Do dentists lie to you to make more money?

Kelix

I always had the feeling the small town dentist my parents sent me to growing up wasn't very good and now that he's retired and I'm a student & making a little bit of my own money I decided to try out a more expensive city dentist. He's quoted me at needing 1,500 euro (which is money I just don't have) worth of work done in fillings and a root canal from damage that must have been done years ago, although I haven't felt any pain in my teeth and it was a check-up. My parents seem to think he's just saying I need more work done than I do in order to make money off me. Does that actually happen? They want me to get a 2nd opinion from a different city dentist. Any suggestions for any good Galway/Limerick dentists would be appreciated also...

Cheers

MagicHumanDoll

'Do dentists lie to you to make more money' No. They're paid very well already without being corrupt. You probably need the treatment suggested but by all means go for a second opinion.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

The vast majority of dentists are very ethical. If the work needs to be done today at X price the chances are that it will cost 2x in a few years after it gets worse. If you dont trust the dentist then have nothing done with them full stop. If you do trust him then do. If you just a generally suspicious person ask for evidence, X-rays or photos of the need for this work.

Ask what the most urgent work is and have that done if funds are limited.

newacc2015

I went to certain chain of dentist in Dublin City. I was told I need 4 fillings ASAP. I did nothing about it, as I just forgot about it. I went back 12 months later and was told the cavities had spread to 8 teeth,as I never got the filling done went I was supposed to. I was pissed off by the ****ty attitude by this dentist.

9 months later I decided to get the fillings I was putting off. I researched the best dentists on Google. Found the one I wanted( I actually thought I need an emergency appointment and he put me in the next day). When I went back for x-rays a week later, he told me I only needed 3 fillings max. That doing 8 was ridiculous. This dentist has over 35 years experience and is often booked up for weeks, so Im guessing he knows what is talking about. He is reasonably priced. I thought I had gum disease a few months ago. He gave me an emergency appointment. He said it was just the toothpaste I was using. Gave me a scale and polish, told me to come back in 9 months and didnt charge me

There will always be people who will exploit others, its human nature. Just find someone who wont exploit you

davo10

newacc2015 wrote: »

I went to certain chain of dentist in Dublin City. I was told I need 4 fillings ASAP. I did nothing about it, as I just forgot about it. I went back 12 months later and was told the cavities had spread to 8 teeth,as I never got the filling done went I was supposed to. I was pissed off by the ****ty attitude by this dentist.

9 months later I decided to get the fillings I was putting off. I researched the best dentists on Google. Found the one I wanted( I actually thought I need an emergency appointment and he put me in the next day). When I went back for x-rays a week later, he told me I only needed 3 fillings max. That doing 8 was ridiculous. This dentist has over 35 years experience and is often booked up for weeks, so Im guessing he knows what is talking about. He is reasonably priced. I thought I had gum disease a few months ago. He gave me an emergency appointment. He said it was just the toothpaste I was using. Gave me a scale and polish, told me to come back in 9 months and didnt charge me

There will always be people who will exploit others, its human nature. Just find someone who wont exploit you

Not quite. Say you have a small area of decayed enamel, it isn't deep and isn't causing pain, one dentist says "we better fill that while its small and before it gets worse" another says "well it's very small, does not extend into the dentine, let's leave it for now and check it again at your next check up appointment", now which one is right? The answer is, only time will tell, if the cavity is bigger and causes pain a year later, the second guy was wrong and first was right, if the cavity gets no bigger then second guy was right, first was wrong. The same logic can be applied to worn/leaking fillings, enamel fractures etc. Generally the default opinion is that the clinician who advises less treatment is right and the one who advised more is a gouger, but what if the reverse is actually true?

ohnonotgmail

I think it depends on the relationship you have with your dentist. If you see a dentist for the first time and havent been to a dentist for a while they are probably more likely to suggest you get work now as it might be a long time before you see a dentist again. On the other hand if you have been to the same dentist regularly for years they are probably more likely to adopt a wait and see approach. I know i have a couple of small issues that my dentist has been monitoring for some time but they arent causing any problems so he leaves them alone. If they started showing signs of getting worse then he would sort them out. If i turned up at a new dentist tomorrow they would probably suggest i get them fixed now as they would not be aware of my history.

jester77

I remember the first time my mum brought me to the dentist as a child, probably 7 or 8 at the time. He said I needed 9 fillings :eek: We went to another dentist and he was flabbergasted, said I only needed 2 and filled them in. It's 30 years later and I still don't have any where close to 9 fillings!

I doubt there would be many rogue dentists, if any, these days with social media being so prevalent. The above would spread quickly and he would be left with few customers.

Dianthus

The majority of dentists would assume that your custom& loyalty to them is not a guarantee,& therefore diagnose disease on the premise that you may well walk out the door & seek a 2nd opinion. You can't really expect to blag a student, or indeed most people, when €1.5k of a treatment plan is involved. So honesty tends to be a prerequisite.
Key factors;
- When was your last checkup with your old dentist?
- When were your last X-rays? Were X-rays taken at the new dentist? If so, ask for copies when seeking a second opinion
- Has your diet & oral hygiene changed much since starting college? (snacking, sports drinks, irregular use of floss, ect) Decay risk is ever changing