How come Dentists are so darned expensive?

Question

They cost more than the Doctors, Surgeons and even Lawyers. Just for all the work they've done on me in the last year, the bill was over $6000.00 and I take care of my teeth! Any idea why they are so expensive compared to other things? Then they get ticked off if you don't want to do more!

Answer 1

I dunno, Rooster.

My husband had outpatient hernia surgery a couple of years ago, and the surgeon charged our insurance about $6,000.

Pretty good wages for an hour of work and two 15-minute followups. 

He probably did four more such surgeries the same day.

Comments

Geez, just for two crowns and a removable bridge for two teeth? They wanted $6800.00. They don't want to do fillings anymore. Everything has to be crowned.

Went to a different Dentist who did two permanent fillings and fixed my old bridge and walked out at $980.00. Go figure!

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Sounds like the first dentist was something of a crook.

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Lol - T(h)ink, "tooth pullers" were - formerly - attractions and a kind of more or less performing "magicians" at fairs and markets:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447382/

And in French, there's the expression "to lie like a tooth puller" (mentir comme un arracheur de dents).

https://uploads1.wikiart.org/images/caravaggio/tooth-puller-1609(1).jpg

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/history/brace-yourself-painful-terrifying-history-25906

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@ Marianne,

Lol, I knew barbers used to do dental and other kinds of surgery, but I wasn't aware that street or fair entertainers also pulled people's teeth.

Answer 2

Rooster, I do have a theory on that - because dental care was not always so expensive. I am not sure when the shift happened from reasonable to skyrocket-through-the-roof, maybe 1990 or so?

But I think it is (partly) because of the advent of dental insurance. Formerly you expected to pay for dentistry yourself, but then insurance came in so the dentists could raise their rates in keeping with MD's!

I just found this on the ADA website..."The average net income for a private practitioner in 2015 was $179,960 for a general practitioner and $320,460 for a specialist."

Comments

@Virginia: You could be very much right. I saw once when I had dental insurance some of the paperwork and what they charged me and what they charged the insurance plan. Big difference in price.

Answer 3

Many people are wondering everywhere about the high medical and dental costs, and also about the great differences between the different places and dentists. 

In the U.K. - for comparison:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2567353/The-expensive-locations-dental-treatments-revealed.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/ouch-british-dental-care-the-most-expensive-in-europe-769227.html

Answer 4

The dentists in Belgrade are not expensive. I started going to a private dental ordination in a village near Belgrade last year. I am very satisfied with their services and prices.

Comments

Kninjanin, I have been reading that the USA has mediocre medical care but the highest prices in the world; and now dental care seems to be the same...so I am not surprised that you in Belgrade are doing much better than the USA, and I am glad for you!