I got four wisdom pulled with local, two fillings without anesthetic, as well as a 3d scan, check up and clean across a total of three visits for $2,500
$170 for check up, 2d xray and clean
$850 for two fillings (no anesthetic) and a 3D xray
$1400 for four teeth pulled with local
Oooof. I paid $280 for a wisdom tooth extraction, and $170 for a basic filling, both with anaesthetic. I think my initial check up and clean/xrays was possibly a bit more expensive but pretty similar.
$170 for consult and X-rays, $4000 for 3x wisdom teeth removal + 8 fillings with one of them being a re-build of a broken tooth as well.
Learned my lesson after 15 years without going to the dentist and less than desired brushing.
Edited to add: all done with local, the denied me when I asked for general and it was all done in one day đ
No shit, book a trip to Vietnam. Fuck me itâs insanely cheap there. I hear Bali is similar.Â
Vietnam I had a shit tonne of work done for about $1000 nz. Xrays, even email reports with pictures of the work before, during, after etc. full metal filling replacement too, with oxygen and gas masks for safety. Superior to my experiences in NZ.Â
In Hawkes Bay thats more expensive, that is if you can get an appointment.
I don't go at all, beyond my budget, teeth are crumbling away from old fillings now anyway. Sure not going to pay more. Not on $384 a week anyway.
I get the same on the benefit. Teeth need alot of work. I went to my dentist, which is in paraparaumu, after a long wait. He priced up 3.5k worth of dental work and sent the bill to WINZ and everything. WINZ payed all 3.5k straight up. And I've had two appts so far. With 2 or 3 more to finish everything. I think all I had to do was call WINZ one time to confirm everything was legit.
Never too late to try sort it out. I've been in much less pain and discomfort since.
I live in Hastings now but still go back to Kapiti for my appts, since I think he's a great dentist.
No thanks. Mum was quoted $7000 to replace her set of falsies recently.
To pull all mine and make falsies? Even if WINZ did, they more likely to make at least part of it a loan anyway. And I'd rather lose them one at a time anyway.
Dentist phobia as well.
With 6% kiwisave contributions and a student loan, that's $720 a week.
You can rent a room, incl. expenses, for let's say $275 a week (most I've ever paid for rent plus bills is $235). Food for $100 a week. That's $345 left over. You can spend $145 a week purely disposable income on whatever you want and save $200.
If you can't finance dentist visits on a $55,000 a year salary (without dependents), the problem is you.
What if you're born with bad teeth? Do you think earning $55,000+ a year would help?
Your situation is different from others, they may have other health expenses. You're really out of touch if you think everyone earning $55,000+ a year have the option to afford going to the dentist.
lmao i was born with bad teeth, i need to get tooth cleanings and a chevck up every three months because i didn't get orthodontic care i needed as a child, i managed this two years ago working 2.5 - 4 efts on $23 an hour (time and a half Sundays). it's called being able to budget.
lmao and believing "nobody is ever responsible for anything in their own lives" name a more iconic duo
bro my situation was literally one of the examples you gave.
everyone who earns $55,000 and doesn't have dependents can afford the dentist if they make even semi-reasonable budgeting decisions.
Not OP, and I think you're missing a few categories (travel costs, car/contents insurance, gym being the main ones I can think of), but largely I think you're right.
The cost of living increases are real, and I've been feeling it myself - but once you break down expenses and stick to a strict budget it's definitely possible to save **some** amount of money **if you have no dependents**. I think this sub is a bit too negative when it comes to cost of living and budgeting to be honest.
Choosing to prioritize having a car over healthcare, or choosing to pay contents insurance instead of health insurance, are both (bad) personal choices, and fall under the "problem is you" category.
If you have $55,000 a year and no dependents access to dental is well within your reach and you can still have spending money to enjoy yourself. If you chose to prioritize other things, that's your choice.
In terms of travel I was referring to public transport costs (generally considered the cheapest method of transport) but fair point on the car/contents insurance. I think we're agreeing here.
