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It goes beyond correct diagnosis with Dentistry. Even with a correct diagnosis there are often multiple methods of treatment that vary dramatically in terms of

It goes beyond correct diagnosis with Dentistry. Even with a correct diagnosis there are often multiple methods of treatment that vary dramatically in terms of recovery and cost. More often then not the Dentist recommends a costly treatment and doesn't even provide alternatives. I've seen dentist offices that were just cavity filling mills that filled anything remotely resembling a cavity and using three different methods of pain management during the procedure. The dentist literally had rows of chairs in the same room getting cavities filled. I've sat in a dentist's chair and been told I had a cavity that needed and could be filled that day. Unfortunately I was not in a position to pay for the procedure so I deferred. I saved up the $$$ needed and returned at my next appointment prepared to have it filled only to be told I didn't have any cavities. When I was a kid, you didn't get braces until you lost all your baby teeth, now Dentists have started recommending braces for children as young as 4 with the expectation that they'll need braces again as a teen.

tmamic 7y ago
You are absolutely right. Dentists are able to recommend wrong therapy plans without patients knowing. Even when a patient gets the correct diagnosis, they can be recommended drastically different therapy plans. This happens because there are many ways to solve the same medical problem. Depending on the financial capacity of the patient and the desired quality which is most commonly measured by the length of durability or visual appearance, as well as other factors. Another related issue is the aesthetic dental work paid for by the patient, which can cause the need for more treatments down the line. All these decisions influence the health of the patient in a way they aren’t able to fully comprehend, and they rely on dentists as experts to advise them. Generally, advice and diagnosis are not separate. This creates a venue for unethical behaviour. For example, dentists might resort to recommending "tools from their toolbox.” In your case, it was fillings. When you buy a hammer, suddenly everything looks like a nail. The results of all this are: - Patients get suboptimal/wrong health treatments - Treatments are still performed long after there are better approaches available - Dentists are less able to give the right advice

tmamic 7y ago

You are absolutely right. Dentists are able to recommend wrong therapy plans without patients knowing. Even when a patient gets the correct diagnosis, they can be recommended drastically different therapy plans. This happens because there are many ways to solve the same medical problem. Depending on the financial capacity of the patient and the desired quality which is most commonly measured by the length of durability or visual appearance, as well as other factors. Another related issue is the aesthetic dental work paid for by the patient, which can cause the need for more treatments down the line. All these decisions influence the health of the patient in a way they aren’t able to fully comprehend, and they rely on dentists as experts to advise them. Generally, advice and diagnosis are not separate. This creates a venue for unethical behaviour. For example, dentists might resort to recommending "tools from their toolbox.” In your case, it was fillings. When you buy a hammer, suddenly everything looks like a nail. The results of all this are: - Patients get suboptimal/wrong health treatments - Treatments are still performed long after there are better approaches available - Dentists are less able to give the right advice