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I had a dentist in SF that did this, first visit to him I had 12 (?!) cavities that needed filling. Got suspicious -- their office was very very nice and in a p

I had a dentist in SF that did this, first visit to him I had 12 (?!) cavities that needed filling. Got suspicious -- their office was very very nice and in a prime location -- more importantly, none of my teeth hurt. A second opinion confirmed that the fillings were not necessary at that time. I did start flossing regularly as a result, so that I don't have to rely on dentistry as much.

wewxjfq 4y ago
My dad loves to joke that he chose his dentist because he was the one who found the fewest cavities. As a kid I thought my dad made fun of his dentist, as an adult I realized he made fun of the other ones.
jordanpg 4y ago
These days I just ignore the dentist when they say I need fillings, unless I am experiencing pain. And nearly all the dental pain I have experienced has been post-op. I usually start flossing much more diligently a couple of weeks before my dentist visits, so that my teeth have the appearance of being better-maintained. I believe this results in more honesty from the dentist. In other words, my instinct is that they rely on their gut feeling quite a lot for making their "diagnoses." If your teeth look healthy, they are more likely to tell you they are healthy. Don't know WTF they are seeing in those blurry x-rays. The only reason I go to the dentist at all is for general well-being reasons and polishing. When I don't have insurance, I just skip it.
- tzs 4y ago
  > These days I just ignore the dentist when they say I need fillings, unless I am experiencing pain. Careful. It is possible for a cavity to be completely painless up to the point it is so big that the tooth actually completely collapses, and then you get to enjoy something much more annoying than getting a filling (especially a small one) such as a root canal. If you have small cavities and don't want to get them filled and aren't sure they are the kind that if they grow won't be pain free until it is too late, look into silver diamine fluoride [1]. In the US its official use is to help people with dental hypersensitivity, but it also can stop or greatly slow cavity formation and growth. Dentists in the US can use it off-label for that. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_diammine_fluoride https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_diammine_fluoride
- sdfhdhjdw3 4y ago
  > I usually start flossing much more diligently a couple of weeks before my dentist visits, so that my teeth have the appearance of being better-maintained. I believe this results in more honesty from the dentist. In other words, my instinct is that they rely on their gut feeling quite a lot for making their "diagnoses." If your teeth look healthy, they are more likely to tell you they are healthy. Don't know WTF they are seeing in those blurry x-rays. I don't know. What you just said 100% resonates with me. But I'm not a dentist. I'm (was) a physicist, and I know the absolute garbage HN constantly writes about physics, so this might just be gellmann effect... [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton#GellMannAmnesiaEffect https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton#GellMannAmn...
nsxwolf 4y ago
This is why I have been going to the same dentist for 25 years. If I ever move out of state I will fly back for dental visits.

wewxjfq 4y ago

My dad loves to joke that he chose his dentist because he was the one who found the fewest cavities. As a kid I thought my dad made fun of his dentist, as an adult I realized he made fun of the other ones.

jordanpg 4y ago

These days I just ignore the dentist when they say I need fillings, unless I am experiencing pain. And nearly all the dental pain I have experienced has been post-op. I usually start flossing much more diligently a couple of weeks before my dentist visits, so that my teeth have the appearance of being better-maintained. I believe this results in more honesty from the dentist. In other words, my instinct is that they rely on their gut feeling quite a lot for making their "diagnoses." If your teeth look healthy, they are more likely to tell you they are healthy. Don't know WTF they are seeing in those blurry x-rays. The only reason I go to the dentist at all is for general well-being reasons and polishing. When I don't have insurance, I just skip it.

tzs 4y ago
> These days I just ignore the dentist when they say I need fillings, unless I am experiencing pain. Careful. It is possible for a cavity to be completely painless up to the point it is so big that the tooth actually completely collapses, and then you get to enjoy something much more annoying than getting a filling (especially a small one) such as a root canal. If you have small cavities and don't want to get them filled and aren't sure they are the kind that if they grow won't be pain free until it is too late, look into silver diamine fluoride [1]. In the US its official use is to help people with dental hypersensitivity, but it also can stop or greatly slow cavity formation and growth. Dentists in the US can use it off-label for that. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_diammine_fluoride https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_diammine_fluoride
sdfhdhjdw3 4y ago
> I usually start flossing much more diligently a couple of weeks before my dentist visits, so that my teeth have the appearance of being better-maintained. I believe this results in more honesty from the dentist. In other words, my instinct is that they rely on their gut feeling quite a lot for making their "diagnoses." If your teeth look healthy, they are more likely to tell you they are healthy. Don't know WTF they are seeing in those blurry x-rays. I don't know. What you just said 100% resonates with me. But I'm not a dentist. I'm (was) a physicist, and I know the absolute garbage HN constantly writes about physics, so this might just be gellmann effect... [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton#GellMannAmnesiaEffect https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton#GellMannAmn...

nsxwolf 4y ago

This is why I have been going to the same dentist for 25 years. If I ever move out of state I will fly back for dental visits.