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Just today my dentist, who recently took over the practice from my previous retiring dentist, said the old guy pushed metal fillings on most patients even thoug

by aklemm 7y ago

Just today my dentist, who recently took over the practice from my previous retiring dentist, said the old guy pushed metal fillings on most patients even though composite is a better alternative for most fillings (he did describe for which fillings metal is still preferred). I bet the worst medical advancement or study result for dentists would be the one that definitively shows six-month checkups aren't better than annual.

jedberg 7y ago
> I bet the worst medical advancement or study result for dentists would be the one that definitively shows six-month checkups aren't better than annual. It depends on the person and the chemical makeup of their mouth in conjunction with their brushing and flossing habits. Some people can be fine even if they go years between checkups. Other people like me need to go three times a year even though I brush and floss every day. Gee, I wish someone would study why I need to go three times a year and maybe figure out how to change the chemical makeup of my mouth so I didn't have to!
- teslabox 7y ago
  > Gee, I wish someone would study why I need to go three times a year and maybe figure out how to change the chemical makeup of my mouth so I didn't have to! People are too profitable for the system to be motivated to figure out actual causes behind common problems. Your quip reminds me of a comment from 2 weeks ago, where someone shared how vitamin K supplementation helped reduce buildup on their teeth: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20902899 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20902899 I understand that people usually get adequate Vitamin K2 from their intestinal bacteria. Perhaps the buildup on your teeth is due to your microbiome. I brush with salt and baking soda, but still have some plaque on my occasional visits to the dentist. I’ll have to think about this some more.

by aklemm 7y ago

jedberg 7y ago

> I bet the worst medical advancement or study result for dentists would be the one that definitively shows six-month checkups aren't better than annual. It depends on the person and the chemical makeup of their mouth in conjunction with their brushing and flossing habits. Some people can be fine even if they go years between checkups. Other people like me need to go three times a year even though I brush and floss every day. Gee, I wish someone would study why I need to go three times a year and maybe figure out how to change the chemical makeup of my mouth so I didn't have to!

teslabox 7y ago
> Gee, I wish someone would study why I need to go three times a year and maybe figure out how to change the chemical makeup of my mouth so I didn't have to! People are too profitable for the system to be motivated to figure out actual causes behind common problems. Your quip reminds me of a comment from 2 weeks ago, where someone shared how vitamin K supplementation helped reduce buildup on their teeth: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20902899 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20902899 I understand that people usually get adequate Vitamin K2 from their intestinal bacteria. Perhaps the buildup on your teeth is due to your microbiome. I brush with salt and baking soda, but still have some plaque on my occasional visits to the dentist. I’ll have to think about this some more.