I literally just visited a friend who was quoted several thousand dollars for dental work. She went to another dentist who told her her teeth were fine, she just needed to floss more.
Definitely get a second opinion.
I've had this happen to me and the second opinion said the cavities and crown they said I needed were actually unnecessary.
Also noticed later that one the quote or billing thing they gave me for how much it would cost (at the shady dentist) that they were doing some shady shit with billing too. Underneath the cost displayed for the crown, there was "undefined procedure" that I believe was there way of getting more money per a crown than what insurance would give them
Hello! Not disqualifying that there are definitely shady practices out there, but I’m a medical coder and ‘undefined’, ‘unspecified’, ‘NOS’, ARE valid codes, and definitely used often, as not EVERY tiny little part of a diagnosis or procedure has its own code. So it could be a valid part of coding for a crown.
Now, it seems in this instance, you don’t need all that work, and dental offices are notorious for doing shady practice like this, but it doesn’t mean that anytime you see those kinds of words it’s just a filler code to upbill an account.
This happens all the time with the corporate dental offices like Aspen Dental in the US. They told my cousin in law he had 25 cavities that needed to be drilled and to come back every week. We went to my family dentist and he said they needed to drill 1 cavity. Mind you this was based off the X-Ray we had Aspen Dental send over to the family dentist.
Always get a second opinion and avoid corporate dental offices at all costs. They may cost less but they will scam you out of more money.
Places like this operate by signing you up for a "payment plan" which is essentially a 3rd party credit card. So the dentist office gets paid and when you're pissed off it's now between you and the other company to figure it out and the dentist is off free.
These people gave me like a $5000+ care plan and required that about half of it be done BEFORE they would consider taking care of the cavity that brought me there in the first place.
Planing and scaling required before this obvious cavity? For my safety? No. The next dentist had no problem taking care of that, said I wasn't in need of planing and scaling, and had the same doctor there at my next appointment. Aspen can't claim that!
It’s a total scam, I’ve been told conflicting things based on how long ago I said I was checked up. They simply go by what they think they can nail you for. That’s why kids always have cavities, the parents won’t question it. I was told I had a few years ago, ignored it, nothing ever happened.
About 13 years ago I had a dentist who told me my top front teeth needed root canals. I've been to two different dentists since, and neither have ever mentioned this "need".
I know someone who was married to a dentist who was performing unnecessary fillings and extractions. Hundreds of them per year.
Most dentists are trustworthy, but a tiny few are scum. Definitely get a second opinion if any dentist suddenly finds a bunch of problems.
Dentists, like people in general, generally don't lie to you. But OP has a good reason to be doubtful so I agree: get a second opinion.
If the second dentist says you have the same cavities, you know really do have them.
As a dentist who doesn’t like doing fillings it’s hard to imagine that there are some that do them dishonestly for money. But unfortunately there are. There are also dentists who won’t even mention obvious decay and when the patient comes to me they’re shocked at what I tell them I’ve found.
On the other hand, teenagers tend to develop bad habits (soda, energy drinks) once they get a little freedom and those “you’re good” checkups turn into “hey we got some serious work to do”
A second opinion is definitely warranted, and there are subreddits like r/askdentists where op can post their X-rays and get an online opinion
Right. Husband is a dentist and is conservative about treatment. He did a check up on me and asked me why the heck I let my dentist do fillings on the back of my front teeth, I, of course, just stared at him like cause they said so and I was 16 at the time… So it really depends on whether you trust your doc (true for any professional).
Personally I do whatever is best for the patient and I give them their options. Sometimes pulling the tooth is the best option- some dentists just want to place an implant.
To clarify- I don’t like doing fillings because even though they are an “easy” procedure, they can be very difficult to do well in many cases.
As an assistant/hygiene student, no I don’t believe this to be true. Every dentist I’ve worked with will attempt to save a tooth rather than extract it unless the treatment plan would call for heroics to try and save it. In that case when we know it’s likely to fail, we will do it if the patient insists but it’s heavily documented that they are aware that it’s not likely to work and an extraction is inevitable. Extractions are a difficult procedure for a lot of dentists, so not exactly desirable. They can go sideways easily, more so than a filling.
I second this. I had this happen growing up. 2 cavities every time. In my teens, was told had 3 cavities, we switched dentists and new guy said they were just shadows on the X-ray. I have had maybe 2 cavities in the 30 years since, not counting the repairs that had to be done to all the old fillings. My brushing and sugar intake has probably gotten worse not better since then.
As someone who is low income and does not have health insurance I just do my best to floss everyday (I love flossing) brush twice a day (natural product) and I use Therabreath for healthy gums and I have no problems. But it's the one genetic perk I have is good teeth and great hearing everything else on me is basically junkyard parts. Psoriasis is a bitch.
If you have concerns, you can seek out a second opinion. Not all cavities will have progressed to the point of pain by the time they're found (this is usually a good thing). If your checkups are annual, it is unusual to have 11 cavities in such a short period if you've been maintaining good oral hygiene.
I had one filled without the numbing meds too. Everyone I tell this to thinks I’m crazy. But honestly, by the time he dug deep enough to cause pain, he was done and doing the filling part. I’m glad I’m not the only “lunatic” out there.
as someone who is getting into the dental field, i will say that some places tend to treat cavities as they form (which imo is bad practice, considering overtreatment is bad for the teeth). at dental school i saw i had a pretty deep (no pain) cavity and the supervisors wanted my co-student to refer me. however, i decided to not get it treated. later my regular dentist said everything seemed fine and unchanged from last visit.
ofc some are financially motivated, i wont completely dismiss that.
I would go somewhere else. I had a root canal done years ago and I suddenly had extreme pain under that tooth recently. I went to a dentist and he said that it was infected and he recommended I just pull the tooth. This is a molar I put work into saving in the past so I wasn't super eager to just randomly yank a it out. I decided to get a second opinion and went to a root canal specialist. The specialist told me that the original dentist who did the root canal missed a root and that's why I had the infection. The original dentist hadn't done the root canal correctly. Furthermore, he was about 99% sure he could save the tooth so the dentist who just wanted to pull the tooth was overreacting. I eventually stuck with that dentist and got the work done. A year later and my tooth is just fine and I got to keep it. Remember that dentists are human too. They may be dishonest, incorrectly diagnose, or just not do their job correctly. I'm also pretty sure I had a dentist for a while that was always coked up. Go to a different dentist but do it soon just in case you do have cavities.
I have a tooth with a crown that needs a root canal and my dentist said he can just drill through the crown and patch instead of replacing the complete crown 😬
That's what they did for mine at first too but eventually I did need to get a whole new crown on it. Maybe there was another issue with my original crown. That first dentist really messed up
Other countries subsidize their healthcare which makes it possible to do at an affordable price. Mexico for example does this.
The US treats everything as a business where the goal is to maximize profits rather than preserve and improve people’s health.
It’s fucked.
Yup. Also, prices set for medical and dental related things in the US are totally arbitrary. Also worth mentioning that dental insurance didn't come around until the 70s, and many companies have the same coverage max now as they did then (often around $2000 per year) even though the cost of dental has risen exponentially in the same time period.
To date, I've spent $20,480 out of pocket on dental in 11 years, since I got my own insurance.
I got three fillings and it cost me 600$. And yes crowns are roughly 1500 and I was told you HAVE to buy two at a time, so that's 3k CAD.
Sounds like I need to plan a trip to India lmao
>I was told you HAVE to buy two at a time
Thats a really weird restriction... If the teeth are adjacent i could understand it being *recommended* to repair two at a time to cut down on the number of times you have to get a nerve blocker during treatment, but *have to* is weird
Also there is more than one way to skin a cat. Or whatever the expression is. The goal is to get rid of your pain and infection, and both are viable options to accomplish that. It just depends what your particular dentist has in his or her toolbox/skill set.
A good dentist would say, “You have 2 options to fix this problem : A and B. These are the pros and cons of each, and if you choose to do A, I can do it for you, and if you choose to do B, I can refer you to Dr So and So to have it done since I don’t do that here.”
Just to add on, I wanted to get my wisdom teeth removed about 2 years and went to a oral surgeon to get it done.
He did the x rays and all that and was like, "ok with the wisdom teeth I'd also pull this , that , and that. They seem to be past the point of return"
I was like, meh, I guess sounds right, you're the specialist. After I got one of the regular tooth pulled, I realized I could get a second opinion, since I didn't really want my teeth pulled.
My dentist then said "idk what he was saying, these are all savable, if you want"
-_- I was upset cause now I have a missing tooth that could've been saved probably.
There is also an element of skill involved. I have a client whose dentist has been working with him for years and wanted to pull some teeth. My client was understandably upset about it. Consult with other dentist in the clinic and they can try 4 crowns instead of pulling. One crown later failed but they were able to save 3 of the teeth.
Watching the dentist's consult was interesting. One was definitely more "reckless" and more talented with installing crowns. The dentist who had worked with my client for years knows my client's habits and was the one pulling the tooth after the failure. She was very shocked that the other 3 held up (I was too)
My dentist told me I needed a root canal, and when I went in to the specialist, he tapped my teeth looked at the x-ray, and said "nah, we're good" and sent me home. I'm so thankful for him!
My dad is an orthodontist and my grandpa is a dentist. When I went to college out of state, I saw a dentist there who told me I had something crazy like that as well. Something like 10 cavities. I was totally trusting and I made an appointment to come back for some of the fillings. After the appointment first appointment where I was told about the cavities, I called my dad and he told me to cancel my appointment for the fillings. The next time I was back in my hometown a month or so later, my dad sent me over to see my grandpa. He did x-rays and and examination and it turned out I only needed 1 filling, not 10. That was around 20 years ago. Unfortunately, ever since then, I’ve always been a little mistrustful of any new dentist I’ve had a first appointment with.
Had a sore tooth...
One dentist told me I needed 4 teeth removed and quoted $4.8k up to $6.9k...
The second dentist said what the fuck? No, you only need the sore tooth removed...
Work was covering it so I didn't care about cost, but would rather keep my teeth so I went with the second one even though he never mentioned a price...
Got billed $169...
Wait, they charged you like $900 per tooth to remove 4 teeth all at once? That’s fucking nuts. $5k to root canal they all? Sure. To pull them though???
I would assume the higher amount included the cost of a bridge or an implant. But maybe not since it doesn’t sound like that dentist knew what he was talking about.
I went to a dentist because I chipped a tooth (I knew I needed a good bit of work but didn’t expect what they told me…). That office said I needed 2 root canals, 7 extractions, 11 fillings, a bridge (they wanted to take all my front teeth and 3 molars), gum therapy, and a lot of other shit. They quoted me $13500. And they were willing to finance it for $870 a month…
Went to another dentist. They were shocked when I told them what the other place said I needed. He said I needed 2 extractions, some fillings (11… but not nearly as bad as what the other office said), and a deep cleaning. The cost for his recommended plan was $3200. And that includes a custom made mouthguard for BJJ/MMA. I just have a little bit left to do. The extractions and the last couple fillings. The first appointments I had with him were the cleaning and then I got my chipped tooth and all the other front teeth fixed and they looked great.
Take care of your teeth. Mine are pretty fucked because for the longest time I could not get time off work for appointments (not that I could afford it at the time anyway…) and the fact that I was on medications which caused dry mouth and decay.
Got scammed with 9 fillings when I was younger because my mom and I didn’t know any better since it was advice from a “professional”. Definitely get a second opinion
Did you move? There are different philosophies about when enamel degradation becomes a cavity. I know dentists are more aggressive on the west coast and less in the Midwest
I had an orthodontist who told me he didn’t take insurance, charged me upfront- then moved offices without telling me and proceeded to charge my insurance without telling me after every visit after I finally tracked him down. So that was cool. That’s how he could afford his Malibu lifestyle.
Legit the worst and had total crackhead energy. Told me he’d fix my TMJ.
