On Halloween I finally dared cancel my (execrable) DELTA dental private pay policy figuring my big problems were out of the way. (Cost $60+/month PPO with annual maximum pay of $1500.

Good thing they allowed me a month to reinstate it as days ago, a front tooth crown cracked in two. Means $1200 for a new crown upcoming while I'm still covering another crown which required crown lengthening and "Core build-up".

Still kind of steaming at finding that previous crown (facilitated by crown-lengthening gum surgery) had core build-up added without asking me. The whole deal was supposed to allow me to avoid ANOTHER implant - but it's added up, more and more. Hardly know where to begin as there have been so many bad surprises involved, and I'm not sure I've been charged fairly. Doesn't help that neither dentist nor periodontist participates in my plan, same as all decent pros locally (except one OK endodontist
practice).

I had regretfully already decided to forgo that implant as it doesn't show in my smile and I've just burnt out my savings especially for dental costs. I figure my teeth have cost well over $100,000 inflation-adjusted from the first days. After I said to forget that implant, he "discovered" enough tooth structure remained if the gum surgery would allow it - and said it did.

I was irritated that the appointment to cast that crown took two hours (told to expect one) which
meant missing other engagements. Turns out the extra time was because he found he needed to do that "core build up" - an added $500. It was a nasty shock learning that upon check-out. Front desk staff insisted he MUST have told me to expect it (I denied it) and it turned out I was
right.

When I saw him yesterday about the broken front crown, I asked about the added charge. He was testy, admitting he hadn't mentioned it but explaining why he'd had to do it. But he'd told me to expect a different cost!

Unsure what I would have done if he'd told me mid-procedure, but feeling on this account and others, he's taking advantage of me - again. (It's been two years he's been denying there's a problem flossing between two other implants; he claims it's a problem with my motor coordination ). Well, yesterday, even HE was unable to get the floss between them, meaning he will finally unscrew the implant and readjust it. (Hoping that will suffice).

He's already told me in the past, this can loosen the implant's "seating" which I don't like the sound of especially as he's already over retirement age. If any of his work fails, there wil be no one to take responsibility. He complains when I ask about this. (What do other dentist do at retirement? My replacement car after last was totalled cost the same as one implant! Don't dentists provide any guarantees?)

The very worst implant issue occurred before spine surgery when a new implant came loose the day before the op. I'd allowed for what sons and I realized without stressing it, might be our last day together before that dangerous op. Because of this dentist-caused problem, we spent it searching for an emergency dentist in NYC and waiting in his office instead. $350 for that appt., extra hotel night plus long cab rides - and no fun time! Scary too as I knew very well they'd never let me have the nine +/- surgery with a loose tooth - a surgery I'd waited eight years for, and which couldn't be postponed. The son who was finally available to help, was between graduation and his first job. No rescheduling possible!

It was all I could do to get the hometown dentist to cover the cost of the emergency dentist (applying it to future work). No apology for that nor for the several unexpected appts required in the prior week, working on that implant's fitting! There had already been SO much to squeeze in, before that surgery which was to be followed by an unknown period of disability - or worse...

So why am I seeing this dentist still? It's been 25 years, having been first referred because he was the only local dentist supposedly able to readjust my defective bite (there being no local prosthedontists). That required expert replacement of a mouth full of crowns after four quadrant crown lengthening surgery - luckily, insurance then covered the gum work under Medical.

So I stayed with him. He was very well-reputed and dedicated - and much less gouging then. Now,
I'm left with the question of his post-retirement responsibility (these seven implants have been $5K apiece, with only a fraction covered by DELTA!) plus other mouth-related expenses.

Leading up to three topics:
1) the first (yeah, OK, IS he treating me badly? - there's more too. I think he's just lost track of "normal people's" budgets besides becoming greedier.

2)ARE his charges excessive, also looking at his way of levying them without warning? (Overall,
I think his procedures are typical of the better trained dentists in town, but I'm not sure his way of levying them is fair. Also, there's no discount for cash payments (as mine always are). Is that usual?

We live in a rural area where most COLA is well below the upscale areas of the country, but dentists appear to charge at least as much as elsewhere. (My best friend lives in a nice LA
suburb and has had to have almost as many implants as me. For her that seems to be a result of the Cultural Revolution, when like so many Chinese "intelligentsia" of her generation, she was sent to the Countryside for reeducation. Without much dental care, I guess.)

She reports her implants costing the same as mine here in Central PA!

I'm wondering how much your dentists charge for crowns and implants and the whole shebang, and how you deal with dental insurance.

It really seems US dentists are becoming adept at gouging perhaps more in this area than elsewhere.

Kind of closing the barn door after many horses are out, but commentary and cost comparison would be much appreciated - not that I expect anyone to have my level of dental problems! I think living here in nowheresville (not much here but the football team) means local dentist are able to take advantage. Besides which, I'm beginning to think income polarisation is showing up even more in dental care than other medical care. It seems either middle-aged on up have dentures or else they have nice teeth for which many spend a king's ransom - at least, if they have any amount of problems!

FWIW my dentist claims my many dental issues result from a combination of dry mouth - living off xylitol now! - inherited bad oral chemistry, and that bite problem. Maybe also bruxism. He says my hygiene is fine and my gums are reportedly perfect. That, at least!
He has never accepted any responsibility for negligence in early diagnosis - my belief - and why I've been insisting on radio-lucent restorations in the last decade!

And FWIW, no, there are no dental schools around, and I couldn't even have switched to dentures after all these years as the implants have been only necessitated gradually. Means, I'd have had to remove ones already placed to have dentures.

This is completely screwing up my already endangered retirement survival plans - as if the family cheats hadn't been enough. That and the extraordinary expenses (time and money) of my special needs sons' raising! I'd at least, like to know if our local dentists' charges are typical (AFAIC they ought to be less, if they matched other COL!).

Hoping someone will bother to get through this megillah and provide feedback and opinions. I recall other threads about single (far more minor) dental expenses. Apart from those of you with such upper tier incomes dental costs aren't sources of panic, just imagine having such surprise costs zapping your savings! $500 (core build up), $1200 (crown), $5000 (implant), root canals ($1000+) etc - plus routine care, such as cavities and cleanings...And that insurance!

PS Would acceptable dental care be more affordable elsewhere, at least? Like where? First, hoping to compare costs with you all, in the US and secondly, considering dental tourism. I'm sure there are competent dentists overseas, charging far less (the travel would be more than covered by the price difference). Do any of you know of any - in Europe or S. America?