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Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

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Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#291

Post by ryanklee »

floppydiskette wrote: post #96
tbran wrote: post #77

A compelling book on tooth care is Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye by Ellie Phillips. It advocates for: - Using flouride toothpaste. - Using a combo of bad-bacteria-killing mouthwash and flouride mouthwash (especially before bed). - Eating or finishing meals with tooth-protective foods. - Chewing xylitol [0] gum or mints. Xylitol is a sugar-replacement (with a lower insulin response) found in plants . I think Epic Dental h…

> You can solve this while sleeping by taping your lips together. Uh...what? Nobody is going to do that.

I do this

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#292

Post by reedjosh »

technothrasher wrote: post #274
reedjosh wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously! Grains, sugars, and alcohol are pretty much no-nos if you want to have teeth when you're older. I've had a dentist comment on how he wished he had so few issues. I brush like once a day just for hygiene/bad breath or whatnot, and that's pretty much it. Without the sugars and starches, the bacteria that would cause cavities just don't cause cavities.

> I've had a dentist comment on how he wished he had so few issues. Ok, but your anecdote doesn’t really say much. I’ve had a dentist tell me that too, and I intake plenty of sugar, grains, and alcohol. Haven’t had a cavity or other major dental issue in 38 years. I brush twice a day and floss once, and only sporadically see a dentist.

Fair enough...

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#293

Post by kcplate »

bombcar wrote: post #257
kcplate wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is my hack… Caveat: I have a couple of “Cadillac” dental insurance plans due to great employee benefit packages for both me and my wife. So they cover quite a bit. I just tell the hygienist before I get in the chair that if my insurance doesn’t cover it, I won’t be doing it, and don’t even suggest it. Generally that stops the upselling.

Hygienist: "Let me check your plan, we'll do everything covered" is probably what they hear.

Which is fine by me.

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#294

Post by JoshTko »

tbran wrote: post #90
JoshTko wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Daily mouthwash is a horrible idea. Mouthwash contains Corsodyl which has been shown to increase blood pressure. Regularly blasting any part of your body with a harsh antiseptic is probably a bad idea. It took us decades to realize that antibiotics messes up our gut floura, I'm sure we'll see similar consequence for mouth bacteria with mouthwash.

This is wrong. You didn't read the linked resources. I just checked, and neither of the mouthwashes I use have Corsodyl as active or inactive ingredients. Also, uh, don't drink your mouthwash, spit it out. Since everything we do has tradeoffs, I'm okay with using an antiseptic that is spit then rinsed (per the routine) if I'm going to eat ice cream and bread.

An intuitive analogy is your gut is like a rainforest. It's hard for any one species to become overly dominant since it's a very dynamic system with many species that have optimized to even specific tree species. However in extreme environments like the Arctic there are only a handful of species as the environment is unfriendly to all. Antibiotic is akin to burning down a rainforest which does get rid of a few bad species, but also creates all the other species that keep the bad species in check. Post fire if a bad species is the first to take hold the entire area is fucked.

Your mouth has it's own floura. Sure you can blast everything away but eventually you'll be far more securable to some alcohol (or whatever antiseptic) resistant bad bug and you will get very sick for a very long time.

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#295

Post by david-gpu »

matwood wrote: post #259
corry wrote: post #136

Ah this article put the finger on why I don't trust my 'new dentist': The operation is just too slick from a business POV. As someone familiar with SaaS or in general this kind of recurring business model, you can sense all the little operational policies and procedures designed to increase your LTV. It's a well-oiled machine. Without fail, the hygienist recommends cleaning not once every 12 months or even every 6 mo…

I hate going to the dentist for this reason. It used to be they cleaned your teeth fixed any issues, come back in 6 mos. Now, I feel like they make up issues, they have cleaning or super cleaning - how about just do the damn cleaning, etc… A couple years ago I had one recommend putting on a crown on a back molar. I asked why b/c I had no pain and they couldn’t really explain. Every other dentist I’ve been to since ne…

Sonicare specifically, or electric toothbrushes in general? I have an old Braun electric toothbrush and it seems to work well, but I could switch brands next time.

