@tennisgolf You do have a dilemma, for sure. Since you are a "healthy 70+" you do want to maintain your dental health, as @debbraw has commented. I agree with her, hopefully some type of financial plan can be worked out for you. Perhaps your income level would qualify you for some financial assistance on it. Frankly, I know nothing about what could be available but it seems as if something should be. I am sure you are doubtful about returning to a dental college clinic, but I know people who have had great work done at some of the ones in Boston. You had a bad experience but that doesn't mean that you would again. If you talk to them at the clinic and tell them about your prior experience perhaps they would make sure you got one of their more qualified students, about to graduate.

This is a really crazy idea, but my sister goes to a senior center and one of the women has had work done in Mexico. She flies to Texas and actually walks over the border to the dental clinic. She went there before for preliminary work, and is about to return to have the work completed. Even with the flights from here it is much less costly than having the work done here. She goes all alone too. I don't think I could do that but we never know what we might do if we are desperate. Apparently she is.

Good luck with this. I will be very interested in hearing what you decide. I hope you at least talk to the doctor about giving you a better rate and allowing you to pay over time, and also to someone at the dental clinic to see if you could go there with a guarantee of getting one of the most experienced students.
JK

@ debbraw and tennisgolf

I’m in Florida also and my main dentist is expensive but has done beautiful crown work over the years. I have had a cracked tooth that I wasn’t aware of that showed up on a visual exam and a regular X-ray. The crack was on the surface. I have a hard bite and over the course of my 70 plus years I guess it was bound to happen. A crown was ultimately put on it....again I had no pain but didn’t want to risk infection or further deterioration.

The CT will enable the dentist to see if the crack is above or below the bone. The tooth can be saved if it above the bone by a root canal and then either a bore filling or a crown. If it is below the bone, the tooth can’t be saved and an implant is a possibility.

I’ve gone through a CT recently at an endodontist. I had pain in one tooth and ultimately a root canal and an apioectomy to cut off the bottom of the root to prevent future infection and then back to my regular dentist for a permanent bore filling. When the scan or imaging was done the results showed the tooth could be saved. So I’m guessing this is the concern of the Doctor and if it is, you should have been told that.

I know what you mean about the expense and I sometimes feel my dentist goes to the expensive extreme. I have negotiated discounts with the office on more than one occasion as I don’t have dental insurance and have also taken other less expensive options over the years. I figure a particular option will work for me now for a while and maybe for a long while. I also get periodontal maintenance every 4 months. They wanted every 3 months, I said no, every 4 is fine.

It’s natural to get shell shocked when you hear the prices quoted and then begin to wonder if you really need all this.

Personally, knowing what I know from my experience, I would go for the scan. I’m annoyed I needed 2 crowns, a root canal and an apioectomy this year so far to the tune of $6000 (endodontist alone was about $3). Last year was hearing aids. Insane. I wish you luck.

Regards from Mary Queen of Crowns