I know that I have already complained about high dental prices in my funny valentine. But, if misery loves company, we are likely to see several other dental postings before I head off to Mexico permanently.
In the good old days of last February, my dentist honored me with two root canals. It must have been an honor of some sort because I left behind almost $1800 of my hard-earned cash when I walked out the door.
On Tuesday, I went back for a follow-up appointment to discover that the appointment was to prepare both teeth for caps. He did all the drilling and grinding without giving me any anaesthetic -- after all, the nerves were gone. And when I left, I was $2200 poorer -- even after my insurance was applied. The worst aspect of all this is that no one prepared me for the extra cost.
Only a week or so ago, I thought I was doing well by resisting the urge to buy a $400 camera. And then I drop enough money that I could have bought the same camera for every member of my family -- and we would still have had enough money left over to purchase dinner at El Gaucho.
Of course, I could have simply ignored the pain, avoided the root canals, and ended up looking like a poster boy for meth avoidance. Or I could have used the anecdote to promote some type of universal cosmetic dentistry program -- where my neighbors would be forced to pay for my Tom Cruise smile. Or I could have simply waited until I could get south of the border to have the same work done for a fraction of the price.
I really do not blame dentists. In one sense, they are miracle workers. When I was growing up in the 50s, dentures were common for middle-aged people. A full set of shiny white teeth was a rare sight. We have come a long way, and dentists are partially responsible for better dental hygiene.
After all, dentists simply want to drive the same type of cars and live the same lives that their patients do. Health insurance (private and governmental) has been responsible for a large part of the medical cost spiral. There is no free market for medicine where "insurance" is so pervasive. And, without a free market, there will never be any way that quality care will match up with market prices.
To a degree, that equilibrium exists in Mexico -- for now. I read not too long ago that Carlos Slim was buying up American health care companies with an eye toward introducing the system to Mexico. We can only pray that he does not succeed in ruining a system that works.
In the good old days of last February, my dentist honored me with two root canals. It must have been an honor of some sort because I left behind almost $1800 of my hard-earned cash when I walked out the door.
On Tuesday, I went back for a follow-up appointment to discover that the appointment was to prepare both teeth for caps. He did all the drilling and grinding without giving me any anaesthetic -- after all, the nerves were gone. And when I left, I was $2200 poorer -- even after my insurance was applied. The worst aspect of all this is that no one prepared me for the extra cost.
Only a week or so ago, I thought I was doing well by resisting the urge to buy a $400 camera. And then I drop enough money that I could have bought the same camera for every member of my family -- and we would still have had enough money left over to purchase dinner at El Gaucho.
Of course, I could have simply ignored the pain, avoided the root canals, and ended up looking like a poster boy for meth avoidance. Or I could have used the anecdote to promote some type of universal cosmetic dentistry program -- where my neighbors would be forced to pay for my Tom Cruise smile. Or I could have simply waited until I could get south of the border to have the same work done for a fraction of the price.
I really do not blame dentists. In one sense, they are miracle workers. When I was growing up in the 50s, dentures were common for middle-aged people. A full set of shiny white teeth was a rare sight. We have come a long way, and dentists are partially responsible for better dental hygiene.
After all, dentists simply want to drive the same type of cars and live the same lives that their patients do. Health insurance (private and governmental) has been responsible for a large part of the medical cost spiral. There is no free market for medicine where "insurance" is so pervasive. And, without a free market, there will never be any way that quality care will match up with market prices.
To a degree, that equilibrium exists in Mexico -- for now. I read not too long ago that Carlos Slim was buying up American health care companies with an eye toward introducing the system to Mexico. We can only pray that he does not succeed in ruining a system that works.
