Comments on: Don’t ask a dentist if you need a filling?

By: Centennial Dentist

Centennial Dentist — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:25:33 +0000

I will not deny it. Sadly, there are dentists who are after your money rather than your dental health. However, not all dentists are like that. Majority are actually concerned about your teeth. It’s just up to you to find a dentist you can trust.

By: Mrs. L

Mrs. L — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 20:16:16 +0000

Find professionals who will treat you as an intelligent person and explain things to you.

I just found a dentist locally after being in the area nearly 2 years. He took xrays and showed me on the xray two places were decalcification was taking place, that would become cavities if not cared for. It was a faint shadow on the xray, where a cavity would be a darker shadow. If he’d just said ‘No cavities. See you in six months’ then those two places might have gotten worse, but I can take special care with those two teeth to make sure they don’t get worse. And now if I have to change dentists, I can look at the xray myself to see if I agree with their assessment.

By: CW

CW — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 17:05:37 +0000

late, I know. . . but, just had an experience yesterday that flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Went in for my free yearly exam + xrays prior to a cleaning (finally have insurance that covers preventative dental visits of this type of stuff). The dentist noticed two small cavities, but decided it was better to let them be and keep an eye on them each time I came in for my yearly cleaning (i.e., to see what they look like next year by comparing xrays). He even said it didn’t make sense to have to drill out a bigger area of the tooth than the actual cavity takes up. Okay, so I figure the “small” cavities will suddenly need immediate fillings the next time I go in a year from now (I half suspect the whole delay is just a rouse to build my trust). Still, I was somewhat shocked that the dentist showed some prudence, given that my whole visit there was paid for by my insurance (which probably negotiates cheaper rates w/ dental offices than what consumers pay out of pocket = less profit for the dentist). Suffice it to say, I will continue going to that dentist for my cleaning/yearly exams. . . as long as he continues showing the same restraint. ;~_^

By: Debt Hater

Debt Hater — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 22:27:00 +0000

I have an HSA now too. I thought it made better financial sense because the premiums are lower and I rarely see the doctor.
But to me, the bigger question is how important is your health to you? Yes, you don’t want any unneccessary procedures or treatments just to line a someone’s pockets, but maybe it isn’t wise to skip the treatments to save a few bucks. We must be on the same mental wavelength because I just posted about this issue today too.

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:32:50 +0000

Oh sorry. I just thought about this some more. Perhaps you should rephrase the question to the dentist as, “Do I need this filling now? If I don’t get it now, what is the future impact and is that procedure more or less expensive than the filling?”

By: Isaac

Isaac — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:31:24 +0000

How true about dentists. Sometimes they make you do unnecesary upgrades. My wife has had a couple of steel crowns in the back of her mouth for several years without any problems. Se returned to a dentist when she finally received dental benefits from a job. They talked her into replacing her crowns due to ‘wear and ter’ as well as cosmetic reasons (porcelin upgrade. Long story short, she spent $1800 and now her teeth constantly bother her. Unfortunately we are both without insurance now andwe will have to wait until I start teaching full time to get onto a PPO plan so she can see my dentist to fix the issues. We would do it now except for the costs are prohibitive unless its an emergency rather than an annoyance. Moral: If it feels ok don’t replace it unless x-rays or pain show a major problem.

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:30:52 +0000

Given my dental saga, GO SEE THE DENTIST. GET FILLINGS IF YOU NEED THEM.

I got a bunch of teef yanked out this year because I avoided the dentist for years. Not fun. Very expensive stuff. How’s this for cost benefit analysis? A filling might cost less than $1000. Yanking it out and getting a crown replacement? $3000.

There you go.

By: Savvy Samurai

Savvy Samurai — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 16:13:25 +0000

Going to an auto mechanic is exactly the same. Do I need a major tune-up? Major conflict of interest. Its hard for consumers to know whether they are getting something they really need or if they getting ripped-off. I definitely try to rely on referrals from family or friends in these types of situations.

By: EC

EC — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:43:34 +0000

We started with a Health Savings Account this year, and it’s brought your point home. If there’s a very low co-pay, and your doctor says to check back every 12 weeks for some chronic problem, you’re likely to go. If you’re paying $65 out of your HSA each time, you’re going to think about stretching the visits out if everything seems under control. DH had trouble with his knee, and our family doctor said it might be good to see an orthopedic guy. I read up on the diagnosis, and we decided to wait and see if the knee bothers him again. It’s not life-threatening, and could be a one-time thing. If an HMO covered the ortho visit, we probably would have gone, but in our case we’d have to pay out of the HSA. It really does make you think about what’s really necessary.