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Fifty of the dentists find at least one 'cavity', some of them up to six. 'Cavities' were found in up to 13 different teeth. Socio-economic status of the patien

Fifty of the dentists find at least one 'cavity', some of them up to six. 'Cavities' were found in up to 13 different teeth. Socio-economic status of the patient is relevant in how many times 'cavities' are found.

midasuni 4y ago
Specifically poor people have more cavities “found” It’s unclear from the abstract what country this applies to.
- doetoe 4y ago
  This study was conducted in Switzerland
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- SanjayMehta 4y ago
  Switzerland.
encryptluks2 4y ago
Punishment should be defacto pull as many teeth from the dentist that they wrongfully pulled from their patients, and do it without anesthesia so that they have some additional remorse.
- aeries 4y ago
  Please leave this knee-jerk vitriol off of Hacker News. We come here from other sites to avoid this stuff, not to see more of it.
- cortesoft 4y ago
  Some of them probably genuinely made a mistake.
  - encryptluks2 4y ago
    How do you extract a tooth by mistake?
    - hutzlibu 4y ago
      By making a wrong diagnosis, that it is needed.
      - encryptluks2 4y ago
        You mean by making a fraudulent diagnosis that it is needed.
  - mandmandam 4y ago
    Some of them, sure. But 50 out of 180? That's systemic fraud.
    - cortesoft 4y ago
      Right, but my point is that if you go to each one and rip out their teeth without anesthesia, you are going to be torturing at least a few innocent people. Even if only 5% of the 180 aren’t fraudsters, I’d feel bad about torturing 9 innocent people.
      - encryptluks2 4y ago
        Weird how the US doesn't feel bad about killing a few innocent children and label them as casualties of war.
magicalhippo 4y ago
My previous dentist would show me the x-rays and explain. He'd point out that a cavity was starting to develop, and what measures I should take to avoid it developing further. After some years, if it got worse, he'd show me the old x-rays and the new new so I could see the change, and he'd suggest I'd get it fixed now. Sadly for me he retired recently.
- dbrgn 4y ago
  My dentist does the same. When I first went there (after not having gone do the dentist for 3-4 years, because I never had any issues with cavities) he told me that there are 4 cavities I need to get fixed. I was very sceptical at first, but agreed to get them done. He fixed all 4 of them in 20 minutes. When he drilled open one of the teeth, he showed me how it looked with one of these small cameras that you could see live on the screen. It was absolutely obvious that there was a considerable cavity. Explaining to your customers what needs to be done, proving it with pictures and/or x-rays, and explaining the different options generates a lot of trust.
  - PeterBarrett 4y ago
    Same with my dentist that I started going to 2 years ago. I live in a differtnt country now and literally book appointments 3 months in advance with them just so I don't have a bad experience with someone else.
petodo 4y ago
Also 60% of dentists failed to display prices according regulation. Median price of overtreatment was 450 USD. https://sci-hub.se/10.2139/ssrn.3036573 https://sci-hub.se/10.2139/ssrn.3036573
- ekianjo 4y ago
  Dentists are charlatans hiding behind a blouse
sizzle 4y ago
Also the blatant, don’t worry it’s free insurance covers it “persuasions” as if my only concern is cost rather than necessity that I’ve learned is a shady dentist go-to tactic to open their customer’s wallets via insurance. Half the time I find out the cavity is not in the x-ray but “visual inspection” or “preventative” and the car salesmen tactics and fear of losing teeth are layed on thick while you are at your most vulnerable moment in the chair having a bright light blast your vision. I hate it all, give me the x-rays and I’ll get a second opinion until trust is earned. The mom and pop local family dentists are the best, not the dentists renting chairs in clinics that rotate every time you come in. If they make you sign a disclaimer about exceeding insurance coverage RUN!!

midasuni 4y ago

Specifically poor people have more cavities “found” It’s unclear from the abstract what country this applies to.

doetoe 4y ago
This study was conducted in Switzerland
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
SanjayMehta 4y ago
Switzerland.

encryptluks2 4y ago

Punishment should be defacto pull as many teeth from the dentist that they wrongfully pulled from their patients, and do it without anesthesia so that they have some additional remorse.

aeries 4y ago
Please leave this knee-jerk vitriol off of Hacker News. We come here from other sites to avoid this stuff, not to see more of it.
cortesoft 4y ago
Some of them probably genuinely made a mistake.
- encryptluks2 4y ago
  How do you extract a tooth by mistake?
  - hutzlibu 4y ago
    By making a wrong diagnosis, that it is needed.
    - encryptluks2 4y ago
      You mean by making a fraudulent diagnosis that it is needed.
- mandmandam 4y ago
  Some of them, sure. But 50 out of 180? That's systemic fraud.
  - cortesoft 4y ago
    Right, but my point is that if you go to each one and rip out their teeth without anesthesia, you are going to be torturing at least a few innocent people. Even if only 5% of the 180 aren’t fraudsters, I’d feel bad about torturing 9 innocent people.
    - encryptluks2 4y ago
      Weird how the US doesn't feel bad about killing a few innocent children and label them as casualties of war.

magicalhippo 4y ago

My previous dentist would show me the x-rays and explain. He'd point out that a cavity was starting to develop, and what measures I should take to avoid it developing further. After some years, if it got worse, he'd show me the old x-rays and the new new so I could see the change, and he'd suggest I'd get it fixed now. Sadly for me he retired recently.

dbrgn 4y ago
My dentist does the same. When I first went there (after not having gone do the dentist for 3-4 years, because I never had any issues with cavities) he told me that there are 4 cavities I need to get fixed. I was very sceptical at first, but agreed to get them done. He fixed all 4 of them in 20 minutes. When he drilled open one of the teeth, he showed me how it looked with one of these small cameras that you could see live on the screen. It was absolutely obvious that there was a considerable cavity. Explaining to your customers what needs to be done, proving it with pictures and/or x-rays, and explaining the different options generates a lot of trust.
- PeterBarrett 4y ago
  Same with my dentist that I started going to 2 years ago. I live in a differtnt country now and literally book appointments 3 months in advance with them just so I don't have a bad experience with someone else.

petodo 4y ago

Also 60% of dentists failed to display prices according regulation. Median price of overtreatment was 450 USD. https://sci-hub.se/10.2139/ssrn.3036573 https://sci-hub.se/10.2139/ssrn.3036573

ekianjo 4y ago
Dentists are charlatans hiding behind a blouse

sizzle 4y ago

Also the blatant, don’t worry it’s free insurance covers it “persuasions” as if my only concern is cost rather than necessity that I’ve learned is a shady dentist go-to tactic to open their customer’s wallets via insurance. Half the time I find out the cavity is not in the x-ray but “visual inspection” or “preventative” and the car salesmen tactics and fear of losing teeth are layed on thick while you are at your most vulnerable moment in the chair having a bright light blast your vision. I hate it all, give me the x-rays and I’ll get a second opinion until trust is earned. The mom and pop local family dentists are the best, not the dentists renting chairs in clinics that rotate every time you come in. If they make you sign a disclaimer about exceeding insurance coverage RUN!!