No matter what it costs, it seems expensive

My fuel light dinged on my way to work this morning. I stopped at the station where I normally fill up and went through the routine. I actually didn’t notice the price per gallon until I was already pumping. The price was $3.34/gallon.

First I thought, “wow! That’s 15 cents less than the last time I filled up! What a great deal!”

Then I thought a little harder, “actually, I remember when I could fill my talk for less than $20. Man, gas is expensive!”

I probably thought it was expensive back then, too. Gas is funny that way. I can’t remember a time where I ever felt like I was getting a great deal on gas. It’s probably because gas is something I need to run my car. If I don’t put gas in there, my car doesn’t run.

I’d prefer not to spend a single dollar on gas. Given my choice, I’d probably spend it on a new smartphone or some nice new shoes. I’d probably go online and research online which smartphone is the best and I’d probably post some photos of my new shoes on Facebook for my friends to see. I’ve never bragged to my friends about my new tank of gas.

Say you head to your dentist’s office to have your teeth examined and a “cleaning.” The doctor takes a ridiculously huge and ugly photo of one of your lower back teeth that shows a giant black filling. He says, “this filling is failing and there’s a cavity under it. In order to fix it, we need to do a crown. It’s going to cost about $1100.”

“Wow…I don’t know what to say. $1100 is a lot of money! And it doesn’t even hurt!”

Now pretend that the dentist said, “this filling is failing and there’s a cavity under it. In order to fix it, we need to do a crown. It’s going to cost about $800.”

I just saved you $300, so you’re probably psyched about the sweet deal, right?

Ummmm…not so much. Is there any number that the dentist throws at you that makes you think, “wow, that’s a fantastic deal on a time consuming and potentially uncomfortable procedure! I think I’ll have two?” Probably not.

Let’s face it…health care is expensive. The difference is that at a dentist’s office you actually know the price of the services that you consume. At your doctor’s office or a hospital, that kind of transparency doesn’t exist. They tell you what you need, you say, “O.K.” and then they send everything to your insurance company. Then you get to play “medical bill Bingo” in a few weeks to see how much you’ll have to write a check for.

Does this look like a root canal?

The more needs you have, the more expensive your treatment will be. A GMC dually pickup has much greater fuel needs than a Prius, and so it’s much more expensive to drive. If you have high risk factors for decay (lots of existing fillings and crowns, lots of mouth drying medications, drink a lot of pop, only visit the dentist when something hurts, etc.), you’re totally driving that dually. Would you prefer the fuel costs of that Prius? Here’s a few tips:

  • Visit your dentist often! At least every 6 months!
  • If you have a tooth problem, don’t wait! Call us right away…even if it doesn’t hurt!
  • Drink pop sparingly. And when you do, consume it at meals or use the “two minute warning” technique.
  • Ask questions about your dental condition and especially any treatment recommended by your dental team. Make sure you understand the costs of treatment before it starts!

Of course you’d rather not pay for dentistry. Just like gasoline, it ends up on the needs shelf rather than the wants shelf. At least it does if you want to keep your teeth! However now, every time you are waiting for your tank to fill, you’ll think of these hints to keep dental costs down. Curse you, Mead! I used to use that time for deciding what to have for lunch.

Did you find this post filling? Mostly ridiculous? I’d love to hear about it! You can share any Mead Family Dental post with a “Like” on Facebook, a “+1″ on Google+ or you can even “Tweet” it with Twitter! All you need to do is hover over the heart shaped button next to the title of the post. Or you can leave a comment by clicking on the balloon shaped icon next to the title.

If you’re looking for a dentist in Saginaw, we’re always happy to accept new patients! You can request an appointment online or call the office at (989) 799-9133. And, as always, you can email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I always answer my own emails!