Re: Wanting to smile again

You're welcome. As for raising the money---IMO, right now you're getting ahead of yourself. First get the second---even third opinions. Second, she needs to decide which dentist she is going to have do the work. Third, she needs to see just what exactly her dental insurance will cover. I'm sure they will cover some of the work---especially since you say your work plan is a good one. Fourth, once she knows just what insurance will cover, she will need to talk to the dentist's office personnel and find out just what she will have to pay out of pocket. Once she knows the amount, then she has choices---a) If she has the money available, use that to pay the balance outright (when the work is completed); b) See if the dentist offers up a payment plan (no doubt, with interest). If so, see if the terms are agreeable; or c) If she doesn't like the dentist's payment plan, arrange through her bank for a more favorable loan.

I can't stress this enough --- be aware that there are dentists that see dollar signs in their eyes and will recommend either more work than is necessary or will recommend work knowing that it won't stand the test of time. As I mentioned before, my brother was determined to try to save his teeth so he spent thousands of dollars over the years, only to have it all fail. For example, he would get bridge work done only to have a tooth the bridge work was attached to crumble. When that happened, the bridge work was useless.

As another poster mentioned, capping teeth is not always the best option. What dentists don't tell you is that the tooth being capped has to basically be a strong one. Before a cap can get put on a tooth, the tooth has to be filed down so the cap can go over it. This works if someone has a good strong tooth but if the tooth isn't a strong one, then it will crumble and deteriorate under the cap. Believe me---I know this. It happened to my mother and it happened to me.

Without knowing in detail exactly what is wrong with her teeth, she should really consider that it may well come to this --- In the end, it may come down to a mouthful of implants or dentures. Again, a second and a third opinion is necessary to know just how to proceed. For those other opinions, she should ask others if they can recommend a good, honest dentist. Once she gets some names, do some googling. If these dentists were reviewed on a website, a google search will show this.

I wish her the best of luck as she proceeds with this. Also, I commend you for being there and being supportive of her. In a situation like hers, I'm sure it means a lot to have such support!