HELP--Is my dentist ripping me off?

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Author Message   Celia Kent Citizen Username: Cel Post Number: 85 Registered: 4-2004 Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 9:41 pm:        Haven't had a cavity filled in 10 years so I'm a little out of touch with how much fillings should cost these days, but am I crazy to think $235 for a small filling is outrageous? He filled it with the tooth-colored stuff, but the cavity was so small I didn't even need any Novocain! Please advise. My dental plan is barely covering 50% of this bill. ARRRRRGGGG!   njphilf Citizen Username: Njphilf Post Number: 154 Registered: 4-2002 Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 10:27 pm:        Just had one filled last month. Charge was $90 for a filling. Plan covered about 75%. Did he use a gold filling??   oots Citizen Username: Oots Post Number: 175 Registered: 6-2001 Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 10:36 pm:        did you have a cleaning & xrays and dental exam?   Wilkanoid Citizen Username: Cseleosida Post Number: 297 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 9:25 am:        I just checked my dentist's rates for insurance, and I was told that a filling (depending on the kind and size) can go anywhere between $150-400. He's on the expensive side though, as far as I know.   Celia Kent Citizen Username: Cel Post Number: 86 Registered: 4-2004 Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 11:20 am:        No cleaning and x-rays at this visit. Just the small filling. Just checked with my dental plan, and they said they only cover silver (mercury) amalgam fillings on molars--not white resin like I had, so that's why my share of the bill was so high. I did get them to look up what would be customary and reasonable for resin on a molar and they said about $195...   chickadee Citizen Username: Chickadee Post Number: 29 Registered: 6-2002 Posted on Saturday, January 8, 2005 - 8:43 pm:        We don't have dental insurance(ugh) and a recent visit to our dentist was, in my opinion, costly. Both of my children had their teeth cleaned and a fluroide treatement-no X-rays or fillings-and the total cost was $287!!!!!! We were in the office for less than an hour!!! I was flabbergasted. Is this normal? Does anyone know of a pediatric dentist or general dentist who is good with kids who is cheaper?