Posts by mistyranger11

Rebecca Baker52 said:I honestly don't think there are any decent dentists in Washington, D.C., because if there were, everyone would know about them.

I go to Dubravko čuvati on Jurišićev Street and I gotta say, he’s gone downhill. It’s way more crowded now than before, so he’s gotten all tense and "fast," but in a bad way. I asked for a scaling—not gonna bore you with the details and stuff. He takes Medicare and private patients, but I’m liking him less and less. Usually, things like implants can be partially covered by Medicare (kind of like glasses or other gear, depending on your benefits), but with him—forget about it!

And then there's this...

Latest disaster—filling and treatment all done in a week. Even his assistant looked shocked, like, "You're really closing everything up in just a week?!"
Anyway, he filled my tooth with some medicated stuff, and when I said it hurt, he basically told me it couldn't. Well, the tooth swelled up so much over the weekend that my face is puffy, and I think my ear and throat are getting inflamed too... I even ran a fever!!!!

I don't know, I disagree. There are good dentists in Washington, D.C., just not many. Most of them are just out for the cash, which sucks, because if you aren't doing it for the love of the job, you won't last long.

I had my #6 tooth treated by Dr. Azinović and he did a fine job, but then I read later that you're supposed to get an X-ray after root canal cleaning and filling, and then follow-ups for a year or two. He didn't mention any of that, so I'll probably give him a piece of my mind next time I see him. 🙂

For me, the whole process took maybe 2-3 weeks. It almost felt like he was rushing to get paid and get rid of me, but I guess that wasn't the point, since the tooth didn't actually hurt while it had the medicine in it. 🙂

though, I should mention, the best part is he has a laser that doesn't hurt. 😛
He only does certain things privately, but whatever. $100 Not much of a price for painless work anyway.

Karen Ortiz83 said:I'm looking for recommendations too.
My main issue is that I am TERRIFIED of going to the dentist.
I somehow forced myself to see this former dentist, but it was a total nightmare—she’d schedule me twice a month for basically five minutes, refused to even look at a second tooth until the first one was finished, and she was just super tense and rude, especially when I mentioned I was in pain or scared... eventually, I just gave up because after three months of working on one tooth, she decided it was just too complicated and told me to go get it pulled. Then she suggested I pull the neighbor tooth too, which she hadn't even tried to fix! Her replacement took over the case, but wouldn't continue because they couldn't until the first one was done... just awful. 👎
Now my teeth look like they went through a hurricane, and I'm even more anxious 😢😢 I really need to start saving them.

Can anyone recommend a dentist who actually knows how to handle nervous patients? Someone who wants to save teeth rather than just pull them? It would be great if I could get a few things done in one visit—like a couple of fillings or part of a treatment plan—so my appointments aren't just five-minute traumas stretched out over years.
Does such a person even exist who takes Social Security Administration coverage? Private clinics are my absolute last resort, because honestly, there's enough work in my mouth to bankrupt $10000...

I already mentioned that I used to be really scared too. I didn't see anyone for almost five years because everyone I went to worked through the Social Security Administration and did a lousy job. Like I said before, Dr. Miller is great and I recommend him to everyone; his prices are pretty reasonable compared to most. He’s definitely not the only good one out there, I just know him among the few who actually do good work.
But, look, if you haven't taken care of your teeth or if you've dealt with bad dentists, you have to realize you probably won't get it all for free. I didn't get mine for free either, but I don't regret what I spent. I’d definitely end up spending way more elsewhere, and who knows if I’d even be happy with the result.
P.S. Dr. Miller saved a tooth for me that my old dentist definitely wouldn't have; he would've just told me to pull it, like he did to my brother. He fixed two teeth for me, which cost about $2,400 total—way cheaper than two implants, which run about $1,000 each plus the crown being $200. So, you decide if it's better to have had it "free" or to pay a little less for someone who actually knows their stuff. A dentist's primary goal should be saving teeth, not pulling them like they did to my brother and then suggesting an implant. 👎
Of course, maybe those two teeth couldn't be saved, but that same idiot drilled right into my other brother's root, causing an infection, and he couldn't even figure out what he'd done wrong. Luckily, that brother got a job abroad where a different dentist fixed the tooth and explained exactly what happened, and ended up asking what kind of dentists we have here in America. 🤣

