Foo - Oral surgery is...

dental or medical...insurance wise?

What are you having done?

Depends on the surgery. I need a post removed from my jaw before a bridge can be put in. Surgeon, being put under, sounds kinda medical to me.... then the dentistry gets to happened 6-8 weeks after that.

My thought is you put me out completely, that's medical.

I went to the dentist for the first time in years today. She loved my teeth (yay) but the two wisdom teeth that have come in need to be yanked, no biggy...they can do that and i suspect my insurance will cover that. But the other side is a different story, one is coming close to impacting my molar, the other is growing sideways. So i guess they are just going to go in and cut it out right? I only have so much coverage per year...

Aww, I thought this was going to be a spoof of that awful "Love Is..." comic with the creepy naked kids.

Aww, I thought this was going to be a spoof of that awful "Love Is..." comic with the creepy naked kids.

I work with a dental student, i bet i could get her to grab me some photos...maybe we can collaborate and come up with something :)

I went to the dentist for the first time in years today. She loved my teeth (yay) but the two wisdom teeth that have come in need to be yanked, no biggy...they can do that and i suspect my insurance will cover that. But the other side is a different story, one is coming close to impacting my molar, the other is growing sideways. So i guess they are just going to go in and cut it out right? I only have so much coverage per year...

Dental.

They knocked me out for wisdoms as well. Not certain, but I believe that was dental. Although I am the Wimp of the East when it comes to dentists. Some folks can just have yanked with locals as if it was any other tooth.

Dental.

NO!

Try again!

I substitute your reality, and replace it with my own.

They knocked me out for wisdoms as well. Not certain, but I believe that was dental. Although I am the Wimp of the East when it comes to dentists. Some folks can just have yanked with locals as if it was any other tooth.

My dentist said he wont even try, i kinda want the x-rays...they were pretty funky, the bottom one anyways (that is growing sideways)

Check the glossary of your insurance policy. This is probably also addressed in the policy under a section which itemizes what's covered and what's not.

I think it's medical when it starts to grow out from your forehead, chin, or jaw. Seriously though it takes on a decidedly medical tone when you get knocked out completly, or if there is going to be any possible interaction with jaw bones other than screwing bits in. The anesthesiologist is what makes it. Gas can be fun for those who hate the dentist.

I think it's medical when it starts to grow out from your forehead, chin, or jaw. Seriously though it takes on a decidedly medical tone when you get knocked out completly, or if there is going to be any possible interaction with jaw bones other than screwing bits in. The anesthesiologist is what makes it. Gas can be fun for those who hate the dentist.

I like what you're saying. My dentist told me that, because of the way my teeth are growing, there is going to be a big boneless gap and that "they might be able to put 'something' in there". That sounds medical...yeahhhh that's medical alright!

:o:(

Had all four of mine removed surgically at the same time by an oral surgeon. All four were coming in so as to impact the second molars.

Had all four of mine removed surgically at the same time by an oral surgeon. All four were coming in so as to impact the second molars.

What's that like...i'm not going to lie, it's a major reason i haven't gone to the dentist. You know, out of site, out of mind sort of thing.

tooth extraction is specifically mentioned in your insurance package, look for it

Yep.

What's that like...i'm not going to lie, it's a major reason i haven't gone to the dentist. You know, out of site, out of mind sort of thing.

It's no big deal really. I was seated, hooked up to a Versed IV and a finger-tip pulse-oximeter, my gums were numbed topically with lidocaine or some such, my deeper gums then got shot full of Novacaine. I remember them tellin' me they were about to start as the nurse opened up the Versed drip and next thing I knew, they were callin' my name, and I opened my eyes. Only took 'em about 10 minutes, and I felt nothing. I was taken to a recovery area to lie back until I was good to walk. Then my husband drove me home and left me to go get the pain meds. By the time he returned, I needed them. But only for about two days. Was eatin' grilled salmon and chewin' with my front teeth the second day! :p

Took about a week for the wounds to heal and the stitches to be pretty much absorbed. Took another six months to a year for the "pits" to go away (I had to pay particular attention to them until then, making sure no food was caught in them -- a WaterPik is good for this, once the wounds have healed and a toothpick, used very carefully, suffices until then).

I'm glad I did it before they erupted. Might have been more complicated, according to the oral surgeon. FWIW, I was 31 when this was done.

