Tooth Crown

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Erwin
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Tooth Crown

Post by Erwin »

I just paid $1,700 for a root canal + porcelain crown in a front tooth (no insurance). It is a really good piece of work, but for 2 hours of work plus materials $1,700, it seems to me very excessive to me. I have not been to a dentist for years, are this the current prices?
Erwin
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Bob's not my name »

As with everything, it depends on where you live. Sound about right to me.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by SP-diceman »

Yes, at least it was for me. :)
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bUU
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by bUU »

It cost me $1,600 for just a crown.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by peppers »

I had 2 crowns replaced for $1600 out of pocket. Insurance covered the balance.
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sscritic
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by sscritic »

At $1000 each, you got a $300 discount. :)

A crown at my dentist costs $1600, although his contract with Delta Dental requires him to charge $1004 (total to them and to me).

$1600 seems to be the sweet spot for a crown without insurance.

Edit: I am guessing that pepper's insurance paid half.
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bUU
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by bUU »

Full disclosure: So did mine.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by peppers »

I also received a "Season"s Greetings" card from the dentist. And a "you know, there are a few more things you need to have done." :shock: :moneybag :moneybag :moneybag
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LadyGeek
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by LadyGeek »

This thread is now in the Personal Consumer Issues forum (dental costs). Remember to keep the discussion focused on costs, not medical conditions.
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donall
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by donall »

For crowns, there is a laboratory expense .... also overhead is very high for dentists (higher than for physicians)
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HardKnocker
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by HardKnocker »

A crown is about $1,000 where I am.
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SpringMan
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by SpringMan »

Dental work is expensive but your cost sounds reasonable to me. Root canals can vary depending on the number of roots the tooth has, then add the buildup prep for the crown, impressions, lab work, cementing the cap and of course dental xrays. My current dentist charges $900 for a cap alone not including the root canal and buildup prep work. My old dentist was charging $1500 so we switched dentists. One dental implant with abutment is running $1800 plus $900 for the cap =$2700. Add to that any extraction if needed. Most insurance does not cover implants but will cover the extraction at least some of it. Some insurance will cover the implant cap. We are retired and now have no dental insurance. Even when we had insurance it covered a max of $1000, some insurance is better, maybe $1500. We are very happy with Medicare/Medigap. Dental is the Achilles heel.
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bowes11217
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by bowes11217 »

It sounds reasonable to me too. I paid $1200 for a crown without insurance recently, and honestly, considered it a bit of a deal in my high COL area. (Much as writing the check for that plus the cost of the root canal hurt almost as much as the procedure itself!)
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Nestegg_User
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Nestegg_User »

Sounds cheap for root canal AND crown.... crown alone was about $1K... but that is where my AU exposure is :D
wesleymouch
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by wesleymouch »

My dentist charged $800 for a root canal and porcelain crown on a molar. The same procedure on a premolar or front teeth (incisor) should be cheaper because thre are fewer roots to go after. Shop around. Our guy has a no frills office and is honest as the day is long. Many dentists are quick buck artists who try to sell you fillings and work you don't need.
partner
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by partner »

sscritic wrote:
A crown at my dentist costs $1600, although his contract with Delta Dental requires him to charge $1004 (total to them and to me).
The dental lobby is working each state legislation to pass laws to disallow this practice. I had a long discussion with my representative and he did not even know that the bill did that. He would not believe it until I forwarded correspondence from my insurance company and dentist. My dental crown cost went up from $900 to $1500.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by hicabob »

I would expect there are hard to make crowns and easy to make crowns - number of exposed surfaces perhaps ??? - besides , someone has to pay for those very cool Cerac machines!
sscritic
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by sscritic »

partner wrote:
sscritic wrote: A crown at my dentist costs $1600, although his contract with Delta Dental requires him to charge $1004 (total to them and to me).
The dental lobby is working each state legislation to pass laws to disallow this practice. I had a long discussion with my representative and he did not even know that the bill did that. He would not believe it until I forwarded correspondence from my insurance company and dentist. My dental crown cost went up from $900 to $1500.
I don't understand your comment in the context of medical insurance. A hospital can have 20 different room rates depending on who is paying: any of multiple insurance companies, an uninsured individual, medicare, or medicaid. That's what a contract does: set a price. Different people use different contracts.

