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I was sitting in the dentist chair looking into the light when he told me exactly what I didn’t want to hear.
“You need a root canal.”
Ouch! The thought of having the dentist drill my molar was not as painful as wondering how much this was going to set me back.
I immediately began blaming myself. If only I hadn’t put off
going to the dentist, or had actually sat down to research and purchase insurance. I was going to get to it, eventually.
It just happened out of the blue. There was no pain. I was having toast and cereal for breakfast and felt a hard piece in my mouth.
“Eww, what’s in this cereal?”
I’ll spare you the yucky details. It was a piece of my molar. I found out after running my tongue and feeling a sharp edge.
After freaking out, I texted my dad. He directed me to go to the dentist.
“If it’s not that big, they’ll probably just patch it up,” he said.
That’s how my Friday morning started. By the end of the day, I was so thankful I had at least been diligent enough to put money away in an emergency fund.
So how much is it going to cost me? $1,400. Not bad considering the bill started at $2,800 for the root canal, two fillings and deep cleaning.
I managed to negotiate a lower price by offering to pay cash upfront. It also didn’t hurt that my little sister recently got her braces with their orthodontist.
This shrunk my emergency fund and left me feeling irresponsible. It also left me wondering if I should have taken the money from my budget or savings (as a form of punishment as a percentage is for fun) instead of my emergency fund.
You see, although necessary and urgent, I’m having doubts about whether it’s an emergency as there is no pain or blood just a lot of worrying and extensive Google searches about broken teeth and root canals.
Where would you have taken the money from?
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Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
Both UCLA and USC have dental clinics that are more affordable than regular dentists. If your income is low they can give you a better deal. Call UCLA Dental Clinic at Mission Community Hospital for details (818) 837-0398. If you have a dental emergency they could probably fit you in quickly. Good luck!
@Carrie Thanks for the info. I’ve heard about both clinics, but haven’t been. I had the first procedure done on Monday and it wasn’t that bad. The whole procedure should be completed after Christmas.
I’ve heard about both the UCLA and USC dental clinics, and it’s been nothing but good comments. Years ago, I knew a dentist who taught at the USC school of dentistry, and he saw low-income patients on a regular basis.
Going by personal experience… Don’t ever put off going to the dentist for regular cleanings and check-ups. Often, the more serious problems are undetectable (no pain, discomfort, etc.), and only X-rays reveal the problems. I inherited lousy teeth and gums from my dad, and have had serious work done over the years. Better safe than sorry. It only gets more expensive with time! I do keep my emergency fund built up for these kinds of things.
For people in the Inland Empire — Loma Linda University also has an excellent Dental Clinic.
Sorry for hijacking this thread but I would say that prevention is the still the cheaper alternative in the long run. Insurance will cover a large portion of the cost but you’ll still have a minimum of $400 copay for all the services listed. I’m in no way endorsing or promoting Dr Ellie but her website has some good information about tooth issues. I use the generic version of her system to strengthen my teeth. I’ve been cavity free for 15 years and I get my teeth cleaned about once every two years.
I have gone to the USC Dental Clinic for an emergency night guard dental plate. Their work is excellent. The only negative is you must pay cash up front. They do not bill.
I was told they had too many problems with people “forgetting” to pay their bills.
I have a friend who has been a patient at the dental clinic for over 25 years. We both agree that you can pay a lot more elsewhere, but you won’t find finer dentistry anywhere.
I surely feel for you. I know that root canals are expensive. I also know that you should always carry a dental plan. My teeth are good, its my husband that needs extensive work, and he refuses to buy dental insurance. And I hate him living with that pain. At the first of the year his dental plan goes into effect and I will make sure he takes it.
Yikes! My husband just had a root canal: $360. No problems or complications.
Good luck & prayers for All with dental problems…
After four failed root-canals over the years (that they had already put caps/crowns/bridges on, thus wasting @ $10K); this last one I’m going to try to circumvent the process, and just pull it out and try an implant instead. There’s no guarentee, but I hope to save myself alot of pain, money and hassles I had with the others. Please send me luck (and healing prayers if you will 🙂 I need them!
My husband and I have CareCredit, a credit card from GE Money Bank, that we use for emergency dental procedures. It allows deferred interest options, so we make monthly payments to payoff before the end of the deferral. You can check their website, carecredit.com to see which doctors, dentists, even vets take it!
@Karen T ~ The few people I know who have implants love them but they are also expen$sive. However, you mention getting only one. I would suggest consulting with a couple of specialists for price, procedures, etc. unless you are located near a dentistry teaching school.
Thanks you for the information. It’s hard to find a high
quality and truly useful guidelines. I will certainly attempt to
implement those in the upcoming appointment with my dental professional.