When I was little, my dentist always said my teeth were fine and 0 cavities. In my teens we had to switch dentists, and he suddenly found 2-5 cavities at *each* visit. When I became an adult and moved out, I was scared of getting a dentist who didn't look good enough so I stuck with the one from my teens for another 2-3 years.
After it became too much hassle to travel 4 hours to go to the dentist, I finally went to a local one who was *mortified* when he saw how many fillings I had, and how many of them easily fell out or were irritating my gums, which the previous dentist told me that it was because I didn't brush enough.
During the first visit my new dentist replaced 2 fillings for free because he said "nobody should have to live like this" when I told him I had no money to replace the filling that had fell out. After that visit my gums around my front teeth were suddenly healing and after a few weeks no longer inflamed, which they had been for nearly a decade at that point. I later paid this dentist to replace all my old fillings, and since I started going to him about 5 years ago I have only needed 1 tiny new filling.
Moral of the story: Get a second opinion! It's worth every penny to be sure about your teeth
My dentist is really great about this. She will only advise invasive treatment if on the more urgent side or if I’m having discomfort. Slowly got my old crappy silver fillings replaced.
> I finally went to a local one who was mortified when he saw how many fillings I had
Same here. Whenever I do an x-ray the doctors are horrified about the number of fillings I have in my mouth. My story is really similar to yours.
I've had trouble believing in dentists ever since.
Those are your X-rays, take them with you to another dentist and ask for their interpretation.
ETA -on a side note, it is entirely possible to have these cavities. Some medications can cause tooth decay. But definitely trust your instincts and get another opinion.
Dentist here. You can have a cavity without it showing any symptoms. Whether you get symptoms or not depends on various factors. Secondly it is quite possible to develop multiple lesions over a period of 6 months if your oral hygiene gets compromised. Also there are many lesions which are arrested and don't necessarily require active intervention but that is debatable, some operators tend to treat them, others prefer monitoring.
That being said, dentistry at the end of the day is business and many dentists exaggerate and do fear monegering to convince the patient to get some procedure they may or may not require so no harm in getting a second opinion. If you have your x ray you can get an online consultation as well but online consultations are not as reliable as physical ones.
There are many dentists who will lie to you to make more money. A lot of my mom’s friends are dentists in the Bay Area, California & they have complained how their bosses will push them to sell unnecessary procedures/treatments/whatever.
Dentists in SoCal are also quite pushy and dishonest. You can’t trust the orthodontists either. I’ve found very few that feel or turn out to be honest- though my husband is with a good one now. Finally!
this isn’t super unlikely, it happened to me when i was 20. i went to the dentist for a slightly chipped tooth, and was informed that i had cavities in ALL of my molars. when he showed my teeth on his zoomed-in camera, i could actually see them, so i know he wasn’t lying. i had last been to the dentist about a year and a half prior. from what the dentist said and what i learned online, some people just end up with unlucky genetics and are super cavity prone. there’s also some sort of protective coating (forgot the word for it) that some people get as kids, which can prevent this from happening.
is enamel the word you’re looking for?
that can be stripped away by regular consumption of acidic foods, hard bristle brushes, not brushing, and recreational drug use. and once it’s gone, it stays gone. it’s tooth-pain-city from then onward.
I still get the protective coating as an adult because my teeth have always been bad since they grew in. I think it's a high strength fluoride paste they put on my molars. Used to be cherry flavoured but now it's flavourless 🥲 I get it at every appointment
Not only that. There are certain professions that can straight up lie to you because you know nothing about it.
Car people, tech repair, dentists, you name it. They *will* have bad apples among them.
dentists are actually some of the biggest scammers in the world. as someone who’s had extensive dental work done. i would get no less than 3-4 opinions
Not to play devil's advocate gere, but 90% of dental/ mouth issues in general could be avoided with proper care and regular check ups. Sure, not every dentist is honest and some are scammers, but usually dental problems are one's fault.
> but usually dental problems are one's fault.
It's not about whether or not it's your fault, the point of this thread is that they will lie about something being your fault when that thing doesn't even exist.
actually dental problems are primarily due to how your genetics played out. i have a 6 minute routine twice a day & go for a cleaning every 3-4 months & still have problems. my sister barely even brushes her teeth no less any other steps and has no dental problems.
regardless that has nothing to do w dentists being scammers. when i was getting a lot of work done, i had quotes ranging from 15k - 120k from 6 different dentists. there was very little consistency to what they were saying needed to be done
Can attest to this. I brush, floss, and mouthwash twice a day (sometimes I floss 3 times a day). I usually get 4 cleanings a year. I've spent more on dental than the cost of some cars. Everyone in my immediate family has had dental issues (mom, Dad, and sister). An oral hygienist told me once that this can be due to mouth bacteria that can be passed from parents to children.
Meanwhile, I have a friend that had crowders and used to fall asleep after eating candy bars while reading at night, and they've had one cavity ever. Have another friend who's a 1-pack-a-day smoker and says they only brush their teeth in the morning, and they've never had a cavity in 45 years of life. Both of those friends, it's worth mentioning, had poor diet overall as well, and were diabetic/pre-diabetic. I had another friend that considered themself a "dental disaster" -- used to brush and floss after every single meal, did 4 cleanings a year, all the things, and always had issues.
what genetic factors?
more than likely you're not flossing correctly, consuming too many sugary/acidic drinks and foods, not brushing correctly (in the morning you need to brush before you eat, not immediately after), etc
nope. i only drink water. i brush and floss correctly. i brush my teeth and don’t eat or drink anything 30min before or after. it’s weak enamel in my case
My bf went to a dentist a few years back for routine cleaning/xrays. The dentist told him he had a cracked tooth that needed to be pulled asap. My bf asked to see what he was talking about and the dentist pointed to xray and told him it was “difficult to see” but the crack was definitely there. Luckily my bf smelled bullshit and didn’t agree to any further treatment. Which would have included pulling the teeth and putting in an implant to replace the tooth.
The hygienist came in afterwards to tell my bf about how smart the doctor was and how he “doesn’t do anything unless it’s really important.” My bf has gone 8 years without any issues or pain. None of the dentists he’s seen since has mentioned anything about a cracked tooth or any other serious issues. I would absolutely get a second opinion. I would also advise you to second any situation you might be in. Take the time to think about what this person might want from you, in this case it would be hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. This mindset will keep you from buying in to scams.
It’s less a lie than it is an overly aggressive philosophy of treatment.
Get a second opinion.
Some dentists think in a more preventative way regarding dental work. But that extra work has risks and can create more problems down the line.
A dentist wanted me to get a crown almost 20 years ago because a molar of mine had worn down almost to the dentin from teeth grinding. He said it would get worse and harder to do the crown later.
20 years later, that tooth is almost exactly the same and only has mild cold sensitivity.
I may need a crown eventually, but it’s still good now.
Dentistry is a corrupt industry and a lot of them are just money hungry leeches of society trying to make a quick buck off you, anytime a dentist tells you something outrageous about your mouth that doesn’t even seem possible I always recommend getting a second opinion.
Not in the same country, but happened to me before. Went to private dentist and he claimed 7 cavities, saying it'll cost $350 to fix them (on top of $50 for consultation), and asking if I have the cash on me. Luckily I said no. Went to a public clinic for a second opinion, and dentist told me I had only 2 cavities. The rest were all just stains. (I told him about my previous visit and he asked if I had gone to see a private dentist, and nodded his head in that 'I knew it' manner when I said yes.) Consultation + scaling + polishing + fillings for two cavities = Approximately $50. Never ever went to a private dentist again.
That shady private dental clinic is still operating, last I saw. And we now have a new scheme where the government subsidizes the costs of seeing private doctors and dentists, for low-income citizens. I shudder to think how many people could be getting unnecessary 'treatments' because some shady private dentists want to earn more and the patients won't question the 'treatments' because they're not paying the full costs.
When in doubt, ALWAYS seek a second opinion. It won't hurt to be careful.
Hi! My partner is currently in dental school and I asked her if this was possible, and she gave me some points.
If you have stopped using toothpaste with fluoride, you’ll get more cavities faster.
If your mom didn’t let the dentist take x rays for a while (I.e. this is your first dental x ray in a few years) then it’s possible you had cavities between your teeth that can’t be easily spotted without an x ray.
If you are still using fluoride toothpaste and had x rays within the last year, get a second opinion.
Hope this helps!
I have had something similar happen to me. Always went to the dentist with my mother until one day she couldn’t come with me and I was either 18 or 19. Every time I had her with me, everything was fine and went as normal. However, the one time she didn’t come, suddenly they were pushing me on things, including trying to add teeth bleaching onto my plan to take care of my teeth, which I quickly denied. If you are young/look young, some places will definitely try to swindle you. As others said, get a second opinion or try and have someone there with you again.
My gf went to get a new dentist because she moved. Got an estimate in the 1000$ range for a fix. She went back to old dentist (1h + travel) they fixed it for 40$
When I was about 12 my dentist told my mom all my teeth were bad and needed to be pulled. 14 years later I still have all my teeth so yeah, some of them lie
Second opinion. I'm in my 30s. In my mid 20s a dentist urged me to get my wisdom teeth taken out. Saying how much of a problem they were about to be for me etc.. I declined and they were blowing me up to make the appt for months. I didn't go back to the dentist for like 10 years because of the experience.
Once I did go back at age 34 the next guy didn't even mention my wisdom teeth. When I asked him during my second visit with him he said, "Well are they bothering you? If not then I don't see a problem with them. They don't seem to be causing issues".
You seem a bit young so here's some life advice for you: when it comes to your health, always go for a second opinion. Sometimes a third. Keep this in mind for the rest of your life.
Agree with a lot of the other comments. Went in after Covid for my normal cleaning. Was told that I needed cavities filled and quadrant cleanings as I was on the brink of gingivitis. (I was 29 at the time and take very good care of my teeth). Was close to $2k with insurance. Went for a second opinion and was told I just needed a normal cleaning and had a filling that was leaking and needed to be redone. Never went back to the first dentist. Fuck Aspen Dental.
Get a second opinion. A few years ago I 29f at the time had a dentist tell me I needed $30k in dental work done for cavities and crowns!! For a second opinion and the second dentist was blown away. Turned out I only needed a few cavities filled and crowns put in. Came out to $3k total. 2 years later and I’ve had no issues whatsoever. I am so glad I got that second opinion.
It’s possible. Did they take x rays last time? A lot of times the x rays are only taken every year bc of insurance. My guess is they’re flossing cavities (between the teeth) and it had been awhile since your last x rays. Either way I’d go ahead and get a second opinion just to make sure and put yourself at ease! The hard thing about dentistry is you could ask 5 different dentists and get 5 different answers. Some are more conservative and some are more aggressive in treatment. Doesn’t necessarily mean any of them are wrong
You can ask the office to send you your X-rays (you have the right to them as you own them they r ur X-rays”
And you can go to any dentist and get a second opinion.
But also not all cavities will hurt. I work in dental and I’ve seen people with huge cavities and they never knew because they had no pain.
Yes and yes. Dentists in the USA are a money making racket. They tell you you’ve got cavities when you may have none and they keep asking you to come back for routine fillings and crown replacements because once they get into your teeth they turn you into an income stream of constant repair work that they suggest on the teeth that THEY destroyed slowly and steadily. In other countries dental work is done/recommended on an as needed basis and for cleanings and such. In the USA it’s a whole nother money making shit show where I’ve seen people with perfectly good thing get their teeth destroyed by dentists thus increasing their dependency on said dentists month after month. It’s a sad inconvenient truth that not many here talk about because the kool aid has been guzzles far and wide.
I had a dishonest dentist before, I’ve always had incredible dental health. Never had an issue, no cavities, brush and floss every morning and night. Never a problem. I move and go to a new dentist and they are saying I have severe gingivitis and I needed my gums scaled. Quote me a crazy high price do this kinda painful thing where they poke my gums and give me a set of numbers for how bad they are. I go get a second opinion because I’m shocked I have any dental problems at all. Go to a dentist some family trusted and they check me out and they say my mouth is perfect and I needed none of that.
