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Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

arstechnica.com

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Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#61

Post by thefaux »

SteveNuts wrote: post #8
eastbound wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and fees. But are checkups themselves backed by evidence? Unless you say “It hurts there”, will the dentist find anything on their own?

> will the dentist find anything on their own? In my experience they always find something that they "have time to take care of right now if you want". I've heard anecdotes of folks going to get second opinions that reaches a different conclusion.

Yeah, I didn't go to the dentist for a few years when I was in grad school and had no insurance. My first visit with a new dentist he informs me I had three cavities. I had no pain but just thought it was prudent to get checked out. I went ahead with the fillings and he nicked a nerve. For days I was in horrible pain and just assumed that was what happened when you had a filling. A few years later I started experiencing extreme shooting pains in the side of my mouth. Then an abscess formed. It turned out the tooth was dying and I had go get a root canal (which actually wasn't that bad).

The root canal was eight years ago. I brush and floss twice a day (brushing without flossing feels weird to me now). I haven't been to the dentist since before the pandemic and my teeth feel completely fine.

Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#62

Post by kart23 »

rootusrootus wrote: post #38
kart23 wrote: post #29

Isn't flossing not supported by science also, but all the news articles said you should keep flossing?

Yes, flossing cannot be proven to help. But it cannot be proven to hurt, either, so current recommendations are to do it anyway.

I still floss because I think its gross and I have bad gaps in some of my teeth, but I think flossing can also cause harms, for example some floss has PFAS in it.

https://www.consumerreports.org/toxic-chemicals-substances/d...

Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#63

Post by kelnos »

jebarker wrote: post #9
krackers wrote: post #2

Other outdated yet still routine dental practices include polishing of teeth during checkups for any justification other than cosmetic reasons

My bugbear with dentists in the US (after living my first 30 years in the UK) is that they all continually hassle me to have my wisdom teeth removed. Said teeth have never caused me any problems and are all through the gums. I can only assume it's dogma or an opportunity to bill insurance for costly unnecessary surgery.

It's so odd how experiences vary on this. I'm in my 40s (in the US) and still have all four of my wisdom teeth. When I was a young adult, my dentist told me that they were all intact, and (over time) not moving, so there was no reason to do anything with them. I've gone through a few other dentists in other places since then, and no dentist (including a recent one I had that annoyed me by recommending harmless but unnecessary procedures so they could pad their bill for my insurance) has ever pushed me to get my wisdom teeth removed. When I've started as a new patient at a new practice, they've noted I still have them, and after I say "yup, they've been stable since I was a kid, and cause me no pain", they immediately move on and don't bring it up again.

Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#64

Post by axus »

I like looking at the Xrays of my teeth, it's fun. Current dentist will talk about the status of problem teeth, and maybe after a few years think it gets worse and needs to be filled, or the fluoride took care of it. Seems a little extra, but it's safe.

Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#65

Post by criddell »

kart23 wrote: post #29

Isn't flossing not supported by science also, but all the news articles said you should keep flossing?

If flossing lowers the risk of certain types of gum disease and certain types of gum disease are associated with Alzheimer’s, then maybe flossing is (indirectly) good for your brain.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/good-oral-healt...

Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#66

Post by addicted »

codr7 wrote: post #59
tdeck wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least fouride rinses provide some benefit. Although you can get much more benefit from buying a bottle of Act and rinsing with it every day.

[flagged]

Fluoride may potentially have some negative effects but we’ve been drinking Florida red water across the world for several decades and different countries have added fluoridation at different times etc, and it’s hard to see any severe effect that would qualify it as anything close to “madness”.

Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#68

Post by Supermancho »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #23
galleywest200 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not OP, but I have only ever had the type of dental x-ray where they stick the L-shaped plastic into your mouth and make your bite down while they take photos. I had no idea there were others.

The original machine I used looked like a TSA body scanner but for your head. Somehow it hit plates that were developed into an image the dentist could present to me.

I have had both types, within the same office, over time.

Re: Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

#69

Post by Supermancho »

rootusrootus wrote: post #38
kart23 wrote: post #29

Isn't flossing not supported by science also, but all the news articles said you should keep flossing?

Yes, flossing cannot be proven to help. But it cannot be proven to hurt, either, so current recommendations are to do it anyway.

> Yes, flossing cannot be proven to help.

It's demonstrable that something like a bean skin, lodged in your teeth, will erode the teeth touching it.

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