Pissed off by new dentist?!


Question: Okay I'm going to try and sum this up quickly. Basically I no longer have dental coverage. Because I wanted braces I started looking around for a new dentist. I found one that also offered a low discount dental plan. so I joined. I got my teeth cleaned, xrays, etc. all was fine. I went ahead with braces. I brush my teeth 2-3x a day, rinse with listerine and flouride and floss everyday! I go in for a six month visit and I had 5 cavities!!! I was really ticked off bc mind you I had gone about 8-9 years with no cavities at my last dentist. And had been to this one 6 months earlier and told everything was fine. So I went ahead and paid to get them filled (all out of pocket). Now 2 months later I am having a toothache. I looked and I see a small cavity!! How can all these cavities suddenly appear. And at my last visit they also put me on prescription toothpaste to see if that helped (guess not)!!! What more can I do? Am I just cavity prone or is this dentist just not doing their job?


Answers: Okay I'm going to try and sum this up quickly. Basically I no longer have dental coverage. Because I wanted braces I started looking around for a new dentist. I found one that also offered a low discount dental plan. so I joined. I got my teeth cleaned, xrays, etc. all was fine. I went ahead with braces. I brush my teeth 2-3x a day, rinse with listerine and flouride and floss everyday! I go in for a six month visit and I had 5 cavities!!! I was really ticked off bc mind you I had gone about 8-9 years with no cavities at my last dentist. And had been to this one 6 months earlier and told everything was fine. So I went ahead and paid to get them filled (all out of pocket). Now 2 months later I am having a toothache. I looked and I see a small cavity!! How can all these cavities suddenly appear. And at my last visit they also put me on prescription toothpaste to see if that helped (guess not)!!! What more can I do? Am I just cavity prone or is this dentist just not doing their job?

Two possible thoughts come to mind. First, cavities don't occur on a regular basis. You can go years without any and then find you have several. It may be your age, diet, stress, environmental conditions, etc. Second, your new dentist could be like a corrupt mechanic. He/she could be trying to find the smallest thing wrong with your teeth to get an extra buck. Get some recommendations from co-workers, friends, etc. and then get a second opinion from another dentist.

i don't know what to say, i'm the head of neurology department but.... i think you ate some thing sweet and you didn't cleaned that area....

Well, I'm no fan of dentist 'cause they charge too much, but I don't think you can blame him for your cavities. Since you take such good care of your teeth, does seem strange. Has he offered you a logical explanation?

Get a second opinion. Go see a new dentist. If they say the same thing, here are some factors to consider.
Some drugs cause serious and rapid tooth decay.
Lack of minerals in your diet can cause rapid tooth decay.
It may not be an issue of you got braces and suddenly got cavities. It could be lack of calcium, minerals, perhaps irritable bowel syndrome.... (IBS can cause tooth problems)
Deteriorating teeth can be a sign of poor health somewhere else.
Perhaps a trip to the Doctor is in order.
Cheers.

We find the fluoride has slowed down the decay process in alot of cases. This "low cost" dentist probably makes $$ by recommending lots of treatment. (that's how low cost dentist make their bucks...weak in the ethics department). There's also the difference between aggressive dentists and conservative dentists (I'm a conservative type) Conservatives need to keep their patients informed of areas being "watched" (in my opinion). Good thing you don't live in the SF Bay Area, those fillings you describe would range between $260-$380. $115 is a steal..
(quality??)





The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories