Baton Rouge Dentist

Can’t afford extraction

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I need a tooth in the back extracted, but I don’t have the money. It’s getting pretty bad and I can’t deal with it. The pain is now spreading up the side of my face and is to my eyebrow. I have some old antibiotics that I didn’t end up needing. Can I take that, until I have the money for the extraction?

Stacey A. – Little Rock, AR

Stacey,

This is one of those dental situation where you can’t afford not to do it. You can actually die from a tooth abscess. This is spreading. What will you do if it gets to your brain?  This tooth needs to be extracted and the antibiotic will not take care of your infection.

If you’ve already got a dentist, call him and explain the situation. He’ll more than likely be able to work out some way to make it affordable.

This is something you really cannot put off.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Affordable Full Mouth Reconstruction

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My dentist told me I need a full mouth reconstruction. To be honest it doesn’t surprise me. My teeth are terrible. However, the price he quoted is not doable. Is there any way to do this affordably?

Jana E. – St. Louis

Jana,

Generally, a full mouth reconstruction consists in getting porclelain crowns, dental implants, or a mixuture of both. It can be pretty pricey, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to do have affordable dentistry.

Talk to your dentist about the situation. You can use different procedures, or staggar your treatment to fit with your budgetary restrictions. There are any number of ways to do this in a way that you can afford.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Dentist said I need all my teeth crowned

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My dentist told me that I have to have all my teeth crowned because of TMJ. That sounds really expensive. Is there an affordable way to do it or am I destined for bankruptcy?

Danielle M. – Ft. Collins, CO

Danielle,

A full mouth reconstruction is an extremely advanced procedure. If I were in your position, the first thing I would do is get a second opinion. It is possible you need the procedure, but I’d want to be certain before doing anything quite so drastic. What other treatment options has your dentist tried.

Next, if it is determined that this is the right procedure, I wouldn’t be focused on who is the most affordable dentist. Instead, I would definitely be looking at who is the most qualified.  If a full mouth reconstruction isn’t done well, it can lead to serious problems that can mess with your quality of life. Horror stories abound of FMR’s that have caused people to no longer be able to eat solid food.

I know cost is a factor. In those cases, I would go for a no-interest payment plan that will let you pay it off in small amounts. Generally  Care Credit will do that. If not, you’ll have to do the treatment in stages, saving up before each installment.

No matter what the cost, it is imperative you remember skill is very important in this type of situation.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

 

My dentist stinks–literally

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I called around to find out who the cheapest dentist in town was, in order to save money.  I came across a dentist who was quite a bit cheaper than everyone else.  However, in my first appointment I found out why. He stinks. Like truly smells bad.  So, I went to the next cheapest dentist on my list and he had horrible chairside manner. In fact he made Dr. House seem like a cuddly, chatty teddy bear. Is there a decent dentist who is actually affordable or do they all have issues and that is why they’re so much cheaper?

Sara M. – Denver, CO

Sara,

I’ve heard of dentists who stink at their job before, but actual body odor is a new one for me. It is definitely true that dentists with…shall we say issues…tend to draw in clients by lowering their prices significantly. It may seem like a very subtle difference, but there is an important distinction between a cheap dentist and an affordable one. Sometimes fees can seem close to what a high end dentist would be, but they save you money in the long run.

One important way is by using high quality materials. Sometimes a dentist has really low fees, but that is because they purchase inferior materials. They may go into your mouth fine, but they’ll fail or break much sooner than they should.

Other dentists stay affordable through phased treatments or no interest payments.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

NOT saving money would have saved me money

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Dear Dr. Perry,

I just wanted to tell you about something that could help dental patients in the future.  Maybe they’re like me and don’t have much money. I go to the local dental school to get my teeth cleaned, because they only charge $50. They do a fantastic job with cleaning. Unfortunately, they don’t treat things like cavities and root canals.  I needed a dental crown. I called around to every dentist in the city in order to find the absolute cheapest dentist around.

I ended up finding this guy that charged less than half of everyone else. I thought this would be a great way to get affordable dental care. He was a new dentist and just opening his first practice. I thought it would be a win-win situation. He’d graduated from dental school and needed some clients. I figured he knew what he was doing, as he had graduated. I was wrong.

