A crown is not a crown is not a crown is not a crown. Making reference to a famous quote by Gertrude Stein, the point made here is not all dentists work is the same even though it has the same procedure name. On a daily basis, people call my office asking for fees for different types of treatment and while I understand patients having to be consumers, I also know that people think they are routinely getting the same quality for varying fees from different dentists and that is the fallacy. For example, if you wanted to buy a Black & Decker toaster oven and compared the price at Walmart and Kmart, you at least know for sure that you are getting the same item, but that is rarely the case for dental care.
Dentists who charge less for their procedures may use cheaper materials or they may have to sometimes see 5 to 6 patients at the same time or find labs in foreign countries where they may use inferior metals and porcelains all in an effort to save themselves costs many times at the patient's expense. All these things can affect your outcomes, causing dental work that doesn't fit, is uncomfortable and will need to be redone prematurely. Having faulty dental work can also cause you to need other dental work to correct it. Additional root canals, gum surgeries or even extractions of teeth are possible consequences as a result of not having the work done right the first time.
I am a spouse, a parent and a businessman as well so I fully understand that you always have to watch what you spend, but as a healthcare provider, I also know a compromise should not be on your health. Spend carefully, but wisely. Spending less, but having to redo faulty work always costs you more in the end. Make sure that whatever you spend on your dental care is a wise investment and remember not to be penny wise and pound foolish.
By: Dr. Michael Ramer
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