Visiting the Dentist
May 18, 2009 – 4:29 pmAt my last dentist appointment I came across an interesting paradox of going to the dentist. Your dentist wants to find something wrong with your mouth!
It’s only when they get to pull a tooth, fill a cavity, or do a root canal that they make the big bucks.
This may be true to some extent when seeing any doctor, but not as much as when we visit our dentist. I swear that I’m not an “anti-dentite” by the way!
When visiting an optometrist for example, even if your eye-sight has deteriorated and you need a stronger prescription, you can very easily buy your glasses/contacts elsewhere. Yes you have to pay for the appointment, but unless you are getting Lasik you are done.
Not all dentists are the same, but an experience I had with a one of my previous dentists fits into the “I wanna find something wrong with your teeth” mold.
This particular dentist attempted to convince me that I needed a mouth guard made to combat the effects of grinding your teeth while sleeping. These cost a lot of money and are NOT covered under normal dental insurance. When I went home a few weeks later to visit my family I got a second opinion from the dentist that I had grown up seeing. His verdict- no evidence whatsoever of teeth grinding!
With some diligent cleaning and a lot of luck, I have managed to avoid any serious issues with my teeth and I certainly hope to keep it this way. Anyone else have similar experiences at the dentist???
One Response to “Visiting the Dentist”
I loved my dentist in DC but he said the same thing about the mouth guard! However, I do know that I used to be a teeth-grinder.
By Aliza S on May 18, 2009