He’s had to reinstall the dental crown four, yes FOUR times.  That meant  I’ve missed work three extra appointments. I’m payed by the hour, not salaried, so that has cost me a day and a half of pay in total. On top of that, buy the time he went to put the crown in the fourth time, it no longer fit right and caused me a lot of pain. We had to re-do another, brand new crown. Somehow between the fourth fit of the first crown and the second crown I got an infection.  Now, I still have no crown, I’m dealing with an infection, and I’m out quite a bit of money. If I’d have just gone to a regular dentist to begin with instead of trying to find the cheapest, I would have save a lot of money.

I hope this saves some of your patients. It’s better to go to an experienced dentist, like Dr. Perry, than to “save money”.

Amelia M. – Oklahoma

Amelia,

Thank you for your warning. I have seen many disastrous “affordable” treatments in my lifetime. For future reference, there is no reason for a dental crown to fall out once, let alone four times. Competent dentists go their entire career without a crown falling out when it is cemented in.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

 

Protecting myself in Mexico

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I need to have some dental work done. My dentist wants to charge too much, so I’m thinking of going over the border (which is close to my home). I did some research and learned that dental care there is a fraction of the price. Is there anything I can do to help ensure a pleasant experience?  Do I need to give the dentist anythign ahead of time?

Mason F. – Arizona

Mason,

I know it can be very tempting to take a quick day trip to Mexico and get dental work done cheaply, but you are playing with fire. In the U.S. we have regulations to protect the patient, including sterilization standards.  You will find no such thing in Mexico. It is up to the dentist to determine the level of sanitation and sterilization they’ll provide.

If something goes wrong, you have to try to get recourse through their government and arbitration. It is complicated to navigate and often ends up a futile battle.

I know having affordable dentistry is important, but you don’t want to risk your health. I suggest you call your dentist and ask for some kind of financial help. Many dentists give a discount to patients who pay in cash. He may offer payment plans also, which can spread out the cost and be less prohibitive.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Free Dental Exam

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You never know when you go to a new dentist, whether you’re going to like him or her. Will you mesh with the staff? Do they perform the kinds of treatments you’re interested in?  Will you be comfortable with their personality and chairside manner?

There are few things worse than paying all the new patient fees to discover this isn’t the dentist for you. To avoid that, Dr. Perry offers a completely free dental exam to all new patients.

To learn more, you may click here to visit our free dental exam page.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Big difference in prices with dentists

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I’ve been calling around to cosmetic dentists in my area. There is a huge difference in prices between the dentists. How is there such a diversity in prices? Is it better to go to the most affordable, or does being the most expensive mean they’re  better?

Phillip M.- Durango, CO

Phillip,

You’ve asked a great question.  Sometimes when a patient is looking for an affordable dentist, they’re tempted just to go with the least expensive. However, if they’re not very skilled in the proceudre you need, then it will end up costing you even more money than if you’d gone to the most expensive dentist.

Which dentist you go to will often depend on your goals and your budget. Are you looking for a stunning smile makeover?  Then don’t look to save money.  Go for the best cosmetic dentist you can find because otherwise you’ll be disappointed.  You really need someone with not only training, but artistry.  That generally costs more money than your average dentist.

Now, if you’re talking about general dentistry, you want someone who is skilled, but that doesn’t have to cost a fortune. But, the cheapest dentist will sometimes cut corners with inferior materials. There are other ways to be affordable.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge, LA Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

 

Affordable Dentistry

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Dentists get a lot of calls asking how affordable they are. Sometimes patients call around just to see who in town is the cheapest on each procedure. Though I understand that the economy has been tough on almost everyone, I want to caution you for just looking for the lowest price.

Often times dentists that have the lower price cut corners in areas that hurt no one but the patient. Sure, he or she gets to come off looking fair and affordable, until six months later when the procedure fails.

There are ways to get affordable dentistry without compromising quality.

First, you can phase your treatment. For instance, if you need all your teeth replaced, but cannot afford dental implants, you can get implant supported dentures and gradually up the number of implants as you can afford them.

Many dentists also have low and no interest payment plans to help you get your treatment right away and then pay it out gradually.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan P. Perry.