Evening star., 1947-01-13

| A toothache today Is no more
painful than it ever was, but it
costs considerably more money to
get rid of it.
Dental fees here are Is to IS per
cent higher than they were in 1943,
according to estimates by the dent
| lists themselves who point out that
the increased fees are justified by
the higher rents, wages and ma
terial costs they have to pay.
The biggest increase dentists said.
has been in the prices charged for
dentures due to increases Of 40 to
so per cent in commercial labora-
| tory fees-an increase passed on to
the patient. Approximately 80 per
cent of all District dentists have
artificial teeth made by the COM
mercial laboratories. The other 10
per cent make their own.
One Asks rs Per Cent More.
One dentist, who said his Office
rent had been raised twice in the
last II months, has raised his fees
fiat Is per cent above what he
charged in 1943 just before he en-
listed in the Navy.
He said he was charging S. for
a tooth extraction where there We're
no complications and S. for an
Eordinary filling. His previous price
had been 81 for each. {
| A spokesman for the American
dental Association said he thought
dental fees throughout the country
have risen approximately Is per
cent, but pointed out that fees diff
| lfered considerably, depending on
the individual dentist, his training
and the type of practice he had.
Weather Are CHARGED Mare
There WAS no attempt a Goncea
the appaTentIy Widespread practice
|of charging patients with bigger I'M
comes higher fees.
In general, the association spokes-
man said, dentists have tried to
hold their prices down, but increases
in the cost of living have forced
higher fees.
A dental surgeon stated he.
thought patients today we're getting
about SO cents worth Of dental work
for 81, "just as they are getting SO
cents value for 81 in everything
else" He said he thought salari:s
dentists were paying themselves
were in line with wage increases
won in manufacturing.
an u..- nooIr Te Coau
One dentist who has practiced
here for 40 years said dental costs
had never been so high as today,
but contended living costs generally
were also at an all-time peaks His
Office rent, he said, had recently
been increased from $75 to $110 a
month.
'When started" he said, "$5 900
a year gross income meant sue
cessful dentist. Today you wouldn't
break even taking in that amount.
Some of the boys have really been
pouring on the oil with their prices,
but most have tried to keep in line. 7"
Wages of assistants have In
creased 100 per cent over prewar
wages, the dentists agreed. In 1S41,
$25 a week was considered an ade-
quate wage for a girl assistant and
was the amount generally paid.
Today, the dentists said, girls can
not be hired for less than $50 a
week.
Patients Complain.
Every dentist talked to said he
had patients who have protested the
fee increase. Few patients, how
ever, bother to ask the price of the
work before it is done, they said:
If they did, many missnderstand-
ings might be avoided, the dentists
| think.
Most dentists stated they attempt
to keep their fees down to the
schedule approved by the Veterans
Administration. Some of the VA
allowed fees are:
Extractions, single, So, impacted,
/ $40 to $50; amalgam filings, So for
cavities involving one-tooth surface;
SIS for two-tooth surfaces and So for