Jo Abi with her son
By JO ABI
“It’s okay to want the best for yourself.” These words were spoken to me by my dentist shortly after he explained that to fix my teeth it would cost me around $6000.
A bit of fun oral history…
When I was seven I was with my mum and my sisters in a shoe store. You know the large, carpeted steps in most shoe stores where kids sit down for fittings? I was waiting for my turn, running around like a little lunatic when I tripped, fell forward and hit my front teeth on the corner of a carpeted step. My front, right, adult tooth came out – root and all. Blood spurted everywhere. My eight-year-old sister took one look at the pool of blood in my hands and fainted.
My mum retrieved the tooth, wrapped it in a wad of dry tissues and wedged another wad in my mouth to try and stem the bleeding in the giant hole. We drove to our regular dentist who took one look at my mouth and sent us to the dental hospital.
“You should have shoved it back in,” the horrible receptionist lectured us, obviously not moved by my hysterical crying and the alarming amount of blood now covering my clothes.
The dentist did just that and it freaking hurt…but it had been about two hours since the tooth had been rudely shoved out of my mouth and despite the fact it thankfully stayed in my mouth and fused with my gum, it died a few weeks later. RIP.
Enter my black tooth years as it slowly became darker and darker…hell for a girl on the cusp of adolescence and ruthlessly teased by her perfectly-toothed-“friends’.
I have NEVER had good teeth. I’ve been haunted by this incident my entire life and now here I am, almost thirty years later, still paying for the sin of not being able to sit still.
The tooth died, turned black, was bleached white and lasted until I turned twenty-something and then it started to rot and kill my gums so it was removed. I was toothless for six months while the gum healed (horrible) and then an implant was placed in. I was told I’d never have to worry about it again.
A few weeks ago the implant started to smart and become wobbly. I need work done on it. Initially the implant cost me around $6000 to fix and my husband and I managed to scrape the money together and we received hardly any back from our private health fund because it is deemed ‘cosmetic’. Cosmetic! This isn’t a boob job. This is my FRONT TOOTH. I need it. I lisp without it!
Is it selfish to spend money on yourself?
So we’re up for another $6000 and we just can’t spare it.
As I explained this through my tears today, saying things like, “What kind of mother would I be if I spent $6000 on myself, on my teeth, how irresponsible, how vain”, my dentist said those fateful words and I haven’t been able to get them out of my head.
“It’s okay to want the best for yourself.”
As a mother-of-three with bills coming out of my ears I have to admit that the thought of spending this money makes me nauseous. It’s selfish. Yes I want the best for myself but who am I to spend a large chunk of our savings on my teeth.
So they are mismatched. So they are discoloured. So I am reluctant to smile. So I think about my teeth every single day, multiple times and pay way too much attention to other people’s teeth.
Is it okay to spend our family’s money on getting the best for myself?
Jo Abi is the author of the book How to Date a Dad: a dating guide released by Hachette Livre Australia. You can read more about her many and various exploits here.
Comments
136 Comments so far
I was ‘blessed’ with bad genetics, directly resulting in not growing more than half of my adult teeth. My baby teeth have fared pretty well, except for my three front teeth. Which chipped all at once when I was 16. We couldn’t afford implants, especially three of them. So I got a denture. I still couldn’t afford the $1,000 metal framed one, that will never break. So I got the cheaper $500 version, that breaks like clockwork once a year. It costs $100 for repairs and then I am set for another year. S ometimes it lasts longer. But the denture is a cheaper alternative, even if only temporary. I myself will eventually need implants, or my gums will weaken and sink. But it’s just too expensive! So I totally understand, but there are options.
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Now its election time will someone please consider medicare funded dental and kids swimming lessons??
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Jo, you’re a beautiful young woman who deserves to keep looking gorgeous and feeling confident with a bright white smile! Your kids deserve to see you happy too.
Get the money anway you can! Good luck.
