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I WAS a sheepeople for a long time and questioned none of it.
You still are "sheepeople" you just don't realize it. You must spend a fortune on all of your supplements 90% of which have never found to have any purpose other than to make the people selling them rich. I've been around for a long time too, and a few of the things I've learned are:
Dentists know more about teeth and gums than I ever will and if I choose to ignore their advice I may well end up in a lot of pain, or even worse I might lose my teeth. I don't second guess my doctor when she says I have high blood pressure and I don't doubt my dentist when he says I need some work done.
Dentists provide a service that is not cheap to render. When people complain about being 'ripped off' by dentists they fail to realize that dentists graduate with an average of almost 300k in student loans. Graduate student loans carry around 7% interest, the average repayment term is 10 years, that ends up costing a new dentist well over $3,000 a month. Buying or leasing equipment must cost a fortune, and paying salaries for dental assistants and front end staff isn't cheap.
There have been times where I expected a procedure to take 30 minutes and it ended up taking two or more hours because the problem was more complex than anticipated, I didn't have to pay more because it took longer, but the dentist sure took a hit because he probably could have seen two other patients during that time.
To be honest I think we should be glad that we still have people willing to go to dental school, it's certainly not a get rich scheme, and with all the DSO's trying to take over dentistry I can only imagine that Dentists will earn less in the future than they do now.
The only time I felt "ripped off"in a dental office were the two times I went to a DSO. And the dentists were fine, but they were very non-committal about the work I needed done and turned me over to the office manager who was as bad as any used car salesman that I've ever dealt with, they have made an art out of turning $4000 of dental work into $15,000..it's crazy.
It's just that you give health advice to other readers. Those readers don't know if your advice is accurate or not, and they may actually take your advice, thinking it must be true because they read it on the internet--so we dental people (yes, very likely members of the ADA) like to point out advice discrepancies once in a while, just to balance things out.
So, dear readers, have your gum health checked by a dental professional who knows how to do that, just to make sure your gums and bone support are good.
Exactly. Then you can be sure your teeth and gums are healthy, and get problems fixed as they come up, instead of assuming all is well because you "act as your own dentist".
I have an event coming up and just want to get my teeth cleaned. I'll pay cash but every dentist office says I must get xrays and see dentist first. I saw a dentist 2 years ago and don't want xrays every year. I think it's a scam. Hygentist should just open their own office for cleanings.
I couldn't agree more. I couldn't find a single dentist in my county that would do a cleaning without a full series of xrays if it had been more than 2 years.
They said in case something happens, a tooth comes out, etc. Then have patient sign a waiver or something.
The procedure itself 'can' be done without exrays.
The avg cost of dental school is 100k (4yrs in state). The fact that a dentist can charge rates disportional to the time or supplies is called : skilled professional labor.
We have a non profit dental rv that stops in the inner city to do check ups on the children. Nope they do not give exray with cleanings. So apparently it CAN be done.
Our in state dental school charges minimal for procedures. Imagine getting a filling with exray for 55$. Or your teeth cleaned for 22$. They surely aren't going under by providing this service. They don't take insurance though...
I still recall having to wait though two months to get in for an exam. Worth it though and the students were glad to get the experience.
The procedure itself 'can' be done without exrays.
The avg cost of dental school is 100k (4yrs in state). The fact that a dentist can charge rates disportional to the time or supplies is called : skilled professional labor. .
We have a non profit dental rv that stops in the inner city to do check ups on the children. Nope they do not give exray with cleanings. So apparently it CAN be done.
They had that service in my grandson's preschool but there were not dentists in those RV's, they were staffed with Registered Dental Assistants
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nov3
Our in state dental school charges minimal for procedures. Imagine getting a filling with exray for 55$. Or your teeth cleaned for 22$. They surely aren't going under by providing this service. They don't take insurance though... I still recall having to wait though two months to get in for an exam. Worth it though and the students were glad to get the experience.
I guess you don't understand that dental schools offer those services because students are required to perform those services on real people before they graduate? You can get a free haircut at a barber college too for the same reason...students need to spend a certain number of hours cutting hair before they can get their state license
I couldn't agree more. I couldn't find a single dentist in my county that would do a cleaning without a full series of xrays if it had been more than 2 years.
They said in case something happens, a tooth comes out, etc. Then have patient sign a waiver or something.
I even called dental assistant schools.
Don't you think they have a point? If you have a mouthful of diseased decaying loose teeth and you go in for a cleaning and there are no x-rays to establish that your mouth was a disaster before they cleaned your teeth they would open themselves up all sorts of claims that they "destroyed your teeth while cleaning them" I sure wouldn't do it if I was a dentist.
Oh please, none of you know my mouth or my history and I've said enough here. But so many want to keep harboring on what I do and I'm still a sheepeople, if I am I choose the type I want to be...so many just can LET IT GO.....keep on and on and on.
I really don't care what you all do, go to your dental offices and do what they want to do.
I was there for about 50 yrs....no more.
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