I'm a blessed ding-a-ling

This has been a busy week. After a nine year (on and off) search for a new dentist, I finally found one I like who also accepts and files my insurance. Not only is he nice but he only charges the amount my insurance doesn't pay which in my case is only 20%. Dr. Lopez joined Dr. Cabe's practice right after Dr. Cabe found out he had cancer. Misty, the hygienist who did my exam on Monday, said Dr. Cabe was told he might have only 6 months to live and retired the same day he found out. He lived almost three years after that. I had not been since just before Dr. Cabe retired (2000) so it was obviously time! Misty was the last person to clean my teeth and will be the first person to in nine years (YIKES!) So anyway they had a cancellation on Monday, took me in and took xrays and determined that a tooth my sister had told me about last year (or maybe two years ago) was the first to need work. Angie had taken xrays when she was studying to get her SC license and she and her former advisor both looked at tooth No. 29 and said, "Whoa, I can't believe that's not hurting. You are going to have to do something about that!" Dr. Lopez said my sister was a smart lady! Well, duh, I know that! Just because it has taken me this long to do something about it doesn't mean I didn't believe her, I just never wanted to take a bunch of money out of my pocket to get set up with a new dentist. Every single dentist I called wanted $300 to $500 to get started for the intial appointment and most wouldn't even file the insurance for us. When I asked them if the insurance would cover everything they were charging they were always "iffy" replying things like, "Well most of it is covered" or "It just depends." Well the first day I was at Dr. Lopez' office, I didn't pay a dime and today's visit for a root canal cost me $75! WOW! I can deal with that! The icing on the cake is that EVERYONE in the office is so nice! I feel so blessed and like such a ding-a-ling at the same time! What took me so long? Dr. Lopez has been right under my nose the whole time!