Medicaid & Dental Care (My Story)

Pat634

Medicaid & Dental Care (My Story)

Pat634

First let me say that I've been waiting for a chance to comment on this topic. I'm really sorry that dentists get half of what they think they are worth. But I'm here to present the OTHER side of the story.  I recently was forced to visit the ONLY dental provider in Sheboygan County for people on Medicare/Medicaid due to an abcessed tooth that started "leaking" and causing a throat/lung infection.  Could I have taken better care of my teeth?  Sure I suppose so but both chemo drugs and radiation for breast cancer can affect the teeth so I'm not going to punish myself too much for this one  (I have all but my wisdom teeth). And any one who has recently gotten chemo/radiation for breast cancer, you may want to add more trips to your dentist to your to do list from now on.   Anyway, in spite of the infection and history of breast cancer I was ushered in and out in mere minutes, promised to be put on an "ASAP list for a root canal", given a future appointment for a day and time that clinic is closed (just to shut me up so I would leave), and was generally treated like some mentally defective POS. This dental clinic billed Medicaid for 2 Emergency Appointments where absolutely nothing was done to help me. My medical oncologist put me on antiobiotics and 1 month later I still wait for this supposed call where they will try to fit me in (because they are just SO busy). Frankly, with places like this they should be damn lucky they get paid anything at all. Another bitch I have is that people always complain about those of us who receive these benefits as "bilking the system". I'M A CANCER SURVIVOR and I am just a patient doing what I am told to do, hoping to get a little relief. If you want to bitch about someone bitch about these shady "care providers" that bill the system and do nothing to help the patient.

camillegal

Oh I so agree---some of these Dentist dont even want to work on cancer patients and I had to get an OK from all these Drs. and another one charge medicar $$$ for telling me he wouldn't work on me and gave me an antibiodic u give to kids. When my Onc. heard what I was taking she pulled me off and gave me a much stronger one and got a hold of an oral surgeon that would work on me and he did it and wasn't unreasonalbe. So before u even start get u'r teeth checked, But it was like big surgery going on with an absess. OY--U'r right.

BrooksideVT

Have you been back in touch with your dentist?  If not, it could be a clerical error, as could the appointment on the wrong day, and no fault of your dentist.  Please try again.  I'm guessing that the brush off attitude belongs to one of his officed personnel and not the dentist himself?  If so, he needs to know about that little problem before he can fix it; please do share your experience with him.

If that does not work, your county has both a dental society and a dental access committee.   You need to contact the chairs of those committees asap.  Some dentists do not feel they have the training to work with cancer patients, so please do mention your medical history.  If you still have no success, you might want to contact your local newspaper or TV station.  Good luck!

Pat634

This dental clinic uses different dentists who come in for a day or two from all over the state. The rude dental hygenists and office personnel are the only ones who are stationary. And I'm positive this wasn't a mixup. While I was telling the dentist I would be willing to travel any reasonable distance if I could get someone to actually WORK on the tooth the hygenist was telling me I couldnt use medicaid outside of Sheboygan County, etc.