Reform of dental industry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

In general medicine selling you more services means your insurance company might have to cover them. They sell you the minimum they can get away with.

I know a lot of people believe that in dentistry they try to sell you more procedures, but my family and I get all our dental care and braces free. They still give us all routine x-rays and braces went about the same way. Wisdom teeth came out for free. They weren't making a profit by doing more things. The only thing not covered for me in the last 20 years was when I needed a gold crown for a very back molar that fell apart and I had to pay for the gold. They aren't going to cover that.

I'm never sure about the vet. My old dog had a few lipomas and they charged to biopsy each one individually. Likewise, I have a cat they want to do a heart ultrasound on every year but I've started to decline. I don't see the point. I'm not going to have heart surgery done on a cat. If it's her heart then either it fails or it keeps ticking. I also decline lyme treatment because it's endemic to our area. If you live here, your outdoor animal has been exposed.

With horses we always accept that treatment because things like potential lameness are a huge deal.

And the same flea and tick stuff at the vet always costs more than what you can buy at Costco or something.

Anyway, all our dogs have always tested positive for lyme and over like 10 dogs over time, only one suddenly was having trouble with her hind legs. Antibiotics solved the problem and she was right as rain in a week or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is the biggest scam. Every single NW DC family I know just ponied up the $15K for this and they all started with reasonable teeth. So ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Well if the current admin gets their way with removal of fluoride, Dentist income is about to skyrocket further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

In general medicine selling you more services means your insurance company might have to cover them. They sell you the minimum they can get away with.

I know a lot of people believe that in dentistry they try to sell you more procedures, but my family and I get all our dental care and braces free. They still give us all routine x-rays and braces went about the same way. Wisdom teeth came out for free. They weren't making a profit by doing more things. The only thing not covered for me in the last 20 years was when I needed a gold crown for a very back molar that fell apart and I had to pay for the gold. They aren't going to cover that.

I'm never sure about the vet. My old dog had a few lipomas and they charged to biopsy each one individually. Likewise, I have a cat they want to do a heart ultrasound on every year but I've started to decline. I don't see the point. I'm not going to have heart surgery done on a cat. If it's her heart then either it fails or it keeps ticking. I also decline lyme treatment because it's endemic to our area. If you live here, your outdoor animal has been exposed.

With horses we always accept that treatment because things like potential lameness are a huge deal.

And the same flea and tick stuff at the vet always costs more than what you can buy at Costco or something.

Anyway, all our dogs have always tested positive for lyme and over like 10 dogs over time, only one suddenly was having trouble with her hind legs. Antibiotics solved the problem and she was right as rain in a week or two.

If you have outdoor cats, you're a jerk for that alone. If you're also not protecting your outdoor animals against Lyme, well, thanks for making them disease vectors. Monthly preventatives aren't that expensive, and are part of responsible pet ownership.

[Anonymous]

Many people like myself don't even visit the dentist on a regular basis because dental insurance covers so little. I have two broken teeth that old fillings fell out of and the dentist quoted me $1400 to fix each one. Not covered by insurance. I passed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well if the current admin gets their way with removal of fluoride, Dentist income is about to skyrocket further.

MAHA’s quest to find as many ways as possible to cull the herd.

[Anonymous]

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

You can get routine dental checkups on many medical insurance plans.

[Anonymous]

I can't quote it because it's so large but I don't have outdoor cats

Actually half my cats are rescued from Turkey, they were street cats. They had to be vetted and vaccinated before they were flown here into the US. I have four of them. They live in indoor luxury.

I'm mostly talking about the dogs who have to be walked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is the biggest scam. Every single NW DC family I know just ponied up the $15K for this and they all started with reasonable teeth. So ridiculous.

Yes. My older child had horrible teeth and I do think two phase made sense for her. I was scammed by doing two phase with my younger. I’m still trying to figure out how to respond. The last day of my younger DS’s treatment, the ortho asked if we wanted to roll right into phase 2. Why would it even be separated out if it could start right away??

It can make sense sometimes but seriously look into this. It’s not needed unless there are major major issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well if the current admin gets their way with removal of fluoride, Dentist income is about to skyrocket further.

MAHA’s quest to find as many ways as possible to cull the herd.

This is going go be an unpopular and very specific example and opinion, but we live on a country property with no town water. We have well water.

Our pediatric dentist prescribed fluoride tablets 20 years ago.

We have kids whose dental health is pretty good just because they were always taught to do the sing the yankee doodle song in their heads while they brushed their teeth plus flossing. Their teeth are generally pretty good in their 20s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is the biggest scam. Every single NW DC family I know just ponied up the $15K for this and they all started with reasonable teeth. So ridiculous.

Yes. My older child had horrible teeth and I do think two phase made sense for her. I was scammed by doing two phase with my younger. I’m still trying to figure out how to respond. The last day of my younger DS’s treatment, the ortho asked if we wanted to roll right into phase 2. Why would it even be separated out if it could start right away??

It can make sense sometimes but seriously look into this. It’s not needed unless there are major major issues.

If your older hid had horrible teeth then that's your genes. Literally. Get new ancestors

I'm not joking. It's not your fault but it's also something you cannot control at this stage of the game.

You should be the ones buying the electric toothbrushes they try to "upsell you on"

Again, I don't know you. They are telling you not to need their "more" services

What toothbrushes do you really use for your family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well if the current admin gets their way with removal of fluoride, Dentist income is about to skyrocket further.

Agree. Working as a dental assistant was a college job for me. I was in a city/suburbs but country people drove in. A family came in, and all 3-4 kids had major cavities. So little. The dentist said their plaque looked decent, so they were brushing. The lack of fluoride in their well water contributed to this.

[Anonymous]

No one has the right to perfect cosmetic teeth so you pay for that . Dental insurance is like 12 a month not sure what you want. What's next attack plastic surgeons or botox for medicaid

[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.

Ha. I’ve had both. Plus a 600 dollar mouth guard. Veneers. Etc. I’m a sucker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one has the right to perfect cosmetic teeth so you pay for that . Dental insurance is like 12 a month not sure what you want. What's next attack plastic surgeons or botox for medicaid

Yep, this is the thing. Had an implant, because a tooth fell out. It's considered "cosmetic". IMO more of an insurance weasel issue. The guy who did my implant was good.

I've had a couple that were significantly not too good. Dentist removing a molar, put a big gash in a tooth with that saw. OOps. Similar situation putting a filling in, dentist was rushing couldn't control the burr, it spun out then they polished my other tooth, it's got thin enamel now.

The thing is those were covered. I prefer to let my teeth fall out naturally than to go to a dentist.

I'll clean my teeth multiple times a day with a dental jet rather than go to a dentist, that grey spot is good and clean. I'll live with it.