Frustrated with trusting dentist, I don't know what is true or just to generate money

[apolostarr]

Frustrated with trusting dentist, I don't know what is true or just to generate money

I've been working on my dental phobia for 5 years now. I am proactive in reading reviews and trying new dentists and getting regular cleanings.
Everything was fine until the lat 2-3 years where I noticed a change in how dentists were working. I also correlated this with Google and Yelp reviews.
More so, all these dentists started out with usual local practice but now they all have fancy interiors, HD intraoral cameras, hd monitors, and other "technology".
I believe seeing anyone who is not a super model with perfect veneers on a HD monitor will show EVERY stain and discoloration. It's as if they adjust the monitor to make the teeth look worse then what it is?

Every new dentist I go to now, in the last 2 years tells me I need 8+ cavities filled and my silver filings replaced because of leakage. Outside of the silver filings in my molars, the other teeth have "soft spots" or precavities that the dentist wants to drill to prevent them from forming into bigger ones.
The "Treatment plans" they print out, all have been between $3,000 to $4,000 of work needed.
I know my teeth very well and have 0 pain or anything bothering me.
They also wanted to do all 8+ all at once, while I was sedated, which makes me nervous because many google reviews I've read are dentists drilling different teeth or around and then billing later.

I am not against getting filings and fixing my teeth, but no dentist can ever give me a straight review, They all say something different and each time. Like I went to one dentist that said I needed 4, I go to a new one, they say i need none. I stayed with that dentist who in 6 months said I needed some random 3-4 cavities done and that I could do nitrous - I told him that makes me very ill and that I need iv sedation - they said "nope, we don't allow our IV guy to come in for ONE hour, it is a waste".

Often times, the total is exactly the max amount my insurance covers...then they tell me to come back in January when it resets to fix the other teeth.

I'm back to the drawing board in researching dentists. I'm making a list to call and get a second opinion because my gut doesn't feel right and I'm getting so anxious. My therapist appointments have been me crying out of frustration that I don't know if any dentist is being honest anymore or if they just want to drill to get treatment done to get more money.

I can't sleep at night because i think my mouth is a ticking time bomb because I don't know anymore, like even though I have no pain or any issues with sensitivity, the crippling anxiety like a monkey on my back that EVERYTHING is going to fall apart. All my teeth are going to break and die and I'll be in a lot of gagging, pain to get them fixed.

I have severe gag reflex and need iv sedation (I don't think an oral pill will be enough to numb my gag reflex) so my pool of dentists is VERY small too choose from because only a handful do an iv sedation.

The worst part is, the best care I've ever received from the oral surgeon who took out my wisdom teeth. If only they did general dentistry.

Any tips or support will be so helpful - but just reading my rant, I appreciate that.

 

[LittleLynnie]

Re: Frustrated with trusting dentist, I don't know what is true or just to generate money

When my long-time dentist retired about 10 years ago, I took my sons to the new dentist who had moved into his practise and kept the old dentist's assistant and hygienist. One son had had a cavity filled at the age of about 10, and the other had had one at about the age of 6. Neither had had any more in the 6 years afterward. When we had our appointment with the new dentist however, he said that one boy needed to have 4 cavities filled and the other needed 6! The very next day, a hygienist visited my younger son's school and he was told that he was in good dental health. And while I know that hygienists aren't as qualified as dentists, I thought that she may have noticed one of the 6 cavities he was supposed to have! I then (on my own dime), visited my mother's dentist and asked him (without explaining that he'd been told he had 4 cavities) how that son's dental health was. He said that his teeth looked great and he had no cavities! Obviously, I never went back to my old dentist's replacement. Instead, I knew that I had to find a dentist who didn't always find work to do. I asked neighbors, friends and work colleagues if their own dentists often told them that everything was fine after paying for just a checkup and cleaning. I then went to a dentist who was honest about the work needed and have been going there ever since. Hopefully, you can do the same. Ask your friends and family if their dentists often (or never) tell them that all is good.

I should also add that when I told this story to a prosthodontist when I needed work on my own teeth, he said that he wasn't surprised at all, and that this happens more often than most people realize. I also mentioned it to a neighbour, who is a dental assistant herself and she told me that the father and son team in her practice work very differently. The father is honest, but the son always "pads the bill" and finds work. He even charges his patients $16 for a small paper cup of Scope "off-the-shelf at Walmart" mouthwash!

 

[comfortdentist]

Re: Frustrated with trusting dentist, I don't know what is true or just to generate money

I've been a dentist for many years and I too see many dentists today treat people like their purpose is to get as much money as possible. I find this disgusting. I have always treated people well and provided the appropriate care.
Any dentist should be able to show you and explain to you what is wrong and how you will benefit from treatment.

 

[apolostarr]

Re: Frustrated with trusting dentist, I don't know what is true or just to generate money

Thank you for the comments. I have been calling for second opinions and have hit another wall.
Dentists that offer IV sedation on their website, no longer offer it and never updated their site - or they just use it for Google clicks?

I have one more place but if they can't see me, I don't know what to do. I don't trust the most recent place I went to and I don't think oral sedation is enough for to numb my gag reflex + anxiety.
I will try surrounding towns, but now I'll be driving further.

I wish more dentists offered iv sedation, there are hundreds of dentists around here and they are getting more boutique/spa-like and expensive without offering more care for patients with needs.

I am so frustrated and tired of this.