Second opinion for dental work?
Asked by
newth (
46
)
March 22nd, 2014
I just got a new dentist and have been told I need two crowns. I have been having pain in my last right molar, but he’s done nothing for it, not even for the pain. I know that I need a filling there. But his proposed treatment was a deep cleaning (haven’t been to the dentist in a while) and two crowns. I’m thinking the next step was to put in fillings after the cleaning? My insurance won’t cover the crowns. I’ve read online they are cosmetic procedures. Should I get a second opinion?
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10 Answers
Not all crowns are cosmetic but I would also get another opinion.
True. I have several crowns and they were all medically predicated. Cosmetics never entered into the decision. I pay for all my dental procedures out-of-pocket however, being on Medicare.
I’ve had crowns too and not at all for cosmetics. They were for cracked teeth – old fillings that could not be repaired. But second opinions never hurt.
(A doctor friend used to have a joke – “You’re fat. You want a second opinion? You’re ugly too.”
You could get a second opinion but the plan here sounds conservative and reasonable to me. A deep cleaning is needed before dental work, especially crowns, because you cannot get a decent impression with mounds of calculus and debris there. Also, it will be hard to place the retraction cord and maintain hemostasis (control of bleeding) which also will make getting a good impression impossible. If the tooth has a large amount of decay, or a huge old filling in it, sometimes you have to crown it because there isn’t enough tooth structure left, after removal of said decay or old filling, to support anything so full coverage is neccessary. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
In your case they are restorative, not cosmetic, and the insurance will cover some or all. It depends how it is coded and all dental offices know how to do this and also must send a statement (treatment plan) and xray.
How much were they going to charge for crowns?
@trailsillustrated: Thank you, this is a very helpful explanation. It makes me feel a lot better that this is coming from another dentist.
@cheebdragon: Thank you! This was a very helpful explanation of the difference between crowns and fillings.
Thank you to all who helped me with this question. It’s certainly made a difference to know that crowns are not purely just for cosmetics. Why my insurance won’t cover them, I don’t know. But my coverage is up at the end of the month and I will be talking to them about the situation. Thanks again!
Get a second opinion! Sounds like a root canal!!
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