Your dentist could charge you less than what he charges your next door neighbor. There is nothing illegal about that, as long as it is not based on a form of discrimination that is prohibited. My daughter is a dentist; I get a professional courtesy discount. It is not illegal. Maybe your dentist gives a "frequent flyer" discount. Would that be wrong?

I am not a fan of multiple prices, but it is what it is. My gas station gives a discount for paying cash. My dentist gives a discount for paying with insurance. He is free not to sign a contract with Delta, but he does. I assume he thinks he gets more business that way. Some doctors are choosing to forego contracts with insurance companies. I figure that is their right, to sign or not to sign. But you mentioned your representative; was yours a political post? :)

P.S. When I used a different insurance company, he charged a different price, not being governed by his Delta contract.
Last edited by sscritic on Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by carolinaman »

Who wants to take low bid for a root canal? Not me!
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by LadyGeek »

hicabob wrote: - besides , someone has to pay for those very cool Cerac machines!
This machine: CEREC (spelling is CEREC, otherwise it's hard to find in google)
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

wesleymouch wrote:My dentist charged $800 for a root canal and porcelain crown on a molar. The same procedure on a premolar or front teeth (incisor) should be cheaper because thre are fewer roots to go after. Shop around. Our guy has a no frills office and is honest as the day is long. Many dentists are quick buck artists who try to sell you fillings and work you don't need.
Agree - had one dentist who told me "white fillings are better than amaglam". Um, no not really, the lifespan of white fillings placed on molars is about 5 years, the amaglam - well, I have some that are 15 years plus. The profit margin on the "white fillings" are 3x those of amaglam. I switched to an honest guy who wasn't so quick to drill and also made the suggestion of using generic flouride rinse once per evening to limit the ability for caries to even start causing problems.

The next industry they need to rein in are dentists.......
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by arcticpineapplecorp. »

This is a good website (below) to comparison price out of pocket costs for many different medical procedures. I think I found it posted at this forum. Thanks...thought I would pass it on. Make sure to put your zip code in so the price reflects your area.


http://healthcarebluebook.com/page_Resu ... Full+Crown
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hicabob
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by hicabob »

Grt2bOutdoors wrote:
wesleymouch wrote:My dentist charged $800 for a root canal and porcelain crown on a molar. The same procedure on a premolar or front teeth (incisor) should be cheaper because thre are fewer roots to go after. Shop around. Our guy has a no frills office and is honest as the day is long. Many dentists are quick buck artists who try to sell you fillings and work you don't need.
Agree - had one dentist who told me "white fillings are better than amaglam". Um, no not really, the lifespan of white fillings placed on molars is about 5 years, the amaglam - well, I have some that are 15 years plus. The profit margin on the "white fillings" are 3x those of amaglam. I switched to an honest guy who wasn't so quick to drill and also made the suggestion of using generic flouride rinse once per evening to limit the ability for caries to even start causing problems.

The next industry they need to rein in are dentists.......
I had a dentist many years ago that loved discusssing various methods while I was spending inordinate amounts of time in the chair thanks to my UK upbringing - English teeth etc. .... anyways, apparently amalgam fillings require a large "undercut" to hold themselves in which takes away much more of the tooth - composites are glued in, no undercut needed so much easier to replace if (when??) they fail - that is you can replace them more times before a crown is needed - also the new composites are supposedly and not surprisingly much more durable than the the originals. He said the ultimate filling (of which that old-timer had only done a few) material is gold leaf which is hammered in ... as long as the shock from installation doesn't kill the tooth!
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Ed 2 »

