Bella Butterfly from Shabby Blog

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Sometimes, It's the BIG things!

So today was already going to be a pretty good day. It was my first FULL day with the SmartBoard in my classroom and I am just nerdy enough to be very excited about that.  It was supposed to be sunny and NOT rainy and I am a HUGE fan of those weather conditions!  And, finally, the book I have been waiting for since last August is finally out!!


And today was my LAST dentist appointment.  For those of you who do not know, I decided about 12 years ago to stop going to the dentist.  (Mostly because they cost money...oh, and because I hate going to the dentist!)  About two years ago, I decided to make the big girl decision and go back to the dentist because I KNEW there were big problems already.  So I went.  Of course, I had to find a new dentist.  The new dentist sent me for three root canals and two crowns, with a plan for two more.  After my second crown, (and over $5,000 in payments) I became aware that the crowns were not done correctly.

I got mad.  I pouted.

Then I found a new dentist.  I have been seeing this new dentist since November of 2009.  In that time I have had one (surprise) root canal and quite a few fillings, mostly removing old fillings and replacing them with non-hazardous material, but some new ones as well.  THEN we got to the hard part....the removing of the old crowns (old by less than 14 months) and replacing them with new crowns that actually fit.  While I am glad to have this work done, and done correctly, it has been crazy amounts of time and pain and even crazier amounts of money!

I just want to give the praise that is due to my new dentist.  I first knew that he was a good guy the day he told me that I had a tooth that needed a crown, but that he could fill it and then wait and put on the crown in July, when my insurance rolls over.  That's a $900 blessing.  (Our dental insurance pays UP TO $1,000. Let's just say that my insurance ran out about $6,000 dollars ago....SINCE NOVEMBER.)

Today, he did an amazing thing for me!  At the beginning of my appointment he told me that he realized that I had had to pay, out of pocket, an enormous amount of money in a short amount of time, and because of that, he was only charging me for materials used today.  I said THANK YOUI! and then spent the next hour and a half unable to say anything else.  When it was all said and done, I went to the desk to pay.  When the office called to confirm today's appointment, they "warned" me that today's appointment would run about $987 dollars.  Today, I paid $507.  I know that I will have to pay a little more simply because my insurance will refuse payment and it will come back to me, but really??  What a gift.  (God TOTALLY sent me to the right dentist...not that I ever thought He had made a mistake!)

All of that to say this: If you are ever in the area and need a dentist, I know the perfect one!!!