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Thank God for United Concordia
Mar. 8th, 2011 02:14 pmThe dentist visit this morning went far better than I expected. \o/
Don't get me wrong; I did panic before and quite a bit during. Even developed buzzing tingling numbness from my hands up to my elbows at one point, when the receptionist going over my HIPAA paperwork left me alone for a few minutes. Haven't gotten that bad since the last time Tom tried to teach me how to drive on a freeway in VA.
But I got over it, with some soothing words from the hygienist, and got through the exam ok. Bite wing xrays, full head scan xrays, and a manual exam. We did not do a cleaning today. I was sufficiently freaked out that the dentist decided it would be best to combine my cleaning with my needed filling, since I was going to need sedation for the cavities anyway.
The news about my overall dental health was better than I expected, given how long it's been since I last saw a dentist. I have two small cavities on my leftmost front incisor and the neighboring bicuspid, which I could see for myself. I have a cavity in a back upper molar, which doesn't surprise me, the wisdom tooth on that side was the worst of the four when I had them removed eight years ago. I have lots of plaque built up behind my bottom incisors, which is a recurring problem for me. I have the early stages of periodontal disease, which also doesn't surprise me; my gums don't bleed when brushed, but they're tender in spots. My jaw bones are mostly in good shape, with only a few iffy areas, and proper care and cleaning from here on out can keep them from further damage. The dentist says he and his hygienist can take care of it all in one session under sedation.
I go back next week for a free one hour consultation about what sedation dentistry entails, what sort of work I will need done, and what United Concordia will and won't cover. I know, based on past experience, everything done today will be covered. I am reasonably certain that the cleaning, drilling, and fillings will be covered or at worst involve a modest copayment.
What's got me worried is coverage for the sedation. I need it. There is no question of that. The only question is, how expensive will it be. ::sigh:: Tom perfectly agrees that this is necessary and we need to get it done. I'm not worried about that either.
I am worried about how big a chunk of our savings it will take. We've been saving up a long-belated honeymoon trip to the Bahamas, and this could hit that fund hard, possibly even delay the trip from spring 2012, to 2013. ;_;
But this dental practice did such an excellent job handling my phobia and getting done the necessary exams, that I can't possibly go to a non-sedation dentist. I just can't. I've had too many bad experiences. We'll just have to see what happens next week.
Thank GOD we have dental insurance.
Don't get me wrong; I did panic before and quite a bit during. Even developed buzzing tingling numbness from my hands up to my elbows at one point, when the receptionist going over my HIPAA paperwork left me alone for a few minutes. Haven't gotten that bad since the last time Tom tried to teach me how to drive on a freeway in VA.
But I got over it, with some soothing words from the hygienist, and got through the exam ok. Bite wing xrays, full head scan xrays, and a manual exam. We did not do a cleaning today. I was sufficiently freaked out that the dentist decided it would be best to combine my cleaning with my needed filling, since I was going to need sedation for the cavities anyway.
The news about my overall dental health was better than I expected, given how long it's been since I last saw a dentist. I have two small cavities on my leftmost front incisor and the neighboring bicuspid, which I could see for myself. I have a cavity in a back upper molar, which doesn't surprise me, the wisdom tooth on that side was the worst of the four when I had them removed eight years ago. I have lots of plaque built up behind my bottom incisors, which is a recurring problem for me. I have the early stages of periodontal disease, which also doesn't surprise me; my gums don't bleed when brushed, but they're tender in spots. My jaw bones are mostly in good shape, with only a few iffy areas, and proper care and cleaning from here on out can keep them from further damage. The dentist says he and his hygienist can take care of it all in one session under sedation.
I go back next week for a free one hour consultation about what sedation dentistry entails, what sort of work I will need done, and what United Concordia will and won't cover. I know, based on past experience, everything done today will be covered. I am reasonably certain that the cleaning, drilling, and fillings will be covered or at worst involve a modest copayment.
What's got me worried is coverage for the sedation. I need it. There is no question of that. The only question is, how expensive will it be. ::sigh:: Tom perfectly agrees that this is necessary and we need to get it done. I'm not worried about that either.
I am worried about how big a chunk of our savings it will take. We've been saving up a long-belated honeymoon trip to the Bahamas, and this could hit that fund hard, possibly even delay the trip from spring 2012, to 2013. ;_;
But this dental practice did such an excellent job handling my phobia and getting done the necessary exams, that I can't possibly go to a non-sedation dentist. I just can't. I've had too many bad experiences. We'll just have to see what happens next week.
Thank GOD we have dental insurance.
