Here’s why your dental scaling costs RM200

I’ve been a dentist for almost 6 years now. Currently I’m working in the private service and I haven’t met any patients who haven’t complained to me about the costs of private dental care. That’s why most of them flock to the government clinics, braving through the long waits and horrible parking. I mean, for RM 1 tooth extractions. Why not?

Most of them have this preconceived notion that being a dentist is a surefire way to earn a huge salary. Which is not entirely true. And it’s not all rosy in a dentist’s life. Here are some reasons why dentists charge so much for a 30 minute visit

The cost of setting up a clinic

This kinda goes without saying. Most of the dental clinics you are accustomed to are basically shop lots, with the clinic usually on the 2nd floor (there’s a reason for that, we’ll get to that some other time). Let’s get this straight from the get-go. A private clinic is a business.

It’s there to make profit and to provide employment opportunities for dentists and dental staff alike. So the dentist in charge has to play a secondary role as a businessman/woman and a healthcare provider. Aside from the real estate issues (finding a profitable location is always tricky), a good dental chair can cost up to RM 40,000 per unit (not counting maintenance).

Yea, you’re basically seating on a mid-range Myvi

Dental materials

I’m pretty sure some of you have wondered what it is the dentist filled your teeth with. There are plenty of materials that we use, the most common of them being composite resin, a certain type of glass or quartz that is wear resistant and has the added benefit of being tooth-colored.

Some of you probably call it ‘white filling’ or ‘plastic filling’.

I prefer to call it magic

And it’s really expensive. Based on my research (mostly on Google for like 3 minutes), a tube of 2 ml can cost around US$80. Who knew replacing a biological part of your body can cost so much?

And that’s just for fillings, for dental crowns, we use porcelain or zirconia (which requires a high level of expertise to work with), for dental implants, we use costly titanium (due to it not being rejected by the body).

On the plus side, you can pretend your mouth is like Wolverine’s in the lamest way possible. Pic from dentistryvietnam.com

The complexity of treatment

Dentistry is like….really hard, guys. There is a reason why we go through 5 years of studying for a basic degree. Some will continue to study for an extra 3–4 years to specialize after a year or two of working. And the treatments needed by patients can range from easy to wiping-sweat-from-the-brow-hard.

For example, scaling can be indicated for a cases like this

Pic from shinedental.in

Pic from drkatarmal.com

If you skipped through those pictures, let me describe them to you. Both show cases of dental calculus or tartar which are basically remains of bacteria who proliferate due to food left in your mouth because of poor oral hygiene.

Let me rephrase it in another way.

Bacteria use your mouth as a toilet.

Those greyish/yellowish chunks need to be cleaned out before it causes your gums to shrink and your teeth become loose. The first set of pictures is quite representative of heavy smokers. It’ll probably cost under RM150 for a scaling treatment in a normal private clinic (I’m estimating. Don’t quote this article next time you go to a dentist. He’ll laugh at you).

The lower picture shows a heavier amount of calculus which requires more work and probably a consultation to a periodontist (gum specialist, yes we have those). That’s gonna cost more.

And many would think that being a dentist can be quite laid back, as compared to medical doctors, who deal with life and death every day. Well, that’s not entirely correct. Practicing dentistry can be literally back-breaking. Sitting hunched over a patient for hours on end every day will take its toll on you.

It’s not all bad

I’m not trying to paint a bleak picture for patients or any aspiring dentists out there. But it is a reality we have to face. Most dentists I know are quite content with their jobs, be it in the public or private sector. Like any other professional job, there will be unavoidable financial costs that you have to consider whenever one opens up a clinic.

Hopefully after reading this, you can be more informed on the reason why dental treatments can cost you half your monthly salary.

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Here’s why your dental scaling costs RM200

The cost of setting up a clinic

Dental materials

The complexity of treatment

It’s not all bad

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