LadyGeek wrote:
hicabob wrote: - besides , someone has to pay for those very cool Cerac machines!
This machine: CEREC (spelling is CEREC, otherwise it's hard to find in google)
Cerec material is a Full Zirconium crowns,they are hard as a rock,they are made from rock,looks like a piece of stone,not translucent and not aesthetic. Surely will kill your opposing teeth over time,better go with traditional porcelain crowns,full gold crowns or new full pressed material called Emax[ last one would be my choice if you ask me]
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

I forgot to mention, this particular dentist liked to "replace" perfectly fine in working order amaglam fillings with "new" white fillings because they looked nicer. :oops: Um, yeah, nicer for his wallet! I'm not sure what the dentist of years ago told you, but the dentist of today is telling me that [medical opinion removed by admin LadyGeek]
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Ed 2 »

Grt2bOutdoors wrote:I forgot to mention, this particular dentist liked to "replace" perfectly fine in working order amaglam fillings with "new" white fillings because they looked nicer. :oops: Um, yeah, nicer for his wallet! I'm not sure what the dentist of years ago told you, but the dentist of today is telling me that [medical opinion removed by admin LadyGeek]
I would agree with your dentist regarding [medical opinion removed by admin LadyGeek]
Last edited by Ed 2 on Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

Ed 2 wrote:
Grt2bOutdoors wrote:I forgot to mention, this particular dentist liked to "replace" perfectly fine in working order amaglam fillings with "new" white fillings because they looked nicer. :oops: Um, yeah, nicer for his wallet! I'm not sure what the dentist of years ago told you, but the dentist of today is telling me that [medical opinion removed by admin LadyGeek]
I would agree with your dentist regarding [medical opinion removed by admin LadyGeek]
What is it that you are agreeing with? :confused
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Ed 2
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Ed 2 »

Grt2bOutdoors wrote:
Ed 2 wrote:
Grt2bOutdoors wrote:I forgot to mention, this particular dentist liked to "replace" perfectly fine in working order amaglam fillings with "new" white fillings because they looked nicer. :oops: Um, yeah, nicer for his wallet! I'm not sure what the dentist of years ago told you, but the dentist of today is telling me that [medical opinion removed by admin LadyGeek]
I would agree with your dentist regarding [medical opinion removed by admin LadyGeek]
What is it that you are agreeing with? :confused
Read above I did't finish it, sorry [reflects content prior to removal -- admin LadyGeek]
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CloveLeaf
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by CloveLeaf »

That sounds about right. I got a root canal and a porcelain crown in 08. The root canal cost $1100 and the crown cost more than $800. And I was living in a small town at the time.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Magruder »

Just got a porcelain crown for $1,050 including the earlier diagnostic appointment. Made on the spot on a CEREC machine.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by scrabbler1 »

I made sure to get the second of my 2 crowns done back in 2007 when I still had dental insurance with my (former) job. It cost about $1,150 (no root canal, thankfully) and insurance paid half.

Therefore, with the RC and inflation, the price you got seems pretty reasonable to me.
Tony
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Tony »

$1138 for the root canal
$1171 for the crown. That didn't include the buildup, which was another $300.
No dental insurance. Great dentists though.

Last of the big spenders?
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Steelersfan
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Steelersfan »

I've had crowns done by two different dentists in recent years in my mid-sized city.

Both were right around $1,000, with no insurance.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by fsrph »

mpt follower wrote:I just paid $1,700 for a root canal + porcelain crown in a front tooth (no insurance). It is a really good piece of work, but for 2 hours of work plus materials $1,700, it seems to me very excessive to me. I have not been to a dentist for years, are this the current prices?
Didn't read the whole thread but the cost seems decent to me. I had one root canal/crown in my life and the dentist charged $1200 root canal (endodontist) and $800 for crown (general dentist). This is what they charged the insurance company. You may have saved a few $$ as in a front tooth often the general dentist will do it him/herself as there are only one or two roots. But I don't think your costs are out of line. You have to remember that the crown cost (from the dental lab) is high abnd the dentist just passes this on to you + a markup.

