So I went to my dentist on Wednesday, after going to Florida's first Moral Monday on Monday and then sleeping most of the day Tuesday in pain. My dentist took an x-ray. Then he told me that the roots of the molar that's bothering me are wrapped around the bone and since it's a broken tooth he can't extract it and I need an oral surgeon. He referred me to two.
Then, the office staff told me that the charge for the visit was $68. Oh, but THEN they realized that I don't have insurance so the REAL charge is $91. So, if I had insurance, I'd pay $68 minus whatever my insurance covered. But since I don't, the service is more expensive. OK.
Today I tried to make an appointment with an oral surgeon to get this taken care of. Despite the fact that I have an x-ray from YESTERDAY, they both want me to pay $90 for a new x-ray and $85 for an "exam" and then $300-$500 to yank the tooth. If I had insurance, it would be WAY cheaper, even if the insurance paid nothing.
So, I'm fucked at the mo. Trying to figure out options. I'll never for the life of me understand why dental care isn't considered medical care. I'm dreaming of sepsis while my state's "leaders" brag about how cool it is to turn down Medicaid expansion.
And dental probs? Just go ahead and die, ok?