Help with dental terms please

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I went to the dentist yesterday for the first time in 4+ years : I have a LOT of dental work that needs to be done. Over Almost $2,000 out of pocket : The only good news I got is that while I still havnt cut my 4 wisdom teeth yet, I am 36, they all look as though if they ever do decide to come down there is plenty of room and they are facing the right way and not cramed up against the other teeth. They are so close to being threw I feel them under the gum with with finger have been able to for years. I had one of those wrap around x rays those things are really neat.

What I need to know is what these abbrivations stand for on the print out they gave me. It has the tooth number and then next to that surf and listed for different teeth is: O, DO, MODB, I, MI, OB & MOD. Can anyone tell me what they stand for?

[SleeplessMommy]

Here is a link to wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonl...n_in_dentistry


The notations refer to which surfaces of the teeth have cavities:

O: occlusal (biting surface)
B: buccal (cheek side)
D, distal
L, lingual (tonge side)
M, mesial

OD, for example, is a two sided cavity. Be sure to demand composite fillings.

[Mama2Kayla]

I just went through the same thing. I put off going to the dentist for 4 years as well. My "treatment plan" was estimated to cost around $2500

I ended up passing on the root canal I needed, and going for the extraction. That really helped cut the bill.

Good luck with everything you need done! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Thank you for the help and kind thoughts and hugs

We have a cut off of 1,700 per person so I wont be able to get all the work done this year or it will be to much. They have me down for a crown on one tooth that is nearly all filling that one alone is $800 and is not covered at all by insurance so I wont be getting a crown.

As for the fillings I am not sure which it is but my insurance will only cover one kind so I am stuck with what ever taht one is.

Dh found this out only after the fillings were in place and we will have to pay a huge amount for the ones he got that we cannot afford. :

[tanyalynn]

As for the fillings I am not sure which it is but my insurance will only cover one kind so I am stuck with what ever taht one is.

Sometimes the insurance company will pay for what the cost of an amalgam filling would've been, and then you just pay the additional cost for composite. I would put in for reimbursement and challenge it if they do not pay it--that is something you should be able to push them into (it may be policy to say no at first, but then pay for it if someone is pushy about it).

Really, really, do not put in amalgam. The cost of amalgam is high--it may seem cheaper now, but after a year of pills (many, many pills) to fix my health, plus the dental work to replace the amalgams with composites (because my health is really messed up from the mercury)... the long-term cost of amalgam is just too much.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Yeah that is what they do pay for what the cheap ones are then we have to pay the rest. We cannot afford that at all. As it is dh's work that was done without them telling him that insurance wouldnt cover it we already owe right at $300.00

I already have a mouth full of fillings the silver ones but not sure what kind they are. I havnt reasearched the types. Some of them I have had since I was a teenager.

The only way I can get the work done now that I desperatly need is for insurance to cover it totally. If I dont get 2 teeth fixed ASAP I will loose them and they will show when I smile something I really dont need with my self asteem already at rock bottom.

I really dont have a choice right now.

According to the treatment plan they have composite lised and that costs $125 and insurance will only cover $60.00 which leaves me with $65 to pay. Multiply that by 19 teeth and that is just not something we can do.

[SleeplessMommy]

"the silver ones" are definitely amalgam. Sorry.

You may be able to get reduced cost treatment at a local dental school, if you have one. The service is good but the waiting time longer.

If you call around, you can find a dentist that will do composite fillings and bill for amalgam (as others have mentioned.)

Also, this many fillings won't be done all at once. You might be able to have work done in 08 until the insurance benefit is maxed out, then do the rest of the work in 09. The crown installation should be amalgam free (assuming they do not fill with amalgam under the crown -which would be a little silly.) Ask about what type of crown they are going to put in. There is a big cost difference between gold, PFM (porcelain fused to metal) or all ceramic.

Ask about a temp crown. Some people get the temporary crown (acrylic) and then wait a long time (years) for the permanent crown. I waited 6 months once, which was not a great idea but the tooth survived.

You might be able to get this dentist (or another local dentist) to do composite filling with no crown on the badly damaged tooth. I had a tooth like this with 4 sides of cavities, my dentist gave me a choice of composite or crown. I took the former, at a cost of about $220 for the whole job. (versus $1200 for an installed crown)

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

The crown is for the tooth that is almost 100% filling very little of the white tooth left. I didnt think there was a problem with it since it looks fine but apparently I was wrong. The crown would be the last thing I will have done IF I have it done.

This is the only dentist that our insurance will cover that is within a reasonable distance. With gas prices the way they are driving farther wouldnt save me any money. As I mentioned before paying out of pocket just isnt a option for us at this time.

I have no idea if there is a dental collage around but even if there were my insurance wouldnt help pay.

[SleeplessMommy]

You can call the insurance company and ask if they cover composite fillings. (When I did this I even spoke with a very nice lady!)

If your front teeth are getting fillings they will almost certainly be filled with composite. I have never seen anyone with an amalgam on an incisor - though I try to avoid close inspection.

If you do get amalgam fillings, you can always get them removed at a later date. The cost is similar to having a cavity filled if you have a "regular" dentist do it - about $100 to 200 per tooth around here.

If you are close to Mexico or Canada, there may be cost saving options there.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

He is going to build up my bottom 4 teeth because they are almost nubs now from grinding my teeth after I had dd due to severe ppd. I couldnt stop myself until it started to hurt That is listed as the same as fillings but on those 4 I will definatly want white not silver but that wont happen until next year at the earliest.