Mid- September in Colorado

[traceroo]

Autumn in the RockiesAutumn is beginning here in Colorado. I'm told that the leaves up in the mountains are already at peak, which seems ridiculously early to me! Ian and I have a tentative date setup tomorrow to head into Rocky Mountain National Park, which is about 45 minutes from us, and take his still relatively "new" camera for a spin. I'm

Comments

[jatrina]

That is a totally ridiculous price for all that dental work! Go in-network for sure. Last year I had a root canal and a cap and it cost me $500 out of pocket, after insurance. I couldn't find the insurance breakdown to help you get an idea of what they paid, sadly. This year I had a filling done, and we have a deductible, so I paid for the entire thing out of pocket - insurance covered none of it. It was $64

Insurance

[traceroo]

The out-of-network dentist gave us a detailed breakdown by procedure and medical code for the costs. This will be super helpful when we compare apples to apples with the in-network dentist. But gee whiz! Those are some big numbers. No single procedure is under $300.

I'm terrified of the dentist, so I see a sedation dentist who specializes in people like me -- who's out-of-network. Since I go in for usually simple cleanings and whatnot, I didn't mind going out-of-network. Clearly, we're going to get a second opinion in-network for Ian, though.

Trace

[silencebreaking]

PLEASE get at least one more quote! My Mom was quoted over $8,000 for dental work at one point... When she went to another dentist, they quoted her less than $1,000, and she needed MUCH less work!

Heck, I went to an in-network dentist when I was living in San Diego. They wanted $400 for a procedure that they said had to be done before they could do a standard cleaning. I declined, got a copy of my x-rays, and went to my dentist in Indiana when I came back for a visit (a week later). The "procedure" that I needed to have done was the standard scraping of the teeth that they do before cleaning. And the four cavities that I supposedly had? I only had one.

[ladylilo]

I will say that one of the most intense SOLAR events I've ever dealt with was full-on Orc invasion. There was background stuff that dictated our reactions and our decisions, but taking it back to the basics was pretty amazing and kind of terrifying (though I chock the terror factor up to the fact that all of Plot took No-Doze and as such, they hit us with a frenzy the likes of which I'd never seen, nor have I seen since.)

Also, second opinion and stretching the work out as much as you can over the insurance years is a great idea. I've done that in the past, and will frequently call a close family dentist friend to ask whether what I'm getting quoted is unreasonable or not.

[kumir_k9]

Wow! That's an impressive quote. Did they give you a quote on the heart surgery they figured you'd need after hearing it? Let us know how the second opinion and requote go.

What's so amazing about this truck stop that you needed to see it? I have trouble visualizing a truck stop as a point of interest.

Dental Quote & Truck Stop

[traceroo]

Ian's got an appointment for the second opinion from an in-network dentist on Thusday. We'll see what they say then.

Unfortunately, the episode of "Modern Marvels" (from the History Channel) about the Iowa 80 truck stop is not specifically listed on Netflix. I'd love to go back and watch it!

You have to understand this in the context that I love road trips. If I have the time and passengers with the inclination, I'm the type that will stop at the World's Largest _____________, and the giant stuff dead alligator, and so forth. I love that sort of roadside attraction! You need to be in the right fram of mind to undestand why the Iowa 80 truck stop is amazing. :)

It's got a movie theatre, a public library, a laundry, a doctor, a dentist, and neat things like showers the truckers can rent, and these cool air conditioning tubes that the trucks can hook up to the cabs. The volume of traffic it handles year-round is impressive. It's just a neat logistical operation for a niche market. I find it fascinating.

Trace

[elena23]

I'm really curious to know what the second dentist says! The first quote seems crazy to me. I want to say that even with insurance, Danny's single root canal cost about $500, so I know it's not a cheap procedure. He charges a varying amount for fillings, and lets you choose if you'd rather have the traditional silver (cheaper) or the tooth-colored pewter (a little more expensive). It sounds like quite a bit of work for Ian, and I wouldn't be surprised with a quote of around $5000. But $14000? Yikes.