Today, I had my teeth cleaned for $4 with dental insurance. I should have had the x-rays that are due and are $1. But, I have an appt for those this month.
The hygienist gave me mint floss--yuck, a Gum toothbrush, toothpaste that has a whitener in it. I won't use that. I will give away floss and toothpaste, maybe at the Free Food Pantry. I think it has been almost a year since I had my teeth cleaned because I was so ill in the winter and early spring. Still, she said my teeth had very little plaque. Great!
Since I am brushing my teeth away, the dentist told me to use a Gum toothbrush, Soft. It still feels hard to me. He had to put filling on one of my teeth, saying I can brush it hard because I cannot ruind the filling like I am doing to my tooth. I had nothing to numb the tooth. He just put the filling on and smoothed it out. It did hurt just a bit when he drilled but not enough to get a shot. I hate those.
Now, my teeth are all shiny and feel smooth to my tongue. It is such a great feeling, a feeling of well-being. Their little fur coats are gone.
The dentist and I talked a bit about fluoride. I had a cavity that he was going to watch. It was a thin black line on the surface of a molar. Today, he said fluoride had caused the tooth to re-mineralize and seal the place that was once trying to make a cavity. I thought in previous conversations that teeth cannot heal like that.
He is worried what taking fluoride out of water is doing to one county. It seems he sees few children with cavities now because of fluoride. Everyone is worrying about the children in this other county. It is a poor county so dental care will not be forthcoming.
Since my dentist office is near the Bread Store, I stopped to buy bread, $.89 for a loaf of bread with a best buy date of July 18.
From now until July 31, the bread store will give a loaf of bread for a school supply brought to the store. I called exbf and told him not to buy bread, that when he is here, we can get him a loaf of bread for one of the school supplies I have bought in years past. Good deal since I can get at least two more loaves this month and so can he. I have packages of notebook paper that I paid a dime to buy.
Since I have a library fine, I am hoping I can bring food or school supplies to wipe it out. That will be cheaper than the fine.
Until school starts, I will keep school supplies in the car since lots of places accept school supplies or canned goods for services.
Your turn
Do you love to get your teeth cleaned? Don't worry about flossing, just floss the ones you want to keep. Are there any places in your town that collect school supplies or canned goods for services you receive?
Wow. Even with my health insurance getting my teeth cleaned would cost me around $60. X-rays are expensive too.
ReplyDeleteI think the cleaning is around $75 and x-rays about the same. The insurance is $39/month. So, I am not sure if I am overpaying or not on the insurance.
DeleteMy private insurance is considerably more than that each month.
DeleteEC,
DeleteThis is private insurance, nothing subsidized.
There is nothing subsidised about my private insurance either.
DeleteMy dentist told me to brush in circles, not up and down or side to side. He says it changes where the bristles go and reduces the wear from the brush.
ReplyDeleteKris,
DeleteI do brush in circles because it is hard to brush up and down...lol. Thanks!
My next dental appointment is booked for next month - a cleaning and check up. I have insurance so anything out of pocket should be minimal. I am very diligent about cleaning, flossing & using a gum stimulator as I have had a lot of orthodontic work done over the years due to a severe TMJ problem so I have a big incentive to keep my teeth! I usually come away with a new toothbrush, travel size toothpaste, floss & some gum stimulator pics. Toronto has had fluoride in the water for many decades and it has made a huge difference to the amount of cavities that appear.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of anywhere that accepts donations for services aside from the very occasional special one time offer that might occur at an event you are attending.
Margie,
ReplyDeleteThe bread deal is for the month of July, like I said, not all the time.
I try to floss regularly
ReplyDeleteI no longer enjoy going to the dentist. The private practice one seemed to be always pushing procedures; the current student clinic is hard to get into.
Ur-spo,
DeleteSo, you once enjoyed going to the dentist? Luckily, mine never pushes anything. And, the nearest student would take me an hour to get there and multiple trips. The local community college will do teeth cleaning out of their program for dental hygienists.