I made sure to stress that to them. The anesthesia alone is close to $500. (But worth it, IMO, considering what I'm about to get done.)

So that's that.

[AnaKhouri]

I don't know if dentists work like this, but when my brother had an ER bill he couldn't pay, I was able to write a letter to the hospital stating he was unemployed through no fault of his own, had no insurance, and had 4 kids to feed. They cut his bill from $500 to $50.

[Der Cute]

Go to Mexico. Tijuana or another border town. That's how I got my super messy teeth work done. 4 top front porcelain crowns, 2 root canals, bleaching, smoothing/filing.
Yeah, that would have cost over 3, 4K here.

http://dentistintijuanamexico.com/

This is the dentist who helped me.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Go to Mexico.

Also not an option. I'm scrambling as it is to come up with the $2400 for my surgery; there's no way in hell I can afford travel expenses. And I've no wish to run into any of the ongoing drug wars that have been lighting that country up like fireworks lately. (Granted, I don't know the exact geography where ambushes have been taking place, but still. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.)