Capitalism and dental care
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The Thriller
Well-Known Member
It’s almost like setting up necessary health care in the same way we’ve set up the selling non-essential commodities was a bad idea?
But hell, if my goal is to make as much money as possible, I can’t really get mad at doctors for the same mentality of oil workers. money is money, right? Free market!
Drill baby drill!
But hell, if my goal is to make as much money as possible, I can’t really get mad at doctors for the same mentality of oil workers. money is money, right? Free market!
Drill baby drill!
checkbookdoc
Well-Known Member
It is almost as if people do whatever they are incentivized to do. Seriously, is anyone surprised by this? Same thing as happens with mechanics or doctors or ....
Red
Well-Known Member
I almost, that's almost, fell victim to this very thing. My hygienist, when I get my teeth cleaned, always tests the depth of the gum between each tooth. I think readings of 1-3 are really good, anything above 6 you don't want. So one time she told me it was time for a deep cleaning, called scaling. So I set up an appointment with a specialist who accepted my dental insurance, because it's 10% cheaper using an in network specialist.
So there I am, and he tests the depth of the gums, and he's reading off "9, 8, 8, 9", and on and on with terrible high numbers. Tells me one of the teeth needs to be removed. Then, I'll never forget this, and, lol, it just ain't true: "you have one of the worst sets of teeth I've ever seen". So, back in my car, I'm thinking, 3 weeks ago, my hygienist read off numbers like "3, 2, 5, 6", some good, some bad, some middling. How the hell did everything go south in just three weeks?!
I make an appointment with my dentist, and tell him. Man, was he pissed. Nothing wrong with the tooth the specialist wanted to pull. Everything was a scam. I did the scaling with my regular hygienist. Paid 10% more out of network, I've been with his practice for decades, and like the guy, so the 10% more I pay is OK. If I'd known my hygienist was as good at scaling as any specialist, I would have gone that route to start.
That was a close call. If I had not had the gum depth just measured a few weeks earlier, I might have been had.
So there I am, and he tests the depth of the gums, and he's reading off "9, 8, 8, 9", and on and on with terrible high numbers. Tells me one of the teeth needs to be removed. Then, I'll never forget this, and, lol, it just ain't true: "you have one of the worst sets of teeth I've ever seen". So, back in my car, I'm thinking, 3 weeks ago, my hygienist read off numbers like "3, 2, 5, 6", some good, some bad, some middling. How the hell did everything go south in just three weeks?!
I make an appointment with my dentist, and tell him. Man, was he pissed. Nothing wrong with the tooth the specialist wanted to pull. Everything was a scam. I did the scaling with my regular hygienist. Paid 10% more out of network, I've been with his practice for decades, and like the guy, so the 10% more I pay is OK. If I'd known my hygienist was as good at scaling as any specialist, I would have gone that route to start.
That was a close call. If I had not had the gum depth just measured a few weeks earlier, I might have been had.
fishonjazz
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I dated a girl whose whole family were dentists. She told me that they often do things to people that are unnecessary just to make more money.
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Zombie
Well-Known Member
I went to one of the nicer newer dentists in town a few years ago with a broken tooth, they said they'd have to put a crown on and do a bunch of other stuff I've forgotten about. I asked about just pulling the tooth and they said they wouldn't be able to without replacing it. I thought that was a little odd since it was a molar next to a wisdom tooth which they said should stay in.
Ended up going to a family dentistry around the block and they were able to pull the tooth as well as my three wisdom teeth for less than half of what I would have spent at the first place I went.
Ended up going to a family dentistry around the block and they were able to pull the tooth as well as my three wisdom teeth for less than half of what I would have spent at the first place I went.
More than 10 years ago I went to my wife's dentist, who had just relocated to a brand new fancy office. he shined a laser or something at my teeth and told me it needed to be drilled. since I had no pain or any other symptom, I told him I'd sleep on it. I went to another dentist (McIff in American Fork) and he said it looked fine to him, but if it started to hurt, come in and he'd fix it. Tooth is still in my mouth, unmolested and feeling fine a decade later.
sahlensguy
Well-Known Member
If I ever hear "7 root canals", I'm getting a second opinion...
I've never felt scammed at the dentist outside of a few extra x-rays here and there.
On a side note, I did find out first hand why wisdom teet are called that. I just had one pulled. It took every bit of 3 hours with 3 different dentist all tag teaming in and out. One of the more painful experiences I've had. Seems that after 50 years, it had sprung another root. It's wise to get them pulled when you are much younger, as they come out that much easier. Now only 2 more to go.
I've never felt scammed at the dentist outside of a few extra x-rays here and there.
On a side note, I did find out first hand why wisdom teet are called that. I just had one pulled. It took every bit of 3 hours with 3 different dentist all tag teaming in and out. One of the more painful experiences I've had. Seems that after 50 years, it had sprung another root. It's wise to get them pulled when you are much younger, as they come out that much easier. Now only 2 more to go.
The last time I went to a dentist, I was supposed to be the last appointment of the day (I always try and be either first or last of the day). I was less than 5 minutes late and the dentist had already left for the day. He just said "**** it". I was so pissed. I called the next day and yelled at him like he'd never heard before. It doesn't matter when I show up any other time, it's a minimum of a 30 minute wait. Even if it's the first appointment of the day. I'll never go back to that guy, which is sad because I'd gone to him since I was a kid. Family friend.
Keefe
Well-Known Member
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