Does your Dentist schedule appt. for JUST a cleaning?

[Mr. Laz]

I have a Dentist that i have been seeing for years ... 10-ish years.


They call every so often to remind of needed dental care etc.


This time when they called i said that "Yes" i wanted to schedule an appointment for a cleaning. She said we have you down for full x-rays blah,blah,blah.

I said that i didn't need that right now, just a cleaning.


She basically said 'no, unless you are coming in for a full appointment then don't come in'

*awkward silence*

So i told her "I guess i will just go elsewhere"

She said cheerily "ok , thank you very much"

So they have some kind of minimum for visits? Unless you are spending a certain amount, then don't bother?


I have spent thousands of dollars over the years(crowns,root canal,checkups etc). I have never had a single problem or even missed an appointment.

WTF?


Does your dentist schedule visits for 'just' dental cleaning or do they have some kind of minimum?

I wonder if my guy is having business trouble and just can do small visits.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

nah ... not worth the trouble.

I'll just find another dentist

Be sure to ask if they'll accept you as a patient without xrays. Chances are, they won't.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Guru

Do you not have insurance or something? There is no reason to not get the xrays. That is how they determine that everything is healthy.

My insurance stopped covering dental last year.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by BeeHo

whuddup. dental student here (albeit just a decent one):

minimum x-rays taken are bitewings which show me the crown and broad contacts between the posterior teeth where decay is often found beneath. looking just inside the mouth can be very difficult. also, the bitewings shows me the extent of the decay.


drchristophermorris.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bitewing.jpg


if you have very very good oral hygiene, then you can definitely argue pushing the interval of x-rays to 18 months (even up to years, though not likely).

if you have lots of crowns and composite (tooth colored) and amalgam (silver) fillings, then bitewings once a year is fine. if there's decay underneath the crowns, they may take full mouth x-rays.

if you have very poor oral oral hygiene, then i would get the bitewings once a year. then tell you to fkn brush and floss.

in regards to radiation exposure: dental radiation is a fraction compared to extensive exposure given in hospitals. the shape and length of the x-ray collimator only allows parallel rays to exit and focus on the area where the dentist wants it. fyi: rectangular collimators expose less than circular collimators.

I would be more worried about thyroid cancer than a tumor in the brain ,but there should be a throat shield placed on top of the lead vest. I'm aware there are dental offices that don't do this.

Question: when I get x-rays, why is the little thing in my mouth always so large that the corners bite into the roof of my mouth?

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Question: when I get x-rays, why is the little thing in my mouth always so large that the corners bite into the roof of my mouth?

1 size fits all ... blame all the people with horse faces and huge mouths like John Elway.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Be sure to ask if they'll accept you as a patient without xrays. Chances are, they won't.

maybe, maybe not but my old dentist won't be getting anymore of my money.


congrats to him for sticking to his guns and not letting a patient dictate what health service they wanted.

The nerve of those stupid patients, need to just shut up and do want they are told.

[007]

Well, now that I think about it, mine did that for me once. I had been laid off and couldn't afford Cobra at the time. I told them I wanted my dental cleaning but nothing else and they let me do that.

[Stewie]

I find it funny that people complain about a dentist bill. For the most part it's pretty cheap. Not doing regular checkups, including x-rays, lead to two things. It's either a very expensive procedure or fewer teeth.

As I was told long ago, "If you ignore your teeth they'll go away."

[Bump]

this dude was telling me that he went to one dentist and that dentist told him that he had 8 cavities. He was surprised so he went to another dentist, they took x rays and he had zero cavities. A lot of those mother****ers are crooks.

[bevischief]

I haven't been to one of those butchers since I left the Air Force. Going on about 13 years.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Don't go then

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

I wouldn't want to get radiation X ray every year on my mouth. Every year? **** that. Good way get yourself cancer. Doctors don't like giving patients x rays unless they think its a must.


If a dentist can't look in your mouth with a mirror and see if you actually need an X Ray then America needs better dentist.

You should not be exposed to X ray in your mouth every year. Am pretty sure you are putting yourself at risk if you are. I'm not a doctor or dentist so I could be wrong?

I bet you have really nice teeth.

[Fairplay]

Originally Posted by bevischief

I haven't been to one of those butchers since I left the Air Force. Going on about 13 years.

I bet you have really nice teeth.

[007]

Originally Posted by Stewie

I find it funny that people complain about a dentist bill. For the most part it's pretty cheap. Not doing regular checkups, including x-rays, lead to two things. It's either a very expensive procedure or fewer teeth.

As I was told long ago, "If you ignore your teeth they'll go away."

thats not always true. I had a cavity that couldn't be seen by xrays and the dentist didn't really try to determin the problem until my last visit even though I complained about it at my visit 6 months ago. Turned out that cavity was huge and I had to get a major filling.

Then, the filling wasn't taking so I had to go back in this past week for a better filling and it hurt like hell. I'm fine now but really pissed I have to pay for the same procedure twice when they should have done the better filling the first time.

Actually considering changing dentists for the first time since 1995 because of it.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by Guru

thats not always true. I had a cavity that couldn't be seen by xrays and the dentist didn't really try to determin the problem until my last visit even though I complained about it at my visit 6 months ago. Turned out that cavity was huge and I had to get a major filling.

Then, the filling wasn't taking so I had to go back in this past week for a better filling and it hurt like hell. I'm fine now but really pissed I have to pay for the same procedure twice when they should have done the better filling the first time.

Actually considering changing dentists for the first time since 1995 because of it.

If your dentist can't find a huge cavity and then screws up the procedure the first time around I'd find a new dentist, too.

It doesn't mean to quit going to any dentist, ever. Just find a good one.

[007]

Originally Posted by Stewie

If your dentist can't find a huge cavity and then screws up the procedure the first time around I'd find a new dentist, too.

It doesn't mean to quit going to any dentist, ever. Just find a good one.

he didn't screw it up. He just didn't use the better material for my situation.

As far as your second comment... where did I say anything about not going to the dentist? I said I am considering changing dentists. I would NEVER not go to a dentist.