We switched to a new high tech dentist because we got insurnace. Says all teeth need resin restoration, why?

I don't know what this is and I'm wondering if this is normal. My son never had a cavity -- he did go a year without teeth cleaning but he's always had good dentistry. He does smoke but I'm wondering if this guy saw us coming because I agreed to pay for my son's dental work for Christmas since he has no health insurance/dental insurance at his job.

We switched to a new high tech dentist because we got insurnace. Says all teeth need resin restoration, why?
Hi! I've been in dentistry for over 20 years and I really hate when people think like this. I'm sorry you feel that way. I would hope that most dentists are honest and caring people, and I resent doctors who take advantage.


I would do this. You can sit down with him and ask him to explain this in detail. Have him write down a complete treatment plan and what HAS to be done. Obviously he took a full set of xrays. Now you can do 1 of 2 things. Trust him after you have a heart to heart, or go for a second opinon. I think you may not be satisfied unless you do that.


Often I give people 3 treament plans. The 1 st is the Hollywood treatment. The 2nd is, what needs to be done to eventually get there and 3) what has to be done now to get the mouth healthy and functionally properly. Hollywood can always come later. People appreciate the honesty. And sometimes it is better to work towards a goal, then rush into a pricy treatment plan off the top.


Also, YOUR insurance is limited, so JUST do WHAT HAS to be done to avoid any problems in the future. The idea is to stop any further break downs that would lead to root canals, crowns, loss of teeth or gum problems. So start with a serious cleaning and go from there. Do the most important now and budget for the others as they must get done.


I have no problem with people asking me if this has to be done. And also, I have many people that can not do the top of the line, so I throw in free fillings. After all, if 2-3 teeth side by side need fillings, I numb the whole area and do them all. Then I charge 1/2 price for all. Ask the dentist if he would consider a discount if you do more dental work at each visit, rather then 1 or 2 at a time. I also do a budget plan where I bill the patient monies each month for 1 year. With the exception of lab work, most dentistry is in house, so for a good patient that really needs it and has Zero monies, I do almost free dentistry on my down time. I do this. If a patient cancels, I lose that time. IF another patient can run in right away and fill that time that has NO ins., then I charge less or very little. Just to cover my overhead and assistant. Ask him about that. There are always options. Good luck, I hope this helped you. ~M
Reply:Get a second opinion! You can also have the dentist submit a pre-authorization to your insurance company before doing the work. You may end up paying quite a bit out of pocket (even with insurance) if the insurance doesn't cover the resin restorations. Smoking may cause gum problems but not decay. Lot's of greedy dentists out there!
Reply:I have been a dentist for 23 years and am bothered by both unethical dentists as well as, to put this nicely, less than intelligent patients. (I’m not necessarily talking about you here, please_count_p)


Having said that, I have a few questions for you first before offering my opinion.





First of all, why would you switch to a “high tech dentist” if your son never had a cavity and “he’s always had good dentistry”? What was wrong with the previous dentist? Also, what made you think your son needed high tech dentistry? You say you switched to a high tech dentist because you got insurance but at the same time you say you are paying for your son’s dental work because he doesn’t have dental insurance. I can assure you a “high tech” dentist definitely costs more than your garden variety dentist. Finally, what makes this dentist “high tech”? What equipment does he have or services to offer that your previous dentist lacked??





Regarding the dentist: GET A SECOND OPINION!!! You were told that ALL your son’s teeth need resin restorations. All of them. Not one tooth is to be spared? This alone should have sent you running. On top of that, this is the treatment plan for a kid who has never had a single cavity. How many red flags do you need?





I’m sorry for being so terse but you have hit a nerve here. (Pun intended.)



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