The Value of a Beautiful Smile
I love to see a person with pretty white teeth and a beautiful smile. It’s the first thing I notice when I meet someone because it’s such an attractive feature. Some of us were blessed with it naturally, and some of us…well…must have been standing in the wrong line (lol). In that case, we either accept our fate of having a jacked up grill or turn to the people we loathe [let's call 'em grill doctors a.k.a. dentists] to give us a second chance.
Ya see, I took BabyGirl for her semi-annual visit with the grill doc. After the xrays and cleaning, we had a lil small talk and he gave me a list of recommended procedures with the estimated costs. He’s been her grill doc since she was about 9, so he knew I would have a conniption when I saw it. He’s going on and on about the importance of healthy teeth (blah, blah, blah) and I’m giving him the “don’t be tryna play me!” look. So while handing me the list, he throws in a few compliments to smooth me over.
Grill Doc w/ Indian accent, “Ju have preeddy, preeddy smile…like mudda like daw-ta.” Mind you, I had not nary smile on my face.
SingleMa, “yea yea whateva man” - lookin down at the piece of paper in his hands *snatch*
Apparently I’m a comedienne cuz dude laughs at everything I say and do. Prolly thinking, “somebody get dis crazy b!tch outta my office.” HA!!
So after a fairly uneventful weekend, I’m sitting here looking at this list of ‘recommended procedures’ and feelin kinda…umm…aww hell, I don’t even know. I aint figured out a word for it yet, but here’s what I’m workin wit:
$125 - simple extraction
(since when is having a tooth pulled ’simple’? shyt make the price ’simple’ too then.)
$119 - additional extraction
($6 savings for the 2nd pull? well whoopty damn doo!)
$167 - composite resin filling, rear tooth
(resin? isn’t that the stuff I use when I’m scrapbooking? cost $10 at Tar’jhay…hmm)
and…
$6,100 - comprehensive orthodontics, adolescent
(*blank stare*)
WTF!! Last time I checked, the tooth fairy was giving out 25 cents for a tooth, so why the grill doc chargin 6.5 Gs?? Either the tooth fairy is a cheap broad or this grill doc tryna hustle me fo’ my paper. LOL
Unfortunately, our dental insurance only covers preventative care, and according to the HMO (Hustle Me Organization), this is considered cosmetic. So guess what that means?
*sigh* This is one of the few times I wish I could run over her sperm donor with my car…two times…then one more for good measure. I aint lying! If I saw him right now, I’m liable to catch a case. *deep breath*
Oh well, I can’t have my BabyGirl lookin’ like she’s been chewing wood. We might have to eat PB&J sammiches errday, but I do what I gotta do.
So what’s a beautiful smile worth to you?
Until now, I’ve never had to think about it, so I’m still not sure. I guess you can say the jury’s still out (no pun intended Supa Sis LOL).
Peace & Blessings
-SM
Work to achieve, not to acquire.
And as always, BE FABULOUS!
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*Long gentle whistle*
A healthy and beautiful smile is worth a lot to me but…..so is 6,500 bucks.
I say that after 3 root canals, and several filled cavities. But It’s good to see that you’re taking care of your BabyGirl’s smile. What’s done is done and health is very important, so look it at like this, every time she smiles, your investment is paying off in happy healthy smile dividends.
:-))
LOL @ “happy healthy smile dividends.”
I likes dat.
Dental work is so expensive, that’s true. I nearly fell on the floor when my mother-in-law told me what her latest work would cost. We don’t go twice a year, as recommended, but we go once to the dentist.
I use the crest white strips and they work so great. I highly recommend them.
$9825 bones….
Yep I had to shell ‘em out for supastar…he got braces at 8 cause his mouth was too small for all those teeth and they were stacked up like scrambled eggs…they put a jaw widner in his mouth at 8 and he had to hang upside down with his mouth wide open every other night so I could turn this little key. He wore them til he was 15. He now has a beautiful straight white smile….that nicca had the nerve to ask me for a grill after all of that *eye roll* *snicker*
girl - I am one of those that wish i had a beautiful grill - but my mama couldnt afford it with three kids on her own !
I would say its worth it - look at it like this - its something that will last the rest of her life ! give her confidence and make her look great !
You can also look into going to an orthodontis ( spellin g? ) school I think they do it cheaper cause the residents are doing it..
I am gonna get my grill done very soon ! I always smile with my mouth closed cause I am ashamed of my buck tooth ..
dr. deb It is really expensive. I’m hoping if I do the recommended work while she’s young, she won’t have too many problems when she gets older. I’ve thinking about trying those white strips but I was wondering if they really worked. I might try them now. Thanks!
ms 9,825 dollars!!! What!! I guess I need to hush with my 6,500 estimate huh? And I’m sorry but I’m sitting here laughing at your baby for having to hang upside down. That had to be uncomfortable, poor thing. Now that his teeth are straight and white, I’m sure it was all worth it. But now he want some grills? *shakin my head* kids!!
me My parents couldn’t afford my dental work either. I was always told to brush 3x per day and floss, but I didn’t start going to the dentist until I was able to pay for it myself. By then, I was a lost cause (lol). I’ve never had a toothache, thank goodness, so I just go for the bi-annual cleanings and call it a day. BabyGirl, on the other hand, has been goin since she was 2. I don’t think I’d trust an amateur messin around in her mouth. I’ll be ready to take one of their drills to somebody azz if they did something wrong (lol) but thanks for the recommendation. BTW, buck tooth or not, you are still beautiful!
SM, yep…the longer you wear them, the more they cost. if you go early enough they try to not do the extraction thing cause the lack of teeth will cause your mouth to shift. so they try to make space BEFORE the teeth come in….I see the difference. My sister had extractions and braces and at 31 her teeth are shifting…
I’m 29 and thinking of getting braces…sigh…work is a girl to do?!?!
Between my new child *cough* pet and NYC, I’se like to topple out a window.
Funny, I was supposed to write ‘WHAT’S a girl to do’ and I instead wrote ‘WORK a girl to do’…
Freudian slip!
Maybe you can get a second opinion on costs? I had invisalign done as an adult and got free consultations at 2 orthodontists. The one I ended up going to was about $1000 less and very good. I spent a lot because my parents couldn’t afford it but it was worth it!
I feel your pain… we just put braces on 2 of our 6 children, to the tune of $4,000+ EACH. Daddy had to put off getting a motorcycle for a while now, so we keep telling them that each of them ate a motorcycle. Now we are just waiting to hear how much a breast reduction for our oldest daughter will cost this summer… sigh, isnt it ironic, because I am flat-chested! lmao, well, at least I have straight teeth and they didnt cost anything. I give thanks for the small things