Silence??

[lucr...@florence.it]

Is it really silent, or is my system on the blink again?

[James Warren]

On 2024-01-31 2:51 p.m., lucr...@florence.it wrote:
> Is it really silent, or is my system on the blink again?

It was silent for a few days.

I'll break the silence by saying that today I registered for the Canada
Dental plan. Will get confirmation letter in 15 days.

Anybody else?

[HRM Resident]

I have another dental plan, so I do not qualify. DW goes
to the dentist faithfully, as directed by our dental clinic.

The last time I went, the prick told me he could not fill
a tooth anymore and said I needed a root canal. I agreed, and then the
idiot broke a drill off in one of the roots. He
said it didn’t matter because he would fill it with
rubber or whatever they use and put a crown on it. I went
along with the game, and when he was done, I was out
~$4500 (dental plan only pays half.)

It ached for a couple of months. I went back, and he said
sometimes they do that. Said I needed either a bridge or
a post and crown. I told the prick to pull it out, and I
would let him know. I still have the tooth sitting on my
windowsill, and I have not been back since 2014. Brush
your teeth regularly, rinse with salt water often, and avoid dentists.
They are thieves!

Because they can and do generate extra business by
ripping off older people who have money and insurance,
they can make a fortune. They tell you that you need stuff
done that you do not. It is not regulated like the medical
system. It is akin to US-style healthcare.

Besides, the funeral homes likely have a surcharge to
cremate nice teeth. Or they steal the gold crowns first!
Avoid dentists if you are > 65!

--
HRM Resident

[James Warren]

All of that was documented in a Market Place show about 15 years ago.
They found that dentists don't bill for work they didn't do but do work
not needed. I found the same for children's dentistry when I did a five
ear stint at Dal dental school.

Your defense, as always, is to educate yourself and when in doubt get a
second opinion.

I knew someone else who went to a dentist in Scotia Square. Every year
he did as much work as her dental plan would cover. If you have coverage
don't say what the max is. An unscrupulous dentist will get it all.

[lucr...@florence.it]

Yes I did too. I have already received the letter, says it confirms I
am entitled to full coverage and a package will arrive within a couple
of weeks. So far I have been impressed with the efficient handling of
it all, long may it last :)

[lucr...@florence.it]

On Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:20:09 -0400, James Warren

I went to Dal Dental for years but finally gave up this year as I
could no longer face the fight in the traffic getting there and back
and the fight for a parking space.

I use a Phillips Sonic toothbrush and a couple of minutes with it
makes your teeth feel like the hygenist just took care of them!

[James Warren]

Now let's start rooting for universal pharmacare, as promised.

[James Warren]

If you have good genes that may be enough. Many are not so lucky or are
now dealing with many years of neglect.

[HRM Resident]

James Warren <jwwar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> They found that dentists don't bill for work they didn't
> do but do work not needed.

>snip<

>
> I knew someone else who went to a dentist in Scotia
> Square. Every year he did as much work as her dental
> plan would cover. If you have coverage don't say what
> the max is. An unscrupulous dentist will get it all.
>

Exactly my experience. They play dumb, saying they
don’t know how much your plan will cover (which is
bullshit, seeing as they have thousands of clients with
the same plan.) I got sucked in once, but never again.
If I break one or get something serious that needs fixing,
I will go for the minimum, cheapest repair. We are like
old cars. Rusting away, so why put Michelin radials on
a rusty rattle trap?

DW won’t believe me, so I tell her to go ahead and do
whatever she wants. I can’t convey this is not the way
it was in the 1960s and 1970s.

My parents did without during those decades to make
sure my dental work was done. So did DW’s parents.
And I did the same for my kids in the 80s and 90s. But
things have changed. As you say, hope for good genes.

--
HRM Resident