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#296

Post by zaphod12 »

WalterBright wrote: post #225
corry wrote: post #136

Ah this article put the finger on why I don't trust my 'new dentist': The operation is just too slick from a business POV. As someone familiar with SaaS or in general this kind of recurring business model, you can sense all the little operational policies and procedures designed to increase your LTV. It's a well-oiled machine. Without fail, the hygienist recommends cleaning not once every 12 months or even every 6 mo…

When I was 21, my dentist recommended removal of my wisdom teeth. I asked why, he said because they are difficult to clean, and so I'd lose them anyway by 30. I switched dentists. I'm old now, still have those teeth, and they are the healthiest teeth in my mouth. If you want to keep your teeth, 1. get an electric toothbrush 2. brush for the full 2 minutes, twice a day 3. floss twice a day, gently (overdoing it will e…

There is no reason to floss twice daily. This doesn't even really make sense - what would you be flossing out in the morning upon waking?

Flossing once per day is plenty.

You also need not use a 'rubber pointy thing' - proper flossing goes just below the gum line and will get everything you need removed.

Super agree that you should get an electric, though. Heck, I switched from an oral-b to a phillips sonicare and my staining improved enormously, but that's really just cosmetic. ymmv.

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#297

Post by musicale »

The gratuitous nature of it doesn't bother me as much as the issue that dentistry doesn't seem to have arrived at the 21st century yet.

If you break a finger, the orthopedist doesn't usually give you a finger canal that removes all of the nerves, blood vessels, and bone marrow and replaces it with some kind of resin composite.

Though I guess they are into expensive and horribly invasive hip and knee replacements.

It seems that minimally invasive dentistry is a thing - hopefully it will catch on.

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#298

Post by fomine3 »

cardanome wrote: post #196
edouard-harris wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup. In fact, a great hack is to go to an inexperienced dentist instead of an experienced one for routine work. The reason is that dentists who are fresh out of school are competent enough to do basic cleanings and checkups. But they haven't yet had time to accrete the expensive habits, and the little business optimizations that feed them, that highly-paid professionals often develop. I generally switch dentists ever…

Here in Germany it is actually the really old dentists that can be trusted. They were not raised to think business oriented. Though most of them have have retired by now. My old childhood dentist used to do the absolutely necessary. He just cared about keeping my teeth healthy and not putting me under unnecessary stress. He did not even remove my wisdom teeth. When he retired the new doc would simply maximize the amo…

> In Germany doctors used to be basically paid from a fixed budged.

Fixed budget for what? A patient or a case?

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#299

Post by matwood »

david-gpu wrote: post #295
matwood wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate going to the dentist for this reason. It used to be they cleaned your teeth fixed any issues, come back in 6 mos. Now, I feel like they make up issues, they have cleaning or super cleaning - how about just do the damn cleaning, etc… A couple years ago I had one recommend putting on a crown on a back molar. I asked why b/c I had no pain and they couldn’t really explain. Every other dentist I’ve been to since ne…

Sonicare specifically, or electric toothbrushes in general? I have an old Braun electric toothbrush and it seems to work well, but I could switch brands next time.

Not sure it has to be that exact brand, but those that do the fast vibration style different from ones that just spin a brush.

Re: Dentistry is less scientific and more gratuitous than people think (2019)

#300

Post by azinman2 »

azinman2 wrote: post #200

My father is a periodontist turned attorney. AFAIK, he actually started the specialty of dental malpractice. I grew up seeing a lot of destroyed mouths and people suffering. I’ve learned from him that over treatment and bad quality work is shockingly common. Part of the reason is how dentistry is taught in this country: people take out very expensive loans for dental school, so they want to start practicing right awa…

Turns out my dad represented Zeidler in his suit against Lund!
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