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I was so happy to come across your story. I am at the moment waiting to have my two front teeth extracted tomorrow. This is after a bad accident when I was 7 and my two front teeth were knocked out and have since died. I too have the same feelings as you regarding money, embarrassment of not smiling, always feeling ugly and not worthy because of two teeth! I also have children and am 38 years old. I am constantly guilty for spending money that could have been put to use for my children or family holidays etc. I feel almost calmer now about going through with the procedure tomorrow and the subsequent next two or so years of orthodontic treatment as “It is okay to want the best for myself”.
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Hi Jo, you’re probably over reading responses by now but here goes. Can you look at this as a purely economic problem? This is what I mean: the dental work will cost $X. There will be money in your family budget that you spend on yourself – hair cuts/colours, make up, clothes, coffees, whatever. Sit down and figure out where you can move money that you ALREADY spend on yourself – eg can you go to Just Cuts for a year, go without take away coffee for a year, do your own manicures, etc? The six thousand will add up if you go hunting for it, even if it takes a year or two. Then just be disciplined about sticking to where you are “saving” it from – from your earlier posts, it sounds like you’re pretty on the ball with your family’s finances.
This way, you won’t be “taking” the money from your family. You’re just reallocating money that is already spent on you, for a different purpose. Pure economics. No guilt. New teeth. Happy days.
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Jo get that tooth fixed and don’t think twice about it.
The stuff we let our medical insurers get away with, honestly!! How can work on a front tooth, medically necessary to save the tooth, be deemed cosmetic?? Aren’t these insurers meant to insure our health, the type of health we want? Why do we stand for letting them tell us what will and won’t be covered? Health insurance needs to be individualised so people can choose themselves what they do and don’t want covered.
I feel for you Jo that your awful insurers have so little compassion.
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Ok, I’m probably going to not get published for this BUT consider what kind of a mother you might appear to be missing a front tooth, lisping in front of your child’s friends. Sorry but i believe it’s important for you child to see you value yourself too. My mum had to get false front teeth because she neglected them as a child, I thought it was the best thing she ever did.
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I’m sure if it was your child or your husband you wouldn’t hesitate to say that it was essential, but for yourself you think it would be selfish. So please put yourself in the picture, this is not just a tooth, this is your self esteem and how you will react seeing yourself in the mirror every single day.
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It’s weird that it seems (from a brief glance at the comments) that the people saying it is selfish are the mothers.
Wow, go the sisterhood!
I say, do it. Seriously. It’s dental work – not like you’re buying a designer handbag or something. And if you do it.. don’t feel bad!
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i’ve just browsed down the feed, and i can’t see a single woman who said it was selfish..
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Post children, my teeth are black and my molars are crumbled to the gums. It would be totally amazing to have $6000 to spend on getting them fixed, let alone on one tooth.
That said, if you and hubby agree on the spend, just do it.
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Dental care in this country is a disgrace!!!!
I get really angry about the amount that dentists charge, there is no way one tooth should cost $6000!!!!
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I think Lucinda has explained this in an earlier post below.
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It doesn’t have to cost $6000. She just so happen to choose the most expensive option which requires a lot more work and skill which needs to be charged accordingly and unfortunately dental is not subsidised by the govt like medicine.
She also can get a second opinion or go to another dentist… Or go to another country and get it done there.
If she wants the ‘best’… Then with anything in life, expect to pay a premium. That’s life.
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Have you considered going overseas to have it done? My parents have had dental work done overseas for a fraction of the costs here.
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I’m not commenting on your situation Jo but I would think its very self entitled to think you have a right to spend thousands of dollars on something isn’t actually affecting your health if you are struggling to support a family. Ok it sucks, but that’s life.
If its a matter of feeding the kids or looking pretty you just have to make your choices and live with them.
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Can’t believe you’re even questioning getting it done!
It’s not a handbag or a pair of heels. It’s a tooth! Do it and be free of self doubt.
