the Price of a Dental Cleaning and Check-up

The price is for an annual cleaning and checkup (including x-rays) for one adult who is, ahem, over 30 and has had no special dental work done outside one root canal and crown over two years ago for a broken tooth. The cost was a price negotiated by my insurance company, but not covered by insurance as I only carry catastrophic health insurance. The price for a kid's cleaning is the same price.

Like all dentists offices, this one runs the gamut in services. From cleanings and whitenings to fittings for dentures, fillings and crowns, veneers, maintenance and adjustment of braces, and referrals to oral surgeons among . Prices scale depending on insurance and the difficulty of the procedure. She even apparently does some pro-bono work when necessary (for example, for "starving" students or poor families).

The dentist is one referred to me by the dentist in Tucson who fixed my broken tooth, and has proven to be an excellent choice. She and her staff are professional and kind and always put me and my kids at ease when we're there. It helps that she's been able to convince my kids to brush and floss after every meal without resorting to bullying or the scare tactics some dentists use (e.g. the Big Book of British Teeth, etc. :) ) and thanks to that the kids haven't had any cavities since we adopted her as our dentist.

That the waiting room is well-stocked with books and toys and magazines helps the waits feel short, but the fact that we almost never have to wait long to see the dentist makes the distractions almost unnecessary.

Paying for routine items yourself rather than going through the insurance company was a difficult decision, but we've found it to be cheaper in the long run. The reason for this is that because the cost of a cleaning and a checkup is absolutely going to happen, the insurance company simply passes its cost along with a bit extra added in for. Since we don't have to pay for the bureaucracy involved in getting the insurance company to . It has been good that the insurance company did negotiate a reasonable price for checkups for us rather than let us pay the somewhat inflated market rate that all dentists seem to use.

As for looking for a dentist, demeanor is incredibly important. Having a dentist who can get kids to relax has been wonderful, that she comes highly recommended by a dentist who's proven to do good work is like royal butter cream icing on a delicious chocolate cake (one that won't rot your teeth, I mean). I'm glad she's been keeping us out of having to use her more extensive services (fillings and such), but I have confidence in her ability to do the work, and that's worth more than a few dollars any day.