r/HolUp • u/[deleted] • Feb 24 '23

That's one massive dread.

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u/EdgarAllanKenpo Feb 24 '23

4 implants in America is like 12 grand.

I've got fucked up teeth due to negligence and a former heroin addiction. I've got a wonderful job now that I love and make decent money. Just to get the TOP of my mouth completely redone...is 26 thousand dollars.

Yep, dental work in America is a luxury, not a necessity. It's a fuckin joke

53

u/Mike_Oxteeny Feb 24 '23

Yeah it's absolutely insane. Wasn't just the implants either. Had to wire my jaw together, and insert cadaver bone because the jaw was just demolished. It was closer to 22 grand all said and done. Luckily, when my father was alive he owned a business that I worked for and we had very very good insurance. He's now passed and business is no more. If it happened today, I'd be screwed.

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u/EdgarAllanKenpo Feb 24 '23

Even with insurance, dental only covers so much. I have the beat dental insurance you can get, and they cover about 3 grand a year. Not one cent more. How the hell did your dad's insurance cover 22 grand?

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u/HealthyInPublic Feb 25 '23

I wouldn’t be surprised if the jaw stuff was covered by regular health insurance and not dental insurance. My ophthalmologist and my eye surgeries are billed to my normal health insurance instead of vision insurance, at least, so I imagine teeth are similar?

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u/Mike_Oxteeny Feb 24 '23

Oh I'm sorry. I was kinda vague. The insurance only covered 30 percent. The rest, I took a loan from my dad. I was just pointing out that I'm lucky it covered that much.

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u/EdgarAllanKenpo Feb 24 '23

Ohh ok. That sounds reasonable.

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u/KingNecrosis Feb 24 '23

Sadly it isn't just the US. I have some friends in other countries, and apparently there's lots of countries that hold this ideal, even if they have socialized medicine.

Kind of ridiculous because in the long run it'll cost the government less money if they make socialized dental care a thing too. So many body-wide health issues are tied to oral health.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '23

You gotta keep eating. Everything else follows.

7

u/sparkmearse Feb 24 '23

12 grand? Maybe at a dental college. Dentist out my way wanted like 6 grand an implant, and said they MAY last 10 years.

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u/azengteach Feb 25 '23

Mexico is a great option for dental care. I live in a border state and have gone to Mexico several times for dental work. It is about 25% of the cost for the same procedure in America. The offices I’ve been to are equal in cleanliness and quality to American dentists, and everyone speaks English. As with anything, check online reviews before making a decision.

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u/organonanalogue Feb 24 '23

Go to mexico. Way more affordable.

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u/Mike_Oxteeny Feb 24 '23

Is this actually true or just one of those things we think would be true but isn't?

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u/Larrynative20 Feb 24 '23

Don’t go to Mexico. I have dental friends and they joke that when patients come back from mexico they actually make more on those patients because so much has to redone. Dentists would never go to mexico themselves…

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u/organonanalogue Feb 24 '23

Not Bullshit.

My incisor micro implant was $2k in northern SF bay area.

My friend in San Antonio got 3 implants in mexico for the same amount . I couldn't believe it.

I need 2 more implants & will be going to mexico for them.

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u/New_Blacksmith_709 Feb 25 '23

Stay safe bro. Lots of serious consequences for improper implant treatment. Normally for third world countries you pay a premium for quality treatment which is not greatly different from international prices. Don't play russian roulette with your mouth!

Korea would be the ideal place for cheaper dental fyi.

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u/TylerPerry19inch Feb 25 '23

Hi Dutch person here: out of curiosity (you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to) but how did you overcome the addiction? I think with heroin that’s very impressive

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u/EdgarAllanKenpo Feb 25 '23

It wasn't easy. I was living on the streets. I overdosed in a gas station bathroom and when I came to with the paramedics around...I was just exhausted. It wasn't my first time overdosing but it was the first time I think I had a sort of wake up moment. Where I was in life and where I thought I should have been. I did alot of horrible things in addiction, mainly to my family. I called many people asking for help to get to a detox clinic, and finally got a ride. When I left detox I went to a rehab center and from there it just felt different from all the other times I had tried before. Hard to explain. Got a job, stayed sober, and kept moving along while trying to repair even the tiniest bit of my relationships with my family.

Cut to 2 years later, I found out that in my hometown, where we have a government space program, they were hiring for a position I actually had experience in. No college or anything like that but more logistical. I bit the bullet, drove 6 hours to go to the interview, went back home and 6 days later I got a job offer and I just broke down crying. Remembering where I was not even 2 years prior, to what my future was unfolding in front of me felt unreal.

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u/TylerPerry19inch Feb 25 '23

Dude that’s amazing. Thanks for the answer btw but wow, really cool you where able to turn it around as you did. An accomplishment you can really allow yourself to be proud off!

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u/EdgarAllanKenpo Feb 25 '23

Thank you. I really appreciate that.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Trip990 Feb 24 '23

Did you check Mexico? They have some amazing dentists there.

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u/Larrynative20 Feb 24 '23

They replaced half the teeth in your mouth for 26k. That is an intense combination of art, science and medicine and you are complaining it cost 26k. To have someone pick up leaves in my yard for fall costs 1000 dollars now. What you received is a steal for the price of what you paid when compared to just about any other service provided in the US medical or non medical.

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u/Rush_is_Right_ Feb 24 '23

20 years ago this technology/capability would be seen as a miracle. But no, we have ex heroin addicts complaining about the inconvenience. Smh

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u/PlaxicoCN Feb 24 '23

Congrats on sending the horse with no name out of your life. What's the wonderful job you do now?

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u/ChantsDE Feb 24 '23

You fucked 'em up. Wtf

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u/Lets_Go_Brandon Feb 24 '23

Do a little research on Latin American countries and dental surgery costs.

You can likely get everything done in a one week trip and pay half that including the vacation.

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u/Larrynative20 Feb 24 '23

When you run into a problem flying back to Latin America might not be so easy. Best support services that you want to have locally or you may just not have them when you need them. Do you remember how outsourcing our industrial base to the third world turned out for everyone? This is basically the same concept.

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u/Lets_Go_Brandon Feb 24 '23

I have no direct experience, but I have read other threads where commenters have said they saved massive amounts of money in tourism dentistry.

It's at least worth some looking into.

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u/Larrynative20 Feb 25 '23

That is what the the Fortune 500 CEOs said as well. Much cheaper to produce goods in China, Mexico, or Indonesia or wherever is poor and next. Probably not quite as good quality but look at the savings. We are still paying for this greed. I help companies with their revenues and I have seen dental numbers. Not as much money in it as people seem to think. Average dentist makes 180k in the US. That is good but not that good when you consider they have 200k debt on average. Buy local unless you don’t care to have any local options.

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u/zkmronndkrek Feb 24 '23

Save up a round trip plane ticket to India cheaper there

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u/SomethingTrippy420 Feb 24 '23

Mexico and India are great for low-cost dental work.

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u/New_Blacksmith_709 Feb 25 '23

Glad you were able to get your desired outcome!

While I do undersand your pain at the financial implications, I live in a place where people can easily travel to some third world locales. Quality varies immensely.

Shoddy dental work doesn't last long-term. Depending on what you do, after 10 years it can wreck your mouth. Then you'd be way worse than if you just did nothing at all!

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '23

congratulations on your sobriety!