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I am a big believer in this. Dentistry is one of the largest grifts in modern medicine, I would put it up there with Chiropractors. Go see 5 dentists and you wi

I am a big believer in this. Dentistry is one of the largest grifts in modern medicine, I would put it up there with Chiropractors. Go see 5 dentists and you will get 5 wildly different opinions. I am certain there are good ones out there but it’s way too hard to evaluate. Unlike other areas of medicine it’s also one of those frustrating areas because there are interesting devices, pastes and tools that should be easy to purchase but are locked behind the gates of a prescription.

cyberax 1y ago
> Unlike other areas of medicine it’s also one of those frustrating areas because there are interesting devices, pastes and tools that should be easy to purchase but are locked behind the gates of a prescription. I have had a lot of dental work done, including 4 implants. But I don't remember a _single_ dental prescription-only item.
- Clamchop 1y ago
  I've had at least three prescription dental products: Fluoride lacquers (can cause fluorosis supposedly so not without risk), chlorhexidine antiseptic mouth rinse, 3M Clinpro 5000 toothpaste (high fluoride again). I've had only a quarter as many implants so I guess it just depends.
  - cyberax 1y ago
    Hm. It looks like high-fluoride toothpastes are indeed Rx-only in the US, but it's not difficult to get them online without a prescription. Chlorhexidine mouthwash is OTC.
    - infecto 1y ago
      What is your point. You have gotten multiple examples but keep trying to refute it?
- infecto 1y ago
  Since you have never experienced it, it therefore does not exist. I have purchased specific pastes from Japan that are OTC there but not in the states, prescription only. I also use a dental appliance at night mid 4 figure costs, it’s 3d printed, the office uses a scanner to create the cad or equivalent to print. Very little hands on but huge margins. Very hard to to find a doctor using a brand I like and even then the dentist does little to nothing in the whole process.
skeeter2020 1y ago
I don't have much faith in Chiropractors, because the science is thin or inconclusive, but dental health is much more obvious. There are a billion procedures you can get done and I would agree that things like polishing are of limited value, but the imaging, checkups and repairs are very valuable in my mind. I've never heard of someone going to a Chiropractor for primarily preventative reasons.
- infecto 1y ago
  Is that not the whole business model. Go to a chiropractor to get adjusted for health and wellness. I never said dentists don’t provide valuable care, teeth cleanings are great, checkups are great. Most of the business side is a total grift thought.
tdeck 1y ago
Just wait until you look into treatments for dry eye. Bunch of different expensive drugs and therapies. Not covered by insurance. All of them "work for some people" and do nothing for others, and there's no way to tell ahead of time for most of the treatments.

cyberax 1y ago

> Unlike other areas of medicine it’s also one of those frustrating areas because there are interesting devices, pastes and tools that should be easy to purchase but are locked behind the gates of a prescription. I have had a lot of dental work done, including 4 implants. But I don't remember a _single_ dental prescription-only item.

Clamchop 1y ago
I've had at least three prescription dental products: Fluoride lacquers (can cause fluorosis supposedly so not without risk), chlorhexidine antiseptic mouth rinse, 3M Clinpro 5000 toothpaste (high fluoride again). I've had only a quarter as many implants so I guess it just depends.
- cyberax 1y ago
  Hm. It looks like high-fluoride toothpastes are indeed Rx-only in the US, but it's not difficult to get them online without a prescription. Chlorhexidine mouthwash is OTC.
  - infecto 1y ago
    What is your point. You have gotten multiple examples but keep trying to refute it?
infecto 1y ago
Since you have never experienced it, it therefore does not exist. I have purchased specific pastes from Japan that are OTC there but not in the states, prescription only. I also use a dental appliance at night mid 4 figure costs, it’s 3d printed, the office uses a scanner to create the cad or equivalent to print. Very little hands on but huge margins. Very hard to to find a doctor using a brand I like and even then the dentist does little to nothing in the whole process.

skeeter2020 1y ago

I don't have much faith in Chiropractors, because the science is thin or inconclusive, but dental health is much more obvious. There are a billion procedures you can get done and I would agree that things like polishing are of limited value, but the imaging, checkups and repairs are very valuable in my mind. I've never heard of someone going to a Chiropractor for primarily preventative reasons.

infecto 1y ago
Is that not the whole business model. Go to a chiropractor to get adjusted for health and wellness. I never said dentists don’t provide valuable care, teeth cleanings are great, checkups are great. Most of the business side is a total grift thought.

tdeck 1y ago

Just wait until you look into treatments for dry eye. Bunch of different expensive drugs and therapies. Not covered by insurance. All of them "work for some people" and do nothing for others, and there's no way to tell ahead of time for most of the treatments.