Is it just me or are many dentists "shady'?

[bart0323]

Originally Posted by little pink

Not all dentists are "shady". I recall getting my teeth cleaned at a dentist in Colorado a few years back. She was new and located in a new strip mall type situation. She told me that I needed thousands of dollars worth of work. Right , so while checking out at the counter she came out , no other customers and was chatting with me and the receptionist , she tells us that she regrets becoming a dentist . Ok, this is not good. I'm guessing all the "work" I needed was to pay her mess of debt off because she probably wasn't making the $$ she thought she would. I found another dentist that I liked.

Nothing in this post (or the majority of posts in this thread) proves that the dentist is doing anything "shady", unethical, illegal, etc. It simply proves that people see a snapshot of life without any context, formulate their own opinions on the issue, and try to pass them off as fact. This seems to be a running concept in this thread.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by bart0323

Nothing in this post (or the majority of posts in this thread) proves that the dentist is doing anything "shady", unethical, illegal, etc. It simply proves that people see a snapshot of life without any context, formulate their own opinions on the issue, and try to pass them off as fact. This seems to be a running concept in this thread.

This ^ My dentist gave me quite a list of work that I needed to have done, but he took the time to explain why I needed the work; he showed me x-rays and explained what work could wait and what I should have done now. He goes out of his way to do the best possible job and has remade a crown and a bridge because he wasn't happy with them, they looked fine to me, I never would have known the difference if he had glued them in and sent me home.

All the dentists I've been to have been ethical and honest, the only ones that I don't trust are DSO's whose treatment plans seem to be primarily based on profit margin.

I think patients need to communicate better with their dentist, if you tell the dentist how much your insurance covers and how much out of pocket you can afford they will work with you to prioritize your dental treatment and postpone what can wait, but that's on the patient to bring up, not the dentist.

[carnelian]

I had a dentist for a very long time, and while he did good work at a discount, he worked very fast, so fast I often wondered how and why. Because I have constant problems with my teeth, all my life.
Also he took few x rays. I left him, finally.

[Bungalove]

I have a wonderful dentist. He apprenticed for a year with the dentist I previously had for 30 years before taking over that dentist's practice, which meant that he was up to date on the patients and had all the same staff. It was a very seamless process. The previous dentist, who primarily lectures to other dentists around the state, still comes weekly to put in a day or two at the practice. It's been a real win-win for all involved, patients and staff alike.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Redline

I hear in Michigan, the state dental insurance will only cover a tooth to have it extracted once you are over the age of 18. No coverage for cleanings, fillings, and definitely no coverage for crowns, root canals, implants. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I guess the state thinks it's ok if the adult population gums their food in their old age. The question is always: Do you want to eat what you want or eat what you can?

California was pretty much like that until they restored dental benefits this year. What always struck me as odd about states only giving emergency dental care is that not having teeth is the irony of them trying to save money by denying dental care for the poor, and being toothless almost ensures that they will remain jobless and on public benefits.

[Ginger34]

Sure there can be many who lie and say you need extensive work done for the money, but if you're street smart you, should be able to figure out the fakes.