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I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

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Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#381

Post by [deleted] »

microtonal wrote: post #62
leoqa wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a similar experience, got up sold on more frequent cleanings and they always found something to iterate on. I took their offer once to fill a “potential infection” and then recognized the pattern. They probably legitimately think the tooth may decay further - it probably won’t and you probably don’t need pre-emptive correction but they make more money and “fix” the problem for you so they may not see the ethica…

Frequent cleanings are nice though. As an avid tea drinker it's nice to have white teeth again once or twice a year. The insurance covers most of the cost, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

[deleted]

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#382

Post by UncleMeat »

Etrnl_President wrote: post #263
jasonwatkinspdx wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is very true. I had a SO with severe chronic gastric pain and they got passed around by doctors for years. One jerk wrote "drug seeking behavior" into her file and that made things even worse. Finally someone took her seriously, got imagery done, and discovered surgery was necessary. In US healthcare you have to be your own advocate and be willing to push. The system breaks down if you don't have a routine and o…

Now imagine doing this on Canadian healthcare, having to wait months or years for each appointment, and nowadays they try to talk you into MAID to save resources…

I live in the US. I am a software engineer making more than a half a million annually. I have access to tremendous resources and can advocate for myself and my family. I live in a college town because of my wife's career. It is not a big city, but is also not rural middle of nowhere.

Getting a routine gynecological appointment for my wife any time in the next six months is impossible. I gave up on trying to get an appointment with an allergist for myself, even after getting a referral. What you describe is common in the US too, even for those with means. I cannot imagine what it is like for somebody who doesn't have money and insurance.

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#383

Post by woliveirajr »

basisword wrote: post #164
Waterluvian wrote: post #47

My son when 3 had a fall and a few teeth were bent. Went to our local dentist who mostly had a wait and see opinion. But then calls a day later and says they’ve decided they should just come out. Two top front teeth. Would have no top front teeth for years. I went into engineer mode and while I acknowledged I didn’t have domain expertise, I asked questions and probed the whole situation. Very unsatisfactory, meanderi…

>> I’m not a conspiracy nut. I believe in listening to experts (but ultimately making an informed decision). I believe in modern medicine. But that experience shook me and forever changed my trust in the dental industry. Ask anybody who’s experienced a “chronic” illness about the “experts” and they’ll tell you a tale or two. The experts are great until they have a case that is unusual. The don’t have the time or know…

This. But the deep trouble kicks in when you're prescribed some treatment (a wrong one), your situation gets worst, and then the next "expert" has to deal with the original condition plus the new symptoms.

Sometimes (when possible) you just reset yourself: stop all medications for some days, so that the collateral effects are gone and you're left with the original condition (aggravated, of course, because you left the one medication that was working with the 3 others that were just giving you wrong symptoms), and then another "expert" begins from the "start".

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#384

Post by iancmceachern »

tonyarkles wrote: post #312
iancmceachern wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The same is true for healthcare generally in my experience. Very bad advice is often given. I have seen this in my personal life time and again. I have seen it in my professional life time and again. The only way though the mine field is to take personal ownership over your Healthcare, you need to learn more about what ailes you than the doctors know. You need to be confident in this knowledge enough to challenge th…

[Canadian here, for context] > The only way though the mine field is to take personal ownership over your Healthcare Shortly after graduating from university, when I no longer had access to student health, I started hunting for a regular family physician. The guy I found... my first "let's get to know each other/annual physical" kind of appointment he said "Look, I don't know if you noticed but there are a lot of peo…

Damn right!

He know the realities of the system and is doing his best to get his patients good care.

It's like my first day of high school. I had a history teacher. The entire first class of history in high school was devoted to knowing yourself. He told us in basic terms how our bodies worked, that we shouldn't try to dp homework after a big meal, how we should use our resources, how we should be respectful, how learning the laws and history of our country could personally impact or protect us from injustice.

He treated us like equal human beings he truly wanted to help, not just work he had to do that day.

You're doctor did the same, blessings on him.

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#385

Post by iancmceachern »

User23 wrote: post #336
iancmceachern wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The same is true for healthcare generally in my experience. Very bad advice is often given. I have seen this in my personal life time and again. I have seen it in my professional life time and again. The only way though the mine field is to take personal ownership over your Healthcare, you need to learn more about what ailes you than the doctors know. You need to be confident in this knowledge enough to challenge th…

This is true for every kind of professional including realtors, lawyers, and financial advisors, just to name a few. At the end of the day everyone you hire is just doing a job, and it’s on you to learn enough to know that they are doing it to your satisfaction.