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Hi Jo,
Im a dental nurse and without looking at your tooth you could get a single tooth denture until you have enough money to get the implant, just a thought!
Implants are very expensive but they should last you all your life, which your first one didnt…. Also check your health fund you may not be elgible for major dental, which is what implants fall under.
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Thats thought, if its supposed to last a life time and it hasnt, perhaps you should discuss this with your dentist. Maybe you shouldnt have to pay the full price again if it didnt work the first time?
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Yes. Yes it is.
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I can relate to the guilt of spending a large amount of money on yourself when the family needs it as well but mine was for a boob job not dental work. I went from a D to a J cup with my first baby & even though the rest of me returned to my normal size they never deflated.
7 years & 2 more kids later I paid over $10,000 to have them reduced. Yes I felt (& still feel) a lot of guilt over having spent that money on ‘just me’ but it was worth it. My boobs jumped in size at 6 weeks of pregnancy & for 7 years I had no self esteem as well as being in daily pain & discomfit. Now I feel so much better within myself & it has had a positive impact on our family.
So all I can say is do it. Yes you will feel guilt when you look at your bank statement but that feeling will fade but your smile won’t!
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Wow Jo, I can say I know exactly how you feel.
12 months ago, while I was on mat leave with a 6 month old baby (that I was still breast feeding) I found a small mark on my gum, just above my front teeth.
I hadn’t been to the dentist for my 12 month check up so thought I’d get it checked out… The dentist did an x-ray and asked if I was in any pain. I’d said none at all, he the proceeded to tell me that I had a very large infected cyst in my gum that had killed one possibly 2 of my front teeth. I was told I’d be on very strong antibiotics and that it could interfere with the quality of my breast milk. I was then told that once the infection was gone I’d need to have root canal on both teeth and I’d also need to see a dental surgeon about the cyst.
In the end, both teeth had died, I had to go under a general to have the cyst removed, I also had to have porcelain teeth placed over my ‘old ones’. I also had to wean my baby early because all the different drugs I was taking for pain and infections were making her unwell.
After the whole saga was finished it had costs us in total about $10,000. I still feel guilty about it. I’ve never had trouble with my teeth, and with 1 filling, this was the last thing that I thought would happen. Similar to you, drs think it was caused by some kind of trauma to the mouth when I was a kid.
So while saying bye to our $10,000 I also said goodbye to my dream of having another baby (at least for a while longer). Because now we just can’t afford it.
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Wowee.
I had some major work done on my teeth earlier this year. I had my two front teeth broken in an accident. I’m lucky they haven’t died, but they did have to have crowns and veneers, which have had to be replaced every 5 years since it happened.
They were looking really really horrible at the beginning of the year, as the veneers had broken down, cracked and gotten horribly stained.
The first dentist I saw had all these crazy ideas about this and that and what he was going to do, and it was going to cost around $6000.
I got some advice from my interstate father in law (who is a very experienced oral surgeon) to shop around. Different dentists have different ideas about what needs to be done, and the truth is that these days some dentists will try and con you into getting things done that don’t need to be done, just to make money. They have a lot of authority (we trust them like doctors a lot of the time), so we don’t argue. But it’s definitely worth shopping around.
Turned out there was a fairly basic way to fix my teeth that cost a fraction of what the first dentist quoted me. The crowns got replaced and the two teeth involved, and the two on either side (6 teeth all together) got veneered. End result looks beautiful – in putting on the veneers he even managed to make my teeth look straighter, and closed up the gap between my front teeth!
Getting your teeth fixed is very much worth a lot of money though. I know from experience that being able to smile with confidence changes a lot more than how you look. The action of smiling seems to have some kind of psychological effect, and when your teeth are beautiful you walk around smiling like a supermodel on crack
But shop around, and treat dentists like any other professional offering a product!
