all this talk about dentists emboldened me to tell my little tale since it is tres au courant.
i've had these tooth implants for twenty years. they've been a problem for about seven years.
four years ago my lower mandible was infected. my medi-cal doesn't cover implant work, or anything else dental for that matter, so i went to the university of southern california where they have students work on you.
at ucla they gave me a shot of novocaine and some amoxycilan (sp)?, and sent me home. two or three times a year it gets bad and i just deal with it.
on sunday i chomped down too hard on a pumernickel crust and practically screamed out loud with the pain….
i knew from an x-ray that one of the posts which had resided snuggly for many years was already broken. the pumpernickel finished off the whole usefullness of my 'bionic' teeth.
yesterday i went to the clinic. they have a dental department for the poor…
they wouldn't touch implants if i were dying. they would clean my teeth though.
they referred me to the ucla student clinic…
so last night i went to bed in pain again… this morning (wednesday) i woke up at 7, and instinctively explored the offending quadrant with my tongue… it felt a little higher… so i started pushing at it with my tongue… half of it came out of my jaw. so i grabbed it between thumb and forefinger and worked it out. well, most of it. i felt like a wounded animal.
i wanted to go back to sleep but my naughty tongue kept worrying the remaining post… and up it came like log. now it's all gone… no more problem.
why couldn't teeth be made of diamonds?
not very nice to look at. so, for taking you, my generous readers through my ordeal and suffering… i will just append another mulla nasr eddin story with some of you seem to like. so we will end this post with a laugh.
Mulla Nasr Eddin teaches that one must Always Look At the Bright Side of Life. I find it very difficult to argue with such logic, as I looked for dark and seamy until just a few years ago. Bright is better all-around.I am glad your pain has resolved itself (with a little help from you), but it looks as though you've left a major hole in your ability to chew foods. Will you be able to Get the implant replaced? Or substitute some other form of device?
That's not a lot of teeth. Be careful you don't become the long lost Marx Brother – Gummo.A guy can lose a lot of weight in six months. Then you can get your teeth rebuilt, and you'll be good as new!
not until i'm sixty-five. i have six and a half teeth left. i will just have to manage until september.but let's, like you said… look on the bright side… i won't eat as much.
I feel your pain. 😦
Well, you certainly have a lot of sympathy from me. Last trip to the dentist, he wanted to replace the crowns I have to the tune of $11,000.00. Not sure which pain was worse, the thought of this being done or the pain in the pocketbook. I really hope you find a good way to deal with the situation until you can get it resolved.
matthew, as good as new… yes.i think the cost is totally uncalled for. why do doctors have to charge so much? i think it's a conspiracy going back to their grandmothers… when they said… be either a lawyer or a doctor or you lose.
I think it generally has almost nothing to do with doctors, Scott. Doctors are a lot like recording artists – their HMOs and practice groups take huge cuts (and bear a lot of the costs, too). There isn't a lot of money in family practice, as far as I can tell.
I think it generally has almost nothing to do with doctors, Scott. Doctors are a lot like recording artists – their HMOs and practice groups take huge cuts (and bear a lot of the costs, too). There isn't a lot of money in family practice, as far as I can tell.
outlaw the hmo businesses then… it didn't used to impossible to pay for doctoring. thanks for commenting matthew.
You're welcome.The AARP thinks that if the entire country was on Madicare, we could save about 30% over current medical costs. More people insured, less costs. It's because insurance companies and HMOs cost us a lot of money – money that doesn't go to cost of care.
I think it's terrible that the medical system doesn't pay at least partly for dental care. It's the same here in Canada. I am fortunate to have a job now in which I have have extended health benefits. It's been almost 12 years since I had my teeth checked because I couldn't afford it before. And I had 4 cavities! I can't imagine how much worse it could've been if I had waited any longer
exactly. it's a waste for profit.
i am surprised. i thought canada had socialized medicine. how can they neglect teeth. thanks for stopping by san.
America is so sad in it's neglect of teeth and tooth problems. I am one of those millions without dental and so the solution everytime I have a problem is, Pull it.I have a tooth waiting to be pulled right now. Crap!there HAS to be a better way.
We have semi-free health care, if you are low income you don't pay, and there is a very low monthly fee for the rest. It doesn't cover prescriptions, physiotherapy and other services, and only emergency dental care that would be performed in a hospital. As well, we can go to dental colleges and get service as you do too.We even have to pay a fee for ambulance rides! Still, I think what we have is better than the American system.
Good luck with your teeth! Hopefully you even won't have to think about them for at least the next months. And give us more from Mulla Nasr Eddin.