True, but those professionals don't take the hippocratic oath.

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#386

Post by goostavos »

ornornor wrote: post #246
Waterluvian wrote: post #47

My son when 3 had a fall and a few teeth were bent. Went to our local dentist who mostly had a wait and see opinion. But then calls a day later and says they’ve decided they should just come out. Two top front teeth. Would have no top front teeth for years. I went into engineer mode and while I acknowledged I didn’t have domain expertise, I asked questions and probed the whole situation. Very unsatisfactory, meanderi…

I feel like dentistry in particular is one of the least rigorous of medical sciences. From my point of view (patient), I feels like dentists base their treatment recommendations on how much kickback they’re getting from medical corporations (Invisalign anyone?) and biased papers. I wonder why dentistry is so far removed from the rest of the medical profession on this. Not that MDs are immune to the above but it feels…

Invisalign works pretty well, though. I'm pretty pleased it was "pushed" on me. I had some messed up teeth. 12 months of trays later and I my teeth are more or less in the right place now.

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#387

Post by [deleted] »

adamredwoods wrote: post #101

I have many dentist anecdotes (I switch dentists often), and generally don't believe what dentists tell me. My first suspicion began when one told me to floss more, so I flossed daily for an entire year. When I went back in after six months, they told me to floss more. I told then I had flossed daily for an entire year and they did not believe me. I went to another dentist and they were impressed by my teeth from my…

[deleted]

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#388

Post by TheFreim »

adamredwoods wrote: post #101

I have many dentist anecdotes (I switch dentists often), and generally don't believe what dentists tell me. My first suspicion began when one told me to floss more, so I flossed daily for an entire year. When I went back in after six months, they told me to floss more. I told then I had flossed daily for an entire year and they did not believe me. I went to another dentist and they were impressed by my teeth from my…

> My first suspicion began when one told me to floss more, so I flossed daily for an entire year. When I went back in after six months, they told me to floss more.

Despite the fact that I haven't changed my dental practices in as long as I can remember I get told different things every time I go. One time they tell me I need to be better about brushing, next time I need to floss more. Most recently, again I haven't changed my habits at all, they said I'm doing a great job and shouldn't change my practices at all.

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#389

Post by pfisherman »

basisword wrote: post #164
Waterluvian wrote: post #47

My son when 3 had a fall and a few teeth were bent. Went to our local dentist who mostly had a wait and see opinion. But then calls a day later and says they’ve decided they should just come out. Two top front teeth. Would have no top front teeth for years. I went into engineer mode and while I acknowledged I didn’t have domain expertise, I asked questions and probed the whole situation. Very unsatisfactory, meanderi…

>> I’m not a conspiracy nut. I believe in listening to experts (but ultimately making an informed decision). I believe in modern medicine. But that experience shook me and forever changed my trust in the dental industry. Ask anybody who’s experienced a “chronic” illness about the “experts” and they’ll tell you a tale or two. The experts are great until they have a case that is unusual. The don’t have the time or know…

One thing that I think people need to understand is the distinction between science and the practice of medicine.

The practice of medicine is not science. The practice of medicine can be informed by science - to a degree that is almost entirely up to the practitioner. ; but it remains more art than science. The distinction is similar to that between an aviation maintenance and aerospace engineering.

Sometimes doctors are just out of their depth.

Re: I went to 50 different dentists: almost all gave a different diagnosis (1997)

#390

Post by dudeinhawaii »

I once had a troubling experience with a dentist who urged me to get a root canal for a tooth that appeared healthy. Despite the tooth only exhibiting some sensitivity to hot and cold, the dentist warned that I would be in severe pain within weeks, deeming the procedure critical. However, they couldn't provide any substantial evidence through X-rays or other means to support this claim.

I decided to trust my instincts (weird pushy vibe from the dentist) and wait. Eight months later, I started seeing a new dentist who performed a full set of X-rays and new patient scans. They found that my teeth were in good shape and made no mention of needing a root canal. The sensitivity I had initially experienced had also completely vanished.

The entire ordeal led me to view dentistry in a new light. It reminded me that in many specialized trades, you're often at the mercy of the professionals in that field. Whether it's a dentist or any other specialist, there's always the risk that their profit motive might influence their advice or actions. Finding trustworthy specialists of any kind is tricky; more so when the economy is faltering.

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