I’m not sure if it’s okay to post this kind of question here, but my son (who is at Berklee) just called after seeing a dentist close to campus because he noticed a bit of a gap or hole or something in one of his back teeth. He has no pain. My son said the dentist had told him that he needs a $4000 root canal right away. I’ve never had a root canal, but that still sounded a bit extreme to me, so I checked online reviews of the dentist. Several say that the office pushes hard for expensive procedures that need to be done IMMEDIATELY, and then that second opinions revealed that it was something simple and much less expensive and dire.
So I was wondering if anyone with kids at school in Boston (or anyone who lives there) might recommend a reputable dentist for a second opinion. The red flags are just flying on this one.
If you can’t find someone on here who knows, I can ask a friend who lives in Boston.
That also sounds super expensive for a root canal. I had to have one a couple of years ago (an old childhood injury to one of my teeth apparently killed off the root 40 years later) and we do have dental insurance, but I think I would remember if the billed cost was anything close to 4 grand, even if my co-pay was far less.
Also: if he’s not in pain, I’d definitely get a second opinion, even if it takes a couple of weeks to get in. In the meantime, there’s probably some guidance on the web about preventing infection (given the hole) by swishing around some product you can buy in a drugstore – check Dr. Google!
Is he coming home for spring break? Maybe it could wait to see your home dentist. Have the expensive guy forward X-rays to your dentist ahead of time. I would assume a reputable practice would be willing to do that.
My husband had a root canal in 2018, few years after he was first recommended. He dragged enough so it was about a time to get it done. We live in a very high cost of living area and don’t have a dental insurance. It costed him $3600+ for one over a-half-century-old tooth. So, $4000 wasn’t too surprising but if he should certainly get a second opinion.
Thank you very much, everyone (and also @DadTwoGirls --I just got your message now). Yeah–$4000 does strike me as a lot, even in an expensive area. Either way, it definitely warrants a second opinion (and my son dreads the idea of a root canal, so we do want to be sure, especially based on some of the reviews I read of the office he visited).
Fortunately, my son for some reason wants to bring his girlfriend home with him over the long Valentine’s Day weekend (go figure!), and I was able to make an appointment for him then with the dentist who fixed the tooth I broke when I fell on my face on the way up to Boston to help move my son to Berklee his first year 
. At least that way I can be there at the appointment to make sure that we’re getting good information.
Berklee’s Health Services office was great, by the way–I called to ask if they had any recommendations, and the very kind woman I spoke to emailed me a long list of private dentists in the area, as well as some lower-cost clinics a little farther out of the city.
@AsMother good to hear. Getting it looked at at home would always be my preference for such a major procedure, even aside from the price tag.
As a possible Berklee parent next year whose home is on the other coast, it’s also good to hear that the Berklee Health Office was responsive, even if you didn’t end up using the info. Hope it ends up to be a more simple fix than a root canal!
@raincat , thank you so much. And I really was pleasantly surprised by the kind helpfulness of the woman I spoke to at Berklee.
I hope that you get to be a Berklee parent (if that’s what you and your child want the most) next year! Aside from the normal frustrations involved in attending a fairly large school, my son and his father and I have been very happy with the school. Actually, I believe that my son has basically found his nirvana.
My son had a dental emergency during the five week and really liked these folks: https://www.gentledental.com/location/boston-newbury-street/?
Thank you, @akapiratequeen ! I hope it doesn’t come to that, but it’s great to have referrals from people who have actually had experience with dentists, etc., in the area. “Gentle Dental” sounds encouraging–my son was the kind who screamed bloody murder as a little boy getting his vaccinations, and he is, I believe, really scared about the prospect of a root canal (as I would be!).
I personally avoid dentists whenever possible, as I have TMJ, and I had a really brutal experience years ago with dentists (students, I assume) who kept yelling at me to OPEN MY MOUTH MORE! even though it was incredibly painful to do so and would result in my jaw getting stuck open. They were downright sadistic! I’ve tried for years to convey to my son that really good dental hygiene practices will make dentist visits less likely. Maybe this experience (although I hope it doesn’t result in the root canal) will make him think that his mom might have been right for maybe the second or third time in his life .