Reform of dental industry

[Anonymous]

Why no one raises their voice against this industry? Their costs are astronomical and rules and regulations are really foggy which gives dentists charge as much as they want. Why isn't it part of medical insurance and why cash costs are out of control? Is there anyone here who can take up this cause and get government and industry to work on making it affordable for Americans?

[Anonymous]

I don’t disagree. I feel like my dentists are used car salesmen, trying to upsell me

[Anonymous]

Cash costs are also out of control for my family’s doctors, optometrist and therapists, even with insurance. Late stage capitalism, everyone squeezing every last buck out of every last person.

[Anonymous]

there is no reason that 1-2 check ups per year are not part of a core health insurance plan. ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I agree that dentists are scammy and the whole industry is out of control.

Vision is also kept out of health insurance for some reason but the industry isn’t so scammy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t disagree. I feel like my dentists are used car salesmen, trying to upsell me

I recently left one dentist because they were increasingly adding new sidelines to their practice--sleep apnea, posture, vitamin D testing, laser detection of invisible decay etc. When you're in the chair, you're defenseless against a 15-minute sales pitch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why no one raises their voice against this industry? Their costs are astronomical and rules and regulations are really foggy which gives dentists charge as much as they want. Why isn't it part of medical insurance and why cash costs are out of control? Is there anyone here who can take up this cause and get government and industry to work on making it affordable for Americans?

Wait until you go to a holiday party with dentists and hear about all the “production bonuses” they give their staff.

It’s such a shady industry.

[Anonymous]

I have an honest and wonderful dentist. He routinely tells me certain treatments are wacky when we discuss them (removing silver fillings, Botox injections for TMJ, etc). While there are shady dentists, there are plenty of shady medical doctors too.

[Anonymous]

It is odd how dentistry is not a part of health insurance. It’s well proven that your oral health has a large impact on your physical health. We need to be more concerned with preventative healthcare vs triaging when people are sick

[Anonymous]

How is all the upselling legal? When I go to an MD or NP or PA they don't upsell other services?

So much of dentistry is unregulated and seems like invented procedures to make more money like two phase braces for most kids, selling expensive electric toothbrushes, in office whitening, insisting you need crowns when a filling will do, etc.

[Anonymous]

Some of it goes back to the early 90s (?) when the AMA signed up to participate in HMOs while the ADA did not. Ever since, dentistry has been a major cash business with significant insurance involvement, but a whole lot of people don't carry dental insurance at all.

Everyone's got teeth, old young male female, and when they need to be emergently cared for, it's not optional. Dentists frequently do better than even MD specialists.

[Anonymous]

There are management organizations that have been trying for a while now to get into both dentistry and veterinary medicine.

They are both big cash businesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there is no reason that 1-2 check ups per year are not part of a core health insurance plan. ridiculous.

This. Once upon a time dental issues landed people six feet under. Good dental care is an easy way to keep people out of the hospital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an honest and wonderful dentist. He routinely tells me certain treatments are wacky when we discuss them (removing silver fillings, Botox injections for TMJ, etc). While there are shady dentists, there are plenty of shady medical doctors too.

Me too. I don't see any upselling at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of it goes back to the early 90s (?) when the AMA signed up to participate in HMOs while the ADA did not. Ever since, dentistry has been a major cash business with significant insurance involvement, but a whole lot of people don't carry dental insurance at all.

Everyone's got teeth, old young male female, and when they need to be emergently cared for, it's not optional. Dentists frequently do better than even MD specialists.

In other words, dentistry is an illegal anticompetitive trust.