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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / November 2005Costs
Ok, I understand that most DDS' have high costs on supplies. But why then do extractions cost hundreds each? Obviously there's considerable overhead of running a business, but would it be fair to say that standard (cosmetic, restorative) services are at a discount or that extractions are at a premium? It cost me over $300 each to have two wisdom teeth pulled. While I understand these are the hardest to reach teeth, only a single local hypo was applied in two places along with some cotton used. That's it. The supplies and time spent were minimal. In fact, I waited considerably longer in the waiting room than I spent actually in the chair. Also, does it make sense to obtain insurance once the costs of a procedure exceed a certain point? My dentist charges *more* for cash payments than for insurance. Does this make sense? It would seem that cashflow is important and waiting for insurance reimbursement would cause a DDS to charge more than if a payment was made in cash. So, wouldn't it make more sense to put the cash into an insurance policy instead of paying it directly to the dentist? > Ok, I understand that most DDS' have high costs on supplies. > But why then do extractions cost hundreds each? [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > So, wouldn't it make more sense to put the cash into an insurance > policy instead of paying it directly to the dentist? Good questions. While it seems that the overhead for extractions is low, you must factor in the extra staffing usually necessary for these procedures. Oral surgeons generally perform surgical implantology and can provide general anesthesia. This vastly increases their malpractice premiums. While you received neither implants nor general anesthesia, the realities are that these extra costs must be spread across the entire fee schedule, or these services become prohibitive. Of course, OMFS get 3 or 4 years additional training than the average general dentist, and understandibly feel they deserve a higher level of compensation. I think they do--it would take me far longer than your surgeon to accomplish the same extraction, and then my hourly compensation would be less--even at the same fee. But I think that extra fee is probably money well-spent, dontcha think? Steve >> Ok, I understand that most DDS' have high costs on supplies. >> But why then do extractions cost hundreds each? [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > >Steve Like I said, you pay for the skill, not the time. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >Ok, I understand that most DDS' have high costs on supplies. >But why then do extractions cost hundreds each? >Obviously there's considerable overhead of running a business, but >would it be fair to say that standard (cosmetic, restorative) services >are at a discount or that extractions are at a premium? You pay for the skill of the operator, not the time. >It cost me over $300 each to have two wisdom teeth pulled. That's cheap. Kwicher bitchin' . -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com > That's cheap. It really is cheap for wisdom teeth.  Signature/ Amatus / > >>Ok, I understand that most DDS' have high costs on supplies. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Take out the G'RBAGE > wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com |
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