SteveR Loc: Michigan

What I can't understand is a dentist working on you to do a cap for an hour for maybe $750 (the cap costing another $750), but the specialist who does a root canal gets $1300.

tk Loc: Iowa

Well, the endodontist (root canal specialist) is cleaning a cave in the dark. They are getting gangrenous tissue out of your tooth and they are good at what they do. Plus look around at their office. They probably have an extremely nice, plush office. This is relevant to their success and costs money. The relevance? Would you go into an office for a root canal or an extraction and it is outdated, unmaintained and people are slovenly? Nope.

Many crowns have a lot of metal and well, look at the cost of gold, silver, etc. Our overhead is huge and we are one of the first to be sued, so our liability is intensely high.

Lots of people like to complain about the work and refuse to pay. They write a simple letter to the Board of our State and tell they the work was unsatisfactory. 90% of these letters are bull. The patient doesn't want to pay their bill and our insurance company says, just write it off and they will go away. In the meantime we wait 3 months for the State Board to write back and say that for now, they will see no reason to investigate. We loose money, the insurance company had to work to investigate and their prices go up. Our prices go up.

I have a problem with insurance. Love it. Hate it. Need it fixed.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I don't have a problem with the dentist's costs. I have about $12,000 worth of bridges in my mouth due to making a tackle with my teeth!! Actually, the endodontist's waiting room is nice but I don't think it's changed in years (all three of my kids have had their molars out there. I'm just kind of surprised at the difference in charges between an endodontist and my regular dentist who did my bridges and the temps when my old ones broke in the years previously.

picturedude Loc: Yosemite natl. park, Ca.

WoW!!!!! $12,000 in bridges really bites. BUTT, without them it would only suck!!!!!!

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

Since the age of computers, rather than going to the State Board of peer review, they now can write a nasty review on the internet about how bad this or that dentist is. Or a disgruntled ex employee can write a bad review. Those things are usually lies, or misunderstandings, or the fact that some patients have unrealistic expectations and nothing can please them. It is usually somebody who does not want to pay your fees. I practiced pediatric dentistry for 30+ years, now happily retired. I found that 99% of my patients were great, and about 1% cause most of the problems.