Why do people think that they shouldn't have to pay for their own dental work?

Question

"i don't have insurance"...quit whining. if you're sick you go to the doctor whether you have insurance or not. so why do people avoid dental treatment knowing that it's gonna cause agonizing pain just because they don't have insurance.

here's another one. why do you think that you deserve new teeth without paying for it? you let you teeth go bad (cause you didn't have insurance, right) and now you want some charitable organization to pay for your extreme makeover. it's by far the most common question on here.

your tooth problems are always your own fault so it's time to take on the personal and financial resposiblity to do something about it. put the soda and candy bar down and pick up some floss so you don't have future problems.

Answer 1

why are you always so negative? I think you should start enjoying life rather then rant and rave about negative things in your life...

Answer 2

"Tom" put it rather harshly, but I see what he's saying.

I'm a big believer in taking responsibility for our own situations. When my kids needed dental work and my husband was laid off with no insurance, I worked a second job. I did not expect the government, my church, or the dentist to pay for my kids' work.

There are circumstances no one can control, such as a disability or getting in an accident. For those people, there is help available.

But for the majority, it is possible to improve your financial position by educating yourself, learning new job skills and working hard. If you're good enough at what you do, you can hold out for a job offering insurance.

There are also preventative things everyone can do (like brushing, flossing, and restricting your diet) that cost nothing.

Yet, people expect that because dentists charge a lot, they must be greedy b****ds out to rip people off. They worked hard, went to school for 8 years, spent a fortune on a staff, training and equipment, and they deserve to get paid.

I'm amazed at the number of people who obviously can afford a computer and an internet connection (don't tell me all these folks are at the public library), yet can't come up with $160 for a cleaning and exam.

Answer 3

I kind of agree with Salsa. My delaying and resisting going to a dentist wasn't about money. It was about the bad expereinces I've had with many dentists and how they treat their patients. I have had everything from assembly line behavior, where a dentist entered the room and his first words to me, without even a hello, were, "Okay, let's hurry up here. I am running late and there are lots of others waiting." I was so stunned and speechless that I left and he had the audacity to charge me for the visit! I have had an assortment of others who did not inform, did not communicate, were cold, distant and not present and also told me I needed all kinds of dental work, that upon second opinion, I found out I did not! We, as patients, are scared and vulnerable when we need to go to a dentist and being dealt with that way is what I believe to be a huge factor in delaying dental visits. When I am treated with respect, then the dentist too will get my respect and be paid for his services. And by the way, don't you think a country would best serve its people by paying dentists with tax dollars instead of using the money to bomb.
You are in a minority group-you clearly are wealthy and live in a glass bubble. The average worker cannot afford what dentists charge these days. And they can't afford insurance either. Show some compassion!

Answer 4

If I seriously need dental work, I WILL pay for it but, there are many people out there in a similar boat as myself. I'm putting myself through school, have a mortgage payment, utilities , food, etc... but because we have 2 children and I'm a full-time student my husband is the only one who works. He makes enough to pay for our bills and necessities but not much more than that. We can't afford day care to allow me to work on top of going to school so my working isn't an option at this time. My husband's job has strange split shifts which don't allow for him to get a second job and he keeps looking for a different job but the job market is tight. $160 for a year of cleanings and such may not seem like much but if you multiply that by 2 that's $320. We don't even have 50 left over at the end of each month and what we do have we have to save up for emergencies. When money is tight it's hard to justify going to the dentist just to have your teeth cleaned. My husbands work offers insurance to him for free but to add me it costs $300 a month(medical+dental). I can't get state assistance because he makes $5 a month too much! I also tough it out when I'm sick unless it gets really bad. Many people are probably in the same boat, people are very protective of their hard earned cash when it's not exactly abundant and even when it is many still don't want to see it go. I think the bigger issue is whether people are practicing good dental hygiene at home no matter what it is that they eat. If you don't like people complaining about not having insurance you shouldn't have gone into a profession in which the issue will be common.

Answer 5

I won't whine about this, but the thought does cross my mind...

It gripes me when someone who owes $500-1,000 calls to cancel their appointment (and therefore gets out of their promise to "pay at the next visit"), because they are going on another vacation to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. When you see them next, they tell you what a great deal the trip was at only $1,495 per person (husband plus wife = $2,990) and they jus tHAVE to do this twice a year to keep their heads clear. It's obviously working, because they have no guilt whatsoever spending $6,000 each year on vacation time while ignoring their friendly (stupid) dentist.

The couple who breed Lipizaner horses for a living and complain how expensive it is to feed their stock of 30 horses do not get a lot of sympathy, though. They play the role of "poor farmers," while forgetting that it is their job to SELL A FREAKING HORSE when they owe someone money.

As I have said, we all pick our own charities. I do believe that there is such a thing as being medically bankrupt and these people deserve some help. They also really appreciate it.

Answer 6

Sorry, but it is dentists with your brazen attitude that scares people away much more then the money. Your question is blazing with assumptions. For starters, problems are not always the fault of the patient. I am a good case in point, I am extremely health oriented-don't go near soda/sugar, etc. I brush the way I was taught after every meal, floss at least once a day, often more and I still have dental/gum problems. My dentists have not kept me well-informed at all over the years of what was gradually happening to my gums. I am not a dentist, I can't know these things unless I am properly informed! As for comparing medical with dental, people CAN get their medical needs met for free if they go to clinics. Dental needs are less accessible-even dental schools cost. And forget about the insurance aspect-personally, I don't beleive most dental insurance is worth what one has to pay for it because it rarely covers the big items anyway. What I do know is that yes, dentist are professionals and yes, they do deserve to be paid, however, many take advantage of over-charging patients because they know they are vital-(when in pain, does anyone really have a choice, unless they want to do what the Tom Hanks character did in Cast Away). I know too many dentists and especially periodontists who live in Mansions, take Five Star Vacations etc. and good for them, but don't you see the imbalance. I disagree that many patients are at fault-we are NOT dentists and did not go to dental school. I am an educated woman and only because I have done my own research do I know what I do about dental care. No dentist ever informed me of any of it. So, ignorance prevails in too many dental cases!
No one is saying that people shouldn't pay for their dental work, but getting back to my original sentence-if you provided free dental work I would personally turn my back on it because the attitude and energy you emit is more lethal then any restorative work you would do. Be kind-it is a dentist's greatest asset!
You might want to check in with Dr. Sam-I'd give him my life's savings to be my dentist because I'd feel that I was in caring hands!

Answer 7

Folks in this position, nothing left after paying basic necessities, are not going to "splurge" on teeth cleaning. Especially if you have 4 or 5 members in your family. You can say only $160.00 but multiply that by 4 and it is a vast amount of money for someone who does not much to begin with. There are families out there, not on any type of assistance, working to support their family and just can not afford it. They do not go to a doctor for a check up but only when they break their arm. Same for the dentist.

Answer 8

Dental care is cheap. You can have cleaning and an exam yearly for about $160.

If you don't get care regularly you may end up needing a cap for $600 for each tooth.

Answer 9

I agree with you! A person doesn't go to an auto repair place and expect their car to be repaired for free.

Answer 10

I agree with you Tom!! People need to pay their own way in this world!