Is Arestin kicking your ASS?

Discussion in 'CollaGenex' started by Anonymous, May 18, 2004 at 12:50 PM.

Tags: Add Tags
  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I am a Dental Hygienist, a few years in the field. If your dental office is saying you need Arestin in more than 3 teeth, I would ask if there is another option. Atridox, which does the same thing, comes in a syringe and is gel form. They syringe may cost $100 but it can stretch across the entire quad. Where as Arestin could cost up to $100 per site and there are 6 sites per tooth so $600 per tooth. Honestly, I do like Arestin but only for 1-3 sites in the entire mouth. Otherwise, I prefer Atridox. I have a hard time with the reps because both companies just bash the other. Atridox says they do so much better than Arestin and visa versa. They both do the same job.

    I work in an office that I feel doesn't take advantage of patients. We don't use any type of localized antibiotic because the dentist doesn't know much about them. I was noticing though that some patients who had SRP (deep cleaning) were not healing in some areas, so I brought up the option of keeping Arestin in stock. It is true that SRP does not alone treat infected gums 100% but it is the first step. The next step is placing an antibiotic (Arestin or Atridox). I don't want to place them until I notice for several months that an area is not healing. Reps say that the antibiotics need to be placed during the SRP appt. I believe that is absolutely absurd and hygienists should wait to see how well the pockets have healed.
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    To: Anonymous Hygienist...There is a new option for effective Perio treatment when indicated
    Antibacterial tetracycline based, anticollagenase , binds to calcium for slow release, pleasant taste , preloaded disposable custom syringe system: Cost to dentist for total mouth is less than one tooth price of Arestin.
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I am retired and live in a retirement community. The dentist office that I went to wants to use Arestin on me and the quote for the procedure was $45.00 for each sight, and said I needed 6 doses. Hello, that is $270 on a fixed income. I live on Social Security. I don't have, nor probably would benefit that much from, dental insurance. Everyone screams about the cost of health care...no one has taken a look at the dental field...is there a reason why? I need a crown....and that estimate was $888. plus $238 more if it needs buildup...whatever that means. So, a total of $1126.00. That's more than I receive from Social Security a month. Just had my teeth cleaned....that was a wonderful $180. with x-rays. What a rip-off these offices are getting away with. Plus, there is no deduction if you pay cash and don't have insurance. Everyone knows they don't get what they charge insurance companies, but cash customers don't get any breaks.
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Happened upon this board doing more research on Arestin (never heard of Atridox until now). I have had perio disease for over 15 yrs, pockets getting worse despite good dental hygiene, flossing, eight SRPs, osseo surgery, quarterly prophylaxis & regular debridements. None of these posts seem all that concerned with the consumer. Here's my slant: dental treatments have become ridiculously expensive, dental offices are very aggressive in persuading you to undergo these expensive procedures despite their lack of efficacy and no insurance I've had (several) - dental or medical - covers Arestin. A dentist in Del Mar quoted me $200/quadrant back in 2004. It is 10 years later and the most recent quote I received is the same price. Looking back at what I've spent already, dentures would have been less expensive and painful, because I'm still in the same bloody place I was 15 yrs ago despite all these treatments. I spoke with an Arestin rep after the sticker shock in 2004 who was quite knowledgeable and forthright about the whole situation. Dentists are charging huge multiples on the product and most who could potentially benefit from its application forego treatment because of the price.

    I'm almost tempted to start shopping dentists by how much they charge for Arestin.

    As for the post lamenting about the cost of veterinary services - ya, those costs have gone way beyond ridiculous. That's why I don't have a pet anymore.
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Back in April I wrote about a person near and dear to me -- yes, my husband -- who needed two new crowns for $3,442. I published his experience in a post, Is Your Dentist Ripping You Off? Dentists howled in protest at the provocative headline, though most agreed with the content of the story.

    Patients howled too, about the high cost of dental work, and the feeling that they've encountered dentists who don't have their best interests at heart. Here's a typical letter: "My wife saw a dentist who quoted her $750. Then halfway through the job, when she was numb and had a big hole in her mouth, he told her he misquoted the price and it was going to be $1,500. She could not exactly argue." Another reader wrote of going to two different dentists and getting two completely different opinions about what his mouth needs and when it needs it. Who do you trust?

    I heard from people who work in dental labs that charge the dentists $125 for a high-end crown, so why the tenfold markup? One dentist in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offered to do my husband's work for him for $1,395, or 40% of what he was quoted by his guy. All we would have to do was get him from Pennsylvania to Grand Rapids. (We passed.) Another dentist criticized my "gummy smile." Others wrote of the hours of pro bono work they do and how that's never noticed.

    Two dentists, Dr. M. in upstate New York and Dr. W. near Indianapolis, agreed to be interviewed. They spoke to me at length about why fees are what they are. Here's what I learned about why dental work is so expensive.