I must remember to put my own complaints into perspective after reading your sorry report (and reading what others have also posted here). I am fortunate in the sense that I still have all of my teeth. This is not intended to sound like a 'smug' statement. It's a matter of genes, to some extent, and chance, or good fortune, to some extent. Me and most (I would guess) of my fellow compatriots probably worry about and disapprove of what we perceive to be the rising prices of dental work in the UK. Dentristry here is partly incorporated into our "National Health Service" but not enrtirely – unlike our medical care which is wholly part and parcel of our NHS over here. Reading your post about the cost of dental service in your country is not a surprise to me, nor is it a revelation that health care is, should the insurance refuse to cover or limit cover or should the patient not have insurance, a source of potential worry for many in the USA. I want to steer clear of any 'political' discussion or 'polemic' and I hope I do so… but I recenty watched an dvd movie titled "SICKO" that takes as its subject the role played by health insurance companies in the USA. It is very thought provoking indeed.
thanks loku-bro for the comment.i believe you are right about the heredity factor. a dentist once told me that people have varying degrees of tooth hardness. for example, my grandfather, on my mother's side (swedish-german), had all of his teeth pulled out when he was forty-five. of course he had to deal with false teeth, then, for about fifty years, but he never had another debilitating toothache.an interesting possible cause for the lack of compassion and coverage is a kind of a hauty complacency evidenced by people with hard teeth. the bi-product of that is similar to the arrogance of the rich (especially the so-called 'selfmade' millionaires.they don't understand that greed and ambition combined with lottery-like luck; a little dishonesty, mixed with unheeded natural conscience and bingo! they got rich [always climbing over the bodies of their associates who were cut out of the profits from their mutual labors]).well, these types will always say that so and so who is broke or poor has only himself to blame. and often these are just honest people who heed their consciences, have always worked hard and given of themselves unstintingly.so, my point is that hardtoothed people blame soft-toothed people with an onus contrived by way of the misunderstanding that they did not take care of their mouths. for example, i brushed my teeth dutifully after meals and before bed until i was about 13 years old. and, when i went to the dentist, he found 32 cavities. for all i know, he invented them, because i had no pain. so when thirty-two fillings eventually fell out there were thirty two holes for the caries to romp in. hense the demise of my teeth.yes, "sicko" should be required viewing for legislators.then, instead of squandering the public money on weilding our democratic sword in 127 different countries, they could put our money where our mouths are. just think of the cost to the gnp of people calling in sick because of toothaches and dental emergencies. enough!
thanks Scott-bro, well said.When you say "well, these types will always say that so and so who is broke or poor has only himself to blame." I remember that in one form or another I have often heard/read/seen some of your countrymen/women opine the same view. I am not a simpleton (I am a simple man) and I have traveled around to a lot of places. I have never yet been abel to firmly "put my finger" on the reason(s), the rationale for statements, similar the one you mention and I remember. Perhaps it all goes back to the so called "protestant ethic" of the "founding fathers", those pious guilt ridden group of folk who, I infer, believed 'everyone had to stand on their own two feet'. I'm probably over-simplifying and maybe I'm misquoting or misremembering my studies of that history and time period and the whole scene of piety per se. But I still find it difficult to accept that in a 'mighty nation' as that of the republic of the USA there, seemingly, exists a majority (perhaps) of opinion that holds true to that negative aspect of what I imply. I am digressing. Let me simply say that I find it hard to come to terms with the proclaimed generosity and kindness of the american people and paradoxically its apparent apathy in wanting to actively promote any change in the present system of health care. I suspect the answer lies in the lobbying system that influences the framing of some (few? many?) bills that become law. And at the 'base' of this lobby I also suspect there are powerful pro-active groups representing the Health Insurance Industry. But so what? If it's as clear to others as it seems clear to me then why does nothing change? The answer lies in the deeply (I suggest) ingrained attitude of the majority of the american people themselves. Either they are uncaring and selfish, or they are apathetic and don't wish to get into debates and move forward. I think it is the latter, rather than the former. I have not yet started to think the american people, as a whole, are uncaring or selfish. But when it comes down to it and nothing changes then those who suffer grieviously because of the present private health systen will not be too interested in the reasons, either way.
In my humble opinion, all kinds of health care should be tax-payed. Just because it's so very important for the quality of life in every individual case.
