My Dental bill was ~$250.00!!!!

[HL]

.....But in sterling it was 156 Pounds!

Just back from 11 days vacation in Scotland. Prior to the visit, my Secretary suggested I try the health care system in the UK...so she made the appointment.

On my first visit to the UK dentist, the dentist was actually waiting on my arrival! Her office was the typical dental surgery--but lacks the frills (fanfare and drama) of my US dentist.

My dentist in the US has all the fancy gadgets. You stand in a cylindrical contraption to take x-rays. Then when you lie in the chair, you watch TV until the dentist arrive. My US dentist then presses a button and your dental x-ray pops up on the screen...where she give a lecture why my bill will be $2,200.00!!

DAY 1. My dentist UK poked around in my mouth...and did 3 x-rays. She said i should come back for 2 more appointments: DAY 2. scaling and polishing; DAY 3. to do 2 fillings.

The UK bill arrived, a whopping 156.00 Pounds, ~$250.00 ...(and don't you hallah)!!

[Bricktop]

How much yuh spent on petrol to get there?

[Willi]

Public transp. cheaper!

American health care too dyam tief. But since I work in Pharma, mi nah complain too tuff! LoL

[Willi]

I hope di midges nuh bite yuh up! Dem love fresh meat!

[HL]

Zas Chrisse Willi. I went climbing and the midgies attacked me more than the 'natives'. Fresh meat is right!!!

They are much more prevalent in the Highlands. Saw one English gentleman using Gin as repellant. "What a bloody waste..." he muttered over and over!!

[HL]

Gas price is extremely high.

Oh BTW: This dentist was private practice...not NHS.

[Hortical]

Did you get the white fillings instead of the mercury amalgam one dem? I have dental insurance, but mi still haffi pay too much out of pocket expenses. Mi have all my teeth, no crowns, no root canal, no false teeth.

[HL]

All I know is that something MUST be done about Health Care cost in the US.

[Mosiah]

not just cost. the quality in some instances sucks! esp. for all that money!

[Mosiah]

good question! american dentists still using those ugly gray/black crap for fillings!

[Peter R]

I had that done except for the fillings... brush yuh teet before yu guh bed nuh! last year in T&T and it cost me $100 US!

[Muadib]

What aspect ?

We need people like you down in Jamaica.. Agriculture is expanding..

[Tilla]

good question! american dentists still using those ugly gray/black crap for fillings!

You have to be careful how you generalize about American dentists. I had the silver fillings in at one point and had to change dentists when I relocated to Kansas City. My new dentists recommended taking out those and putting in the white. Years ago when I moved to my permanent place where I now live in KC, I decided to change dentist again to have someone who was closer to where I live. This new dentist now wanted to remove the white fillings back to the silver ones. Her reasoning was that the silver amalgam was more effective than the white as the white would leak in no time and could possibly cause infections.

So my dentist was retiring and I decided to find a new one. This one is fairly young and Indian woman, and she was schooled in the US. She now wants to change me back to the white fillings.

If you ask me, I think they are all in a racket. If you have one, then they are going to recommend the other just to have some work to do.

I keep forgetting to ask my dentist brethren who lives in NY which is better. Everytime we chat, it is about all kind of things, but I can never remember to make use of his expertise.

[Tilla]

I think HL's American estimate of $2200 is kind of high. Unless your mouth needs some serious fixing, you do not pay that much.

I visit my dentist twice a year. With insurance, they cover X-rays once a year and depending on the coverage, you pay whatever your agreed amount for the service. I had to have a root canal done maybe 10 years ago and that was the only time I think I had to pay something like $500 out of pocket. Otherwise, it would be more like $60 to $80 after the insurance company pay their share.

I understand the point though that without insurance, you could incurr some major expenses.

[Mosiah]

All dat tuh! Straight racket! But I believe what my dentist a Jamaica tell mi because he wasn't trying to take out the silver and put in his preferred choice. He was just letting me know.

Yuh dun know - medicine and education in America is all about making money, nothing less, nothing more!