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I was in the same boat with hearing aids. Needed hearing aids in my mid-forties and I just kept putting it off because they were over $4K each. No rebate at all from health fund. I gladly paid $5K for my daughter to have braces but just couldn’t justify spending $8K on myself – especially as it wasnt exactly going to improve my appearance! Eventually got them due to necessity but I was very reluctant to spend the money.
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Parents be aware that the school dental checkups are useless. I was late in taking my first child to the dentist because she was having annual checkups at school and I was told she had no problems. At 8, I took her to her first visit to the dentist and we were told she had extensive decay – we ended up at a private hospital having the works done to the tune of over a $1000.00.
Son started going to dentist much much earlier and is still cavity free at 13.
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Why dont you apply for one of the “cosmetic surgery” loans that are available? Yes you’ll have to pay interest on it, but at least you wont feel like your spending your family’s saving on it….but your story reminds me that I should go and get my eyes fixed.
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Hey Jo,
I sympathize so much as I’ve had the mother load of dental and orthodontic care. As a kid I have spacers, expanders, braces and plates. I’m 23 now and just had reconstructive jaw surgery which required a week in hospital. I’ve also had more expanders, plates and spacers and I get my braces on in about three weeks. While I haven’t ever had a missing tooth I did have a 7mm gap between my front teeth after my surgery. The gap gave me a lisp and did not look very attractive – so I feel your pain!
As I’m a student my mum & dad have pain the majority of my orthodontic &surgical costs – to the tune of about $30k (after private health rebate). I of course feel so guilty that they have had to spend this much but the repercussions of not having the work done were quite servere in my case. My mum stressed that I shouldnt feel guilty as you cannot put a price on your health.
I know my attitude to money is a bit unorthodox, but honestly, money is a means to an end. This is why you save your money – for situations like this. You cannot allow yourself to feel guilty. It’s your money and your teeth. It’s not a handbag, it’s not a luxury holiday, it’s your teeth. As people have said below, teeth are so important and are often the first thing people notice about you (I speak from experience there).
Do it!!!!
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Thank you! You just inspired me to ring up the orthodontist!
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Jo, most definitely have it done. If you can’t afford it here, consider Thailand or the Philippines. My husband and I have done both countries.
2006 in Cebu, I had 14 crowns for USD2000.00. Still good.
In November 2012 my husband had 6 crowns and two bridges for AUD4000 in Phuket which was quoted at AUD20,000 here. You could have a family holiday as well. Do your research, and don’t listen to the ‘horror’ stories. My dentist has no problems with his patients going overseas for ‘cosmetic’ work. It’s only cosmetic to the health funds so they don’t have to cover it.
We have top cover but the rebate is pathetic. It will be the best thing you have done for yourself and your family.
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Bali is an option for dental work. Family friends of mine have been going regularly for dental work and having a 2 week holiday for less than what you’d pay here. That way you could take your son too and have some magical time with him too.
I would only go with a dentist that had been referred and I would look into their training and qualifications. I believe this dentist is Swiss trained and very reputable and I’m sure there are many.
Good luck
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Hi Jenna, You dont have the details of the Swiss dentist in Bali do you ? or know of the one your friends used. Wouldnt mind looking into it myself
Thanks
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Dr Rudi at Galleria
They are brilliant and a fraction of the cost. A clean & scale was $40 vs $250 at home.
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My elderly dad gets all his dental work done in the Philippines. If you go in the quiet season flights are cheap. To get my wisdom teeth out in Aus it would’ve cost me $3500. In the Philippines it cost $600 – $150 per tooth, and not a trace of swelling or bruising. Do some research and you might find a great alternative.
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I’m still feeling for you having to live 6 months without a tooth – its worth every cent.
But my question for dentists and governments though is the cost! Really, $6000 for a front tooth?! And cosmetic?!
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The costs of materials and hardware/tools to do an implant are quite expensive to buy in Australia and can cost well into the thousands so maybe we need to question the dental supply companies why it’s cheaper to buy in other countries for the same product.