Interesting picture, as I've always wondered what the implants actually looked like. Now, since this was performed on you some 20 years back, have they been improved, regards to size, healing time? Curious!I can only chew on one side of my mouth, since there is a clump of skin, the size of a marble, in the back of my mouth where I was stitched in the ER after Dr. Evil tore the inside of my mouth apart.They weren't dentists, but I remain appreciative for the work they did to try and stop the bleeding, and so quickly.The dentist who extracted my 2 bottom teeth, (one was an eye and the other next to it), suggested down the road that I consider implants. Now I'm wearing a bridge and although it is uncomfortable, something foreign being in my mouth, at least I don't have a gap on the bottom left side.I agree that the cost of having any dental work is outrageous and I may just leave the bridge in. I've gotton used to worse.I'm so sorry for all of the pain you're experiencing Scott and sure hope that there is some way you will get your 'bite back' without losing everything you have.And you're so right about the monies not being allocated for something as important as our teeth.Not only do we want to keep our smiles but teeth that are infected and left unattended, for basic health reasons, the infection, especially in the upper teeth, could cause death. It can also cause brain damage.I could go on, as I've done so much research after my ordeal, but I'm sure you know how serious, infected teeth, left unattended, can be.Rinse, all the time, and not just when there's a problem, and with as much salt as you can stand with warm water, 7-8 times a day. It really keeps your mouth clean and much cleaner than brushing can, although brushing is very important after eating or drinking…anything.Good Luck with those Scott and let us know how this pans out for you.Hugs…Jillee:)
If I may, Scott, address Lokutus. It is an interesting notion that you posited, that the founding fathers may have ahd the idea that we should all "stand on our own two feet." Quaint idea and for the most part, I like that spirit that is found in most Americans.I agree that years of study and mounting costs of education tends to make one want to make more money. This applies to Dentists as well as Doctors. (There are other factors to account for rising health costs and rising dental cost, too, I know, such as the price of equipment rising, the cost of materials, the cost of rental on an office space. All these thing contriubte to our "out of control dental costs). I don't blame anyone for wanting to make a tidy living.At least most dentists will accept new patients even if they have no insurace (Many doctors will not). The patient may have to pay full retail costs, unless they can negotiate a lower rate with the dentist. Americans are not taught to haggle, so most don't realize that a huge advantage of having insurance is that the insurance companies have gone to the dentist (or doctor) and negotiated a rate that is normally less than half of the full retail vailue.So, part of standing on our own two feet is speaking up and taking control. Ask the dentist for a lower rate. Many times the person asking will get. Of course, the patient is still responsible for paying the remainder of the balance, which could soar into thousands for some dental proceedures.Thanks Scott and thanks Lokutus.
igor,i appreciate your point of view. i agree. but it's not always possible to have the money for the regular inspections. so, my main point, which is that dentistry should be free of any charge at all, for the benefit of all, is helped by your argument. many of my teeth could have been saved if i saw a dentist twice a year.
Let me join to discussion. I'm a bit late, so…… . In prosthesis, I hold on to traditional methods. I always had a dispute with the doctors about implants. I think it's impasse technology at all. (I will not go into details). In any case, the cheapest way is: REGULAR VISITS to the dentist once a half-year for PROPHYLACTIC inspection, doesn't matter bother teeth or not.
Well, what can I say…….? It's an evident defect of American medicine. The pursuit for innovations makes USA dentistry inaccessible to ordinary people, + lobby of implants companies. Russia has expensive dentistry too, but we can offer a lot of simple and not expensive options. Furthermore a retireds and military have their exemptions at the public clinics. And on the whole, dentistry as a life: the simpler – the more effective.
point taken and well made. the problem is americans are in love with money and they didn't go to college, med school and two years of dentistry internship to make their living cleaning teeth. they learn all the latest methods of saving a mouth. my idea of saving a mouth of soft tetth and getting it over with with dentures is more econimical and less painful in the long run… they knew that when my grandfather was 45.if you add up all the root canals which postponed the final demise of my mouth, and the implants, caps and partials i've had… i've spent $100,000 on my teeth over the years. i could pay off the mortgage with that and then live well.
all in all, i prefer not to complain. but it did make an interesting post.yes, even i, am far luckier than most.
One hundred thousand is an astronomical sum for me at all.
i know how terrible the teeth if it makes pain …! i have my rootcanal before and decided to took it out coz it makes pain too…the pain goes until my head already ….its infected..what more if i have an implant ?
tell me about it… when i get to the pearly gates of heaven, i'm going straight to the boss and insist he fire the engineer of teeth.they could have been made of diamonds.
it makes me nervouswhenever it comes to the teeth
the surgery is kind of an ordeal, but it doesn't hurt. then i was painless in that quadrant for about 19 years before it went bad. even then the pain was nothing like as bad as a real toothache.
No pearly whites beyond the Pearly Gates?
nope. why would a spirit need teeth?
Scott your article has aroused a public resonance!!!
I'll be disappointed if we cannot enjoy a good meal in the afterlife.
matthew,you have to have a body to eat a good meal… so let's just count on new advantages.yes, palyaris, it would seem so.
Awwww… That is mighty disappointing. Are you sure about this?
fairly sure of the logic. but maybe the next step isn't logical.
That's my fervent dream.