Only other time I had teeth pulled (vs cut out), I felt nothing but the pressure applied through the forceps, and then heard the root creak and give like the root of a tree that's being uprooted. Again, no big deal. Recovery was fast.

^^Tougher than my wimpy self at the dentist^^

Pizza olives can fill those holes perfectly, but they are a b*&^h to get out.

Gas can be fun for those who hate the dentist.If they knock you out all the way.

On the other hand, if they use enough gas to incapacitate you, but not enough to put you to sleep, it can be rather unpleasant. :)

Thanks for the info guys and gals. It's not specifically my insurance policy, i get it through my dads union because i'm a student. I'll talk to him about it.

I've never been knocked out before (i've been very lucky...makes me worried, somethings got to give!), sounds fun :)

Read your insurance policy(ies). Very, very carefully. This is some of the most Gawd-awful turgid prose you will ever have to parse, but do it anyway. And there is any doubt about what the language means, assume that the insurance company will try to interpret it so as to avoid having to pay up.

This is one that can only be answered based on the language of your particular coverage. We Foosters can opine 'til we're blue in our collective faces (and likely will :rolleyes:), but our stories of "my policy sez . . . " and "they ought to cover that, the heartless bastids", et al., are completely and utterly useless to you. Our opinions-in-a-vacuum mean zero - your policy language means everything.

Sorry, but them's the facts.

Now if you have specifica questions about what particular language means, PM me and I'll do what I can to translate. Understand, I make no promises.

Sadly, i understand all too well.

Thanks! :)

I work in Health Insurance IT. That could be either/both. Find out what coverage you have. If you have to chose one or the other, get the ones that are most likely to become a problem out first.

You could ask the Insurance company to find out what you're covered for, or you could ask the dentist's office to find out for you. I'd actually recommend you let the Dentist's office do it, since they have more experience dealing with insurance companies, and will know what to ask and say.

I got knocked out for my wisdom teeth (they had to take out part of the jaw bone when they did it). It was under my mom's insurance (and I live in Canada), but it was covered under dental. Except the anesthetic - which was the most expensive part & only a fraction of it was covered.

Recovery wasn't bad at all. Except the food that got stuck in the big gaping hole at the back of my mouth. That was gross.

Oral surgery is.....painful. Or so I'm told. I'm getting some subepitelial tissue grafts (i.e., slice skin off the roof of the mouth and stitch to the gum) done next month to repair a receeding gum line. Dental insurance is paying a small part which means I get to pay the larger part. Then there is the liquid diet thing for 4 weeks. Beer and wine are liquids, right?

Except the food that got stuck in the big gaping hole at the back of my mouth. That was gross.Yep. Nothing like eating a few Cheetos and getting a mouthful of blood for your troubles.

I had six teeth pulled at the same time with just Novocaine. Four wisdom teeth and two molars (I had to have them pulled to make more room in my mouth)

It was so easy. I am incredibly happy that I wasn't put to sleep. Two of the teeth were cut out.

It was not big deal. The worst part was the popping and cracking, but other than that, just pressure.

I went to the dentist for the first time in years today. She loved my teeth (yay) but the two wisdom teeth that have come in need to be yanked, no biggy...they can do that and i suspect my insurance will cover that. But the other side is a different story, one is coming close to impacting my molar, the other is growing sideways. So i guess they are just going to go in and cut it out right? I only have so much coverage per year...

Also dental

If they knock you out all the way.

On the other hand, if they use enough gas to incapacitate you, but not enough to put you to sleep, it can be rather unpleasant. :)

He uses the gas just to relax me off the ceiling.

why don't you ask your insurance carrier instead of foo?

I had oral/maxillofacial surgery, and it went to both my dental and medical policies. It was a crazy surgery, though, and way more painful than the tattoo on my ribs, or pretty much anything I've ever done. The wisdom teeth part wasn't bad (with that being said, however, my entire face was numb for months).

why don't you ask your insurance carrier instead of foo?

What makes you think i wasn't going to? Lighten up much?

I had my wisdom teeth removed under local.

Problem was, the local stopped working for me during the procedure. I was so sensitive that even the needle hurt as they tried to give me more anesthetic (didn't work). And they hadn't even started with the drill yet. :eek:

I think that was probably the fastest that surgeon ever drilled out teeth.