For a procedure of this magnitude, you must set aside initial costs and consider the overall by starting step by step. You're trying to do it backwards, asking for a set price in advance. That's not going to work. You're not pricing out a used car here.
Plus, this is not an outpatient procedure. You will be in the hospital for a while and more than likely will have to have braces put on by an orthodontist beforehand because your jaw will be wired shut for 6-8 weeks.
You MUST go to the DR and do all the necessary consultations, including the examinations of x-rays and what the total procedure would entail.
Don't expect to jump on a plane three days after the surgery. You should stay in the DR for at least another week or two until the swelling goes down. You will look like you've been kicked in the face by a horse. Want to get on a plane looking and feeling like that?
I am well aware of such procedures. I was quote $45,000 US for a corrective jaw procedure here in NYC, with the anesthesiologist and hospital stay billed separately so I know the costs can skyrocket out of this world once you do all the math.
Here is what you should do-
1) Don't take any photos or do anything yourself. Fly down to Santiago and schedule the necessary appointments, let the doctor see you and ask him all your questions in person. You've already been given the name of an excellent surgeon, now it's time to fly down and meet him.
2) Whatever the cost is, consider the hospital stay and at least a week or two in the DR while you recover, unless you want to rush back on a plane and risk your head exploding like in the movie "Scanners".
3) You must have a doctor lined up at home to deal with any issues that may come up unless you plan to make arrangements to stay in the DR until it's time to have your jaw unwired.
4) You're going to need a family member or two at our side during all this. They may charge you more the the doctor does for the surgery, so count on that as an additional expense. :cheeky:
Such surgical procedures aren't done all that much because of the expense and the fact that medical insurance considers it a cosmetic procedure, despite the fact that conditions such as yours causes many problems. So I understand you wanting to look for alternatives.
But in this case, for a positive outcome you must take the advice on this board and go step by step and leave the "how much" for last.
This may not be what you want to hear, but to do things right you may have to change course.
Yeah I know, I will go to DR and stay there for 3 to 4 months, I am not going there now, I am still doing research until I find a good doctor and then I will go for consultations.
I know what you are talking about also regarding the xrays, I got it done here in the USA and I paid 212 for that. They took pictures of my profile, of me smiling, they did several xrays and they took a sample of my teeth with something that is sort of like a clay is what they do when someone needs braces.
I have had braces before when I was younger but the orthodontist that I had didn't do a very good job so my teeth still need braces, the orthodontist that I saw here in NYC too told me and he quoted me a price of $3,700 USD. But I was told like you said that for this procedure I will need braces again.
Believe me, I was not asking for a set price more like an estimate of what the average cost for that operation is. I know I will have to stay in a hospital for a few days and then wait the recovery period.
I cannot go to Santiago because is too far from me, I am from Bani and so Santo Domingo is closer to me so if you know any more doctors from la capital please let me know. I have plenty of family members over there so they will take care of me lol.
Yikes tell me about the medical insurance part, that's why I decided to get it done in the DR. I was told that they wouldn't cover it because like you said...they see it as aesthetics not as a medical condition that is hindering your health. Plus, here it will cost a lot of money, I know hospitals here charge a lot when you stay a few days in the hospital. I have had surgery done before but it was to removed my tonsils so that my medical insurance covered it and they covered my braces the first time too.
I am not flying to DR now, I am in school. I am doing all my research now because whenever I am ready for the surgery I will stay in DR for months.