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It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office. A better way of judging is how much stuff your dentist places on 'watch' rather than recommending expensive tre

by dazc 2y ago

It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office. A better way of judging is how much stuff your dentist places on 'watch' rather than recommending expensive treatments. As we get older our teeth become less perfect and there will always be some work that needs to be done. Most of it isn't urgent, has no effect on your health and can take years to deteriorate to a state where it does. If your dentist isn't telling you this then look elsewhere, regardless of how the office looks.

teeray 2y ago
> It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office To a dentist with a new hammer in hand (brand-new state-of-the-art medical equipment with monthly payments coming due), every tooth looks like a nail.
hansonkd 2y ago
Dental insurance generally pays out fixed amounts for most things. So a dentist with higher operating costs has to "make up" for the difference somewhere. Either by volume or by recommending more procedures. > It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office Dental equipment is very expensive. Desirable central office space and furnishings are expensive. Those significantly increase the fixed cost of running a dental practice. Not sure how it "doesn't cost much"
burnte 2y ago
> It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office. A better way of judging is how much stuff your dentist places on 'watch' rather than recommending expensive treatments. At my company we have been building out a lot of clinics in our expansion, and I assure you it's VERY expensive.
Suppafly 2y ago
>A better way of judging is how much stuff your dentist places on 'watch' rather than recommending expensive treatments. This, I've had the same tooth on 'watch' for a few years. One of the times they showed me the difference, the one on watch has a crack in the enamel but no rot underneath it, vs one with a crack in the enamel with visible staining going down into the tooth. That's one nice thing with a newer dentist, they can actually show you this visual on a giant monitor vs you just having to take their word for it. I'm sure a less conservative dentist would fill any tooth that had any sort of cracked enamel and spend the profits on buying a new boat.
majormajor 2y ago
It does cost a fair bit to remodel an old office. But it's really easy to see it as "new office" = "nice office" - I've seen overbearing dentists who've been in business for 25 years so their office no longer hits the "nice" scale but they're still in the habit of recommending anything and everything. And dentists who moved into a new office more recently so everything is new and shiny, but they are more conservative.
bsimpson 2y ago
Mint + Bella Dental near Washington Square in NYC has a gorgeous, modern office _and_ will tell you what to watch out for without prescribing expensive treatments. They're so nice, honest, and when I've been there I've felt like the only one. I legitimately like recommending people to them in part to make sure they stay open.

by dazc 2y ago

teeray 2y ago

> It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office To a dentist with a new hammer in hand (brand-new state-of-the-art medical equipment with monthly payments coming due), every tooth looks like a nail.

hansonkd 2y ago

Dental insurance generally pays out fixed amounts for most things. So a dentist with higher operating costs has to "make up" for the difference somewhere. Either by volume or by recommending more procedures. > It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office Dental equipment is very expensive. Desirable central office space and furnishings are expensive. Those significantly increase the fixed cost of running a dental practice. Not sure how it "doesn't cost much"

burnte 2y ago

> It doesn't cost that much to have a nice office. A better way of judging is how much stuff your dentist places on 'watch' rather than recommending expensive treatments. At my company we have been building out a lot of clinics in our expansion, and I assure you it's VERY expensive.

Suppafly 2y ago

>A better way of judging is how much stuff your dentist places on 'watch' rather than recommending expensive treatments. This, I've had the same tooth on 'watch' for a few years. One of the times they showed me the difference, the one on watch has a crack in the enamel but no rot underneath it, vs one with a crack in the enamel with visible staining going down into the tooth. That's one nice thing with a newer dentist, they can actually show you this visual on a giant monitor vs you just having to take their word for it. I'm sure a less conservative dentist would fill any tooth that had any sort of cracked enamel and spend the profits on buying a new boat.

majormajor 2y ago

It does cost a fair bit to remodel an old office. But it's really easy to see it as "new office" = "nice office" - I've seen overbearing dentists who've been in business for 25 years so their office no longer hits the "nice" scale but they're still in the habit of recommending anything and everything. And dentists who moved into a new office more recently so everything is new and shiny, but they are more conservative.

bsimpson 2y ago

Mint + Bella Dental near Washington Square in NYC has a gorgeous, modern office _and_ will tell you what to watch out for without prescribing expensive treatments. They're so nice, honest, and when I've been there I've felt like the only one. I legitimately like recommending people to them in part to make sure they stay open.