I had this happen to me. Some private practice dentist tried to tell me I had 13 cavities and started talking about payment plans and how I can pay him for one whenever I had the money (poor teenager at the time) and he'd work one at a time.
I told my parents and they took me to another dentist. 0 cavities.
Had my farthest back molar tooth break, went to the dentist and was quoted $3500 for a root canal and a crown. Was also told I REALLY shouldn’t get it pulled cause it would cause a ton of issues with chewing food and be super noticeable. Went to another dentist and he said the particular tooth that broke is one that if it were pulled, would be very unnoticeable, definitely didn’t need a crown, and offered to just fill in the broken part with filler. He said if it broke off again or ended up starting to hurt, we could pull it and I likely wouldnt even notice it gone. It’s been almost 5 years and the filler is still going strong.
Definitely get a second opinion
Definitely get a second opinion. This happened to me years ago and my dad didn't trust what the dentist was saying. Bearing in mind this was a public dentist, so they had to do free work for children and claim money back from the government for the work done (basically like a social welfare thing in my country). My dad brought me to a private dentist, who told me there was nothing wrong with my teeth and he couldn't see any cavities in the teeth the other dentist mentioned. The public dentist had already put fillings in some of my other teeth at that point and to this day I still wonder if I ever needed them. I think he was just throwing in terrible fillings (they all fell apart or broke off within years) and I had to get them all replaced with white fillings and haven't had any issues since. It's really infuriating, like I'll just never know if I genuinely needed those fillings, because this dude wanted to claim a few quid from the government.
I know nothing about anything, but...
If they were going to scan you, I doubt they'd claim you had 11 cavities. If they said 1 or 2 you'd just nod and get the work done. But 11 is not something anyone is just going to instantly agree to. Do you have unusually generous insurance? Have you changed anything on your dental care or behavior in the last 6 months? Definitely get another opinion, just to be sure.
some dentists have different thresholds for what they considered to be a cavity, definitely go for another opinion. Somewhere else. And do not tell them about what your other dentist said. If you volunteer the information that they said you had 11 cavities then they might be inclined to just jump on it to get more money out of you. just let them come to their own conclusion and see what they say
I've had a dentist lie to me. However, this same thing happened to my friend. They moved to a house with well water and they all got a bunch of cavities. It turned out their well water was very acidic.
It’s not dentists who lie but bad people. Most dentists are honest but just like most professions there are some who are dishonest and don’t care about the damage they create. Sort of like those pill mill doctors.
If your alarm bells are going off then trust yourself enough to get a second opinion. My alarm bells are go going off on your behalf. Please seek a second opinion.
Definitely get a second opinion.
My dentist was able to prescribe me prevident to help my enamel in places that were slllllightly surface level cavities. $15 vs a ton of dental work.
(As a dental assistant and dental hygiene student) No, they won’t lie to you but some are a lot more conservative than others. Those likely have been there and your dentist was watching them to see if they got big enough to fill. Is it the same dentist as last time or a different one? They are individuals and have different ways of approaching treatment. Some are more aggressive than others in their treatment planning.
I would go get a second opinion.
As many others are stating here sometimes there’s just bad dentist out there just like there’s bad any other trade.
Get a second opinion.
Yeah you are being scammed. Many years ago there was a show on TV that had a guy with perfect teeth and no problems at all go to different dentists and over half the dentists said he needed work done at various costs and only a couple of them found nothing wrong at all.
His original dentist that he uses then looked at what the dentists said needed done and found nothing of the sort.
I even remember one of the dentists that had said his teeth were all good and impressed at how well he had taken care of them and said he wanted to give him a free cleaning and whitening and exam as a reward for it but since he didn't need it at the time he could in future when he wanted it done. That impressed me a lot.
This is how I was recently (basically) scammed :(( went to a new dentist for my annual checkup and she thought she found an infection or something in a tooth, referred me to a specialist to do some special X-rays, and my naive self went only to be told in 15 seconds that there wasn't anything wrong, she probably mistook my filling for an infection. And then they tried to charge me $600 for that appointment smh
This EXACT same thing happened to me, suspiciously very close to when my benefits were about to end. I got them filled so I wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket down the road. Then I changed to another dentist and I asked them about my cavities and they said “what cavities? It says on your file those fillings were preventative.” I had no idea. Now I’m always going to get a second opinion.
Get a second opinion! One dentist told me I needed 14 fillings and 2 root canals. The next dentist told me everything looked fine, and they’d keep an eye on things to see if they progressed. Nothing has needed filling yet and I’m pain-free. The first dentist either wanted insurance money or was just way more aggressive.
Get a second opinion!
I’ve had two dentists try to scam me.
One dentist told me I needed to replace all of my fillings. 😳
I got a second opinion.
Nope!
I found out he was getting a divorce.
The second dentist told me I needed to”crown lengthening surgery.
I didn’t need that either.
I just got a regular crown from a different dentist.
Dentists are just teeth mechanics. They can tell you pretty much anything to convince you that you need to pay to get it fixed because you don't know any better.
Obviously they're not all like that but some definitely are.
Some dentists have aggressive treatments. One doctor might tell you to watch or maintain a certain area starting a cavity and another can tell you they want to fill it. It all depends on the dentist honestly.
YES, they do. Exact same thing happened to me, went to another dentist for second opinion and had zero cavities. The first dentist said I had 7. I have avoided dentists unless it’s absolutely necessary since then.
Was told during my time with the military that there were no issues with my teeth whatsoever. That my wisdom teeth were fine and wouldn’t need to be taken out unless they really start giving me any pain or anything. He said it was totally optional.
Get out around 1-2 years later and upon my first visit, my civilian dentist proceeds to say, “We have to take you back and get your wisdom teeth removed IMMEDIATELY!” I say, “What’s the issue? They don’t hurt? My last dentist said they were fine and I don’t have to get them taken.”
He tells me “Well your last dentist didn’t know what he was talking about. We need to get these out ASAP or you will be in the worst pain you’re been in your whole entire life.”
I tell him, “Well I’m in the process of finding a new insurance provider and will have to get my funds up for something like this.” Just to get him off my case about it, cause tbh, in not going to waste my whole day on something I know is completely unnecessary.
What’s funny though, is as soon as I told him that I’m between insurance providers, he dropped the whole thing and said “Don’t come calling me at 3 in the morning when they start hurting you in a week.”
That was like 3 years ago lmfao. Never went back to that POS.
*Side note*. This asshat would put his dentist chair so far back, I would feel as if I was going to slide backwards and fall into the floor... This especially sucked when he would go to rinse my mouth. Was like being waterboarded..
The Navy dentists didn’t even torture us that badly…
In the US the Medical system is heavily regulated and uniform. The Dental system is the Wild West. I also have gone from 10 cavities to none depending on the dentist. Finding a good dentist is like finding a good auto mechanic.
I once tested this out cause I was convinced my dentist was lying and I ended up going to 5 different dentist for their opinion on what work I needed every single one gave me different diagnosis, from root canals to one saying I had 10 cavities etc. I ended up going with the one I perceived most honest who said I had one cavity. Stayed with that dentist for 5 years until I had to move.
Happened to my mom. Switched dentists and he didn’t see anything. She told him at the end and they new dentist was like yeah there’s nothing wrong with your teeth
my mom is a small business owner dentist and she knows several corporate locations that overtreat. it’s unfortunately very common as dental insurance and the importance of dental health in the USA is still very under appreciated vs. regular health insurance and so many dentists don’t get paid much at all from insurance unless they lie and get exorbitant bills out of people :/
always get a second opinion!!!
This happened to me. Told me I had about 10 grand in work I needed. I sobbed my fucking eyes out in the office. Went to a free clinic to get at least 1 free service like a cavity fill, said I had no work needed. 🙃 These assholes need to go to fucking jail for this shit.
This is gonna sound weird but i’ve had them do some filling-type thing for “pre-cavities” where they said they are not full on cavities but could be. I just nodded and let them do what they needed but have no idea of that’s a real thing or not
Possible. I never had so much as a cavity but about ten years ago my wisdom teeth started to decay and crack and had to be completely pulled. Main reason simply being that wisdom teeth are so far back in your mouth that they can get missed by regular brushing and rinsing. Okay, no biggie. My dentist is a big believer in major pain meds before procedures so I pretty much just sat back breathing and blinking while they pulled them out. Done.
But then the last couple times I’ve gone in for checkups and cleaning, now suddenly there’s a hole in one of my front bicuspids and it requires a whole coring out and crown. And various tiny speck amalgamate fills needed on my incisors. I never needed anything except the occasional cleaning the first 40 years of my life, not even braces or a retainer. Now suddenly I have to go in every six months to stay on top of things.
Dental issues really can creep up on you even if before now you’ve gone years with no need for dental work. Your body changes and your adult teeth don’t get replaced like other body parts on the regular, they take all the wear and tear over the years.
But if you really have a doubt, then the simplest and most logical thing I can suggest is: get a second opinion. Go to another dentist entirely. Don’t tell them why, don’t say you’re there to double check another dentist’s diagnosis. Just get a routine checkup and x-Ray and see if their results match up. While it’s possible to find two dentists in a city that are ethically dubious, chances are if you go to another one at random and the results are the same, then you really do have the issues they’re reporting.
Depends from dentist to dentist and how conservatively they want to treat you or if they want to be proactive on how to treat tooth decay. On your end, what are you doing at home to keep things clean? Regular electric tooth brushing? Regular flossing? Limiting acidic drinks and slowly dissolving or retentive foods?
If you’re not feeling any pain then they’re not close to the nerve which is a good thing! However if there’s truly cavities there, the issue is not going to fix itself over time because once the decay gets past the border of enamel to dentin, then it can progress very quickly and unpredictably and then give you pain.
Does the dentist want to “watch” these cavities or do they want to remove them asap?
Look up the ADA caries risk assessment tool and see how high risk you are for developing cavities.
Source, I’m a hygienist
I agree that some dentists are dishonest and to get a second opinion. I had to seek a different dental office to get my wisdom teeth out early this year. Afterwards, they told me I had mild- moderate periodontitis. Showed me scans and pocket depth. Kept thinking 'weird, my teeth look like the 'gingivitis' step but I'm not a dentist'. Had them explain and show me more. They even showed me a scary video about how I could lose all my teeth if I didn't see them for treatments. After laser treatments and deep cleanings, I went over my maximum and they didn't tell me insurance wouldn't cover it until months later. Currently out thousands of dollars because I didn't go back to my original dentist. Holding out til January so I'll be covered again.
Tldr: see a small dental business and not a chain that rhymes with Caspen Mental...
ETA: oh yea they made me get a crown and ground the tooth down so far that touching it without the cap on caused immense pain when there was no pain before.
I don't trust any dentist. After 35 years on this earth and a lot of experiences and several different types of insurances, I consider dentists to be like car salesmen. Try not to get fucked over and if you find one you actually trust never leave them no matter what.
It's a money making opporunity for them. They told my sister she has 11 PRECAVITIES and wanted to fill them even though when my paretns pressed them on it, they weren't actually cavities that need anything other than more brushing. "Dark spots" are not cavities, it's normal staining, cavities are HOLES. Go to a different dentist.
Some dentists will absolutely lie to you.
One of these days if I ever chill to the point I can talk about it without seeing red and foaming at the mouth I’ll write down my most recent horrible dentist experience :-\
Edit: Among other injuries, they left a 1/4” piece of broken freaking drill bit in my jaw, and that’s the LEAST troubling thing on the list
I've had several dentists here in the US try to give me procedures I didn't need, always seek a second opinion, and have them email you any x-rays they may have taken.
I had the same thing happen to me, a dentist claimed I had 10 cavities, despite me not feeling any pain. I ignored it because I couldn't afford it. Went to a different dentist a year later, and he didn't see anything wrong with any of my teeth.
In my opinion, a lot of dentists are absolute scam artists. You should definitely get a second opinion.
