Dentist Issue: What would you do? (Long)

[jollystomper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredHappy Previous dentist has left the practice.

OK, I was confused by this line in the original post: "The dentist who prescribed the crowns is away" ... which could be interpreted as "away on vacation/leave".


I would be wary of anything prescribed by someone who is no longer there to see it through... at that point I would find a more stable practice.

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollystomper OK, I was confused by this line in the original post: "The dentist who prescribed the crowns is away" ... which could be interpreted as "away on vacation/leave". I would be wary of anything prescribed by someone who is no longer there to see it through... at that point I would find a more stable practice.

I believe the prescribing dentist is on maternity leave (and may or may not return). That's if I'm reading the details above correctly.

[ncbill]

Sometimes you just have to leave.

Once my long-term dentist sold his practice I started getting the upsell from the new owners.

The dentist assigned to me wanted to treat one tooth with multiple fillings with a root canal & crown...conveniently their office had a crown-making machine right there.

So I switched to an older, more conservative dentist I knew through church.

He was able to keep that tooth going for several more years before needing a root canal (done by an outside endodontist) & the porcelain crown he ordered from an outside lab cost half what the one made in-house at the previous practice would have cost me.

And also agreed to use amalgam whenever possible...composite restorations don't last long with me at all.

[Amethyst]

This was my impression, based on info hastily imparted by staff. It wasn't 100% clear if the female dentist, who diagnosed me but has never worked on me, would return. When I speak to the staff, I will ask.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calico I believe the prescribing dentist is on maternity leave (and may or may not return). That's if I'm reading the details above correctly.

[Freedom56]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Background: After my last exam, the dentist said two of my bottom left molars (20 and 21) needed crowns. These molars had very large old restorations. The teeth were starting to crack from grinding (I used to wear a night guard, and have started wearing Invisalign retainers). Am I overreacting? What would you do?

Be careful with these recommendations to replace teeth with crowns. If the build-up is not done properly, the pulp can be injured which can lead to pain and a root canal treatment which involves drilling through the new crown. I would start looking for a new dentist. I have found that the best dentists are the one's that still teach at university dental schools and have a private practice to maintain their skills. The only issue is that these dentists only work in their private practice 1-2 days per week so you have to work around their schedule.

[OldShooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Today's dentist told me he had reviewed my X-rays in hopes of finding that I didn't really need two crowns, as a previous dentist had recommended. He said that on the surface, the teeth don't look that bad but the X-rays show cracking.

To be clear, I wasn't suggesting that all dentists are crooks pushing unnecessary work. I don't think that's the case at all.

But it is also the case that there is what the economists call a "moral hazard" or and "agency problem." It is possible that recommendations may be influenced by the dentist's financial incentives, even influenced unconsciously. For example, a decision to buy a crown-making machine may be to speed service to customers and give the dentist more control over the product. But that machine has to be paid for.