It’s all relative to where we live. It happens in alot of industries/professions.
Lucky for us we live in a country where we have choices and options to spend as we please!
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Jo – Seriously consider the overseas option. Myself, my ex, and several friends have all had work done in Thailand and not only did we save a heap of money but a few were able to splash out for things that would normally be way out of their price range in Australia ie whitening and veneers solely for cosmetic purposes. My last visit I had 4 silver fillings replaced with white ones, a root canal and had hardcore whitening and it cost me a bit under $800. The only downside if you can even call it that was that they made my teeth super white… like American starlet white. All for less than what 4 fillings alone would have cost here. Plus you can always turn it into a holiday if you wanted to. I’ve always had really weak teeth and have spent a fortune over the years despite being vigilant about taking care of them. I will never spend thousands of dollars again for one visit to a dentist unless it’s for an emergency procedure for my child. Anything else, I’m hopping a plane. If you don’t/can’t go overseas then please just spend the money on yourself. Not feeling confident with one’s smile can truly mess up a person’s self-esteem and that damage can take a lot more to repair than $6k.
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With that amount of dental work, did they put you under or just do it under local?
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Just the regular numbing needles although I’m sure other dentists would have other options. I’ve never been put under for any dental work so I probably wouldn’t even consider it anyway. I had the fillings and root canal done on one day and then went back I think 2 days later for the whitening. The only pain I had was an hour or so after the whitening but the dentist had warned me about that and had offered me a pain prescription which I stupidly declined at the time.
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where did you go in Thailand? I need an extraction and an implant and a crown and I’d love to get it done overseas.
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I went to both Bangkok and Phuket. I used Bangkok Smile Dental and Sea Smile Dental in Phuket on Patong Beach. I looked at flight prices after reading this earlier and I can get from Melbourne to Bangkok for under $600 return so I’m just trying to sort out dates and am booking to go back, probably around Easter for some cosmetic stuff with my teeth.
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Spend the money and get that tooth fixed, especially if you are feeling self conscious and it’s on your mind every day. That’s too sad.
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I waited until I was 50 to get braces.Seriously, one of the best decisions of my life. I am now 56 and hate all my old photos. I wish I had done it so much sooner. It was a lot of money and I have children too but worth it.
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Firstly I would say Of course it’s not selfish! I’m sure that your kids would ‘approve’ of this! You want the best for them so why not for yourself?
The other thing that I want to say, did you think of shopping around for a better price? Sure it’s about quality, but maybe there is a dentist that would do the same job cheaper. Or actually going back to the first place where they said you won’t have any problems anymore(unless it’s the same place) and ‘complain’ that they were wrong.
We do it with appliances, so why not with our health?!
As a client/customer we are entitled for the best care, and if you’re not happy or things don’t turn out the way it’s meant, we go back and complain!
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Jo, listen here, are you a member of your family?
Of course you are so of course you can spend ‘your family’s’ money on dental care.
It will be cheaper than the years of built up longing, resentment, etc which you could be faced with if you don’t do it.
Alternatively, you could pay for therapy to get past being bothered by your tooth, but it’s your front tooth – I don’t know if that would be something you could ever forget about.
Have you looked into other health insurers – there may be one out there that contributes to this work, even if you have a waiting period of 12 months or so.
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I feel for you but think you should go ahead with the procedure. My husband is having the same done with his eye tooth and I swear he hasn’t given it a second thought!. I do understand your dilemma – I struggle with even the so-called selfishness of exercise, as it is time spent on me without my 3 kids. So silly really. Pot… meet kettle. Ultimately, a more confident you, makes a happier and more confident mother.
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I had my teeth fixed (my front teeth were getting very crooked and it was only going to get worse) because it was getting to the point where it was affecting my confidence and I didn’t want to smile. You kids should always see you smile, they should have a role model who is happy and confident within herself. I found a dentist who offered me a payment plan and I have never regretted it even once. This was four years ago. Do it.