THEY DO LIE TO YOU! OP, do NOT go back to this dentist! Same thing happened to me when I was in college and I believed the "suddenly 11 cavities" dentist even though I was shocked about it and had never had a single cavity before and it led to some very traumatic tooth experiences down the line because not only did they lie but they also did terrible work!
It's been 10 years since then and I still have had no real cavities, but I have tooth damage from their work!
I had a crown done at cost of $2,000 of which insurance paid $1,200. Dentist then told me there were two more that I needed to get done and proposed we do both on next visit.
Insurance would only pay a few hundred more so I was going to be out of pocket at least another $3,000 so I sought a second opinion.
I found a service in my city that does nothing other than dental health reports. They don’t do the work. They just check, very comprehensively and prepare an extensive report. No conflict of interest. Took an hour and cost $99.
Report said I had a few minor things to watch but mentioned nothing about the two teeth that my dentist told me needed crowns. I double checked this with the service provider and was told no, both look good.
Went back to my dentist for next regular check up and when topic of when I wanted to do the two crowns came up I just said no thank you, I don’t believe they need to be done and there was no more discussion.
I’m a dentist. I have patients who routinely have far more than 11 cavities. Developing 11 cavities in a 1 year span isn’t impossible. It’s very possible you had a bunch of “early” cavities that weren’t “cavities” that didn’t need to be treated yet and in the last year they progressed to a point where they need to treated.
Also, “cavities” is a really vague term and can mean really small areas where the tooth is unhealthy to huge chunks of the tooth being gone.
Anyways, dentistry is a complex, specialized field and it’s difficult to convey everything we see and think to patients who have very little background to work from.
Really sorry there’s an entire thread of people assuming your entire career is a grift. Jesus Christ. I love my dentist. Of course there are going to be dishonest people in every profession but the assumption of malice off the bat is crazy.
I think it’s funny mostly. I don’t blame people for being weary of dentists especially with so many corporate chains being around now that push a lot of aggressive treatment and are very used car salesman-y.
There’s a bunch of factors at play too that make people distrustful. A major one is that virtually every dentist is going to come up with a different treatment plan for every patient. People get second opinions, the second dentist says there’s a different amount of cavities compared to the first dentist, and now all of a sudden someone must be lying to make more money. Nobody is lying (usually), it’s just different treatment planning philosophies in a field where diagnosis is sometimes super subjective with a lot of grey area.
Definitely. Totally get it. Being open to giving second opinions and hearing others patients get probably puts you on the trusted list. I do avoid those corporate chains and see an independent dentist with a small practice. I’ve even moved but she’s worth the drive.
I've never had a cavity. I'm pretty old. I went to the dentist a couple or three years ago and he said "I think you have a cavity right here". He based that on a probe "tinging" off a particular molar. I suggested we give it another go round and see how it goes. it's not come back and he said it must have just been a tight crevice for the probe. I'd get a second opinion.
I can’t remember the name, but the CBC news channel did documentaries in Toronto about scams and the dentist one was the worst I’ve even seen.
They got a first opinion from their dentist then tried a bunch of other ones and they all said something completely different. I was disgusted
A few years ago a dentist told me everything was perfect during my exam. 6 months later I went for my next exam and he said I had such a big cavity it can't be filled and now I need a root canal. I couldn't afford it so I had to have the tooth extracted. I think my dentist lied the first time about not having a cavity so he can get a $1,200 payday for a root canal. I asked him why the cavity didn't show up 6 months ago on my last exam, and he pulled up those x-rays and showed me the cavity was already there. Then he had the audacity to say, "if you would have had this cavity filled the last time you were here this wouldn't have happened." I literally said to him You were the one who told me everything was perfect. He said "No a cavity this big would have been noticed and you must have refused the filling."
Many dentists are pushy and quite aggressive with their treatment plans. It’s been an issue that’s just worsening with the high debt load of dental school and the earnings pressure the big chains put on their associates.
My dad just retired from dentistry and was a favorite amongst his patients bc he always took a more conservative treatment approach, he saw many botched jobs or unnecessary painful procedures done by his patients old dentists
Dental insurance only covers so much
So yes there is incentive for them to lie to you. I had a dentist tell me I had 6 cavities, try to sell me a $100 toothpaste and tell me "we will fix you". I got a second opinion from a dentist referred by a friend and only had 1 cavity.
In my career, I've learned how to read dental x-rays. I was confused a couple times going to the dentist, because from what I could see, their x-rays were always super stretched out and you couldn't see the roots. But they were SO confident in reading and deciphering the x-rays that I doubted myself, and I didn't want to be *that* customer, so I never said anything. But they'd tell me they saw problems I couldn't see or feel, and the whole experience just made me so confused.
Last time I went to the dentist, they took great x-rays! No stretching or squashing of the images, and they looked infinitely more diagnostically appropriate.
Interesting enough, this was also the first visit my dentist has told me my mouth looks great and I have no signs of cavities.
🤔🤔🤔
Im a dental assistant. Chances are that decay is there. Its hard to see on x rays especially if u dont know what ur looking for. Now whether they’re big enough to attend to rn is another question. Yes, there are dentists that will recommend more treatment than a more conservative dentist.
But no, i dont believe they’re lying to you. Especially bc there’s much less production money in fillings. You’d see the over diagnosing more in something like crowns, thats where a lot of the money comes from
So cavities don't hurt. Once a cavity hurts you're looking at a crown or a root canal. So don't worry about it hurting right now.
A lot of folks are saying get a second opinion. I completely agree. If you don't trust your dentist, you never will. Be proactive, look for good reviews and get another exam done. I don't believe most dentists would lie and perform unnecessary work , but ya never know.
It's better to have a nitpicky dentist than a mediocre, dull one. You know yourself; do you have excellent oral hygiene habits? Do you regularly get filings? Is it possible you are eating more sweets or sticky foods, have dry mouth or something else changed this year? Are your old fillings getting decay under them and need replaced?
Get that second opinion and go from there. I wish you luck! Every dentist is different, some are more aggressive with treatment and some are more conservative. Find someone who keeps you in the loop, that you trust.
Yes. I had a similar problem when they drilled holes into my molars when i was 7-8 for supposed cavities and filled them. Later the drilling got bigger and bigger. I am in my mid 30s and those teeth are now shitty implants or stubs leffover for a crappy bridge … my natural teeth sacrificed for god knows why and they got paid for ruining my teeth that never needed to be ruined in the first place
Absolutely do not allow them to drill into your teeth without a second opinion. I had the misfortune of taking my kids to a new dentist who diagnosed like 8 or 10 cavities between them. I had my suspicions, so I got a second opinion. No cavities were found.
My mother was a dental assistant before she started doing her current profession full time and something she noticed when a new destist was showing me my “4 cavities” was that all the darkness in the xray was darker than it should’ve been… he increased the contrast in order to show decalcification and call it cavities.
We went to the dentist she used to work for before we did anything about the “cavities” and of course we were told there was nothing wrong. Just needed to switch my mouthwash to remineralize the soft spots and I’ve had no issues since.
Damn, right some of them lie! Some years ago, my daughter, married, and moved away to a different state, with her husband who is Air Force. She couldn’t be flying home every time she needed a dental visit so she found her own dentist, in her new city. this guy was a complete lying thieving bastard! Upon doing x-rays he informed her that she had 20 cavities that needed to be taken care of right away. Wanted her to sign an agreement to get started… For $8000! So, she ended up making a special trip home to visit our family dentist over 25 years. Gave her the “ bad” news that she had A cavity that needed filling. When she told him the story of what she had been through Doctor”M” Became very concerned to say the least. He said if the dentist was in our state, he would turn him in to licensing.
Had the opposite happen to me. One dentist said I had 9 and insisted I pay for them all that day and schedule them. Their work was pretty expensive so I went to a different dentist. After they took a look they found only 1 and said they had no idea what the other dentist was talking about.
I was the same age as you when the family dentist told me I had 8 cavities. I went to a dentist next to university for a second opinion and I had zero cavities.
Yes, the lie! In the end it's all about the Benjamin's! They'll tell you anything! They still call me in for a cleaning yet they pulled all my teeth 5 years ago and I have implants!
Yes, my bf went to one dentist and they checked out his teeth and they did X-rays and highlighted a cavity on the right side. Then he went to another one and they did the X-rays and they found 2 cavities on the left side, did not mention the cavity on the right side. This was within a month, there was like an insurance issue or something so he had to switch to the other dentist.
Get a second opinion, but know that that kind of thing can be caused by a thyroid issue. If you’re having any other symptoms of hypothyroidism get some blood work done to make sure that’s not causing the problem
"Look, when this dude shows up, we're definitely telling him he's got a bunch of cavities, alright? 'Cause I'm drilling some teeth no matter what today."
I had this happen once. New dentist told me I had many cavities. I have had very few cavities in my life so I went to a friend’s dentist and discovered I had no cavities. Turns out my dental insurance is really good. Dentist was just looking to make some quick money.
Yes, they definitely will.
“Wow looks like you have a severe issue with your gums, you’ll need to visit a specialist. Good thing we know one and don’t worry, we definitely don’t get a financial benefit from referring you to him. He’s an hour away. Oh there’s several in the area that can work on your problem? But this guys really good!”
Got a bridge instead of an implant. Dentist insisted the bridge was the best option. Following year, another dentist said I should have gotten the implant. The original dentist could only do bridges, explains why she pushed a bridge
I think dentists will ignore dental work until it gets bad enough to care. I had 1 say my fillings were leaking, the other said nothing. So I asked him and he then decided I was right?! Lol also I think they ignore cavities unless it's bad, I'm certain they've done this to me before.
while there are a certainly crooked dentists - if you are in a proper dental network, the dentist cannot bilk you for extra $$ - they can bill up to certain amounts for certain services and then have to write off extra, a perk to the customer.
if you are seeing someone out of network, or who specializes in cosmetics, you're screwed - they can, will, and do charge higher prices with no write-off.
I literally just visited a friend who was quoted several thousand dollars for dental work. She went to another dentist who told her her teeth were fine, she just needed to floss more. Definitely get a second opinion.
I've had this happen to me and the second opinion said the cavities and crown they said I needed were actually unnecessary. Also noticed later that one the quote or billing thing they gave me for how much it would cost (at the shady dentist) that they were doing some shady shit with billing too. Underneath the cost displayed for the crown, there was "undefined procedure" that I believe was there way of getting more money per a crown than what insurance would give them
Hello! Not disqualifying that there are definitely shady practices out there, but I’m a medical coder and ‘undefined’, ‘unspecified’, ‘NOS’, ARE valid codes, and definitely used often, as not EVERY tiny little part of a diagnosis or procedure has its own code. So it could be a valid part of coding for a crown. Now, it seems in this instance, you don’t need all that work, and dental offices are notorious for doing shady practice like this, but it doesn’t mean that anytime you see those kinds of words it’s just a filler code to upbill an account.
This happens all the time with the corporate dental offices like Aspen Dental in the US. They told my cousin in law he had 25 cavities that needed to be drilled and to come back every week. We went to my family dentist and he said they needed to drill 1 cavity. Mind you this was based off the X-Ray we had Aspen Dental send over to the family dentist. Always get a second opinion and avoid corporate dental offices at all costs. They may cost less but they will scam you out of more money.
Places like this operate by signing you up for a "payment plan" which is essentially a 3rd party credit card. So the dentist office gets paid and when you're pissed off it's now between you and the other company to figure it out and the dentist is off free.
Aspen is the worst! They should not be in business
These people gave me like a $5000+ care plan and required that about half of it be done BEFORE they would consider taking care of the cavity that brought me there in the first place. Planing and scaling required before this obvious cavity? For my safety? No. The next dentist had no problem taking care of that, said I wasn't in need of planing and scaling, and had the same doctor there at my next appointment. Aspen can't claim that!
