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Posted

When we moved to the Raleigh area I obviously changed dentists. The new office sold me on invisalign, which wasn't hard to make me believe I needed (nobody made me wear my retainer after my mom died) although I did circle around to make sure they were recommending it for my dental health rather than for cosmetics. Then one day I went in and there was a new dentist and she explained I needed an expensive mouthguard and they started doing all the stuff and eventually I asked how this works with the invisalign retainers and she said 'oh you've had invisalign' and at that immediately broke any trust I had with that office (which is a corporate office with many locations across the triangle). I never went back, found a small local practice and we moved the kids to a different pediatric office and my wife got a new dentist as well.

I don't track news about the dental industry, but when I decided to get a new dentist, I did specifically decide I would find a local practice run by the dentists with a couple of last names on the front of the building like every practice I went to growing up. It was interesting how few options like that there were - it seems like most of the places around here are run as part of larger operations and it would not be hard to convince me that there has been a movement towards this type of structure and that practices of this type push more of these products and procedures.

Posted

Mine hasn't suggested anything that I suspect I didn't need, but to be fair, I chewed loose leaf for 28 years.  Chewed on the right side of my mouth exclusively. I did enough damage to my teeth on the upper right hand side that anything suggested to me for those teeth I went ahead and did it.  I did quit 17 years ago, so I have that going for me.

Funny thing, I go in for cleanings 4 times a year.  Every so often they have a new hygenist who measures and records the gap.  When she finishes up, she tells me that I need to brush and floss on the right side because the gap is so much greater than the left (1's and the occasional 2 on the left, 3's on up to 5 on the right). I had one want to book me in for an immediate root scaling.  When I explain that was damage from chewing for decades, they understand.

 

 

 

Posted
21 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

 


I don’t think you’re crazy and I would be livid if a healthcare provider of any kind scheduled me for a procedure without telling me first. At best, it’s an honest dentist with terrible communication skills, which would be enough for me to drop the dentist. At worst, it’s a dishonest dentist who is overtreating you, costing you money and putting you at risk of complications.

Like you, I went several years without seeing a dentist. I brushed my teeth frequently and never sensed a problem, plus I was very busy and then I moved cities. Eventually, I found a new dentist and she did 4 fillings at the first visit. I didn’t argue and felt like I probably deserved it for skipping the dentist for a few years. 2 of those teeth developed abscesses within the first 3 weeks of treatment, requiring root canals and crowns ($3k per tooth). The other 2 teeth eventually followed suit, so all 4 teeth that she drilled on ended up as crowns. Between the dentist and the endodontist, with exams, x-rays, fillings, root canals, and crowns, I spent $25k+ in a span of 2 years. All OOP because I didn’t have dental insurance. I’m not entirely convinced she didn’t fuck up my teeth at that first visit, but she would never admit that. So I need a new dentist again.

 

So another little story from this same dentist. A year or so ago, one of those composite fillings was done on one of my front teeth. I guess she drilled off the corner and replaced with composite. Hard to tell exactly when they're actually doing it. Anyways, next checkup the hygienist is cleaning my teeth with her little mini Captain Hook thing, and the filling pops off. I'm sitting there with a chipped front tooth while she finds the dentist. Dentist comes in and asks me if I don't mind coming back in a few days to fix it. Told her nope you're fixing it right now. I should've fired her then. 

  • Hook 'Em 1

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