Discussions

Have only been to one dentist and his prices seem high compared to what some other people have said they paid. I thought they all charged the same but obviously not. Was looking at front tooth bridge or even flipper work. Any recommendations?

I do agree going to the dentist is never cheap. This link may help.  
 
https://www.smilecaredental.ca/blog/dentist-prices-in-canada-are-from-dental-fee-guides

Offices can choose to charge whatever they wish. There is a MB Dental fee guide that is a guideline to follow but offices can charge above it.

How does $7000. for a six tooth from bridge sound?

Not terrible. Considering one porcelain crown is around 1000$. If that i:ncludes any other work done to the area (extractions, root canals) I’d say that’s pretty fair. Bridges are definitely not cheap!

I was going to say that sounds about average, middle-of-ballpark. My mom had that type of work done last year and I think her insurance covered 50% but she still had to pay about $3-4 out of pocket.

For people who make minimum wage and have no insurance provider or seniors who are living off their two pensions averaging about$1300 per month these costs are just plain out of reach and is the main reason a lot of people just don’t go to dentists . Another one of those “ it is what it is” kind of thing I guess.

This is why I haven't been to the dentist in over 15 years. I have 2 cavities right now that bother me, but there is no way I could afford to get them fixed.

For the price of the bridge I could get a new kitchen countertop and all new appliances. All of which would last me a very long time. Can’t guarantee how long a bridge will last before it comes loose and out of alignment which means more trips to fix it and even more money. Prices just seem way out of whack. .

So this thread reminded me of when I was in elementary school and dentists would come into the school. I remember getting a check up, cleaning and a cavity filled . I’m sure I’m aging myself but does anyone else remember this? It would’ve been in the 80’s

I had forgotten about that. We didn't get filled, but I do remember getting checked for cavities in very early grades. I think we had to chew a pill of some kind that would colour problem areas?  
 
We also would have a nurse come and check us for lice.  
 
Those things always seemed to happen the same week.

I knew someone years ago who, when she found out she was pregnant, quit her min wage job and went on assistance so she could get dental and drug/eyeglasss coverage (and moved into public housing). She grew up in the foster system, and knew that was the only way she could afford to keep her kid.  
 
Just want to kindly point out that not all tooth problems are strictly solved with proper care. I, for example, have excessive wear due to grinding. I've had a mouth guard in the past (also very extensive, especially if you don't have insurance!!), but the extensive wear on my teeth causes issues and I'll need implants or bridges or something sooner rather than later. Also, if you never could afford orthodontics, having a mouthful of misaligned teeth can make them difficult to adequately care for them.

I had a regular dentist who when I had loss my coverage. Worked with me on the prices he charged and with payments.  
 
He retired a couple of years ago.  
 
Perhaps as I was a regular customer that is why he did that.

This is something that does come up often in threads about vet costs. Because we have socialized medicine, we often don't realize the true cost of health care because we don't get the bill every time we go.  
 
So when we get dental work (or vet bills), we often have "sticker shock" because we're used to these things not costing us anything out of pocket. Dental care is health care, and health care is expensive.

Which is why I am a huge proponent for dental and eye care to be a part of the universal healthcare equation.  
 
One simply cannot be completely healthy unless they can get their teeth and eyes checked. I am aware that for many people with dental and eye coverage through work this is not a problem but there are many people out there who are working part-time jobs who can't go to the dentist or eye doctor because they do not have benefits as part-time workers (depending on the business of course but the vast majority simply do not offer these benefits).

In the UK many dental practices left the NHS thirty years ago to provide private treatment. The standard of care and treatments available improved tremendously and appointment wait times improved dramatically.  
We have also found dental care available in Canada to be excellent.

I remember the dentist coming to school for check ups  
and the floral rinses to in class but that gone by wasteside to thanks for aging us memories

Late 50s .....dentists came to our rural school....60 miles from Brandon....all portable equipment....I'm reasonably sure the drill was foot powered ( although that sounds crazy) and I know the dentist would smoke while working. One student had a needle go through his cheek. It was a rough start to tooth care!

No doubt that private care can (in theory) be a benefit to those who have the ability to access it. However you are disregarding my main point which is that many people simply cannot afford dental and eye care for [insert infinite list of reasons here].  
 
As a previous commenter said, they've had cavities bothering them for an extended period of time and they are unable to have them fixed. This should not be a problem that people have to face in this country.

Unfortunate though it is for some you ignore the fact that that government and in turn the tax payer cannot be expected to pay for everything for everyone.  
The fact is that the national health care system that I previously enjoyed while desirable was not perfect and the system as it was at that time restricted available treatment options in some cases.  
After 15 years in Canada I can tell you that dental care is more affordable here right now then it was in my previous home.