Reply #12: A few years ago, I checked into the cost of dental care through Boston University.

[No Elephants]

Even the best dental insurance leaves you with a fair amount to shell out for, by way of deductibles and copays and things that simply are not covered. So, I thought I would check, even though I had dental insurance.

They wanted hundreds of dollars up front for an initial evaluation and treatment plam. And the cost per service after that did not seem cheaper than the charges at a large dental office, such as the one where I was getting care. I would bet it was more than many small dental offices charge. Then again, the state was not limiting what the school could charge me.

I ended up staying where I was.

At a decent school, you should be fine, if you sure that the student is being supervised closely by the teaching dentist or dentists. I would try to be as pleasant and tactful as ever I could be, while being as insistent about that as I needed to be.

Maybe you will want to rehearse some possible scenarios with a friend or in your own mind, so you have something of a script in your head for how to proceed if you do not feel the supervision is there and the student seems to be resisting calling in someone or the supervisor(s) seem to be lax or AWOL.

It could not hurt to find out in advance what the state or the school requires by way of profesorial supervision. That way, you will know if you are at least getting the minimum.

If you are pro-actively watching out for yourself, you should be as well taken care of as you would be with a dentist who has already graduated. And, I guess being proactive is a good idea no matter where you are getting treated. Having had a lot to do with Massachusetts General, which was just named best in the country, I can attest that both horror stories and wonder stories occur no matter you get treated.

Best wishes on all your treatment and care.