Is it me? Or are dentists just out to make money? (teeth, pulled)
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My mom has always had bad teeth and gums. She has always sought dental care to fix any issues she may have. Currently she is getting false teeth top and bottom as we speak. She's 76 still works full time. It seems like the dental industry always tries to to talk you into something that's more money, that isn't covered by insurance or it's something you don't want. After her initial consultation 2 days ago it was agreed by the dentist and my mom that she needs her teeth pulled and dentures. She has 2 partials but they aren't holding up well and some of her teeth are capped. Dentists are always pushing implants which is very expensive and even if you have dental coverage which she does it isn't always covered. the 7 remaining teeth which are her real teeth are rotted and she has an abscess. One good thing about this place is they have a lab on the premises so she will be able to get her teeth same day. Seems like doctors these days are not as compassionate as they used to be. I feel covid has changed that a lot. She was at this dental office before to get one implant 5 years ago and had a severe reaction to it. Like her body was rejecting it. My mom my is a tough lady. I am leaving work soon to pick her up then we have to go back later in the day to get her teeth put it. How do you guys feel about the dental industry these days?
I am convinced that modern dentists attend seminars with names like "Maximizing Patient Dollars" and such. It has become out-of-control. My hygienist told me once that the ADA requires that they do every three month visits for a year after a patient require deep cleaning which in itself we must take their word for us needing. I despise what dentistry has become.
I got to an early appointment last year while the staff was still in their office meeting while I waited in the lobby. I could hear the doctor plainly and she was congratulating the staff on their revenue the previous week and encouraging them to exceed it this week.
My mom was seeing once of those walk in dentists last year during the height of covid because regular dental offices were closed. They did a temporary patch job by giving her a bridge on top and bottom and it has not held., it cracked ect.. so now she has been dealing with pain and discomfort for the last month, she's lost weight because she can't eat. Hopefully after today she will have her false teeth, a nicer smile and she can can eat again. But I feel all doctors care about is making big bucks by upselling their products.
I’ve actually had dentists say I don’t need to do anything with a problematic tooth- multiple dentists over the last 15 years or so. They do try to offer me other treatments like whitening, Invisalign, etc. I just decline.
To be fair, it sounds like your mother’s teeth have to go, and cheaper treatments haven’t worked either. I am not sure what the doctor is supposed to propose if the cheaper treatments haven’t even lasted a year. Over time, getting something replaced yearly is going to be more expensive than getting implants- assuming she can find an implant that her body will accept.
Maybe some dentists, but not all of them. The dentist my husband and I go to is considerate of his patients' pocketbooks when he makes recommendations for fixing dental problems. He gives people several options when he can, lets them know in advance what the costs will be. He will also give people discounts, or even write off charges for some of the services where multiple services are used. He also lets people pay on a payment plan if they need to.
I believe his prices for dental work are comparable to what other dentists charge, some of the work can be a bit pricey but I believe people should be paid for their work and he does good work. We don't have dental insurance so we pay what he asks. I don't find any of it unreasonable.
I'd probably avoid going to dentists who work in one of those corporate dental mills, I never have but it sounds as though the dental services and prices are determined by non-dentist business types out strictly for the profit. The dentist we go to is not part of one of those, he works with his wife, who is also a dentist.
Just a thought for the OP. For dental practices that have their own dental lab on site, as I understand it these are expensive to maintain, and operate, and unless they can scare up a decent workload for the lab, they can lose money on it. This would be motivation enough to try and get as many patients as possible to agree to dental work using that lab ( crowns, bridges, implants?) , perhaps even for patients who might have other alternatives.
This dental placed is packed everyday. if you have a 9 am appt sometimes you don't get seen for 30- forty min. I think they over book plus there are about 5 dentists. They told my mom to come 9 am and when she got there after the cab dropped her off they were still not open. She had to wait 10 minutes outside. What a POS. Plus my mom said they take your money want you to sign on the dotted line for what ever treatment plan they offer and if you say I can't afford this or let me think about it they get an attitude. It's like either take it or leave it. Doctors also don't like when you know more about your body than they do. They get pissed off. She had to beg them for an antibiotic the other day. She just texted me all her teeth are out, infection was very bad in two teeth. She even said the dental assistant was nasty. WTF!
OP: "My mom has always had bad teeth and gums. [...] the 7 remaining teeth which are her real teeth are rotted and she has an abscess. [...] She has 2 partials but they aren't holding up well and some of her teeth are capped."
Man has always had a hard time trying to fix imperfect bodies. It's not the dentists' faults that she has bad teeth and gums. The dentist didn't create the problems. They are trying to fix the problems. If your mother shares your opinion, attitude, and disrespect, maybe all that was directed towards the dental assistant trying to do her job.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I got a filling the other day, and my dentist introduced me to his newest assistant, calling me a "long time patient (since 1995). I said to her that I was "one of his best customers." This because my wife often jokes that I paid for his new swimming pool or vacation cabin. I too have had many problems, mainly due to old fillings from my teens wearing out, including 4 implants now, the most recent at age 64. I find that my dentist will recommend what he truly feels is the best option, but also gives me alternatives and has the insurance/billing person give me costs. For example, one implant toward the back could have been left with an empty space and saved me a couple of thousand not covered by insurance, and while I thought about it, while the gum was healing from the extraction I found it annoying that peas would get stick in that space. For me it was worth the expense, but then I had no negative effects from previous implants.
I suppose there could be some dentists that are pushing for more work to make more money, but (hopefully) that's the exception.
OP: "My mom has always had bad teeth and gums. [...] the 7 remaining teeth which are her real teeth are rotted and she has an abscess. [...] She has 2 partials but they aren't holding up well and some of her teeth are capped."
Man has always had a hard time trying to fix imperfect bodies. It's not the dentists' faults that she has bad teeth and gums. The dentist didn't create the problems. They are trying to fix the problems. If your mother shares your opinion, attitude, and disrespect, maybe all that was directed towards the dental assistant trying to do her job.
where in my post does it say it was the dentists fault? I never said it was anyone's fault. What I was saying is it seems no one has compassion anymore. My mom was very nice. No one was nasty to the dental assistant or doctor. I was not there. I was only stating how my mom felt about everything. Well she has new teeth now and she feels great.
I don't think all dentists only look at the bottom line but there is huge overhead in that business. I work in the medical/dental field in the supply chain. The products used in the dental offices are super expensive.
When my husband died, his friend, who is a periodontist has been treating me for free. He pulled my top teeth and another dentist made my top denture for free.
You can cut costs by going to a dental school for treatments. A group of dentists in my area give free services to those in need.
There are good guys and bad guys in every field.
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