Francis
Last edited by fsrph on Mon Dec 24, 2012 8:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tooth Crown

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mpt follower wrote:I just paid $1,700 for a root canal + porcelain crown in a front tooth (no insurance). It is a really good piece of work, but for 2 hours of work plus materials $1,700, it seems to me very excessive to me. I have not been to a dentist for years, are this the current prices?

If you were in Miami you just got a real bargain.
expat
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by expat »

$1400 no insurance for same.
foxfirev5
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by foxfirev5 »

Sounds about right. Have a Merry Christmas
dwang
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by dwang »

My dentist charged $2300 for my two crowns (for crowns only), so $1150 each. My insurance picked up 80% of the tab, and I paid the rest. I am in a big metropolitan area in the mid-west.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by toofache32 »

mpt follower wrote:I just paid $1,700 for a root canal + porcelain crown in a front tooth (no insurance). It is a really good piece of work, but for 2 hours of work plus materials $1,700, it seems to me very excessive to me. I have not been to a dentist for years, are this the current prices?
My bias as a dentist.....It didn't take him 2 hours. It took him at least 4 years after college and an average of around $200,000 in educational debt. Also, the average dental office overhead is 65%, so most of the fee is going to the lab, to pay the staff, rent, etc.

Interestingly, I often have patients ask me for discounts other than the 5% for paying cash. I tell them I am happy to do it for half price, but they have to convince my lab and my staff (including hard working single moms) to work for half their salary also.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Sheepdog »

Last year a root canal and crown cost $1812. That was with the services of an orthodontist for the root canal and my dentist and lab to make the crown.. I did not feel that was excessive. How much of that was the dentist's time and how much was the lab's time, I do not know.
This year a 25 year old (or more) crown in front came out (the post had become dislodged because of decay). It could not be replaced so that tooth was pulled and a bridge was made. One of the supporting teeth was a crown, so it was removed. The other tooth supporting the bridge was ground down. The total cost was $2280. With the dentist's time and expertise to make a temporary bridge (3 1/2 hours) while waiting for a lab to make the permanent bridge with the resulting lab fees added, I do not feel that is excessive either.
Both look natural.
So your cost is not out of line, in my opinion.
(No insurance)
Jim

P.S. A plumber added a new toilet seal last year (30 min) charged $298. This year, a 20 minute kitchen sink pipe leak cost $208. Both of which had little material cost, just labor. A dentist's time is worth much more than that, isn't it?
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by likegarden »

I live in a relatively well doing suburb. Two years ago a crown and root canal cost $2,500 together. Now I have insurance, the endodontist still asks for 1,250, the dentist takes $850. I have 13 crowns now, will have another one in half a year.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by interplanetjanet »

wesleymouch wrote:My dentist charged $800 for a root canal and porcelain crown on a molar.
I don't wish to get into a discussion on medical advice (which is prohibited here) but I think I can say what I'd like to say based on economic grounds. If you are getting a crown on a molar, you should at least consider a noble metal ("gold") crown - they have a longer average lifespan (and a lower cost amortized over their life) and do not tend to show when placed in the back of the mouth. I might even be happy with one on a second premolar, if I needed one.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by sscritic »

interplanetjanet wrote:I might even be happy with one on a second premolar, if I needed one.
My daughter's advice when I asked about gold on number 20: "Well, your name is not Nelly or Lil Wayne, so I would suggest that you get something with porcelain on it." I went with porcelain.

Note: this was not medical advice, but advice about my appearance. Is that allowed?
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Re: Tooth Crown

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Discussions of sscritic's appearance are allowed. Please try to keep your comments uncivil.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

toofache32 wrote:
mpt follower wrote:I just paid $1,700 for a root canal + porcelain crown in a front tooth (no insurance). It is a really good piece of work, but for 2 hours of work plus materials $1,700, it seems to me very excessive to me. I have not been to a dentist for years, are this the current prices?
My bias as a dentist.....It didn't take him 2 hours. It took him at least 4 years after college and an average of around $200,000 in educational debt. Also, the average dental office overhead is 65%, so most of the fee is going to the lab, to pay the staff, rent, etc.

