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I went to a new dentist when I was 18 because my other dentist was unavailable. He declares that I have two cavities and fills one, but doesn't use enough anes

I went to a new dentist when I was 18 because my other dentist was unavailable. He declares that I have two cavities and fills one, but doesn't use enough anesthetic. Given my bad exp with him I went back to my other dentist who's flabbergasted that there was supposedly a cavity on the other tooth. No sign of any decay. These kind of experiences are why I try to vet a new dentist very hard before trusting them, even going so far as to getting a second opinion if the new one finds anything.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
dvdbloc 2y ago
Exact same thing happened to me as well. I now travel very far to go to a dentist that I can trust. It never even crossed my mind that this would be a possibility when I was younger.
anonu 2y ago
I am pretty sure Ive had cavities taken care of that were not cavities. Ultimately its a small procedure and nets the dentist a few $100 bucks - and the patient can't be bothered to get a 2nd opinion. Maybe this is where AI helps with analysis of x-rays. Is there really an urgent issue? Or can it wait?
- aesh2Xa1 2y ago
  The dentist earns a few hundred, and the patient has a permanently-damaged health in the case of a tooth that was, in fact, healthy. Maybe insurance companies would be interested in AI review on the basis of future costs. Informed patients might be, too.
  - blharr 2y ago
    Unfortunately, It'll just be great for insurance to deny necessary prescriptions/procedures/scans because AI review found nothing wrong
- delecti 2y ago
  I'm unclear on who is using AI in this scenario. Are you going to use your own AI on your X-rays, or expect that the dentist will use a new tool to tell them to not do the procedure to get them more money?
  - anonu 2y ago
    Probably the latter scenario. Its a hypothetical - but it could happen if health records move increasingly online and if enough patients demand that level of control.
  - thfuran 2y ago
    Insurers could potentially require specific tools be used to cover a procedure.
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  Some dentists want to fill "crevices" that may become a problem later, others wait until there is a problem. I've been fortunate to mostly have dentists that were happy to just do the semi-annual cleaning and annual xrays and nothing more than that unless I had a complaint or they spotted obvious decay.
ahoy 2y ago
I had this experience a couple years ago. I hate dentists man
- knowitnone 2y ago
  but you don't hate dentists woman? /jk
ben_w 2y ago
Not had that myself, but have known people in the UK reporting the same. Me, I had mine "professionally cleaned" for the first time in my life about 9 months back, and they've felt permanently a bit off ever since.
xyclos 2y ago
When I was 12, I was scheduled by my regular dentist to have two cavities filled. It was the first time I had anything negative in a dental checkup. We were very poor, so my dad was pissed that it was going to be almost $400 to get them filled. He found a different dentist that was supposed to be a bit cheaper, and I went to that one instead. He was shocked to hear that I had been scheduled for two fillings. Since I was a new patient, he did x-rays, which showed zero decay. The dentist that lied about me having cavities is still in practice today more than 20 years later, and has 4.5 stars on Google. I fear there's not really a good way to vet Dentists effectively since most people probably never find out that they've been scammed for years. I'd love to learn some new strategies though.
- lupusreal 2y ago
  > I fear there's not really a good way to vet Dentists effectively since most people probably never find out that they've been scammed for years. I'd love to learn some new strategies though. It's something the government should be doing; running sting operations against dentists with compliants against them. Unfortunately, dentists and prosecutors are in the same social circles.
  - krisoft 2y ago
    I like the idea of that proposal, but I'm not sure how it would work in practice. The problem is that the crooked dentist will argue that the "bait" patient has in fact have cavities. And then if the prosecutor finds somehow convincing evidence that the patient does not actually have cavities the crooked dentist can change tactic and say it was a honest mistake on their part. With other crimes where "sting operations" work the situation is much more clear cut. The target of the drug sting is either selling drugs or not selling drugs. If you find drugs you can easily prosecute them. With the dental scam even if you manage to catch them red handed once, it is still a long and complicated process to prove it was a scam and not a mistake. Or alternatively we can legislate to make making mistakes with dental diagnosis illegal the same way having large batches of drugs is illegal. That will make the prosecution easier, but will have all kind of other negative consequences.
mwigdahl 2y ago
I had a similar experience -- went to a new dentist, they found two "cavities", tried to hard-sell me into getting them filled right then. I declined, never went back to that practice, and 10 years later my teeth are perfectly fine. #notalldentists, of course, but there are certainly unscrupulous ones out there, and not just a few.
- pests 2y ago
  I had a rougher life in my 20s. I once went to a dentist and they told me they want to pull 13 of my teeth and give me dentures. I knew they were in bad shape but this absolutely freightened me. Four of them were my wisdom teeth but I still thought it was nuts. 15 years later, I still have all of the 13 they wanted to pull. I did lose two unrelated molars and the matching wisdom teeth basically slid into place replacing them. Then two root canals + crowns. That experience turned me off dentists for a long time. My current dentist is great. They do all they can do save a tooth and only extract as a last resort.
  - missjuliekay 2y ago
    This is fascinating!! So the molars are a back up replacement system?
    - pests 2y ago
      That was apparently their purpose back when we lost teeth more regularly - it's only with modern dentistry that they become a problem for being "extra" It was not an intentional replacement or anything the dentist did. I had my back molars pulled and then a few years later while trying to start flossing again I noticed they were back and basically in the same position. I doubted myself for a moment if my memory was failing. Just such a slow long process.
viral007 2y ago
Exactly the same happened to me when I was in my teens and next thing I know my dentist has drilled pretty much most of the good teeth under the name of cavity. In my 40s now and I am still paying for it as I now have to keep on visiting a dentist every year because of my constantly broken fillings. I have paid a lot out of pocket and the insurance has paid a lot on my behalf to the dentists. The cost of each filling nets the dentist $100+ and each patient now becomes a repeat customer and serves the dental industry for life. There is no ethics in this space and it's unfortunately a BIG SCAM.
- Der_Einzige 2y ago
  I instantly distrust all dentists. I assume most of them are involved in organized crime.
knowitnone 2y ago
you must have loads of money to be going around getting multiple opinions
- johnnyanmac 2y ago
  isn't that exactly what insurance is for?
- wing-_-nuts 2y ago
  It's cheaper than getting an unnecessary filling that will have to eventually be redone.
switch007 2y ago
Dentists rushing with the anesthetic is my biggest pet peeve with them. They always try to blame you in that you're special and need extra. I know there is some element of that, but it's mostly rushing
koala_man 2y ago
> doesn't use enough anesthetic My school dentist always botched the anesthesia, and afterwards I had to grind my teeth for three days to make them fit together again. I never told anyone because adults kept saying dentistry hurts so I assumed it was normal. I didn't realize how fucked up this was until I went to college and experienced a competent dentist for the first time.
- bluescrn 2y ago
  Not sure if the anesthetics have got better or if it's just a skill issue, injecting it in precisely the right place? I had problems way back in the 90s with them not working too well on me. But my current dentist gets it perfect every time - properly numb very fast, but remaining fairly localised.
leptons 2y ago
I've been to some awful, painful, overly-expensive dentists that acted more like car salesmen than dentists. I finally found an honest one that prioritizes my comfort and doesn't charge me an arm and a leg, and I've been a customer for over 20 years. I moved to a different city a few years ago, but I will still drive 1.5 hours in traffic to go see my dentist (I'll try to book outside of rush hour though). I did try one dentist close to my new house, and it was awful. It reinforced my confidence in my regular dentist. Never going to anyone else as long as I live. Once you find a good one, stay with them as long as you can. Not all dentists are the same, it's no joke, some are just there to rip you off.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