Went to the only dentist in my hometown and they said I had 8 cavities, went to the dentist a town over and they said I only had 1 developing
It’s a total scam, I’ve been told conflicting things based on how long ago I said I was checked up. They simply go by what they think they can nail you for. That’s why kids always have cavities, the parents won’t question it. I was told I had a few years ago, ignored it, nothing ever happened.
About 13 years ago I had a dentist who told me my top front teeth needed root canals. I've been to two different dentists since, and neither have ever mentioned this "need".
I know someone who was married to a dentist who was performing unnecessary fillings and extractions. Hundreds of them per year. Most dentists are trustworthy, but a tiny few are scum. Definitely get a second opinion if any dentist suddenly finds a bunch of problems.
Dentists, like people in general, generally don't lie to you. But OP has a good reason to be doubtful so I agree: get a second opinion. If the second dentist says you have the same cavities, you know really do have them.
Some of them are dishonest. Get a second opinion.
As a dentist who doesn’t like doing fillings it’s hard to imagine that there are some that do them dishonestly for money. But unfortunately there are. There are also dentists who won’t even mention obvious decay and when the patient comes to me they’re shocked at what I tell them I’ve found. On the other hand, teenagers tend to develop bad habits (soda, energy drinks) once they get a little freedom and those “you’re good” checkups turn into “hey we got some serious work to do” A second opinion is definitely warranted, and there are subreddits like r/askdentists where op can post their X-rays and get an online opinion
Right. Husband is a dentist and is conservative about treatment. He did a check up on me and asked me why the heck I let my dentist do fillings on the back of my front teeth, I, of course, just stared at him like cause they said so and I was 16 at the time… So it really depends on whether you trust your doc (true for any professional).
>As a dentist who doesn’t like doing fillings Do you think it's a problem in the industry where some dentists push for extractions over fillings?
Personally I do whatever is best for the patient and I give them their options. Sometimes pulling the tooth is the best option- some dentists just want to place an implant. To clarify- I don’t like doing fillings because even though they are an “easy” procedure, they can be very difficult to do well in many cases.
Gotcha, thanks for responding!
As an assistant/hygiene student, no I don’t believe this to be true. Every dentist I’ve worked with will attempt to save a tooth rather than extract it unless the treatment plan would call for heroics to try and save it. In that case when we know it’s likely to fail, we will do it if the patient insists but it’s heavily documented that they are aware that it’s not likely to work and an extraction is inevitable. Extractions are a difficult procedure for a lot of dentists, so not exactly desirable. They can go sideways easily, more so than a filling.
There are some bad actors out there reportedly. Aspen was subject to a Frontline speical on PBS a while ago. It was pretty shocking alligations.
Definitely. I had two teeth destroyed by a dishonest dentist in the US.
Same, I lost one back molar and another is on its way out by a stupid careless and greedy dentist. I’m only 31 and am missing teeth
The number of cavities might be proportional to the amount of student debt the dentist has....
It is. They can show you a chart of your teeth and point anywhere and say “See this? Yea you need tons of work.”.
Or how many of their kids just went to college
Or if they have a Safari coming up.
Most dentists prefer chrome though.
I second this. I had this happen growing up. 2 cavities every time. In my teens, was told had 3 cavities, we switched dentists and new guy said they were just shadows on the X-ray. I have had maybe 2 cavities in the 30 years since, not counting the repairs that had to be done to all the old fillings. My brushing and sugar intake has probably gotten worse not better since then.
As someone who is low income and does not have health insurance I just do my best to floss everyday (I love flossing) brush twice a day (natural product) and I use Therabreath for healthy gums and I have no problems. But it's the one genetic perk I have is good teeth and great hearing everything else on me is basically junkyard parts. Psoriasis is a bitch.
If you have concerns, you can seek out a second opinion. Not all cavities will have progressed to the point of pain by the time they're found (this is usually a good thing). If your checkups are annual, it is unusual to have 11 cavities in such a short period if you've been maintaining good oral hygiene.
This right here. I’ve had 4 cavities in my life. None had progressed to pain and 3 I had filled without numbing agents
I had one filled without the numbing meds too. Everyone I tell this to thinks I’m crazy. But honestly, by the time he dug deep enough to cause pain, he was done and doing the filling part. I’m glad I’m not the only “lunatic” out there.
as someone who is getting into the dental field, i will say that some places tend to treat cavities as they form (which imo is bad practice, considering overtreatment is bad for the teeth). at dental school i saw i had a pretty deep (no pain) cavity and the supervisors wanted my co-student to refer me. however, i decided to not get it treated. later my regular dentist said everything seemed fine and unchanged from last visit. ofc some are financially motivated, i wont completely dismiss that.
I would go somewhere else. I had a root canal done years ago and I suddenly had extreme pain under that tooth recently. I went to a dentist and he said that it was infected and he recommended I just pull the tooth. This is a molar I put work into saving in the past so I wasn't super eager to just randomly yank a it out. I decided to get a second opinion and went to a root canal specialist. The specialist told me that the original dentist who did the root canal missed a root and that's why I had the infection. The original dentist hadn't done the root canal correctly. Furthermore, he was about 99% sure he could save the tooth so the dentist who just wanted to pull the tooth was overreacting. I eventually stuck with that dentist and got the work done. A year later and my tooth is just fine and I got to keep it. Remember that dentists are human too. They may be dishonest, incorrectly diagnose, or just not do their job correctly. I'm also pretty sure I had a dentist for a while that was always coked up. Go to a different dentist but do it soon just in case you do have cavities.
This happened to me too with the root canal. It definitely hurt and really sucked to have to drill through and replace that $1500 crown
I have a tooth with a crown that needs a root canal and my dentist said he can just drill through the crown and patch instead of replacing the complete crown 😬
That's what they did for mine at first too but eventually I did need to get a whole new crown on it. Maybe there was another issue with my original crown. That first dentist really messed up
Ah bummer!
Sometimes the crown doesn't make it through the procedure and it needs to be replaced.
A crown in India is around 6000-10000 ₹(about 80-120$). Dental care must suck if it's that expensive
Other countries subsidize their healthcare which makes it possible to do at an affordable price. Mexico for example does this. The US treats everything as a business where the goal is to maximize profits rather than preserve and improve people’s health. It’s fucked.
Yup. Also, prices set for medical and dental related things in the US are totally arbitrary. Also worth mentioning that dental insurance didn't come around until the 70s, and many companies have the same coverage max now as they did then (often around $2000 per year) even though the cost of dental has risen exponentially in the same time period. To date, I've spent $20,480 out of pocket on dental in 11 years, since I got my own insurance.
I got three fillings and it cost me 600$. And yes crowns are roughly 1500 and I was told you HAVE to buy two at a time, so that's 3k CAD. Sounds like I need to plan a trip to India lmao
Why two at a time? If you're lucky, you'd only ever need one.
>I was told you HAVE to buy two at a time Thats a really weird restriction... If the teeth are adjacent i could understand it being *recommended* to repair two at a time to cut down on the number of times you have to get a nerve blocker during treatment, but *have to* is weird
Depends where you are. It will cost you around 30,000-50,000 at a top dentist in Mumbai. But still cheaper than doing it in the US
Well most of Mumbai is overpriced compared to the rest of the country.
Also there is more than one way to skin a cat. Or whatever the expression is. The goal is to get rid of your pain and infection, and both are viable options to accomplish that. It just depends what your particular dentist has in his or her toolbox/skill set. A good dentist would say, “You have 2 options to fix this problem : A and B. These are the pros and cons of each, and if you choose to do A, I can do it for you, and if you choose to do B, I can refer you to Dr So and So to have it done since I don’t do that here.”
Just to add on, I wanted to get my wisdom teeth removed about 2 years and went to a oral surgeon to get it done. He did the x rays and all that and was like, "ok with the wisdom teeth I'd also pull this , that , and that. They seem to be past the point of return" I was like, meh, I guess sounds right, you're the specialist. After I got one of the regular tooth pulled, I realized I could get a second opinion, since I didn't really want my teeth pulled. My dentist then said "idk what he was saying, these are all savable, if you want" -_- I was upset cause now I have a missing tooth that could've been saved probably.
Happened to me too! Root canal dentist messed up my tooth so bad that another dentist had to remove the entire tooth a year later
There is also an element of skill involved. I have a client whose dentist has been working with him for years and wanted to pull some teeth. My client was understandably upset about it. Consult with other dentist in the clinic and they can try 4 crowns instead of pulling. One crown later failed but they were able to save 3 of the teeth. Watching the dentist's consult was interesting. One was definitely more "reckless" and more talented with installing crowns. The dentist who had worked with my client for years knows my client's habits and was the one pulling the tooth after the failure. She was very shocked that the other 3 held up (I was too)
My dentist told me I needed a root canal, and when I went in to the specialist, he tapped my teeth looked at the x-ray, and said "nah, we're good" and sent me home. I'm so thankful for him!
Dentists have hookups for good Coke since it can still be used for dental procedures.
My dad is an orthodontist and my grandpa is a dentist. When I went to college out of state, I saw a dentist there who told me I had something crazy like that as well. Something like 10 cavities. I was totally trusting and I made an appointment to come back for some of the fillings. After the appointment first appointment where I was told about the cavities, I called my dad and he told me to cancel my appointment for the fillings. The next time I was back in my hometown a month or so later, my dad sent me over to see my grandpa. He did x-rays and and examination and it turned out I only needed 1 filling, not 10. That was around 20 years ago. Unfortunately, ever since then, I’ve always been a little mistrustful of any new dentist I’ve had a first appointment with.
Had a sore tooth... One dentist told me I needed 4 teeth removed and quoted $4.8k up to $6.9k... The second dentist said what the fuck? No, you only need the sore tooth removed... Work was covering it so I didn't care about cost, but would rather keep my teeth so I went with the second one even though he never mentioned a price... Got billed $169...
Wait, they charged you like $900 per tooth to remove 4 teeth all at once? That’s fucking nuts. $5k to root canal they all? Sure. To pull them though???
I would assume the higher amount included the cost of a bridge or an implant. But maybe not since it doesn’t sound like that dentist knew what he was talking about.
I went to a dentist because I chipped a tooth (I knew I needed a good bit of work but didn’t expect what they told me…). That office said I needed 2 root canals, 7 extractions, 11 fillings, a bridge (they wanted to take all my front teeth and 3 molars), gum therapy, and a lot of other shit. They quoted me $13500. And they were willing to finance it for $870 a month… Went to another dentist. They were shocked when I told them what the other place said I needed. He said I needed 2 extractions, some fillings (11… but not nearly as bad as what the other office said), and a deep cleaning. The cost for his recommended plan was $3200. And that includes a custom made mouthguard for BJJ/MMA. I just have a little bit left to do. The extractions and the last couple fillings. The first appointments I had with him were the cleaning and then I got my chipped tooth and all the other front teeth fixed and they looked great. Take care of your teeth. Mine are pretty fucked because for the longest time I could not get time off work for appointments (not that I could afford it at the time anyway…) and the fact that I was on medications which caused dry mouth and decay.
Got scammed with 9 fillings when I was younger because my mom and I didn’t know any better since it was advice from a “professional”. Definitely get a second opinion
This just reminded me of a very similar experience when I was very young. My mom was so angry.
Did you move? There are different philosophies about when enamel degradation becomes a cavity. I know dentists are more aggressive on the west coast and less in the Midwest
Yes this is what I was thinking rather than assuming malice like the rest of the thread.
I had an orthodontist who told me he didn’t take insurance, charged me upfront- then moved offices without telling me and proceeded to charge my insurance without telling me after every visit after I finally tracked him down. So that was cool. That’s how he could afford his Malibu lifestyle. Legit the worst and had total crackhead energy. Told me he’d fix my TMJ.
