If you're looking at a huge wait and still expensive is it worth considering taking out phi for yourself and seeing out the waiting period then getting it done privately? DH and I both had major dental surgery within six months (and then I had more six months later). For those first two surgeries we had out if pockets of about 1800. But the claimed amount through phi was over 17k. The third surgery was 50 for hospital stay for the day/anaesthetist, and 450 before Medicare and phi rebates for the surgeon.