Dentist Day - Cute Cat Pictures Included

Frijole, April 2023, one of our first 5 foster babies. Totally unrelated to this post but at least it makes dentist stories nicer to read. Be warned, more cat pictures incoming!

Dentist day

Some weeks ago, I chipped a tooth and tried to get an appointment at the dentist which is working with our health insurance (as we have a dental package included). Sadly they are super busy and they didn't have any time for us sooner so we needed to wait until today to see the dentist. My tooth didn't damage any further thankfully so I could wait until today.

Lots of paperwork

With every new clinic you visit there's tons of paperwork to fill in. Even though it was digital, it's still a pain. While I was still going through my own paperwork, my boyfriend could come in already. He returned before I was finished! He needs some cleaning and repairs, we knew that and I knew he was not looking forward to that either but today was a consultation only.

My turn

I was met by a very kind dentist and her assistant, both spoke basic English but it was perfectly understandable. I first had an x-ray and then she did her checks. I was told I have a few cavities, which I already knew plus the chipped tooth. She also said I need the cleaning but not as bad as my boyfriend, so I can get it without anaesthesia. Hearing what she said my mind drifted off thinking back about practically every experience with the dentist I had in Budapest. I could not help but wonder if this was a better dentist or that I'd be facing similar moments here during future visits.

A picture of Mochi because he's way cuter than the dentist! Not sharp, I know, sadly he's not with us anymore so I have to cherish the pictures we have. May he rest in peace my dear friend!

Last one

Our daughter got called in while I was still filling in her paperwork but I handed it over to her dad so that I could join her. She definitely liked the dentist and her assistant and listened well during the examination. Sadly, she has one cavity, which we also knew but so far have been managing properly by lots of brushing but the dentist's advice was to repair it because it's a tooth that won't come out until about 5 years from now. Shit.

I called in dad

Because he reminded me before going there that they should not do any fluoride treatments (we stopped using that for brushing ourselves a year ago or so) and we both had them done as kids but don't want her to have them. And also fixing the teeth that will come out is a no-go. Well, I thought this will be a fun discussion in a bit let's see how that goes, lol.

Fluoride

While she explained about the tooth being there for 4-5 more years, I already started to question if we were smart to not repair it. Even though she has 0 pain (at this moment). But then she spoke about some fluoride stuff and I was like hold up, no! Then she started to say it's not fluoride exactly, but it makes me wonder if that's really true so I took a picture of the stuff she showed us that they use for filling up kid's teeth. She said this is what we do with all the Spanish children, but this momma is going to investigate that a bit further first because I don't believe her on her blue eyes, sorry lady!

Totally unrelated picture of a fond memory of Mochi, who finally felt comfortable enough to lay on the couch with my daughter near him, you can see on her face that it was a memorable moment..

The worst was yet to come

Here we were at this dentist thinking that the dental package included in our health insurance would cover some basics such as fillings and minor repairs. We were wrong! Granted, I didn't check because I knew we'd end up having to pay stuff out of pocket as well but I did not expect what was coming next.

First, the quotation for our daughter. Apparently only one out of two visits was included in the public health insurance, with the private one, both would needed to be paid, sigh. So while one was free, the other was 50 euros. We booked both appointments for next month and agreed we'd look into the treatment first to be sure we weren't making any mistakes here.

Ouch

My quotation was for some fillings and repair of the chipped tooth as well as tartar removal. It was close to 500 euros. What stood out in the quotation was that every filling was close to 80 euros. I think I never paid that before but on the spot I could not say with certainty that this was the new normal here or not. That would be a task for later to figure out.

The final one

Last was the quotation for my boyfriend, even a few hundred more. They pointed out exactly what it was for but translation that on the spot is a pain so we just said we'd discuss it and get back about that because it's a lot of money. I already knew that the chances we'd ended there to fix things were slim because it felt overpriced and I could not imagine this could be done maybe 20 euros cheaper per filling, which would lower the total price a lot already, even if the cleaning would be the same price.

Not what we expected

Even though the people were very kind, and I bet good at their job, I had the feeling they take advantage of the fact that the insured people come there thinking they end up having things included and then feel bothered to shop around when they discover their prices. I now already heard from two people that this is overpriced so I guess my gut feeling was right and I will now proceed comparing other dentists with the information given about what needs to be repaired, hoping soon I find a better solution for us without having to sell a kidney first.

Insurances

I looked into insurances but my feeling is that the one I thought was smart and suitable, comes down to a 3 year prepaid insurance (paid in full) so that still gives me the issue that I need a lot more money on the table than I have to spare right now. I'm dizzy from comparing options and going to call that a day now to be continued tomorrow.

If anyone has a spare set of teeth without issues laying around, or even better, two, let me know ;)

One last Mochi picture, because he deserves to be remembered. You are missed, sweetheart...

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All pictures above are my own...

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