My story begins November 24. 2009 when I took my first drink of my morning iced tea, because I don’t like coffee, but I love caffeine. The first initial pain hit my right rear bottom molar. It literally felt like someone hit my tooth with a screwdriver and a hammer. I quickly realized this pain was not going away two days before Thanksgiving. It was our turn to host my wife’s family from St Louis for the holiday and the next day we would have 14 people living in the house for a long weekend. Needless to say it was not good timing. I truly despise going to doctors and dentist but this was a pain I could just tough it out. It was a pain like I had never felt before. So, I made the call for my emergency appointment.
I get to the dentist within an hour and after an x-ray and the need by the dentist to poke my tooth with his little metal hook. These are the days you wish murder was legal, but I digress. He quickly determined my tooth was abscessed and I needed a root canal and a crown, “oh goodie!” I suggested since I was fortunate to have all my teeth and it was the last molar where no one would ever see it, just pull it. “Oh no”, he exclaimed “let’s save it for the low cost of $2,888”. “Sure doc lets”, I replied, even though I still thought that it was not a great idea. So, I come back as instructed the next day, as family was arriving and sat in the dental chair for 4 straight hours with my mouth propped open like the hood on a ’57 Ford being worked on by a shade tree mechanic. Thankfully I had my FREE Discount Card and only had to pay $1,460 versus the $2,888 retail price. I was also thankful for the nitrous oxide or laughing gas, which made the event a little more pleasurable. My Thanksgiving meal now consisted of soft food, mashed potatoes, dressing and pie filling, since I was instructed not to chew anything on the right side of my mouth for one week. Being a fat guy who loves Thanksgiving dinner like a fat kid loves cake, not fun.
Now let’s fast forward to July 27, 2012. On a routine trip back to the dentist, it is now discovered the root canal of that same tooth is still infected and needs to come out. “WHAT!” This was my idea all along. Let me get this straight the $2,900 fix didn’t take and now I need to have it pulled and put in an implant for an additional $3,248? So, just pull it and the heck with the implant. Now I learn something. If a tooth is left with no corresponding tooth below it, the tooth will actually grow into the space. Now I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and had seen this phenomenon, known as “long in the tooth”. I never knew why until now. By the way, the tooth brush was invented in my area of the country. We know this because had it been invented anywhere else it would have been called a teeth brush, but I digress. So, now this one tooth is at $6,135 of which with my FREE Discount Card I thankfully have to pay only another $1,680 for a total savings of $2,996, which is still ridiculous for one tooth!
We have all heard the story of the cobbler’s kids have no shoes. The insurance agent should have bought his own Dental Insurance . Oh well expensive lesson learned.
“Remember, you can’t run sausage backwards through a meat grinder and get the pig back.”—Tim Wilhoit
Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger and team leader with over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.
I know the feeling. When I contracted with Wash Nat I started replacing all of my clients acc and critical ill ins from my other companys. They all saw the benefits of lower premiums and a higher payout. Needless to say in all the excitement I did not change my own familys. I was involved in an accident and collected 2200 from my carrier. When I did the math the pay out from Wash Nat would have been over 6000.
Lesson learned. I now am a insurance poor insurance agent. “If it is not good enough for me it aint good enough for you” is now my approach. I even have some of my policies in my sales mat just to prove I own the product. Talk about putting your mouth where your money is (no pun intended). I now have the best that I know of and need.
Jason, that is a good point. I have carried my own policies for years. However, we have been very fortunate not to have huge dental bills otherthan braces on kids. This caught me by surprise.You are correct a good salesman buys his own products. It is hard to believe in selling a product if you don’t believe in owning it. Thank you for sharing that!
All this being said I still believe that dental insurance is way overpriced. If a person put back 25 a month in a safe place, they will have three hundred a year, to use for that purpose. In ten years they would have 3000 dollars in that little nest egg. MOST of the time with a little dental maitainace at the dentist we can avoid the big bills. A simple rider to pay for cleanings and x rays can be super affordable as an addition to a health policy. With a rider and some self insurance over time it makes a reg dental policy expensive for the pay out you get. Just my opinion.
Along the same vein. I used to be a bouncer and worked some very nasty bars that had a rep for fights. I have had my head knocked around more then I cared for. When I got married I still had tooth problems. She would fuss about me going to the dentist, untill she had an abcess on vacation out of state and the only person that would see her was a orthodontist. She found out in a hurry that 576.97 is a small price to pay for a painful mouth. She has never said anything about going to the dentist ever again. As a matter of fact we all have a check up every six months wherther we need it or not. Have one on thursday.
Jason, we have something in common. I too was a bouncer a long time ago and have been in a few nasty altercations myself. This dental plan is really the best I have seen. An individual only costs $28.83. So for the $25 you put away you could just purchase this product. No network, no deductible great pay outs. I find most of the people I sell see it as almost breakeven with a protection for that unknown “very expensive tooth”. Everyone should carry our free discount card, why pay full price? Thanks again for sharing!
For $29 dollars is that a real true dental or indemnity plan. What company is it and if true dental what dose a person have to do to sell said product. Any info would be appreceated. you can send the info to my e mail jbcbetterbenefits@yahoo.com I am taking off till after the new year. but I have everything ready to hit 2013 hard and focused. Right now most people have their heads everywhere but their finaces and have no intention to make time for a insurance agent. unless it falls in my lap, I am taking the rest of the year hunting and fishing. But that dental policy sounds very intresting and very saleable
We can add it to the list of everything we do when we speak in Jan. Click on the link at the end of my blog dental insurance for the details. it is true covergae no indeminty or schedules. Best I have ever seen. Happy Holidays!
I don’t understand how a 35% discount card took a bill from $2,996 to $1,680 — that’s a 56% reduction. Then we have $2,888 reduced to $1,460 — that’s 51% reduction.
And human teeth do not continue to grow. Teeth will shift laterally if there is too much space, but not in length. The term ‘long in the tooth’ refers to age; the gums tend to recede over time and make teeth seem extra long.
I’m going to assume this is an apocryphal story used to promote the imbedded ‘FREE Discount Card’ link.
Jean, the story is not apocryphal, it did happen that way. The dental inside of our discount card is the Unicare 100 plan which actually sells for $79.95/$129.95 on the market. The savings are north of 50% in my area. I live in a more expense part of TN so maybe the precentages are a little better than a rural area because our costs are more expensive, but I assure you those are the numbers. As far as the tooth growing, I refer you to the link:
http://www.freegrab.net/Dental%20tooth%20loss%20and%20consequences.htm
It has to due with stem cell growth inside the tooth and bone loss. Way more than I want to know about. The actual point of the blog was how high dental costs have climbed. I guess this will be the next “crisis” in our health care system. Thank you so much for your comments, I always appreciate them.
Thanks for the explanation.
The reason that dental bills are rising so fast is because there is a shortage of dentists — and they can charge whatever the market will bare.
I agree Jean, thank you for downloading the card. I hope you save lots of money.
I know your pain Tim. ask for sedation therapy next time.
Jack, I did but it wore off when it came time to pay the bill on the way out.
Lol!
I guess the moral of the story is, just pulled the darn tooth next time! (unless of course you like paying for your dentist new sports car.)
I should have at least got a comemorative name plate on his Mercedes, should I? LOL!
Yes you should! Makes you just want to scratch your head. Dentist Pulling a bait and switch.
True stories are always the best stories. What an expensive tooth!
So typical of “modern dentistry.” Tim, does your dentist drive a Ford Focus?
Not since dental school Joseph LOL.