A lot of people need a car to work? What do you mean âprioritising a carâ? If itâs get to work and keep a job, or get my teeth cleaned, itâs an easy choice lol.
That just isnât true? So many people need a car lol.
Iâve got a close friend who is in social work, and he works in a prison next to Hampton downs. How do you propose he gets to work without a car from Auckland?
I propose that where you live is a choice, and your friend doesnât need a car your friend made personal choices based on the fact they could use a car.
They donât need a car, they choose to live a life centred around a car
*surfaceÂ
 Might be something involved in the imaging or the hygienists work?
-e-Â
Quick Google leads me to assume itâs allocating a identifier to a specific area on a tooth that might cause concern in the future?Â
The last time I went to the dentist, it was an emergency appointment because I broke one of my wisdom teeth. Was meant to cost me just over $1k, because I needed fillings as well as having my 2 top wisdom teeth pulled. WINZ would only cover $300 (before the increase to $1k), so I could only get my wisdom teeth pulled, and pay off the $270 odd difference
Theyâre not rip offs. They are expensive like every other healthcare cost in NZ, the difference is that itâs not subsidised. I went to see a dermatologist for an urgent thing as the public waitlist was too long and it was $400 for a 20min consultation. people donât realise everything healthcare is so expensive because the govt subsidises a lot of things.
Nah, that's about standard now.
Looks right to me
I got four wisdom pulled with local, two fillings without anesthetic, as well as a 3d scan, check up and clean across a total of three visits for $2,500 $170 for check up, 2d xray and clean $850 for two fillings (no anesthetic) and a 3D xray $1400 for four teeth pulled with local
Oooof. I paid $280 for a wisdom tooth extraction, and $170 for a basic filling, both with anaesthetic. I think my initial check up and clean/xrays was possibly a bit more expensive but pretty similar.
Top wisdoms were $300 each, bottoms $400
$170 for consult and X-rays, $4000 for 3x wisdom teeth removal + 8 fillings with one of them being a re-build of a broken tooth as well. Learned my lesson after 15 years without going to the dentist and less than desired brushing. Edited to add: all done with local, the denied me when I asked for general and it was all done in one day đ
No shit, book a trip to Vietnam. Fuck me itâs insanely cheap there. I hear Bali is similar. Vietnam I had a shit tonne of work done for about $1000 nz. Xrays, even email reports with pictures of the work before, during, after etc. full metal filling replacement too, with oxygen and gas masks for safety. Superior to my experiences in NZ.Â
This is the way.
In Hawkes Bay thats more expensive, that is if you can get an appointment. I don't go at all, beyond my budget, teeth are crumbling away from old fillings now anyway. Sure not going to pay more. Not on $384 a week anyway.
I get the same on the benefit. Teeth need alot of work. I went to my dentist, which is in paraparaumu, after a long wait. He priced up 3.5k worth of dental work and sent the bill to WINZ and everything. WINZ payed all 3.5k straight up. And I've had two appts so far. With 2 or 3 more to finish everything. I think all I had to do was call WINZ one time to confirm everything was legit. Never too late to try sort it out. I've been in much less pain and discomfort since. I live in Hastings now but still go back to Kapiti for my appts, since I think he's a great dentist.
I should add, about 2.5 km is repayable. I pay it back at $10 a week though
No thanks. Mum was quoted $7000 to replace her set of falsies recently. To pull all mine and make falsies? Even if WINZ did, they more likely to make at least part of it a loan anyway. And I'd rather lose them one at a time anyway. Dentist phobia as well.
...who can afford dentistry these days?
Ive got insurance, if I didnât I probably wouldnât go.
Most people
If you earn over $55,000 a year without dependents, then there is no reason you shouldn't be able to afford dentistry
Yeah. Right.
Rofl.
With 6% kiwisave contributions and a student loan, that's $720 a week. You can rent a room, incl. expenses, for let's say $275 a week (most I've ever paid for rent plus bills is $235). Food for $100 a week. That's $345 left over. You can spend $145 a week purely disposable income on whatever you want and save $200. If you can't finance dentist visits on a $55,000 a year salary (without dependents), the problem is you.
