I survived the dentist

The cost of medical care...
Most of you are waiting on the edge of your comfy arm chairs to hear about my trip to the dentist. Those who are just tuning in may not know that I broke a back molar the other day and could not find any friends or family to fashion a new crown for me out of JB Weld.
Since my old dentist suddenly retired or was abducted by aliens, (I can find no photographic evidence she ever existed) I had to either find a new dentist or use the dentist that bought her practice.
I chose a dentist though a highly scientific process...
1. Dentists in McMinnville sort of scare me. I have no definitive proof that they are terrible other that the murderous child dentist who went after my then three-year-old daughter with a two inch glistening needle of painkiller and missed the first try and then wanted me to control my screaming daughter, I left...
Well, then MuddyValley had some bad experiences, but my neighbor said his dentist was good, but then I was worried that if I went to that dentist and cried that he would tell my neighbor I was a whiner and I'm afraid of new people anyway....
2. The dentist who replaced my old dentist kept the happy, competent, and cute dental assistant who calls me and tells me a must get my teeth cleaned or start flossing.

I called the dentist who replaced my old dentist, heretofore referred to as DWROD D2. The receptionist seemed quite happy to deal with my indecipherable Oregon Health plan codes and numbers which did not have anything to do with what the instruction sheet said they did.
She called me back and with the information on my plan and said that even though crowns were not covered I had options and I needed to be there at 4 p.m.
So I went...
I immediately spied the familiar face of the D1's dental assistant who gave me a reassuring smile and seemed to appreciate that I made some vague comments about her being a good assistant.
The dental assistant made a difference in my decision to find a dentist. She is in her 20's. She has a positive attitude, she is genuinely friendly, she really likes her job, she is helpful and reassuring and reminded me of exercises to prevent me choking on the x-ray target.
Also, the Dentist has the same first name as I and so I have decided he is a good guy...
He gave me a temporary crown. This was free under the health plan. A permanent crown will be $1000. I could get a credit card to pay for it. I said I would save up my cash. The dentist said not to eat corn nuts or popcorn and it might last a while.
This is the first time in two years my rear molar has not hurt when I drink cold liquids. Perhaps I should have told my first dentist I had a problem...

Back to the cost of medical care.
I don't really know how to compare the costs of different medical procedures. I think everyone hates insurance companies because insurance is the same thing as "protection" money it is just that if you don't pay nobody puts a brick through your window.
I would pay my new dentist $1000 for a new crown because he seemed pretty competent and his first name is the same as mine. I would do this even if he were a little more than the ex-military guys locally.
It does really annoy me that a confused person can reportedly get gender reassignment for free under the Oregon Health plan but I can't get a free crown but that is a whole other issue.
However, I am a desperately lazy person trapped inside the body of a farmer, and it is against my nature to work for a living. DOES anyone care????
Nope...
I am oppressed....