I had just moved back to Brooklyn after a few years in Boston, where I had dutifully forked out $100 or so every few months to minimally maintain my not-so-pearly whites. Now I was back in New York and overdue for a cleaning. I also had a sinking suspicion I might be in for some more. My Boston hygienist said a dental school was a good, cheap and still respectable way to get dental care, and that NYU was the place to go in New York. So there I went.
In terms of treatment, I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted a cleaning, X-rays and an exam to determine if I would need a mouth guard to prevent grinding (a possibility my hygienist alluded to in a previous visit). What I also didn’t know, and what I now so wish I had, was that student dental care would take over my life.
For the aforementioned work (yes, I needed the mouth guard and, it turned out, three fillings as well), I’ve now spent upward of 11 hours at the NYU College of Dentistry over five weeks. And after next week’s final visit, 11 will become 13 (each visit is scheduled for two hours, but that doesn’t count delays, of which there have been a few.) And I’m not including travel time here, which was an hour, door to door. Sure there’s travel time to any dentist, but I was foregoing any local options which would have been, at most, a 15 or 20-minute trip. So counting the extra travel, treatment and waiting, let’s call it 24 hours—one full day of dentistry!
Another big question mark with student dentistry is the quality of the care, and I don’t know how well it can be evaluated until something (a filling) does or doesn’t fall out sometime down the road. But let’s go by my experience in the chair. First off, no dental work is pleasant—that’s a given. But there is a range of skill. A friend once described her dentist as having butterfly hands. By that standard, mine has rhinoceros feet. Case in point: My week-four visit was the day the fillings started. After about 20 minutes or so of painful drilling on a lower molar, my student called over a faculty member to check the progress—to see whether the tooth was ready to be filled. Not quite, so a few more minutes of drilling, then another supervisor came over to check again. This one looked at the tooth, turned to my student, and informed him that he would have received an automatic failure on the drilling section of the dental exam (!)
I’m saving the most important question for last–the cost. The total cost will be around $600, for a complete series of X-rays ($95), cleaning ($60), three cavity fillings ($80, $80, $95) and one mouth guard ($200).
How does that compare to a full-fledged dentist? Well, I’ve now (after the fact) checked out two privately-practicing dentists for some perspective. Neither one could give me exact prices without an exam, but Dr. Flatbush Ave. is an in-home practice on a commercial strip in my neighborhood. He charges $35 for the exam, $75 for a cleaning, $100 for the full-mouth X-ray, $65-$120 for each filling, depending on the type (I would have had two around $65, one around $120) and $250 for the mouth guard. So, about $600-$700 here—pretty comparable to my student care. Dr. Madison Ave. is another story: $50 for the exam, $130 for a cleaning, $200 for X-rays, $175-$250 for each filling and $450 for the mouth guard. All told: around $1,400—more than twice my expense.
So is it worth it? If you have a lot of time to spare for your dental hygiene, you have the pain threshold of a rock and if saving a couple, or a few, hundred dollars counts above all else. Otherwise, go out and find that Dr. Butterfly Hands.
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Perhaps NYU is fine for a simple procedure like a cleaning or getting a cavity refilled, but if you are considering coming to this school for an expensive and complicated procedure, I urge you to do whatever you can to see a real dentist instead. Borrow money, charge your expenses to a no-interest-for-a-year credit card, inquire about payment plans. I wish that I had done this. In the end, I was moderately satisfied with the implant and crown that I received at NYU but that was only because I did an absurd amount of research about each upcoming procedure when it became clear that the students were completely overwhelmed and/or apathetic, and I firmly challenged the students and faculty when they attempted to brush off my valid concerns or downplay complications that I experienced and constantly reminded the students to do important things like providing me with antibiotics after a surgical procedure. If you end up seeking treatment here, be prepared to fight every step of the way for adequate attention and treatment. My procedures took 18 months from start to finish and caused me terrible stress. The receptionists are some of the most unpleasant people I have ever encountered. And good luck getting a proper statement to submit to an insurance company from the program managers. It took me four months to receive my last statement despite weekly phone calls that were largely ignored and not returned. The entire program is run like a factory and you will be treated like an object on an assembly line. The student assigned to your case will be replaced by someone less experienced with no notice or explanation. Most of the faculty members will walk into your room and will act as though you don't exist, interacting only with the student assigned to you. Groups of first-year students will be brought into the room without your permission or without any notice to gawk at you mid-surgery. During one procedure, my anesthesia wore off because it took the surgical intern way longer to perform the surgery than he had anticipated. He had an inexperienced first-year student stitch my mouth up afterwards and I felt every stab of the needle as it tore through my gums. I indicated that I was in extreme pain but they told me that I had to continue without additional anesthesia as they had already given me too much due to the unforeseen length of the procedure. As I lay there bleeding, shaking, sweating, and trying not to cry as we neared 2.5 hour mark, first-year students wandered in and out of the room to stare. It was humiliating and dehumanizing. I barely made it home afterwards and couldn't make it to the pharmacy to pick up my painkiller prescription for several hours because I became violently ill from the large amounts of novocaine that they had injected (hence them not giving me more when it wore off towards the end of the procedure). And that is just one of many horror stories. This is all to be expected if you go to NYU for cheaper rates. Nothing is free; you will pay for the reduced sticker price with pain, stress, and humiliation. Maybe you will decide that such an experience is worth the financial savings, but at least you will know what you are getting yourself into. I wish I had known. For those of you who cannot scrape together the extra money to see a real dentist, you have my deepest sympathy. It's criminal that dental care costs what it does in this country and that medical insurance companies are not required to cover it.