dvdbloc 2y ago

Exact same thing happened to me as well. I now travel very far to go to a dentist that I can trust. It never even crossed my mind that this would be a possibility when I was younger.

anonu 2y ago

I am pretty sure Ive had cavities taken care of that were not cavities. Ultimately its a small procedure and nets the dentist a few $100 bucks - and the patient can't be bothered to get a 2nd opinion. Maybe this is where AI helps with analysis of x-rays. Is there really an urgent issue? Or can it wait?

aesh2Xa1 2y ago
The dentist earns a few hundred, and the patient has a permanently-damaged health in the case of a tooth that was, in fact, healthy. Maybe insurance companies would be interested in AI review on the basis of future costs. Informed patients might be, too.
- blharr 2y ago
  Unfortunately, It'll just be great for insurance to deny necessary prescriptions/procedures/scans because AI review found nothing wrong
delecti 2y ago
I'm unclear on who is using AI in this scenario. Are you going to use your own AI on your X-rays, or expect that the dentist will use a new tool to tell them to not do the procedure to get them more money?
- anonu 2y ago
  Probably the latter scenario. Its a hypothetical - but it could happen if health records move increasingly online and if enough patients demand that level of control.
- thfuran 2y ago
  Insurers could potentially require specific tools be used to cover a procedure.
SoftTalker 2y ago
Some dentists want to fill "crevices" that may become a problem later, others wait until there is a problem. I've been fortunate to mostly have dentists that were happy to just do the semi-annual cleaning and annual xrays and nothing more than that unless I had a complaint or they spotted obvious decay.

ahoy 2y ago

I had this experience a couple years ago. I hate dentists man

knowitnone 2y ago
but you don't hate dentists woman? /jk

ben_w 2y ago

Not had that myself, but have known people in the UK reporting the same. Me, I had mine "professionally cleaned" for the first time in my life about 9 months back, and they've felt permanently a bit off ever since.

