There aren’t a lot of things we as people can all agree on, but, when it comes to dentists – we can all agree that we wish they were a little bit cheaper. Now, granted, not every dentist visit is going to cost you an arm and a leg, but in most cases, it’s rather expensive to visit the tooth doc. Not to mention the unpleasantness and anxiety a lot of people feel when they have to go and have some dental work done.
On top of all that, we’ve witnessed some unethical moves from certain dentists. We’re talking about a certain group of individuals that aren’t pleased with their already hefty salaries and prices, so they’ve decided to scam their patients into unnecessary treatments and procedures only so they could make some additional money.
We’ve all heard of instances like that. ‘Oh, don’t go visit that one’ is rarely about the competence and skill of the doctor, but much rather about their approach and, if we can call it that way, business model. It has become so widespread, that people have once again started avoiding dentists and neglecting their dental health because they already know won’t be able to afford all of it.
Now, we have to say that not all dentists are the same. Of course, there are still a lot of great stomatologists who adequately do their jobs and who put the health of their patients in the first place above everything else. As a matter of fact, they’re the majority of the oral medicine practitioners, but as we know, all it takes is a few bad seeds to gain a bad rep.
Today we’ve decided to talk about how you can spot if your dentist is trying to rip you off. Now, keep in mind, in some cases, some of the ‘signs’ and ‘red flags’ we’re about to talk about can be actual problems you need to take care of, but don’t worry, we’ll tell you how to differentiate the two. Let’s get started.
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They Advise Sudden And Expensive Treatments
If you have never had any problems with your teeth or gums, hearing you need to suddenly undergo a several, quite expensive treatments sounds quite strange. That’s because it probably is. In most cases, people who have never struggled with any dental issues don’t usually develop them all of a sudden.
If you go for your yearly appointment and your doctor informs you that you’ll need to take several treatments for your condition – it’s probably better to ask for another opinion. You can never be quite certain because there are some conditions that you can’t notice yourself, but in most cases, this is just a ploy for a dentist to make some extra money.
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They Advise You To Whiten Your Teeth
All of us enjoy seeing a bright, white smile and most of us that don’t have one would like one. However, if you walk into a dentist’s office and they advise you to get your teeth whitened – it’s probably time to find a new one. Any responsible dentist, like www.mynazarethdentist.com would never recommend teeth whitening.
In most cases, they advise against it because it’s a procedure that undoubtedly damages your teeth to some extent and most of them will inform you of that beforehand and if you still decide to proceed with it – they’ll perform the procedure. On the other hand – if they recommend it – move along. They’re only in it for the money.
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They Advise Replacing All Your Fillings
There’s nothing more popular in ranks of scammer dentists then diagnosing their patients with non-existent cavities. You can’t tell whether you have cavities or not if there’ no pain or any obvious signs, so if your dentist suddenly finds multiple cavities and advises that you get fillings done right away – you should ask for a second opinion.
In addition to finding non-existent cavities, some are also suggesting their patients to replace all of their existing fillings. More often than not they’ll say that the existing ones are damaged and could potentially leak mercury into your teeth or mouth. If you hear this, don’t be scared. There’s no scientific evidence that the mercury from an older filling can enter your body.
You could, however, be in need of some fillings, so instead of simply dismissing the suggestion – we’d advise looking for another opinion.
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They Advise Deep Cleaning
Chances are you have never heard of deep teeth cleaning. That’s because it’s a procedure that is usually performed on those with periodontal problems or gum infections. Unless you’re suffering from one of these, there’s absolutely no need for you to undergo this expensive procedure.
This one is almost never covered by insurance and it will set you back almost a thousand dollars if you go through with it. If you’re in for regular cleaning, they could try and persuade you to do a deep one. Don’t let them.
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They Have Deals And Specials
There is one thing a reliable dentist office won’t ever do and that’s offer a deal or a discount. You’re not in a supermarket or at a shopping mall – you’re in the doctor’s office. There are no spring sales or end of the summer discounts – the prices always stay the same.
If you do stumble upon a dental practice that offers deal and discounts – in most cases that’s just a ploy to get a patient in the seat for a ‘free check-up’ and they inform them that they need multiple cavities filled along with deep cleaning session. Don’t fall for this trick.
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They Recommend You Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Another thing money-hungry dentists like to do is try and convince you that you need a fluoride toothpaste (which they sell, of course) because the over-the-counter one is just not cutting it.
Now, unless you’re a child – there’s absolutely no need for you to use fluoride toothpaste. There’s more than enough fluoride in the regular toothpaste – don’t let them fool you into becoming your toothpaste supplier.
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They Try And Sell You A Nightguard
To be fair, a lot of people grind their teeth in their sleep and some of them could use a nightguard to protect them, but unless you have serious tooth damage or constant jaw pain – you’re not a serious enough grinder to need an $ 800 nightguard. Don’t fall for this scam.
As you can tell, it’s easy to fool people with these methods because we’re taught to trust our doctors and not question their ethics or methods. However, sometimes you need to trust your judgment instead. A sudden need for a nightguard and 6 cavities in one year don’t really sound right – right?