I HATE GOING TO THE DENTIST ! So here I am at the 12th hour and some quack told me they have to take ALL my teeth out,without putting me to sleep ? Too young for dentures,implants would cost me $50,000.00. I've painted myself in a corner, am in dire need of help,can't afford x-rays , have just applied for a grant to help me with dental care,pray for me. All these blogs just adds to my confusion
Omg !! I was going to nyu,I wanted implants, but your story is Not made up,the tone of your words are overwhelming, And I believe them to be true....I hope that someone from their staff,read your comments, but the turn over is so high there,that your comments wouldn't matter....I don't like how they did you,and I hope you are find now. But now my delima is worse. Hope I can find a good dentist who will trust me to pay on a plan....
I would never ever get a Student to do my teeth ever again She stuffed up my crown wrong size and 2 Fillings On my Upper Back Left Tooth and the Upper Right tooth All of them where slanted to far down in the gum which look disgusting My Denture do not fit and very loose, Then I found out they got a damn 2 year student to do my teeth Now it cost me $400.00 to get it done by a Qualified Dentist which the Tutor advised me, Just be careful with them cause the Tutor do not seem to care half the time (All they say is yes that is good Oh yes great when your teeth look like crap. Don't worry I am doing something about it),
I would never ever go to a Dental Student again as they stuffed my teeth up and Had to go the a Dental Surgery to get it redoing they are USELESS>
This so scary. When I think about it, why, would a person go to a amateur when they can go to a professional. I know everyone has to go through a learning process, this would be my second. Tje first was a aniosynthesis. Wow, was the intern inexperienced, do I dare "try out" someone else again. I have to rethink this, but thanks anyway.
Be careful! Some dentists hire students in school to perform cleaning and other procedures, knowing that they weren't "trained properly" It's a way for them to make money! Finding a good dentist is kind of like buying a good car. Check the the reviews on the Internet. Make sure the hygienist is licensed like the dentist, and get a copy of your x-rays after each procedure. You don't want to trust some who can't answer your questions. These people depend on insurance companies.....there are a lot of tooth fairies out there....
Check reviews on Internet?!lol You have got to be kidding! They are fake. Dentists pay for positive reviews and to be mentioned at all. I know my father is a dentist and 1-800 - dentist includes any dentist but you have to pay them to be listed. You can pay extra to get good reviews.
Halo my mouth
I was just recently there for periodontal work and to have a tooth extracted. Both experiences were exceptional. Aside from shots of the local anesthesia, which are initially painful, I experienced zero pain. My student dentists both constantly kept tabs on me, asking me if I was comfortable or felt any pain, even if I needed to take a break. The instructors were nearby and checked and approved every new step. Yes, it takes time, but I think it is worth it. One thing I found, though, when I first started going there, and I was unemployed with no dental insurance, is that if the student-dentist asks you to be his or her patient for a test, you may not have to pay anything. I didn't for more than half of my dental work some years ago. I have dental insurance now, but they worked with me when I didn't.
The tooth extraction could not have gone smoother. I had a team of two dental students--one to perform the extraction and one to observe--a surgical dental assistant who was clearly experienced, and the instructor, a dental surgeon who consulted and approved. They gave me a few shots to numb the entire area of my back molar, double checked with me against their own records to make sure they were taking the correct tooth out, which I appreciate, and pulled it out. It might have taken them 15 to 20 minutes to pull out the tooth. They gave me three stitches, instructions for care while healing, I swallowed some Ibuprofen, and went home. Again, terrific work.
I have always had great experiences with my student dentists, but I imagine if I didn't I would talk to someone there and see if I could get someone else.
In Boston here, lucky to have three major dental schools. Harvard don't know, Tufts excellent and BU: if you only need cleaning and filling, otherwise akin to medieval torture.
DO NOT tolerate pain during ANY medical procedure at any time when its avoidable. If a student is screwing up ASK THE ATTENDING TO FINISH THE PROCEDURE. If they will not then get the hell out of there quick.
Complain to administration if attendings don't respond. Doing is teaching and the student screwing up ISNT learning. BU is like this and I left upon the first bad experience.
Some places aren't about 'First Do No Harm' they are about student tuition. You have a right to not be harmed. Choose another school or look up dental insurance options.
Appts at schools shud only take 3 hrs per session and you can do that once a week or less if your schedule requires but they do have a set time frame for your treatment plan.
Best of luck.
I am currently having a lot of work done at NYU Dental. I have to say that overall I am highly impressed with the dental student assigned to me. I had to have a tooth removed by the oral surgery dept and that was a bit rocky in the beginning, but ended well and I healed quickly.
I am getting a implant, two crowns and a veneer replaced. I will give a report after that work is completed.