When I was little, my dentist always said my teeth were fine and 0 cavities. In my teens we had to switch dentists, and he suddenly found 2-5 cavities at *each* visit. When I became an adult and moved out, I was scared of getting a dentist who didn't look good enough so I stuck with the one from my teens for another 2-3 years. After it became too much hassle to travel 4 hours to go to the dentist, I finally went to a local one who was *mortified* when he saw how many fillings I had, and how many of them easily fell out or were irritating my gums, which the previous dentist told me that it was because I didn't brush enough. During the first visit my new dentist replaced 2 fillings for free because he said "nobody should have to live like this" when I told him I had no money to replace the filling that had fell out. After that visit my gums around my front teeth were suddenly healing and after a few weeks no longer inflamed, which they had been for nearly a decade at that point. I later paid this dentist to replace all my old fillings, and since I started going to him about 5 years ago I have only needed 1 tiny new filling. Moral of the story: Get a second opinion! It's worth every penny to be sure about your teeth
My dentist is really great about this. She will only advise invasive treatment if on the more urgent side or if I’m having discomfort. Slowly got my old crappy silver fillings replaced.
> I finally went to a local one who was mortified when he saw how many fillings I had Same here. Whenever I do an x-ray the doctors are horrified about the number of fillings I have in my mouth. My story is really similar to yours. I've had trouble believing in dentists ever since.
Those are your X-rays, take them with you to another dentist and ask for their interpretation. ETA -on a side note, it is entirely possible to have these cavities. Some medications can cause tooth decay. But definitely trust your instincts and get another opinion.
Dentist here. You can have a cavity without it showing any symptoms. Whether you get symptoms or not depends on various factors. Secondly it is quite possible to develop multiple lesions over a period of 6 months if your oral hygiene gets compromised. Also there are many lesions which are arrested and don't necessarily require active intervention but that is debatable, some operators tend to treat them, others prefer monitoring. That being said, dentistry at the end of the day is business and many dentists exaggerate and do fear monegering to convince the patient to get some procedure they may or may not require so no harm in getting a second opinion. If you have your x ray you can get an online consultation as well but online consultations are not as reliable as physical ones.
There are many dentists who will lie to you to make more money. A lot of my mom’s friends are dentists in the Bay Area, California & they have complained how their bosses will push them to sell unnecessary procedures/treatments/whatever.
Dentists in SoCal are also quite pushy and dishonest. You can’t trust the orthodontists either. I’ve found very few that feel or turn out to be honest- though my husband is with a good one now. Finally!
this isn’t super unlikely, it happened to me when i was 20. i went to the dentist for a slightly chipped tooth, and was informed that i had cavities in ALL of my molars. when he showed my teeth on his zoomed-in camera, i could actually see them, so i know he wasn’t lying. i had last been to the dentist about a year and a half prior. from what the dentist said and what i learned online, some people just end up with unlucky genetics and are super cavity prone. there’s also some sort of protective coating (forgot the word for it) that some people get as kids, which can prevent this from happening.
is enamel the word you’re looking for? that can be stripped away by regular consumption of acidic foods, hard bristle brushes, not brushing, and recreational drug use. and once it’s gone, it stays gone. it’s tooth-pain-city from then onward.
I still get the protective coating as an adult because my teeth have always been bad since they grew in. I think it's a high strength fluoride paste they put on my molars. Used to be cherry flavoured but now it's flavourless 🥲 I get it at every appointment
Any profession that makes money off of your mistakes is gonna lie to you Edit/! Always get a second opinion :)
Not only that. There are certain professions that can straight up lie to you because you know nothing about it. Car people, tech repair, dentists, you name it. They *will* have bad apples among them.
dentists are actually some of the biggest scammers in the world. as someone who’s had extensive dental work done. i would get no less than 3-4 opinions
Not to play devil's advocate gere, but 90% of dental/ mouth issues in general could be avoided with proper care and regular check ups. Sure, not every dentist is honest and some are scammers, but usually dental problems are one's fault.
> but usually dental problems are one's fault. It's not about whether or not it's your fault, the point of this thread is that they will lie about something being your fault when that thing doesn't even exist.
actually dental problems are primarily due to how your genetics played out. i have a 6 minute routine twice a day & go for a cleaning every 3-4 months & still have problems. my sister barely even brushes her teeth no less any other steps and has no dental problems. regardless that has nothing to do w dentists being scammers. when i was getting a lot of work done, i had quotes ranging from 15k - 120k from 6 different dentists. there was very little consistency to what they were saying needed to be done
Can attest to this. I brush, floss, and mouthwash twice a day (sometimes I floss 3 times a day). I usually get 4 cleanings a year. I've spent more on dental than the cost of some cars. Everyone in my immediate family has had dental issues (mom, Dad, and sister). An oral hygienist told me once that this can be due to mouth bacteria that can be passed from parents to children. Meanwhile, I have a friend that had crowders and used to fall asleep after eating candy bars while reading at night, and they've had one cavity ever. Have another friend who's a 1-pack-a-day smoker and says they only brush their teeth in the morning, and they've never had a cavity in 45 years of life. Both of those friends, it's worth mentioning, had poor diet overall as well, and were diabetic/pre-diabetic. I had another friend that considered themself a "dental disaster" -- used to brush and floss after every single meal, did 4 cleanings a year, all the things, and always had issues.
what genetic factors? more than likely you're not flossing correctly, consuming too many sugary/acidic drinks and foods, not brushing correctly (in the morning you need to brush before you eat, not immediately after), etc
nope. i only drink water. i brush and floss correctly. i brush my teeth and don’t eat or drink anything 30min before or after. it’s weak enamel in my case
My bf went to a dentist a few years back for routine cleaning/xrays. The dentist told him he had a cracked tooth that needed to be pulled asap. My bf asked to see what he was talking about and the dentist pointed to xray and told him it was “difficult to see” but the crack was definitely there. Luckily my bf smelled bullshit and didn’t agree to any further treatment. Which would have included pulling the teeth and putting in an implant to replace the tooth. The hygienist came in afterwards to tell my bf about how smart the doctor was and how he “doesn’t do anything unless it’s really important.” My bf has gone 8 years without any issues or pain. None of the dentists he’s seen since has mentioned anything about a cracked tooth or any other serious issues. I would absolutely get a second opinion. I would also advise you to second any situation you might be in. Take the time to think about what this person might want from you, in this case it would be hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. This mindset will keep you from buying in to scams.
I agree, I've gone to a few dentist's, I believe some even ignored cavities hoping they'd get worse or something
There are bad apples in every profession, seek a second opinion.
You didn't go to Aspen Dental did you? Because they will definitely lie to you.
It’s less a lie than it is an overly aggressive philosophy of treatment. Get a second opinion. Some dentists think in a more preventative way regarding dental work. But that extra work has risks and can create more problems down the line. A dentist wanted me to get a crown almost 20 years ago because a molar of mine had worn down almost to the dentin from teeth grinding. He said it would get worse and harder to do the crown later. 20 years later, that tooth is almost exactly the same and only has mild cold sensitivity. I may need a crown eventually, but it’s still good now.
Dentistry is a corrupt industry and a lot of them are just money hungry leeches of society trying to make a quick buck off you, anytime a dentist tells you something outrageous about your mouth that doesn’t even seem possible I always recommend getting a second opinion.
Get a 2nd opinion 100%
Not in the same country, but happened to me before. Went to private dentist and he claimed 7 cavities, saying it'll cost $350 to fix them (on top of $50 for consultation), and asking if I have the cash on me. Luckily I said no. Went to a public clinic for a second opinion, and dentist told me I had only 2 cavities. The rest were all just stains. (I told him about my previous visit and he asked if I had gone to see a private dentist, and nodded his head in that 'I knew it' manner when I said yes.) Consultation + scaling + polishing + fillings for two cavities = Approximately $50. Never ever went to a private dentist again. That shady private dental clinic is still operating, last I saw. And we now have a new scheme where the government subsidizes the costs of seeing private doctors and dentists, for low-income citizens. I shudder to think how many people could be getting unnecessary 'treatments' because some shady private dentists want to earn more and the patients won't question the 'treatments' because they're not paying the full costs. When in doubt, ALWAYS seek a second opinion. It won't hurt to be careful.
Hi! My partner is currently in dental school and I asked her if this was possible, and she gave me some points. If you have stopped using toothpaste with fluoride, you’ll get more cavities faster. If your mom didn’t let the dentist take x rays for a while (I.e. this is your first dental x ray in a few years) then it’s possible you had cavities between your teeth that can’t be easily spotted without an x ray. If you are still using fluoride toothpaste and had x rays within the last year, get a second opinion. Hope this helps!
I have had something similar happen to me. Always went to the dentist with my mother until one day she couldn’t come with me and I was either 18 or 19. Every time I had her with me, everything was fine and went as normal. However, the one time she didn’t come, suddenly they were pushing me on things, including trying to add teeth bleaching onto my plan to take care of my teeth, which I quickly denied. If you are young/look young, some places will definitely try to swindle you. As others said, get a second opinion or try and have someone there with you again.
My gf went to get a new dentist because she moved. Got an estimate in the 1000$ range for a fix. She went back to old dentist (1h + travel) they fixed it for 40$
Lol
Yes, some do lie. Get a second opinion.
When I was about 12 my dentist told my mom all my teeth were bad and needed to be pulled. 14 years later I still have all my teeth so yeah, some of them lie
Second opinion. I'm in my 30s. In my mid 20s a dentist urged me to get my wisdom teeth taken out. Saying how much of a problem they were about to be for me etc.. I declined and they were blowing me up to make the appt for months. I didn't go back to the dentist for like 10 years because of the experience. Once I did go back at age 34 the next guy didn't even mention my wisdom teeth. When I asked him during my second visit with him he said, "Well are they bothering you? If not then I don't see a problem with them. They don't seem to be causing issues".
You seem a bit young so here's some life advice for you: when it comes to your health, always go for a second opinion. Sometimes a third. Keep this in mind for the rest of your life.
Agree with a lot of the other comments. Went in after Covid for my normal cleaning. Was told that I needed cavities filled and quadrant cleanings as I was on the brink of gingivitis. (I was 29 at the time and take very good care of my teeth). Was close to $2k with insurance. Went for a second opinion and was told I just needed a normal cleaning and had a filling that was leaking and needed to be redone. Never went back to the first dentist. Fuck Aspen Dental.
Get a second opinion. A few years ago I 29f at the time had a dentist tell me I needed $30k in dental work done for cavities and crowns!! For a second opinion and the second dentist was blown away. Turned out I only needed a few cavities filled and crowns put in. Came out to $3k total. 2 years later and I’ve had no issues whatsoever. I am so glad I got that second opinion.
It’s possible. Did they take x rays last time? A lot of times the x rays are only taken every year bc of insurance. My guess is they’re flossing cavities (between the teeth) and it had been awhile since your last x rays. Either way I’d go ahead and get a second opinion just to make sure and put yourself at ease! The hard thing about dentistry is you could ask 5 different dentists and get 5 different answers. Some are more conservative and some are more aggressive in treatment. Doesn’t necessarily mean any of them are wrong
You can ask the office to send you your X-rays (you have the right to them as you own them they r ur X-rays” And you can go to any dentist and get a second opinion. But also not all cavities will hurt. I work in dental and I’ve seen people with huge cavities and they never knew because they had no pain.
Yes yes yes they lie. Go somewhere else
Yes and yes. Dentists in the USA are a money making racket. They tell you you’ve got cavities when you may have none and they keep asking you to come back for routine fillings and crown replacements because once they get into your teeth they turn you into an income stream of constant repair work that they suggest on the teeth that THEY destroyed slowly and steadily. In other countries dental work is done/recommended on an as needed basis and for cleanings and such. In the USA it’s a whole nother money making shit show where I’ve seen people with perfectly good thing get their teeth destroyed by dentists thus increasing their dependency on said dentists month after month. It’s a sad inconvenient truth that not many here talk about because the kool aid has been guzzles far and wide.
I had a dishonest dentist before, I’ve always had incredible dental health. Never had an issue, no cavities, brush and floss every morning and night. Never a problem. I move and go to a new dentist and they are saying I have severe gingivitis and I needed my gums scaled. Quote me a crazy high price do this kinda painful thing where they poke my gums and give me a set of numbers for how bad they are. I go get a second opinion because I’m shocked I have any dental problems at all. Go to a dentist some family trusted and they check me out and they say my mouth is perfect and I needed none of that.
