"Nice" offices are a variable, but have a rate of false positives that are too high for me. That applies both to the US and Brazil (in fact, the dentist offices

"Nice" offices are a variable, but have a rate of false positives that are too high for me. That applies both to the US and Brazil (in fact, the dentist offices in Brazil seem to place even more effort in looking nice). My current dentist office (in the US) did show me exactly where in the x-rays they were seeing a cavity(it was a pretty large one, but hidden). It was pretty clear. I could feel the difference when the drill got to it. How do I know they weren't trying to sell me unecessary procedures? Because he told me that the cavity was quite large, and that I _might_ need a root canal, but he was going to do his best to avoid that. Procedure done, he told me to watch it for the next two weeks, and gave me a list of symptoms to watch for. Should I experience them, it would be a pretty good indication that it reached the nerve, and a root canal would be advised. Felt nothing. Subsequent visits and they tell me it is all fine. I also had to to deep cleaning once, on the account of having deep gum pockets. That was also necessary and I was starting to have problems with breath. Those two things happened because I spent 4 years without going to the dentist, so no checkups until things got bad. Oh, and I also had a spot that was demineralizing and could become a cavity. They decided to watch until my next appointment (and I redoubled my cleaning efforts since then). Next visit, they told me that it was fine. I have moved since then and I have to drive 1h for appointments, each way. Doesn't matter, it's 2h versus a potentially lifetime of problems (and a hole in my pocket). You have done the right thing when asking for a second opinion.