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I am in NC and have never had any luck finding a dentist who doesn't want to irradiate me so I can have tartar removed.I think it has been over 20 years since I had a cavity, so all those x-rays have yielded no gain for me. Gain for the dentist? Definitely. X-ray equipment is expensive and the dentist doesn't want to have that bill to pay for years to come.
Last few times I went for cleaning I started refusing xrays, then subsequent visits, they had me sign waivers which I did, but now I don't even visit dentists as I've changed so much about what I put in my mouth and also the toothpaste I make up. I am 80 and did my time in many dental chairs.
I agree. I don't want my dentist to be able to pay his bills and afford modern state of the art equipment. Like you, I prefer my dentist to practice in the dark ages. My dentist washes his gloves to re-use them which means he is not wasting my money on buying new gloves.
I am only letting them do x-rays every other year now. They have never found anything with their x-rays in all the years I have been having them..... And I am no spring chicken.
I am in NC and have never had any luck finding a dentist who doesn't want to irradiate me so I can have tartar removed. The common denominator in this scenario is you - YOU are the problem, not the dentists. I think it has been over 20 years since I had a cavity, so all those x-rays have yielded no gain for me. X-rays are used to detect more than just cavities, doctor. Gain for the dentist? Definitely. X-ray equipment is expensive and the dentist doesn't want to have that bill to pay for years to come. On average, an insurance company pays me about $40 for a set of bitewing x-rays, which most patients get once a year, so in 20 years I would have received $800 from taking x-rays on you. My sensor that is needed to take x-rays costs >$10,000 and sure as heck won't last 20 years. Yep, all us greedy dentists are making a killing off these x-rays.
What is it with people who refuse dental x-rays? Do you think you will glow in the dark or what, do you also refuse to fly?
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Dental x-rays are one of the lowest radiation dose studies performed. A routine exam which includes 4 bitewings is about 0.005 mSv, which is less than one day of natural background radiation. It is also about the same amount of radiation exposure from a short airplane flight (~1-2 hrs) XrayRisk.com : FAQ
People refuse blood transfusions (mostly Jehovah Witness, but others too).. Does the surgeon refuse to do their surgery? No. They have patient sign a wavier.
Would a car mechanic refuse to change your oil if you don't agree to replace your bald tires? No.
Dentists should jump down from their ego, offer patients services and accept patient's choice. I bet they'd come out ahead financially with repeat customers.
There's a difference between refusing treatment versus refusing diagnostics. X-rays are used by the dentist to as a diagnostic aid to evaluate the state of your gums/bone and determine what type of cleaning (treatment) you need. In your above example, you can certainly refuse a repair recommendation made by your mechanic. What you can't do, however, is demand that they repair your car without letting them look at it first to see what needs to be done.
It has nothing to do with ego - it is about liability. Dentists spend a lot of time and money to get their license, and they are not about to jeopardize that just because some patient wants them to do their job below the standard of care so the patient can save a few bucks or has some irrational fear of dental x-ray radiation. Sure you may find a few dentists willing to do that and have you sign some BS waiver which any decent lawyer will beat if it ever ends up in court - they are also the same ones who usually waive co-pays (read: commit insurance fraud) so I'm sure they are practicing to the standard of care in all aspects of dentistry .
Your comment about repeat customers is laughable. I am willing to bet most of the ones on this forum who tout about refusing x-rays for years have been through multiple dentists over the years. Why do you think that is? It's because no dentist wants a practice full of people like that. They are happy to show you the door.
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