xyclos 2y ago

When I was 12, I was scheduled by my regular dentist to have two cavities filled. It was the first time I had anything negative in a dental checkup. We were very poor, so my dad was pissed that it was going to be almost $400 to get them filled. He found a different dentist that was supposed to be a bit cheaper, and I went to that one instead. He was shocked to hear that I had been scheduled for two fillings. Since I was a new patient, he did x-rays, which showed zero decay. The dentist that lied about me having cavities is still in practice today more than 20 years later, and has 4.5 stars on Google. I fear there's not really a good way to vet Dentists effectively since most people probably never find out that they've been scammed for years. I'd love to learn some new strategies though.

lupusreal 2y ago
> I fear there's not really a good way to vet Dentists effectively since most people probably never find out that they've been scammed for years. I'd love to learn some new strategies though. It's something the government should be doing; running sting operations against dentists with compliants against them. Unfortunately, dentists and prosecutors are in the same social circles.
- krisoft 2y ago
  I like the idea of that proposal, but I'm not sure how it would work in practice. The problem is that the crooked dentist will argue that the "bait" patient has in fact have cavities. And then if the prosecutor finds somehow convincing evidence that the patient does not actually have cavities the crooked dentist can change tactic and say it was a honest mistake on their part. With other crimes where "sting operations" work the situation is much more clear cut. The target of the drug sting is either selling drugs or not selling drugs. If you find drugs you can easily prosecute them. With the dental scam even if you manage to catch them red handed once, it is still a long and complicated process to prove it was a scam and not a mistake. Or alternatively we can legislate to make making mistakes with dental diagnosis illegal the same way having large batches of drugs is illegal. That will make the prosecution easier, but will have all kind of other negative consequences.

mwigdahl 2y ago

I had a similar experience -- went to a new dentist, they found two "cavities", tried to hard-sell me into getting them filled right then. I declined, never went back to that practice, and 10 years later my teeth are perfectly fine. #notalldentists, of course, but there are certainly unscrupulous ones out there, and not just a few.

pests 2y ago
I had a rougher life in my 20s. I once went to a dentist and they told me they want to pull 13 of my teeth and give me dentures. I knew they were in bad shape but this absolutely freightened me. Four of them were my wisdom teeth but I still thought it was nuts. 15 years later, I still have all of the 13 they wanted to pull. I did lose two unrelated molars and the matching wisdom teeth basically slid into place replacing them. Then two root canals + crowns. That experience turned me off dentists for a long time. My current dentist is great. They do all they can do save a tooth and only extract as a last resort.
- missjuliekay 2y ago
  This is fascinating!! So the molars are a back up replacement system?
  - pests 2y ago
    That was apparently their purpose back when we lost teeth more regularly - it's only with modern dentistry that they become a problem for being "extra" It was not an intentional replacement or anything the dentist did. I had my back molars pulled and then a few years later while trying to start flossing again I noticed they were back and basically in the same position. I doubted myself for a moment if my memory was failing. Just such a slow long process.

viral007 2y ago

Exactly the same happened to me when I was in my teens and next thing I know my dentist has drilled pretty much most of the good teeth under the name of cavity. In my 40s now and I am still paying for it as I now have to keep on visiting a dentist every year because of my constantly broken fillings. I have paid a lot out of pocket and the insurance has paid a lot on my behalf to the dentists. The cost of each filling nets the dentist $100+ and each patient now becomes a repeat customer and serves the dental industry for life. There is no ethics in this space and it's unfortunately a BIG SCAM.

Der_Einzige 2y ago
I instantly distrust all dentists. I assume most of them are involved in organized crime.

knowitnone 2y ago

you must have loads of money to be going around getting multiple opinions

johnnyanmac 2y ago
isn't that exactly what insurance is for?
wing-_-nuts 2y ago
It's cheaper than getting an unnecessary filling that will have to eventually be redone.

switch007 2y ago

Dentists rushing with the anesthetic is my biggest pet peeve with them. They always try to blame you in that you're special and need extra. I know there is some element of that, but it's mostly rushing

koala_man 2y ago

> doesn't use enough anesthetic My school dentist always botched the anesthesia, and afterwards I had to grind my teeth for three days to make them fit together again. I never told anyone because adults kept saying dentistry hurts so I assumed it was normal. I didn't realize how fucked up this was until I went to college and experienced a competent dentist for the first time.

bluescrn 2y ago
Not sure if the anesthetics have got better or if it's just a skill issue, injecting it in precisely the right place? I had problems way back in the 90s with them not working too well on me. But my current dentist gets it perfect every time - properly numb very fast, but remaining fairly localised.

leptons 2y ago

I've been to some awful, painful, overly-expensive dentists that acted more like car salesmen than dentists. I finally found an honest one that prioritizes my comfort and doesn't charge me an arm and a leg, and I've been a customer for over 20 years. I moved to a different city a few years ago, but I will still drive 1.5 hours in traffic to go see my dentist (I'll try to book outside of rush hour though). I did try one dentist close to my new house, and it was awful. It reinforced my confidence in my regular dentist. Never going to anyone else as long as I live. Once you find a good one, stay with them as long as you can. Not all dentists are the same, it's no joke, some are just there to rip you off.