Does your dentist try to sell you add'l. services?

[Rick Lee]

I loved my dentist in DC and relished going to see her a few times a year. I haven't had a cavity filling since I was 10 (I'm 36 now) and some of my fillings are 30 yrs. old. My old dentist in DC always said they were fine and looked like they'd hold out for many more years.

Now that I've moved to Phoenix, I've had to go to a new dentist. I'd read a lot on some local chat boards about dentists giving the hard sales pitch on teeth whitening and those new white cavity fillings. I went with one that was highly recommended and right by my house. Sure enough, the dentist came in and started immediately on how my fillings were bad, some were peeling back a little and there were minor cracks in this or that tooth and those new white fillings would fix everything. He used that fiber optic thing to take color photos and I think he purposely left them on the computer monitor for me to stare at for about 20 min. while I was waiting for the cleaning to begin.

When I went to leave, the billing lady had the estimates all printed out for me with the discounted insurance price, since they're "a partner" with my insuranc co. and it looks like my total out of pocket would be about $174. The money is irrelevant and probably a pretty good deal for six fillings replaced. But it just irks me that the first appt. with this guy I get the sales pitch on fillings that my other dentist always told me were fine. I also overheard him telling a few other patients that he'd have estimates for them when they went to pay. Is this normal?

[Shadetree930]

Yep, Its the new business model for US dentists. Since preventative dentistry is so advanced in the US, the growth is in cosmetic dentistry.

[gassy]

He just wants you to have a purdy mouth Rick. Next time start cleaning your gun in the chair for those 20 minutes.

[MRM]

There is no reason to disturb any dental work in your mouth if it is not giving you pain and there are a lot of bad things that can happen if you start opening things up that don't need it. I go to an HMO dentist and asked that specific question. Since they weren't going to make money upcharging me, they leveled with me. Fillings are designed to last only a certain number of years, but they can last a lifetime. You don't do anything to them until they tell you they need it, and you don't have to wonder when they do.

If you brush and floss and your teeth are healthy you won't need anything done indefinitely. Anything else the dentist wants to sell you is optional at best. Sounds like this dentist is a good oportunity for a different customer. The insurance angle is interesting too. A modest out of pocket to you for cosmetic work, but your insurer will pay several hundred dollars for "necessary" treatment. I would not return to that guy.

[Rick Lee]

Oh, and they gave me a free Sonicare toothbrush. These things can't be cheap. When I went out to the billing lady, she asked me when I wanted to schedule those fillings. I said not anytime soon and I'll think on it for a while. She didn't push.

[URY914]

DDS like P-cars too ya know.

[scottmandue]

I have an old school dentist and he doesn't try to sell me anything, I'm sticking with him. I'm 51 and can't remember the last time I had to have a filling done.

If I were you I would look for another dentist.

I'm dumping my eye doctor for this very same reason, he is a great guy but once the exam is over he hands me over to the hard sell receptionist who tries to sell me $300 designer frames (made in China).

[Rick Lee]

To be honest, my old dentist in DC always had posters on the wall about teeth whitening or white fillings. And she or someone else there mentioned them to me once in a while. But it was never more than, "Hey, if you really want white teeth..." For the fillings she just said I'd have no doubt when it was time to have them replaced and that would be the time to go white if I wanted to pay the difference myself. I have just about perfect teeth and haven't had anything more than cleanings done since I was in grade school. Wisdom teeth came out in college and that was the only time I've ever had stitches. I know my good luck will run out one day, but I'm in no hurry.

[tabs]

Anytime you disturb a tooth it damages it. So if you have the orginal fillings replace you have to grind more of the tooth away to do a new filling. Thus weakening the tooth. Better to keep the old fillings. I have one filling left that is 40 years old. The other teeth that were filled have basically either had root canals, crowns, one refilled as it was loose and one removed as the Silver filling eventually cracked the tooth as it got mushed down into it....however that took 35 years.

My DDS offered to pull all my teeth...and replace them all with nice new implants...

[daepp]

I read one time in the WSj that the #1 Continuing Education class taken by a particular group of dentists one year was titled "Getting The Patient To Say Yes."

I have some 30 year old silver fillings that my new dentists wants to replace. He wants the better aprt of $1,100 per filling to replace with the white ones. This really bothers me - the fillings, on the other hand, don't!

[89911]

As a Dentist, I would venture to guess that many that move out of the older, conservative growing cites into areas like Florida, Arizona, and Calif come under the same experience. Ask how long the Dentist has been out there? Many Dr's go in search of the "promise land" and expect to find someone that is willing to dump $5000 into their mouth because they have the disposable income to do so. There a lot of similarities between Cosmetic Surgeon and Dentist in that both can dramatically change your appearance and it seems that is important in areas mentioned above. From talks I have from patients that left my office in Pittsburgh and moved out West, they same over aggressive treatment happens to them. Chalk if up to the high cost of living I suppose. After determining that everything if fine with a patient after a check up, I ask them if they are happy with their appearance and if they want any changes. If not, that is fine with me. In fact, it's the ones that want too much change I worry about.

[jyl]

Either pics are needed, or you are weird . . .

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I loved my dentist in DC and relished going to see her a few times a year.

[Rick Lee]

It's not like I hung out with my dentists socially. I don't have any photos and I don't think she has any on her office site.

[rick-l]

Is there any reason to have a panoramic x-ray every year and if there is why doesn't my insurance pay for it?

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by rick-l

Is there any reason to have a panoramic x-ray every year and if there is why doesn't my insurance pay for it?

I've only ever had that done once and it was for my wisdom teeth removal.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Oh, and they gave me a free Sonicare toothbrush. These things can't be cheap. When I went out to the billing lady, she asked me when I wanted to schedule those fillings. I said not anytime soon and I'll think on it for a while. She didn't push.

play hard to get

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have an old school dentist...

Old school dentist?



No thanks! I'll take "new & improved"...

[porsche4life]

I like my DDS. We always talk about P-cars. He is very reasonable. A friend of mine had a tooth that need pulled and he had beend told it risked a dry socket and all this crap and that it would cost 1500 to pull and he couldnt afford it. I told him to go to my guy and they pulled it for 75$ and there were no issues at all. My dad had a crown go bad once and this DDS fixed it for free. Said it was his error. Ahh the joys of small town Ok.

[Sonic dB]

I used to be a rep in this industry selling to general dentists...the whole thing is a push-down where the manufacture reps train the dentists in weekend seminars for "CE credits" as well as "lunch and learns" with the and staff and also "study clubs" related to clinical issues and of course marketing to patients. The dental market is a huge money maker on all ends, and the good reps work hand in hand with the general dentist on clinical and marketing issues.

In addition to this, there are many, many practice-management groups across the country that hold their own seminars and sell their expertise on 'marketing to the patients' ' growing your practice' etc.

There are about 10,000 general dentists in Los Angeles alone...it is a very competitive situation for these guys and they do what they can to 'grow their practice'.

This doesnt make it "a scam" but it is what it is and is not unlike other industries....the dentists really do have a lot of overhead, employees to pay, expenses, insurance etc.

in addition....the whole economic world really is one big scam filled with marketing, price manipulations etc. all designed to get the money...if you really think about it. Medical and dental are able to thrive however on patients not really knowing any better...and this is where the onus is on the patient to become educated or get another opinion before spending the money on possibly unnecessary services.

[Sonic dB]

btw $174 out of pocket for new fillings is an insane STEAL jump on that one Rick