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I feel for you and it is something that would pray on my mind as well, but in our family we’d call this first world problems. I agree $6k is a huge amount of money, maybe do some research and see if you can find a cheaper dentist.
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Are you kidding?! Of course you should spend the money. Of course you deserve it.
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Dentists aren’t delivering. Too many people who need care don’t get. And at the end of life, when things get really expensive we don’t expect people to take out a mortgage to pay for it when they have a heart attack, why do we expect people to find a similar amount to fund their dentistry?
Going overseas might be a risk, but it’s pretty risky here too. If you get bad dentistry, how do you know? They work alone, no-one checks their work.
The industry needs an overhaul.
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I think you mean the government isn’t delivering not dentists.
And I’m pretty sure if you are unhappy with your dental work there is the Australian Dental Association that will investigate any claims.
Having said that, I think Jo should get it done. It’s your front tooth and family money is used in instances like this! All the best in whatever you decide to do.
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I definitely think you should do it!! In 15 years time, when you look back on photo’s of you and your kids, all you are going to be able to notice is your teeth, and you’ll think about how much you hated them – instead of being swept back into the moment that photo was captured. Not to mention that your family would love every time they saw a big, genuine, un-selfconscious smile on your face
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I understand it completely! Mums put hubby and kids first, if I see a top I want to buy in the shops for $30 my first thought is I could get the kids three or four tops for that and I leave it there. It’s a guilt thing for mums as there is always something kids need that you feel should come first. We brought a house, car and truck for hubby and I still couldn’t bring myself to fix my teeth. It was only when depression took holdand cclose to suicide with other family issues happening I finally stopped painkillers and fixed my teeth. Now I wish I had done it years ago. Changed my life by giving me back my smile and self esteem.
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Wow like reading my own feelings. After years of not smiling, covering my mouth if I had to open it, feeling sorry for my hubby for having to kiss me, feeling worthless and ugly cuz my teeth broke down due to genetics. I would laugh then stop myself cuz people would be repulsed by my dying teeth. I finally spent 5000 getting fillings, teeth removed and a bridge of four teeth and man I danced and cried and smiled and laughed and my kids told me I was beautiful! Tears still come thinking about it. Go for it, be able to smile anytime anywhere without shame or covering your mouth. Your whole family will love the new you that emerges and best of all the shame and guilt disappears. Best thing I ever did and there were bills ect that needed to be paid but to be able to look for work and not think ‘they will think I’m ugly and unkept and won’t want me to represent them’ has made it the best decision I ever made!
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My husband had to have all his teeth removed and implants inserted – he couldn’t have false teeth – and it cost us $47,000!! The stinger was we only got $2,000 back despite being on the top private health scale. Holy crap, I really look after mine!
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Ask if a bridge is suitable for you. I have very bad teeth (a combination of genetics combined with neglect and bulimia in my teens) and my dentist recently gave me a bridge instead of an implant – half the cost (about $3k for 2 front teeth) and won’t be rejected like an implant. The cost of the dentist is rude isn’t it?! Particularly when I walk past his Alfa Romeo on the way in and then hear about his 3 kids in fancy private schools….
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I agree that the pricing certainly hurts sometimes, but we have to reward all the years of intensive (and expensive) education that dentists have undertaken – including the ongoing training so that they’re at the top of their game. We can’t judge how people choose to spend their money, whether it’s flashy cars or private schools. BUT, if you must, then console yourself by thinking that he’s probably mortgaged to the hilt, lives in a shoebox and has a tiny…amount of good taste;)
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If Australia has no subsidised dental health policy I would suggest you blame the Government (and Opposition), and the voters who haven’t demanded it, rather than the dentists. Many careers provide incomes which allow people to afford flash cars and private schooling (law, accountancy).
Dentistry *is* expensive to provide. But like medicine it is also a necessity rather than discretionary expense. That’s why, like medicine, it should be subsidised.
