A root canal is always a possibility when ANY filling is done. As a
general rule of thumb, the bigger and deeper the filling, the greater
the possibility, although this is not a 100% correlation.

As a matter of fact, since crowns involve even more removal of tooth
structure than most fillings, it is quite common for teeth to need root
canal treatment AFTER a crown is placed. I can't count the number of
times I have seen new patients with crowns that have a filled hole
right in the middle of the crown where the root canal had been done
after the crown was placed.

Lots of good dentists make fillings for less than $243, but you really
have to look around. It is becoming more difficult to find a dentist
who combines conservative treatment with reasonable fees, though today
they still do exist in substantial numbers.

But I don't know what people will do when the current crop of Baby
Boomer dentists retire, and you are left with the younger dentists who
grew up in a era of fancy "appearance-related" treatments that are not
health-related. These "esthetic" treaments can cost more in one
treatment plan than you've spent in your entire life for ALL your
dental health.

Watch out for those dentists who think they are running a "spa," like
an accessory to a beauty salon, instead of a professional healthcare
office. These outfits are increasing in number, even as the plain,
health-oriented offices are starting to disappear.

Once in a while you can find relatively good insurance, but it is only
available through an employer. Unfortunately sometimes the employers
don't pick good insurance.

Notice that in the cases you mentioned, it is the DENTISTS, not the
"insurance" plans, who are actually selling the "stuff you don't really
need."

Those patients who put their insurance first, and their choice of
dentists second, are shooting themselves in the foot.

The trick is to FIRST find quality, healthcare-oriented dentists. Then,
secondarily, find out which ones take the insurance you have. Too many
patients do it backwards, and make the mistake of thinking that it's
the insurance that is most important. Your first priority should be the
quality and nature of your dental care.

The main point in obtaining good quality care is NOT which insurance
you have, but which DENTIST renders the treatment!

So the task is: narrow the field down to which dentists you respect and
can work well with, and then to determine which ones also have the fees
you are comfortable with.

Good insurance is available -- for example, the dental plans of some of
our local school districts are good, while others are not so good.

The insurance is the last consideration on the list, not the first.

- dentaldoc