    Dental care is not a commodity. It's not laundry detergent or breakfast cereal or wireless minutes. Dentistry is a professional service that's both art and a science. Yes, there are excellent dentists and not-so-great dentists. Often, you get what you pay for. Yet even great dentists have bad days. "I consider myself an awesome dentist," Dr. W. told me. "And I've had failures."

    Overhead costs are huge. Anywhere from 60% to 80% of what a patient pays goes toward the expense of running a modern dental practice. Dentists pay for rent or mortgage payments on their office space, payroll for hygienists, office managers and receptionists, health insurance, taxes, supplies, business insurance and technology -- just to name a few. "A lot of people would be surprised to know how tight the profit margins are," Dr. W. says. And many dentists are still paying student loans from dental school.

    Labs differ in the quality of the products they produce. We all want our dentists to be using high-quality labs for things like crowns and dentures. Should we have to ask about the labs? No. We should trust our dentists to select a good one. "In my view, you always want to use a good lab," Dr. M. said, "because if the crown breaks, I'm the one stuck redoing the thing for another hour and a half for free. It's important to make sure I'm putting good stuff in people's mouths, because the last thing anyone wants to deal with is a redo. It doesn't make me look good, the patients get angry, insurance doesn't cover it, and it's a waste of time. You want to do a good job." Dr. M. has invested in a $100,000 machine that lets him make the crowns himself and cement them in one visit. He says patients love it and it allows him to control the process and do a better job. His fee, however, is higher than many in the area.

    Insurance isn't really insurance. Dental insurance, the dentists told me, is nothing like health insurance or auto insurance. It's a maintenance plan that will cover cleanings and x-rays, maybe half the cost of a crown. It will not protect you if you need a lot of work done. The maximum annual benefits, $1,000 to $1,500, haven't changed in the 50 years since dental insurance became available. "It's a minor cost assistance, and there's a widening divide between patients' expectations of their dental insurance coverage and the actual coverage that's provided," says Dr. W.

    Dental insurance drives docs nuts and they wish they didn't have to use it. "The number one most complicated aspect of running a dental office, bar none, is dealing with dental insurance. You wouldn't believe how long it takes to get through to a rep, make sure the patient does have benefits, calculate a copay," says Dr. M. And the largest insurance plans in the country discount most dentists' fees by 10% to 20%. If you're paying out of pocket, ask for a discount. (You might discover the dentist is giving you one already.)

    Dentists wish patients would value their teeth more. Teeth are a crucial part of health and appearance. Untreated gum disease, for instance, is linked to heart disease. (Would you choose a cardiologist based on price?) "With time, you will come to realize that shopping price is a minor concern when it comes to your health," says Dr. W. "Any minor cost differences amortized out over a lifetime will become insignificant. You will get the best results and have the most long-term satisfaction getting care from someone you trust."






    Play Video

    Managing Health Care Costs


    So if you're convinced dentists are worth their fees, how do you find a good one? The dentists had some suggestions:

    Ask if he or she uses specialists. Who does your root canals? If the person on the phone says, "We do everything here, that would scare me," Dr. M. says. Especially orthodontia.
    Ask your primary care physician which dentist she uses. Ask your lawyer. Ask your boss. In other words, ask professional people whom they trust with their mouths.
    Ask a dental specialist, like an endodontist. One specialist wrote to tell me, "The best way to find a good dentist is to find a specialist who sees everyone's patients on a referral basis. He or she will know who is good and who isn't. Trust me, as a specialist, I know who is doing what, because I see their work every day."
    If a dentist doesn't take insurance, because he or she doesn't need to, that will be a pretty good dentist. Those pros can book you for longer, and they don't have to work under the constraints of insurance companies. Be prepared to pay higher fees.
    Look and look some more. Interview dentists, if they'll let you. Take the view that your teeth are a lifetime investment.
     
  6. Periodyne

    Periodyne Guest

    Hello,
    I read your post and saw how much trouble you are having and would like to try and help.
    There is a new product for gum health called Periodyne.
    The cost from dentists is $250 to $350 depending on the clinic for a supply that lasts 4 to 6 months for most patients. I would like to offer you a free Periodyne kit. Please have your dentist call us at 1-888-GUM-HLTH or 1-888-486-4584 and mention this blog and a code I am making up, as we speak. Code: Blog15yearsDelMar
    I am the president of the company and if someone asks they can refer back to me.


     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Is anyone using PerioChip? I had a rep leave some info in the office. She said that it's $15 per chip and it's easy to use. Serious feedback please.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    lazy hack troll poster, here's some serious feed back, get a life! serious? cp? only if you pay me!
     
  9. Perio Chip gets great results - been using it for years!
     
  10. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    I've currently been using PerioChip! Its a great medication and the results are great.
    -Much easier to place into the pocket vs Arestin
    -Half the cost of Arestin (great bonus for the DDS- they will love you for that!)
    -Non antibiotic medication (antibiotic resistance is a real issue folks)
    -You can send your pt's home with OHI instructions (don't have to wait to floss or brush after placement)
    I would highly recommend for RDH's to at least give it a try!