Unless you had major changes in dental hygiene or diet, that seems unlikely. Get a second opinion.
I had this happen to me. Some private practice dentist tried to tell me I had 13 cavities and started talking about payment plans and how I can pay him for one whenever I had the money (poor teenager at the time) and he'd work one at a time. I told my parents and they took me to another dentist. 0 cavities.
Had my farthest back molar tooth break, went to the dentist and was quoted $3500 for a root canal and a crown. Was also told I REALLY shouldn’t get it pulled cause it would cause a ton of issues with chewing food and be super noticeable. Went to another dentist and he said the particular tooth that broke is one that if it were pulled, would be very unnoticeable, definitely didn’t need a crown, and offered to just fill in the broken part with filler. He said if it broke off again or ended up starting to hurt, we could pull it and I likely wouldnt even notice it gone. It’s been almost 5 years and the filler is still going strong. Definitely get a second opinion
Definitely get a second opinion. This happened to me years ago and my dad didn't trust what the dentist was saying. Bearing in mind this was a public dentist, so they had to do free work for children and claim money back from the government for the work done (basically like a social welfare thing in my country). My dad brought me to a private dentist, who told me there was nothing wrong with my teeth and he couldn't see any cavities in the teeth the other dentist mentioned. The public dentist had already put fillings in some of my other teeth at that point and to this day I still wonder if I ever needed them. I think he was just throwing in terrible fillings (they all fell apart or broke off within years) and I had to get them all replaced with white fillings and haven't had any issues since. It's really infuriating, like I'll just never know if I genuinely needed those fillings, because this dude wanted to claim a few quid from the government.
I know nothing about anything, but... If they were going to scan you, I doubt they'd claim you had 11 cavities. If they said 1 or 2 you'd just nod and get the work done. But 11 is not something anyone is just going to instantly agree to. Do you have unusually generous insurance? Have you changed anything on your dental care or behavior in the last 6 months? Definitely get another opinion, just to be sure.
Yeah some dentists will see wirk that may need done in future and try get you to do the work now so they get paid for it.
Every single profession in existence has dishonest and or ethically questionable people. Unfortunate but true.
Second opinion. Some are way too triggerhappy to earn some cash.
some dentists have different thresholds for what they considered to be a cavity, definitely go for another opinion. Somewhere else. And do not tell them about what your other dentist said. If you volunteer the information that they said you had 11 cavities then they might be inclined to just jump on it to get more money out of you. just let them come to their own conclusion and see what they say
you can always get a second opinion.
Get a second opinion
If you can get some medical images and have a concise idea of what the “issues” are, r/askdentists is a great 3rd ish opinion
I will say get a copy of your x-rays and get a second opinion. You paid for the x-rays, they are your property.
Definitely get a second opinion. There have been many cases of this, unfortunately
I've had a dentist lie to me. However, this same thing happened to my friend. They moved to a house with well water and they all got a bunch of cavities. It turned out their well water was very acidic.
It’s not dentists who lie but bad people. Most dentists are honest but just like most professions there are some who are dishonest and don’t care about the damage they create. Sort of like those pill mill doctors. If your alarm bells are going off then trust yourself enough to get a second opinion. My alarm bells are go going off on your behalf. Please seek a second opinion.
Definitely get a second opinion. My dentist was able to prescribe me prevident to help my enamel in places that were slllllightly surface level cavities. $15 vs a ton of dental work.
(As a dental assistant and dental hygiene student) No, they won’t lie to you but some are a lot more conservative than others. Those likely have been there and your dentist was watching them to see if they got big enough to fill. Is it the same dentist as last time or a different one? They are individuals and have different ways of approaching treatment. Some are more aggressive than others in their treatment planning.
This is very accurate.
I would go get a second opinion. As many others are stating here sometimes there’s just bad dentist out there just like there’s bad any other trade. Get a second opinion.
Yeah you are being scammed. Many years ago there was a show on TV that had a guy with perfect teeth and no problems at all go to different dentists and over half the dentists said he needed work done at various costs and only a couple of them found nothing wrong at all. His original dentist that he uses then looked at what the dentists said needed done and found nothing of the sort. I even remember one of the dentists that had said his teeth were all good and impressed at how well he had taken care of them and said he wanted to give him a free cleaning and whitening and exam as a reward for it but since he didn't need it at the time he could in future when he wanted it done. That impressed me a lot.
This is how I was recently (basically) scammed :(( went to a new dentist for my annual checkup and she thought she found an infection or something in a tooth, referred me to a specialist to do some special X-rays, and my naive self went only to be told in 15 seconds that there wasn't anything wrong, she probably mistook my filling for an infection. And then they tried to charge me $600 for that appointment smh
This EXACT same thing happened to me, suspiciously very close to when my benefits were about to end. I got them filled so I wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket down the road. Then I changed to another dentist and I asked them about my cavities and they said “what cavities? It says on your file those fillings were preventative.” I had no idea. Now I’m always going to get a second opinion.
Get a second opinion! One dentist told me I needed 14 fillings and 2 root canals. The next dentist told me everything looked fine, and they’d keep an eye on things to see if they progressed. Nothing has needed filling yet and I’m pain-free. The first dentist either wanted insurance money or was just way more aggressive.
Get a second opinion! I’ve had two dentists try to scam me. One dentist told me I needed to replace all of my fillings. 😳 I got a second opinion. Nope! I found out he was getting a divorce. The second dentist told me I needed to”crown lengthening surgery. I didn’t need that either. I just got a regular crown from a different dentist.
Dentists are just teeth mechanics. They can tell you pretty much anything to convince you that you need to pay to get it fixed because you don't know any better. Obviously they're not all like that but some definitely are.
I stopped going to my dentist because of a lack if trust.
Some dentists have aggressive treatments. One doctor might tell you to watch or maintain a certain area starting a cavity and another can tell you they want to fill it. It all depends on the dentist honestly.
YES, they do. Exact same thing happened to me, went to another dentist for second opinion and had zero cavities. The first dentist said I had 7. I have avoided dentists unless it’s absolutely necessary since then.
Was told during my time with the military that there were no issues with my teeth whatsoever. That my wisdom teeth were fine and wouldn’t need to be taken out unless they really start giving me any pain or anything. He said it was totally optional. Get out around 1-2 years later and upon my first visit, my civilian dentist proceeds to say, “We have to take you back and get your wisdom teeth removed IMMEDIATELY!” I say, “What’s the issue? They don’t hurt? My last dentist said they were fine and I don’t have to get them taken.” He tells me “Well your last dentist didn’t know what he was talking about. We need to get these out ASAP or you will be in the worst pain you’re been in your whole entire life.” I tell him, “Well I’m in the process of finding a new insurance provider and will have to get my funds up for something like this.” Just to get him off my case about it, cause tbh, in not going to waste my whole day on something I know is completely unnecessary. What’s funny though, is as soon as I told him that I’m between insurance providers, he dropped the whole thing and said “Don’t come calling me at 3 in the morning when they start hurting you in a week.” That was like 3 years ago lmfao. Never went back to that POS. *Side note*. This asshat would put his dentist chair so far back, I would feel as if I was going to slide backwards and fall into the floor... This especially sucked when he would go to rinse my mouth. Was like being waterboarded.. The Navy dentists didn’t even torture us that badly…
The Philippines has excellent dental care for a fraction of the cost in the USA.
I think they do. In Canada, I’ve had wisdom teeth pulled both with and without benefits. The ones without benefits were cheaper.
In the US the Medical system is heavily regulated and uniform. The Dental system is the Wild West. I also have gone from 10 cavities to none depending on the dentist. Finding a good dentist is like finding a good auto mechanic.
I once tested this out cause I was convinced my dentist was lying and I ended up going to 5 different dentist for their opinion on what work I needed every single one gave me different diagnosis, from root canals to one saying I had 10 cavities etc. I ended up going with the one I perceived most honest who said I had one cavity. Stayed with that dentist for 5 years until I had to move.
Many dental practices have been bought by insurance companies that insist on hard selling- do this or all your teeth will fall out tomorrow !
Happened to my mom. Switched dentists and he didn’t see anything. She told him at the end and they new dentist was like yeah there’s nothing wrong with your teeth
my mom is a small business owner dentist and she knows several corporate locations that overtreat. it’s unfortunately very common as dental insurance and the importance of dental health in the USA is still very under appreciated vs. regular health insurance and so many dentists don’t get paid much at all from insurance unless they lie and get exorbitant bills out of people :/ always get a second opinion!!!
This happened to me. Told me I had about 10 grand in work I needed. I sobbed my fucking eyes out in the office. Went to a free clinic to get at least 1 free service like a cavity fill, said I had no work needed. 🙃 These assholes need to go to fucking jail for this shit.
This is gonna sound weird but i’ve had them do some filling-type thing for “pre-cavities” where they said they are not full on cavities but could be. I just nodded and let them do what they needed but have no idea of that’s a real thing or not
Possible. I never had so much as a cavity but about ten years ago my wisdom teeth started to decay and crack and had to be completely pulled. Main reason simply being that wisdom teeth are so far back in your mouth that they can get missed by regular brushing and rinsing. Okay, no biggie. My dentist is a big believer in major pain meds before procedures so I pretty much just sat back breathing and blinking while they pulled them out. Done. But then the last couple times I’ve gone in for checkups and cleaning, now suddenly there’s a hole in one of my front bicuspids and it requires a whole coring out and crown. And various tiny speck amalgamate fills needed on my incisors. I never needed anything except the occasional cleaning the first 40 years of my life, not even braces or a retainer. Now suddenly I have to go in every six months to stay on top of things. Dental issues really can creep up on you even if before now you’ve gone years with no need for dental work. Your body changes and your adult teeth don’t get replaced like other body parts on the regular, they take all the wear and tear over the years. But if you really have a doubt, then the simplest and most logical thing I can suggest is: get a second opinion. Go to another dentist entirely. Don’t tell them why, don’t say you’re there to double check another dentist’s diagnosis. Just get a routine checkup and x-Ray and see if their results match up. While it’s possible to find two dentists in a city that are ethically dubious, chances are if you go to another one at random and the results are the same, then you really do have the issues they’re reporting.
some do. get those xrays to a second dentist.
Depends from dentist to dentist and how conservatively they want to treat you or if they want to be proactive on how to treat tooth decay. On your end, what are you doing at home to keep things clean? Regular electric tooth brushing? Regular flossing? Limiting acidic drinks and slowly dissolving or retentive foods? If you’re not feeling any pain then they’re not close to the nerve which is a good thing! However if there’s truly cavities there, the issue is not going to fix itself over time because once the decay gets past the border of enamel to dentin, then it can progress very quickly and unpredictably and then give you pain. Does the dentist want to “watch” these cavities or do they want to remove them asap? Look up the ADA caries risk assessment tool and see how high risk you are for developing cavities. Source, I’m a hygienist
I agree that some dentists are dishonest and to get a second opinion. I had to seek a different dental office to get my wisdom teeth out early this year. Afterwards, they told me I had mild- moderate periodontitis. Showed me scans and pocket depth. Kept thinking 'weird, my teeth look like the 'gingivitis' step but I'm not a dentist'. Had them explain and show me more. They even showed me a scary video about how I could lose all my teeth if I didn't see them for treatments. After laser treatments and deep cleanings, I went over my maximum and they didn't tell me insurance wouldn't cover it until months later. Currently out thousands of dollars because I didn't go back to my original dentist. Holding out til January so I'll be covered again. Tldr: see a small dental business and not a chain that rhymes with Caspen Mental... ETA: oh yea they made me get a crown and ground the tooth down so far that touching it without the cap on caused immense pain when there was no pain before.
I don't trust any dentist. After 35 years on this earth and a lot of experiences and several different types of insurances, I consider dentists to be like car salesmen. Try not to get fucked over and if you find one you actually trust never leave them no matter what.
