Real talk: Dentists

[moderndarwin]

https://www.rd.com/article/how-honest-are-dentists/

Cliffs
-Dentists just guessing, wrong, or making stuff up to get paid.

My experience:
I’ve always felt something wrong with the industry. Never made sense to me why generally healthy people constantly need something done to their teeth / mouth. Seems inherently wrong that this level of “fixing” is not needed or necessary.

I’ve lived in a lot of different places so very rarely have had the same dentist for multiple years. Multiple times it’s happened where I go in to get a regular cleaning and their overall take is that everything is great but on these 1 or 2 teeth looks like a cavity is starting so let’s get it filled. Every every single time i’ve head nodded and said okay i’ll think about it.
i don’t get it done because there’s no pain, nothing visible, etc and then when i go to a different dentist they never bring it up again on the same tooth.

Net net - i stick with only getting cleanings and if anything more is needed i wait 6 months and get multiple opinions. Thus far have never allowed any work besides cleanings since these “diagnoses” never stick.

 

[isu 42]

 

[Mark Antony]

I sorta agree, aside from stuff that needs an orthodontist which is straightforward. Similar experience, everything looks great, so cool, here's some things i'd like addressed though -- "well let's have these 2 or 3 more appointments of nothing first".

 

[DCAllAfrican]

JUst like any "medical" professionals.

They are looking for customers.

 

[Zainjal26]

 

[Bert.]

Lots of bad dentists out there

I’d go as far as saying most are bad. Gotta have $$$ for the good ones if you can find it

There’s one opened up by my moms house a few years ago, big expensive beautiful office. We’ll known, highly rated. Older rich dude but basically a scammer if you filter through thousands of reviews and see a lot of negative claiming he was telling people they had a ton of cavalries and giving them fillings when they had nothing wrong. Even did it ti my friend, dude was going dentist once a week and got like 12 fillings. Plenty of people for second opinions and we’re told nothing was wrong.

Even I’ve gotten taken by a garbage cosmetic place that has 10k+ 5 stars in google but legit garbage in everything they do


I can go on

 

[TURBO UNO]

Who remembers this classic episode?!

 

[Mark Antony]

Not to mention their always the one with a sneak bill. Like wait I thought I already paid this?

 

[DB Cooper]

Who remembers this classic episode?!

“Mother of all creatures big and small”

And then there’s Traci Lords!

 

[NToweG]

Good topic.


•Never met a dentist or an orthodontist that gave me the impression they're about their craft rather than moving on to the next patient just for a paycheck.

•I can't prove it, but dental implants have always sat wrong with me. I feel like there should be something else more advanced by now.

•triple question any recommendations of tooth shave downs.

•Anybody have a direct experience with Smiledirect or Invisalign?

 

[Platinum State]

There are good and bad ones, but they all went to dental school to make big money

 

[finessence]

This is the majority of the Medicare industry. It’s easy money for them.

Medicare fraud is huge in Florida

 

[smedroc]

Finessers.

 

[deusavertat]

If I had left my teeth alone as a kid I wouldn't have so many problems right now. %%#< em.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

I just got all my cavities filled.

My dentist said I'm good now. Just cleaning every six months.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

 

[shogun]

When I was a kid my dentist was great. If you have a cavity you'd definitely know.

 

[DB Cooper]

Been going to my dentist for 20 yrs. Never had any issues.

 

[fluid hips]

Cavities you can tell without being told.

You feel the sensation when you eat/drink

 

[fluid hips]

All the fraud from practitioners to patients is why health/dental insurance is so high in this country

 

[wallyhopp]

My dentist tends to show me the X-rays where it shows obvious erosion or even where the cavity was filled. But the guy prior to who I use now mentioned so many issues and such. This new guy never said a word. I believe in second opinions if you are able to do that.

Now I had a foot doctor who knew I had good insurance and just bled me dry. One basic issue had me going back to him/her for the next 2 years.

 

[Comparison Ford]

I'm a rabid anti-dentite and my dentist of the past 10 years only puts up with me because my uncle trained him.

I'm admittedly a terrible patient though. Completely noncompliant and I make up my own schedule. Wanna see me in 6 months for a check-up? Nah. I'll come back next year-ish, and don't bother calling.

I also forget to pay my co-pay all the time. It got so bad that one time he called me from his home on a Sunday to get the money out of me and gave me a dressing-down about my lackadaisical attitude regarding the dentist-patient relationship.

Last appointment I was just about ready to leave against dental advice. I told him to just give me the dentures and get it over with, but he wouldn't budge.

 

[fargin]

No bull****.

The last two years have been severely ****ed up, I caught Covid-19 early on and have suffered lingering after-effects ever since. Litterally every person in my life, including a handful of physicians never for a second believed me and ascribed it to some kind of hypochondriacal hysteria. I finally got accepted to the long covid clinic and now everyone is going, well... oh... for real? My dentist is chatty, loves to talk travel and shows a keen interest in whatever sneakers I wear. She caught Covid in February 2020 skiing in the Alps and she's the only person in my life, who was always in my corner from the very get go.

I'm getting my teeth cleaned Thursday and I'm bringing her small bottle of the good ****.

 

[fluid hips]

Just remembered. One time as a kid, my dad scheduled a dental appointment. We couldn't make it. These fools sent a bill in the mail for missing the appointment

 

[Nereyda Vuelve Por Dios]

Dentist are like mechanics. Your rabirator is always messed up.

Same **** with dentist. Thank you mother mary i never needed major work. Always had straight and strong teeth.


But current dentist is great. But prior to her, they were terrible. Always saying my
Mouth needed this and it needed that. Blah blah.


Deadass if you floss a week straight before your visit, the cleaning goes so fast and almost pain free. Those cleanings always made me postpone annuals 2-3 yrs.