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you’re right there is a problem with the government & medical funds reimbursements. But don’t compare dentists with other professionals. It is quite well known that they are the highest professional earners – more than doctors (probably partly because they are not in Medicare so hence have an open book to charge). I’ve had 2 implants so far – born with no wisdom teeth or adult teeth for 4 spaces. So still more to go – living with a gap on one side now but will have to do the fourth one. Ive seen this dentist since 1987 so I definintely know I helped renovate his house or put his kids through uni!
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I assume you’re referring to gp’s and not a specialist doctor who would be earning atleast 2-3 times as much as a dentist.
When you see a GP… S/he writes a script and you pay the pharmacy for the meds. Their running and outlay costs are lower.
Last time I had a sore tooth a script doesn’t make the ache go away. I can guarantee the chair you sit on when you visit the GP doesn’t cost as much as a dental chair either…..
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Look at all your options with Medicare. My mum was going to have to pay thousands for some procedure ( root canal I think) but a dentist friend of hers told her about some Medicare loophole type program, which ended up covering a great deal of it. I would definitely recommend doing some serious research about this.
And you really do have a beautiful smile, Jo
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The “loophole” you refer to was cut at the end of last year, specifically as a result of people abusing it. It was meant to assist people who suffer chronic/serious illness, but dodgy GP’s were referring people who did not qualify. So to all the people who were not entitled to benefit from this scheme and still did, shame on you.
My dentist was telling me that when she asked these patients what was wrong with them and they couldn’t tell her or laughed it off, she would tell them that there was nothing wrong with their teeth and didn’t need any work. She did not want to help people blatantly rip off the government. However, as I do have a chronic illness and was able to access the scheme, she did her utmost to help me with my needs. Even now that the scheme is no longer available, I will be going back to her for my check-up this year, she is a great dentist!
As for Jo, you should definitely spend the money on your dental work, go for it. You are not letting your kids go without anything by doing it. Your dentist was right. It is ok to want the best for yourself, if you can afford to do it you should.
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This scheme helped a lot of pensioners who otherwise couldn’t afford dental care and the govt scrapped it. Way to go looking after our older generation.
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Yes its the usual scammers who are aware of every free perk available and manage to access them, who ruin it for the genuinely needy who usually miss out.
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Spend the money Jo. You deserve it.
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I think the bigger issue here is private health cover and what a rort it can be. We have the highest level of cover and pay a crazy premium for it. Yet when I recently had a baby I was shocked at how little we actually got back. Yes, the private hospital stay was covered, but that was about it. I really wonder whether it’s worth it to be honest
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Agree – is it worth it? No. I’m just about to get ‘free’ glasses for $100 – that’s despite the optometrist claiming that the range I chose from will be covered entirely by my insurance. However, they slug me with glare protection etc which they tell me I MUST have with my particular perscription. Grr!
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I guess it depends if your cover is tailored for your family’s health situation & which fund you are with. I developed PND after having our child & having private health cover meant I was eligible to attend the only mother & baby unit in Qld that allows you to stay uninterrupted, ie not have to go home weekends. Without private health care, I really don’t want to know what would have happened to our family. I’m guessing a much, much longer illness & recovery.
We also had to fork out for a paedeatric dental specialist, appts, surgery & anaethetist for our then 3 yo last year. Yes, it’s expensive but without it, what do you do when these unforeseen health issues com up? Go without or go into debt? I do remember being shocked by my laparoscopic surgery costs & anesthetist bills prior to us getting pregnant. The having baby ones, I don’t remember because I was too ill by then & my husband had taken over dealing with the bills for me.