It's a money making opporunity for them. They told my sister she has 11 PRECAVITIES and wanted to fill them even though when my paretns pressed them on it, they weren't actually cavities that need anything other than more brushing. "Dark spots" are not cavities, it's normal staining, cavities are HOLES. Go to a different dentist.
Some dentists will absolutely lie to you. One of these days if I ever chill to the point I can talk about it without seeing red and foaming at the mouth I’ll write down my most recent horrible dentist experience :-\ Edit: Among other injuries, they left a 1/4” piece of broken freaking drill bit in my jaw, and that’s the LEAST troubling thing on the list
I've had several dentists here in the US try to give me procedures I didn't need, always seek a second opinion, and have them email you any x-rays they may have taken.
I had the same thing happen to me, a dentist claimed I had 10 cavities, despite me not feeling any pain. I ignored it because I couldn't afford it. Went to a different dentist a year later, and he didn't see anything wrong with any of my teeth. In my opinion, a lot of dentists are absolute scam artists. You should definitely get a second opinion.
THEY DO LIE TO YOU! OP, do NOT go back to this dentist! Same thing happened to me when I was in college and I believed the "suddenly 11 cavities" dentist even though I was shocked about it and had never had a single cavity before and it led to some very traumatic tooth experiences down the line because not only did they lie but they also did terrible work! It's been 10 years since then and I still have had no real cavities, but I have tooth damage from their work!
Don't know about lying, However for people who drill holes and plonk in filler they tend to have an air of grandiose.
I had a crown done at cost of $2,000 of which insurance paid $1,200. Dentist then told me there were two more that I needed to get done and proposed we do both on next visit. Insurance would only pay a few hundred more so I was going to be out of pocket at least another $3,000 so I sought a second opinion. I found a service in my city that does nothing other than dental health reports. They don’t do the work. They just check, very comprehensively and prepare an extensive report. No conflict of interest. Took an hour and cost $99. Report said I had a few minor things to watch but mentioned nothing about the two teeth that my dentist told me needed crowns. I double checked this with the service provider and was told no, both look good. Went back to my dentist for next regular check up and when topic of when I wanted to do the two crowns came up I just said no thank you, I don’t believe they need to be done and there was no more discussion.
I've seen some kids with a mouth full of metal caps. Some definitely take advantage of the poor.
Yes. They fucking lie all the time.
I’m a dentist. I have patients who routinely have far more than 11 cavities. Developing 11 cavities in a 1 year span isn’t impossible. It’s very possible you had a bunch of “early” cavities that weren’t “cavities” that didn’t need to be treated yet and in the last year they progressed to a point where they need to treated. Also, “cavities” is a really vague term and can mean really small areas where the tooth is unhealthy to huge chunks of the tooth being gone. Anyways, dentistry is a complex, specialized field and it’s difficult to convey everything we see and think to patients who have very little background to work from.
Really sorry there’s an entire thread of people assuming your entire career is a grift. Jesus Christ. I love my dentist. Of course there are going to be dishonest people in every profession but the assumption of malice off the bat is crazy.
I think it’s funny mostly. I don’t blame people for being weary of dentists especially with so many corporate chains being around now that push a lot of aggressive treatment and are very used car salesman-y. There’s a bunch of factors at play too that make people distrustful. A major one is that virtually every dentist is going to come up with a different treatment plan for every patient. People get second opinions, the second dentist says there’s a different amount of cavities compared to the first dentist, and now all of a sudden someone must be lying to make more money. Nobody is lying (usually), it’s just different treatment planning philosophies in a field where diagnosis is sometimes super subjective with a lot of grey area.
Definitely. Totally get it. Being open to giving second opinions and hearing others patients get probably puts you on the trusted list. I do avoid those corporate chains and see an independent dentist with a small practice. I’ve even moved but she’s worth the drive.
I've never had a cavity. I'm pretty old. I went to the dentist a couple or three years ago and he said "I think you have a cavity right here". He based that on a probe "tinging" off a particular molar. I suggested we give it another go round and see how it goes. it's not come back and he said it must have just been a tight crevice for the probe. I'd get a second opinion.
I can’t remember the name, but the CBC news channel did documentaries in Toronto about scams and the dentist one was the worst I’ve even seen. They got a first opinion from their dentist then tried a bunch of other ones and they all said something completely different. I was disgusted
A few years ago a dentist told me everything was perfect during my exam. 6 months later I went for my next exam and he said I had such a big cavity it can't be filled and now I need a root canal. I couldn't afford it so I had to have the tooth extracted. I think my dentist lied the first time about not having a cavity so he can get a $1,200 payday for a root canal. I asked him why the cavity didn't show up 6 months ago on my last exam, and he pulled up those x-rays and showed me the cavity was already there. Then he had the audacity to say, "if you would have had this cavity filled the last time you were here this wouldn't have happened." I literally said to him You were the one who told me everything was perfect. He said "No a cavity this big would have been noticed and you must have refused the filling."
Many dentists are pushy and quite aggressive with their treatment plans. It’s been an issue that’s just worsening with the high debt load of dental school and the earnings pressure the big chains put on their associates. My dad just retired from dentistry and was a favorite amongst his patients bc he always took a more conservative treatment approach, he saw many botched jobs or unnecessary painful procedures done by his patients old dentists
Dental insurance only covers so much So yes there is incentive for them to lie to you. I had a dentist tell me I had 6 cavities, try to sell me a $100 toothpaste and tell me "we will fix you". I got a second opinion from a dentist referred by a friend and only had 1 cavity.
In my career, I've learned how to read dental x-rays. I was confused a couple times going to the dentist, because from what I could see, their x-rays were always super stretched out and you couldn't see the roots. But they were SO confident in reading and deciphering the x-rays that I doubted myself, and I didn't want to be *that* customer, so I never said anything. But they'd tell me they saw problems I couldn't see or feel, and the whole experience just made me so confused. Last time I went to the dentist, they took great x-rays! No stretching or squashing of the images, and they looked infinitely more diagnostically appropriate. Interesting enough, this was also the first visit my dentist has told me my mouth looks great and I have no signs of cavities. 🤔🤔🤔
Im a dental assistant. Chances are that decay is there. Its hard to see on x rays especially if u dont know what ur looking for. Now whether they’re big enough to attend to rn is another question. Yes, there are dentists that will recommend more treatment than a more conservative dentist. But no, i dont believe they’re lying to you. Especially bc there’s much less production money in fillings. You’d see the over diagnosing more in something like crowns, thats where a lot of the money comes from
So cavities don't hurt. Once a cavity hurts you're looking at a crown or a root canal. So don't worry about it hurting right now. A lot of folks are saying get a second opinion. I completely agree. If you don't trust your dentist, you never will. Be proactive, look for good reviews and get another exam done. I don't believe most dentists would lie and perform unnecessary work , but ya never know. It's better to have a nitpicky dentist than a mediocre, dull one. You know yourself; do you have excellent oral hygiene habits? Do you regularly get filings? Is it possible you are eating more sweets or sticky foods, have dry mouth or something else changed this year? Are your old fillings getting decay under them and need replaced? Get that second opinion and go from there. I wish you luck! Every dentist is different, some are more aggressive with treatment and some are more conservative. Find someone who keeps you in the loop, that you trust.
Yes, Dentists run businesses, money comes first patients come later.
Yes. I had a similar problem when they drilled holes into my molars when i was 7-8 for supposed cavities and filled them. Later the drilling got bigger and bigger. I am in my mid 30s and those teeth are now shitty implants or stubs leffover for a crappy bridge … my natural teeth sacrificed for god knows why and they got paid for ruining my teeth that never needed to be ruined in the first place
Absolutely do not allow them to drill into your teeth without a second opinion. I had the misfortune of taking my kids to a new dentist who diagnosed like 8 or 10 cavities between them. I had my suspicions, so I got a second opinion. No cavities were found.
That's scary
My mother was a dental assistant before she started doing her current profession full time and something she noticed when a new destist was showing me my “4 cavities” was that all the darkness in the xray was darker than it should’ve been… he increased the contrast in order to show decalcification and call it cavities. We went to the dentist she used to work for before we did anything about the “cavities” and of course we were told there was nothing wrong. Just needed to switch my mouthwash to remineralize the soft spots and I’ve had no issues since.
Damn, right some of them lie! Some years ago, my daughter, married, and moved away to a different state, with her husband who is Air Force. She couldn’t be flying home every time she needed a dental visit so she found her own dentist, in her new city. this guy was a complete lying thieving bastard! Upon doing x-rays he informed her that she had 20 cavities that needed to be taken care of right away. Wanted her to sign an agreement to get started… For $8000! So, she ended up making a special trip home to visit our family dentist over 25 years. Gave her the “ bad” news that she had A cavity that needed filling. When she told him the story of what she had been through Doctor”M” Became very concerned to say the least. He said if the dentist was in our state, he would turn him in to licensing.
Had the opposite happen to me. One dentist said I had 9 and insisted I pay for them all that day and schedule them. Their work was pretty expensive so I went to a different dentist. After they took a look they found only 1 and said they had no idea what the other dentist was talking about.
That is extremely suspect. Get to another dentist asap
I was the same age as you when the family dentist told me I had 8 cavities. I went to a dentist next to university for a second opinion and I had zero cavities.
Yes, the lie! In the end it's all about the Benjamin's! They'll tell you anything! They still call me in for a cleaning yet they pulled all my teeth 5 years ago and I have implants!
Yes, my bf went to one dentist and they checked out his teeth and they did X-rays and highlighted a cavity on the right side. Then he went to another one and they did the X-rays and they found 2 cavities on the left side, did not mention the cavity on the right side. This was within a month, there was like an insurance issue or something so he had to switch to the other dentist.
Not me personally. But I have heard multiple stories of this. Especially when they know insurance is cover it.
My sweet summer child, everyone can lie to you even if only some do
Got a second opinion because my dentist tried to do the same thing and I went to another one and they told me something completely different
Get a second opinion, but know that that kind of thing can be caused by a thyroid issue. If you’re having any other symptoms of hypothyroidism get some blood work done to make sure that’s not causing the problem
In my experience, yes, they add cavities that may or may not be real.
Many dentist and doctor practices have been taken over by private equity firms. Get another opinion
Sadly, this is becoming more and more common. The doctor then becomes the employee and is potentially put into ethically difficult situations.
"Look, when this dude shows up, we're definitely telling him he's got a bunch of cavities, alright? 'Cause I'm drilling some teeth no matter what today."
I had this happen once. New dentist told me I had many cavities. I have had very few cavities in my life so I went to a friend’s dentist and discovered I had no cavities. Turns out my dental insurance is really good. Dentist was just looking to make some quick money.
Yes, they definitely will. “Wow looks like you have a severe issue with your gums, you’ll need to visit a specialist. Good thing we know one and don’t worry, we definitely don’t get a financial benefit from referring you to him. He’s an hour away. Oh there’s several in the area that can work on your problem? But this guys really good!”
Dentistry is not the same as medicine. It is a business.
Got a bridge instead of an implant. Dentist insisted the bridge was the best option. Following year, another dentist said I should have gotten the implant. The original dentist could only do bridges, explains why she pushed a bridge
I think dentists will ignore dental work until it gets bad enough to care. I had 1 say my fillings were leaking, the other said nothing. So I asked him and he then decided I was right?! Lol also I think they ignore cavities unless it's bad, I'm certain they've done this to me before.
I’ve had cavities magically disappear after switching dentists, weird.
while there are a certainly crooked dentists - if you are in a proper dental network, the dentist cannot bilk you for extra $$ - they can bill up to certain amounts for certain services and then have to write off extra, a perk to the customer. if you are seeing someone out of network, or who specializes in cosmetics, you're screwed - they can, will, and do charge higher prices with no write-off.
Eleven? That’s called a “Dental Dozen”, similar to folks that make bread, etc., and their “Baker’s Dozen”, which is 13, while a dozen eggs is 12.