Interestingly, I often have patients ask me for discounts other than the 5% for paying cash. I tell them I am happy to do it for half price, but they have to convince my lab and my staff (including hard working single moms) to work for half their salary also.
If you are a new dentist - with less than 10 years of experience I can buy your argument on school expense. If you have significantly more experience, I do not buy it for the following reasons: a)school did not cost as much even if you attended the most costly of schools, b)you are established, you have a large enough clientele over which you can spread your costs, c) I hear from my dental friends that a room with a chair costs about $100K today - 120 crowns later, guess what? it's all paid for...now you have nearly 100% profit on the work you specifically undertake, d) staffing is based on need - you may be overstaffed or not. Most of the dentists I've attended weren't open 5 days a week and had limited office hours when they were open.

Every practice is different, one experience led me to switch dentists. The dentist I left (years ago) used to say "every 4th crown is pure profit to me", I only have xxx more crowns before I can pay off my home.....yada yada yada It gave a very uncomfortable impression that the dentist was more interested in collecting $$$ than in the health of my choppers. :shock:
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by bUU »

Grt2bOutdoors wrote:If you are a new dentist - with less than 10 years of experience I can buy your argument on school expense. If you have significantly more experience, I do not buy it for the following reasons: a)school did not cost as much even if you attended the most costly of schools, b)you are established, you have a large enough clientele over which you can spread your costs, c) I hear from my dental friends that a room with a chair costs about $100K today - 120 crowns later, guess what? it's all paid for...now you have nearly 100% profit on the work you specifically undertake, d) staffing is based on need - you may be overstaffed or not. Most of the dentists I've attended weren't open 5 days a week and had limited office hours when they were open.
This is the same (bogus) argument that I've heard home buyers use on sellers who paid a lot less for their home than it is worth in today's market, "Why should I pay you double for your home than what you paid for it X years ago?" It's a bogus argument because what people paid many years ago is irrelevant to establishing the value of something today. By contrast, what people paid just recently is relevant, and often the very best means of establishing the value of something. And it is generally value that you base prices on, not cost.
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

bicker wrote:
Grt2bOutdoors wrote:If you are a new dentist - with less than 10 years of experience I can buy your argument on school expense. If you have significantly more experience, I do not buy it for the following reasons: a)school did not cost as much even if you attended the most costly of schools, b)you are established, you have a large enough clientele over which you can spread your costs, c) I hear from my dental friends that a room with a chair costs about $100K today - 120 crowns later, guess what? it's all paid for...now you have nearly 100% profit on the work you specifically undertake, d) staffing is based on need - you may be overstaffed or not. Most of the dentists I've attended weren't open 5 days a week and had limited office hours when they were open.
This is the same (bogus) argument that I've heard home buyers use on sellers who paid a lot less for their home than it is worth in today's market, "Why should I pay you double for your home than what you paid for it X years ago?" It's a bogus argument because what people paid many years ago is irrelevant to establishing the value of something today. By contrast, what people paid just recently is relevant, and often the very best means of establishing the value of something. And it is generally value that you base prices on, not cost.
So you are in favor of recency bias then? Seven years ago, we clearly were in a real estate bubble and it appears by your judgement, I should pay at least the same if not more, because....why? I should base the price I pay based on what people paid recently? :oops: Sound thinking?, not!!
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Re: Tooth Crown

Post by burgrat »

$1700 to repair a body part (an important, highly visible one at that!) = a pretty good deal! :D
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Re: Tooth Crown

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Moderators or site admins may lock a topic (set it so no more replies may be added) when a violation of posting policy has occurred. Occasionally, even if there are no overt violations of posting policy, a topic (or thread) will reach a point where the information content of the discussion has been essentially exhausted and further replies are much more likely to cause distress to the community than add anything of value.
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Locked