So, bottom line. Take care of your teeth. You might as well spend your money on blondes—specifically the ones who can cook and don't talk too much. 🙂

Amanda Rogers22 said:😂😂😂😂🤣

so, is sandblasting actually better than just a standard cleaning?

it's kind of like a mini power wash for your teeth... uses high pressure to blast off grime and polish things up. supposedly it doesn't hurt, unlike ultrasonic cleanings which can be a bit much. I say supposedly because the ultrasonic one didn't even bother me. 🙂
hard to tell if my teeth actually look any better now, at least regarding the polishing part. 🤷

Amanda Rogers22 said:Does she even have ultrasonic descaling? I guess maybe.😍So, that doesn't go through Medicare, I guess?🤷

Ultrasonic cleaning is covered by Medicare. I used to get it done for free at my old dentist's office. Honestly, that was the only thing she ever did right. Now that I'm seeing someone else for fillings, I can't really go back to her—she’d totally take it personally if she saw another dentist had worked on my teeth. So, yeah, I just don't go anymore. She wasn't a bad dentist, I guess, she's just getting up there in age and nearing retirement. Her daughter is practicing there now, though, and my brother says she's a great dentist and a pretty cool lady. 😁

I mean, I'm pretty sure he was just some shady guy pulling scams during the war, and now he’s out here acting like some big-shot dentist.🤣

jadefox49 said:is it even normal $117 to pay this much for a root canal? total disaster... and I have to pay extra just because some sloppy dentist messed up my tooth in the first place.

That’s way too much. A root canal alone is usually around $150-$$67, plus they charge you for the actual filling afterward—which is almost always necessary—so you're looking at another $100-$$67.
Honestly, it's better to prevent issues than deal with them. Root canals suck, unless you get good anesthesia. Don't just settle for the basic stuff; ask for a nerve block or something, especially if it's a molar or higher, because the standard numbing doesn't really cut it then.

Amanda Rogers22 said:hey, looking for a dentist rec in Chicago, maybe somewhere downtown or nearby... nothing too far out. also, anyone tried ultrasonic scaling or ozone therapy? any idea how much that costs?
tnx

So, Azinović is over at Mechanical 4, which is pretty central. He can do ultrasonic scaling or sandblasting—it’s similar and hurts less, though I didn't really feel anything with the ultrasound either. Honestly, the laser is better than ozone; it’s painless and actually works (I heard some people say ozone didn't do much for them). I think ultrasound is around $67 but you could probably call to check. And like I mentioned, the laser filling was about $100. Also, you can barely even tell my tooth was fixed because the laser doesn't grind down the tooth like a drill does. 👍

Gotta give someone some credit. I used to be pretty terrified of the dentist, but I think I'm good now. 🙂
I had a tooth fixed using a Waterlase laser. It didn't hurt at all, and they don't have to grind down nearly as much of the tooth compared to using a regular drill. 😛 The cost was $100. Might seem steep to some people, but you don't deal with the trauma or lose half your tooth. The laser basically numbs the tooth, so it’s totally painless. I was honestly shaking because of bad experiences in the past, but it was fine. Not sure how things work with ozone, but I didn't need any extra procedures like someone else mentioned needing for ozone. They really should've invented this laser twenty years ago. 😁
They also replaced a filling on another tooth, and since most of it was already worn down from before, the doctor took an impression and put in a composite filling. It turned out great and cost $133. They did have to remove the old filling with a drill since you can't really do that with the laser—or it would take forever—but it wasn't painful.
The doctor is actually awesome. He's about 30 and definitely not a butcher like my previous dentists. He’s always checking in to see if anything hurts, so I guess after a few sessions, I finally got over those childhood fears. 👍
Anyway, that's the gist of it.
p.s. The doctor only works privately, so maybe book a consultation first to see what you need done before committing to a full appointment.
Dr. Azinović is located at Mechanical 4, azinovic (dot) com