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There are gaps, but when you need to have a prolonged hospital stay, it is worth it. When I was pregnant I was admitted for 8 days when I was about 32 weeks. And last year I spent 3 weeks in hospital. Both times I got my own room, specialists visiting daily etc etc. Which is a long time if you have to be in a public hospital sharing a room. And we weren’t out of pocket for those stays (although yes, other obstetric costs hit you hard and aren’t covered). It also covered a lot of our IVF bills (not the actualy IVF, but the hospital part for egg pick up and other procedures.) And when my husband got his sinuses fixed a few years back we were only out of pocket for the anaesthetist, and most importantly we didn’t have to wait to have it happen. So it really depends on what you need it for, and what you see as priority or not.
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Private Health can seem like a rip off sometimes but at other times it is pure Gold, My wife is a type 1 Diabetic and our private health care paid the full cost for her to get an Insulin pump which is worth $8,000.
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I’m sure you’d change your tune if you were stuck in a public rehab hospital for months.
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I chose to have just hospital cover and have some money saved for dental work etc. The hospital cover is definitely worth it – I needed a gallbladder operation last year and would probably still be waiting on the list otherwise as I wasn’t “acutely” ill. Just sick enough to hardly be able to eat and not be able to work.
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After forgoing the dentist for 11 years my dad just spent $22,000 fixing his teeth, which included pins in his jaw, tooth implants etc etc. But he says it was totally worth it.
I say do it for yourself.
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I can completely empathise with your situation.
Ive always had horrendous and I mean Horrendous teeth. I had braces as a child with the head gear, the works as my teeth were so bad I had them for 6 years. Then a plate, finally to be be advised in my late teens that I was all good and my teeth would not move.
Had veneers put on and my front teeth ground down to make them look perfect (no more bugs bunny teeth – heard this so many times as a child)and saw it as an investment.
Only to have my teeth move over the next 6 years and go back to having a 12cm over bite.
Went and saw many specialist, orthos and dentist, all of them telling me something different and a huge difference in price.
Ended up having major surgery to my face and had my jaw realigned. Had to go back into braces.
Again ended up with a perfect teeth.
Another 6 years passed and they all started to move again and some of them started to die.
Again Specialist, ortho and dentist to be told that I now need implants.
In total I have spent over $50K on my teeth. They are not the whitest or the straighest – they are what I class as perfect teeth.
I was told from a young age to take care of my teeth and my feet as they are the two things that will slow me down as I age.
My teeth are my invetsment property, they are my new car and my new clothes. I would rather go without that bottle of wine each week and be able to smile freely.
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Your teeth are an investment. It will only cost you more down the track if you leave it. You wouldn’t think twice if it were your heart or kidneys. Please, ditch the guilt and fix thus problem once and for all. You’ll be so much happier
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I had a similar situation and I felt the same way until my parents told me that they would loan me the money to have it done because they felt it was important that I look after myself. So two years later, I’ve paid back the cash and I don’t have a space in my mouth anymore.
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Of course it is ok, i dont understand posts like this. Its ok to put yourself first once in a while…
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Does your dentist not offer a payment plan or some sort of loaning facility? Most dentists do and although its frustrating to add another bill to the monthly pile, I find it stings a little less than forking out a bulk of your savings in one hit.
I absolutley think you should get your tooth fixed, if you wouldnt expect your child to suffer with a prblem then you shouldnt have to either.
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Teeth are so important! I had horrible teeth growing up and my parents were unable and unwilling to do anything to straighten or repair them. By the time I was an adult and could afford to pay for braces myself, it seemed a bit silly and self-obsessed to spend so much money on something ‘cosmetic’. So I spent about 40 years feeling self-conscious, and avoiding wide smiles that might display my crooked, tombstone-like choppers. I was actually a little relieved last year when my dentist pointed out that my front teeth were so badly chipped they were in danger of cracking, and suggested I get them repaired. Yes, it was expensive. But I feel so much more confident now they’ve been fixed! If I’d known how much better it would feel, I’d have found a way to do it years ago. I can’t comment on Jo’s family finances, but can honestly say that last year’s dental work has changed my life. Good luck, Jo …
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