We've all experienced hacks and upsellers among dentists. There seems to be no safeguards or regulatory or licensing boundaries at all with dentists.

So I'd agree with OP. Big Dentistry is a problem.

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?

I have family members in the dental field and the insurance doesn't cover the cost of crowns and night guards in some cases. They actually lose money for some insurances but they still accept them.

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.

Because some are purely cosmetic.
Because some treatments are on a sliding scale. For example, I have a problematic tooth and there are multiple ways to handle it.

I will say, imo, it depends on the dentist. I've switched many times due to "upselling" of things I don't need or want, or bc of HUGE estimates for work. I don't hesitate to get a second opinion. I'm with my current dentist now for years and do not have this issue. This is a local place, though, and not one bought out by a corporate entity. THAT is the main problem here.

But we manage that in healthcare.

Dental disease is linked to heart disease, and abscesses can send people to the ICU.

Not sure why this is in politics vs healthcare or something. A few years ago Atlantic did some articles on this topic, though.

Check out Glaucomflenckens video shorts--when the surgeons start wondering about "mouth bones" suddenly threatening looking dentists in golf gear start appearing.

But . . . I really love my dentist. No complains whatsoever. The only think I would ask for is video streaming on the ceiling to distract me during procedures. Even though he is a super painless dentist, at best being in that chair is boring as hell.

Adding costs is what kills me. I'm old as dirt. A cavity used to cost $5 cash. No insurance and it was done right after the xray. Now you need to come back for a 2nd visit to treat the cavity so they can bill for a 2nd office visit.

Same with MDs. You have poison ivy and you have to go to a GP for a referral to a dermotologist. Meanwhile you probably catch Covid in the waiting room. I avoid doctors and dentists as much as possible. Probably an unpopular position on this site.

Go to Mexico: https://dentaltourismassociation.com/blog/cost-of-dental-work-in-mexico/

All anti-dentures in this thread. All of you!

PP here. Forgot to add that I do think it's criminal that dental and eye care is not covered. These are part of health and wellbeing and no excuse for what we have here in the US.

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.

Because some are purely cosmetic.
Because some treatments are on a sliding scale. For example, I have a problematic tooth and there are multiple ways to handle it.

I will say, imo, it depends on the dentist. I've switched many times due to "upselling" of things I don't need or want, or bc of HUGE estimates for work. I don't hesitate to get a second opinion. I'm with my current dentist now for years and do not have this issue. This is a local place, though, and not one bought out by a corporate entity. THAT is the main problem here.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The need for two phases is that your child is still growing

Same reason why they won't do serious orthognathis surgery or nose jobs until a child's face stops growing

That's it. That's the answer.

They need to make sure the teeth / nose / jaw fits your child's face for a permanent lifetime

The need for 2 phases is proper for some patients.


We used to let patients develop into severe over or underbites and then stick them in braces for 2-3 years trying to correct the crowding and bite issues. In some cases as a severe underbite, the mandible did not grow fast enough to keep up with the maxilla. Now as an adult you need surgery to move the mandible forward as you can’t fix it by just moving teeth. Super painful and costly.

You could have fixed the issue while then child was growing by using expanders to speed up their natural mandible’s growth from ages 8-12 and their bite would be correct as an adult.

The second stage ortho would just be cleaning up any minor cosmetic crowding or spacing as they became late teens.


Not everyone needs it, but is a good option to deal with growth issues.


For the laser cavity detection person who commented, we have a camera that takes a picture of the tooth using a laser, it helps detect cavities without X-rays. Sounds good. We don’t charge a penny to use it but we can minimize radiation. What’s the problem here?

Any other questions I can help answer from a dentist’s perspective.

And yes, we have about 20% of our colleagues that try to upsell stuff you do not need or focus stupidly on cosmetics like Botox, filler, and other non dental stuff.

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?

I agree completely. Dental insurance is a bad joke paying 5% for crowns and implants! I have Sjogren's ( a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks moisture-producing glands, causing severe dryness (eyes, mouth) and I have lost 16:teeth. I need a complete of take restoration to the tube if $75,000. I have tried everything but cannot get medical or dental insurance to pay.
.

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.

The need for two phases is that your child is still growing

Same reason why they won't do serious orthognathis surgery or nose jobs until a child's face stops growing

That's it. That's the answer.

They need to make sure the teeth / nose / jaw fits your child's face for a permanent lifetime

Anonymous wrote:We used a certain pediatric dentist in Sterling VA many years ago. She's likely retired by now. She tried to tell me some big lies about my child's teeth. I didn't believe her and went for a second opinion. She was lying. That bleep wanted to do major surgery on a little mouth with milk teeth. Sheesh.

Different states have different tests to past dental boards and, as is popular here to say, at least half of all dentists graduate in the bottom of their classes.

Serious question, how are your child's teeth today? By your term 'many years ago' I presume she's at least now a teenager.

You seem knowledgeable

What surgery did she recommend?

Did you end up doing nothing?

We used a certain pediatric dentist in Sterling VA many years ago. She's likely retired by now. She tried to tell me some big lies about my child's teeth. I didn't believe her and went for a second opinion. She was lying. That bleep wanted to do major surgery on a little mouth with milk teeth. Sheesh.

Y’all need to brush and flush religiously so your teeth don’t fall out.

As someone else said, you are entitled to straight beautiful teeth. You have to pay for it. I pay my derm a lot more than I pay my dentist.

If you go to a scammy dentist. Find another. Mine isn’t.