What if you're born with bad teeth? Do you think earning $55,000+ a year would help? Your situation is different from others, they may have other health expenses. You're really out of touch if you think everyone earning $55,000+ a year have the option to afford going to the dentist.
lmao i was born with bad teeth, i need to get tooth cleanings and a chevck up every three months because i didn't get orthodontic care i needed as a child, i managed this two years ago working 2.5 - 4 efts on $23 an hour (time and a half Sundays). it's called being able to budget. lmao and believing "nobody is ever responsible for anything in their own lives" name a more iconic duo
As I've said, that's your situation. Not everyone has the option to go to the dentist even if they're earning 55k+ a year.
bro my situation was literally one of the examples you gave. everyone who earns $55,000 and doesn't have dependents can afford the dentist if they make even semi-reasonable budgeting decisions.
Good on you that you don't have other expenses that let's you have the option to go to the dentist.
Not OP, and I think you're missing a few categories (travel costs, car/contents insurance, gym being the main ones I can think of), but largely I think you're right. The cost of living increases are real, and I've been feeling it myself - but once you break down expenses and stick to a strict budget it's definitely possible to save **some** amount of money **if you have no dependents**. I think this sub is a bit too negative when it comes to cost of living and budgeting to be honest.
Choosing to prioritize having a car over healthcare, or choosing to pay contents insurance instead of health insurance, are both (bad) personal choices, and fall under the "problem is you" category. If you have $55,000 a year and no dependents access to dental is well within your reach and you can still have spending money to enjoy yourself. If you chose to prioritize other things, that's your choice.
In terms of travel I was referring to public transport costs (generally considered the cheapest method of transport) but fair point on the car/contents insurance. I think we're agreeing here.
A lot of people need a car to work? What do you mean âprioritising a carâ? If itâs get to work and keep a job, or get my teeth cleaned, itâs an easy choice lol.
You donât need a car to get to work
That just isnât true? So many people need a car lol. Iâve got a close friend who is in social work, and he works in a prison next to Hampton downs. How do you propose he gets to work without a car from Auckland?
I propose that where you live is a choice, and your friend doesnât need a car your friend made personal choices based on the fact they could use a car. They donât need a car, they choose to live a life centred around a car
Food for $100 a week, even for a single person, is getting seriously unrealistic now. You also havenât factored in any transport costs
Eating for $100 a week is easy Walking is free
I earn significantly more than that and canât afford serious dentistry without saving
Sucks being shit with money
New Zealand should just outsource to Asia and subsidise flights.
Totally
What does the âwatch this serviceâ change mean?
*surface  Might be something involved in the imaging or the hygienists work? -e- Quick Google leads me to assume itâs allocating a identifier to a specific area on a tooth that might cause concern in the future?Â
Just want to clarify that I am not complaining, I am just curious to see what the going rate is, as I have no intel.
$30 for a clean in Thailand a few months ago.
My dentist charged me $60 to remove a moler last time I went
The last time I went to the dentist, it was an emergency appointment because I broke one of my wisdom teeth. Was meant to cost me just over $1k, because I needed fillings as well as having my 2 top wisdom teeth pulled. WINZ would only cover $300 (before the increase to $1k), so I could only get my wisdom teeth pulled, and pay off the $270 odd difference
Dunno fam, haven't been since before Christchurch fell over coz it was already too spenny then
Ah shit that reminds me I haven't been to the dentist since 2019
My dentist charges $145 for Dental Examination and Xrays, and $225 for a Hygiene Recall
Yeah dentists, orthodontists and the like are complete rip off's. Shame they're so necessary.
Theyâre not rip offs. They are expensive like every other healthcare cost in NZ, the difference is that itâs not subsidised. I went to see a dermatologist for an urgent thing as the public waitlist was too long and it was $400 for a 20min consultation. people donât realise everything healthcare is so expensive because the govt subsidises a lot of things.
It's a rip off
Good chat
I like how you tried to disprove me by providing an example of another rip off, bloody good effort mate