Ordering Dental Implant Parts Online
I have four snap on dental implants. I periodically need to replace the male retention caps. But, my dentist charges me $25 for each one. I’m on a very tight budget and the current economy has it to where I cannot even pay all my utilities without help. I have looked online and the price is much cheaper. You can get four of them for $20. The problem is that to order them you have to be a dentist. Is there any other way to get them at that lower cost than by being a dentist? I’m really struggling.
Dennis
Dear Dennis,
I know a few ways that you can go about getting these more affordably. First, I would start by just explaining to your dentist the financial situation. While dentists do need to charge extra for things in order to cover their overhead, such as the lease on their offices, staff salaries, etc., the percentage he would make on this is so small that I can’t imagine that he would not be willing to work with you.
If for some reason your dentist is not willing to cooperate with you on that, there are still a couple of options for you. First, you could call around to some other dental offices and talk to their staff. Most staff who work for dentists are compassionate people. It’s usually the staff that do the ordering for the dentist anyway.
If both of those things fail, then I have another option for you. I see on eBay where you can purchase dental implant parts, including the retention caps you need for the price you found online. These are sellers that do not require you to provide your dental credentials. The only downside to this is that you need to know what kind to get, such as the resistance. You would also need to know how to place them in.
By the way, if your dentist is not willing to work with you on this, I would say that you are not with the best dentist for your situation. There are a lot of dentists out there and you should look for one that works for you.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
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Should My Dentist Refund Me For These Dentures?
I was being transferred but needed to replace the dentures that were attached to my mini implants. I went to a dentist and asked him how long it would take to get the dentures made. I had to move in eleven weeks. He told me it would take just three weeks to get the dentures done. They didn’t actually get in until nine weeks later. Even then, they didn’t fit. My dentist literally had to force them on. If that would have been it, I would have just lived with it. Unfortunately, the way the dentures were fitting I was in tremendous pain. I couldn’t even eat pasta that night. I ended up forcing them back off because I was close to tears. The next day, I went back to their office. The dentist I saw wasn’t in, but one of the other dentists was. He said they were defective. The dentures were improperly aligned and the gaskets were not the right fit. He could order some more for me. I really don’t have time to wait for new ones and hope they fit. I have to leave in two weeks. Do you think I am okay asking for a refund as I can’t get the denture that I need?
Penny
Dear Penny,
Yes, you are definitely entitled to a refund for these dentures. He promised it to you in three weeks and missed the deadline. He didn’t just miss the deadline a little, he missed it by a LOT. Then, when it did arrive it was defective. He did not keep his end of the bargain. As a result, you should be refunded.
I would start by asking nicely for the refund. If he complains or denies you the refund, you have some leverage. What he delivered was far below the standard of care. You could threaten to write a bad review letting the public know about the horrific care you received. That will have a negative impact on his ability to get new business. A more serious thing you could threaten is to go to the dental board. I do not think he will want to deal with the dental board. If you used any dental insurance to pay for these dentures, you can also contact them and let them know what was going on. I don’t think it is going to come to that.
When you get to your new destination and you get another dentist to do this, be certain you check out that they have some post-doctoral training in dental implants. You are attaching your dentures to a type of dental implant with the mini implants, which is more advanced than a simple denture procedure. Dental implants are fairly unregulated and there is not a recognized specialty in placing them, so you’ll have to do some homework.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.