I recently had a routine dental visit turn into something much bigger.
What began as a simple replacement of an old filling quickly escalated into a crown - $450 out of pocket - followed by pain when I drank cold beverages, and the unwelcome news that the same tooth now required a root canal. That procedure alone cost me another $725, paid directly to an endodontist. And I’m not finished yet. I still need to return to my regular dentist to permanently fill the opening in the crown - another out-of-pocket expense waiting just around the corner.
I’m fortunate. I have dental insurance and access to care, and I am working so I can pay these costs. And even so, I found myself wincing - not from the procedure (which was surprisingly painless), but from the bill.