Elizabeth86 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) Did needs some dental work. We saw a dentist and we also got a second opinion. One dentist said she need crowns on all 8 molars. The other dentist said she needs 4 fillings and 1 crown. I'm just not sure why one dentist wants to put crowns on 3 teeth that he other dentist didn't even think needed anything done to them. I am feeling like someone is trying to rip us off. The difference in the bill would be about $2,000. 😬😭😕 ETA I'm just posting to vent because I'm annoyed. Edited January 21, 2020 by Elizabeth86 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 Just now, happysmileylady said: As someone who has a mouth full of dental work, did they not show you the x-rays and explain what parts were being worked on and why X treatment is better than Y or vice versa? How old is the DD? Not really. They looked it over and just wrote up a treatment plan. I know for sure she has 5 cavities, I can see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) I agree that you should know exactly why a dentist is proposing something, but keep in mind that a 3rd dentist will give you a third opinion - and none of them could be wrong. They all have their own ideas about treatments and how aggressively to treat things so it kind of comes down to you and how you are and what you can afford and what is absolutely necessary within your budget. fwiw, unless they are baby teeth (for which I would still hesitate), I would be very hesitant to put a multiple crowns on a child’s teeth for something that could be regular-sized fillings. That’s permanently changing the tooth and crowns don’t last forever. But I’m definitely a wait-and-see kind of person. Edited January 21, 2020 by Ailaena 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Likely she'll need all of those crowns eventually, but if one dentist is telling her just fillings and one crown, it may be that all aren't essential yet. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 When we moved here, we tried one dentist, We used him for about 3 years and we left not because we thought that he was doing unnecessary work but because we did not like the office atmosphere which had changed from not great to bad. When we did the move, both one of my daughter's and I had teeth that the last dentist had said we needed fillings done. I chose a new dentist based on his knowledge of Sjogren's Syndrome and that he had a brand new office building where he had LED lights not fluorescent as the previous dentist (i cannot tolerate fluorescent lights due to my lupus which flares with exposure to it). i transferred the xray records and was seen by him. He said I didn't need any new fillings at that time and neither did my daughter. We all use him now, even though he does not participate in any dental insurance plan, because he is conservative in his treatment recommendations, does a good job, never tries to upsell us with anything- even though he does offer whitening treatments- and is quite knowledgeable and up to date. I would definitely not go with dentist #1. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 3 hours ago, TravelingChris said: When we moved here, we tried one dentist, We used him for about 3 years and we left not because we thought that he was doing unnecessary work but because we did not like the office atmosphere which had changed from not great to bad. When we did the move, both one of my daughter's and I had teeth that the last dentist had said we needed fillings done. I chose a new dentist based on his knowledge of Sjogren's Syndrome and that he had a brand new office building where he had LED lights not fluorescent as the previous dentist (i cannot tolerate fluorescent lights due to my lupus which flares with exposure to it). i transferred the xray records and was seen by him. He said I didn't need any new fillings at that time and neither did my daughter. We all use him now, even though he does not participate in any dental insurance plan, because he is conservative in his treatment recommendations, does a good job, never tries to upsell us with anything- even though he does offer whitening treatments- and is quite knowledgeable and up to date. I would definitely not go with dentist #1. Yeah, our old dentist was definitely conservative in treatment options and was all around wonderful, but he just retired and finding another like him has been impossible. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 5 hours ago, klmama said: Likely she'll need all of those crowns eventually, but if one dentist is telling her just fillings and one crown, it may be that all aren't essential yet. Right, and if she needs them later that's fine too. We do not have dental insurance, so if she needs them later, I'd rather pay later. I didn't mention in the original post, but she will be under anesthesia because we have tried twice to get work done and she is terrified and won't let it happen. She's 4. I'm not sure if I mentioned that either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 5 hours ago, Ailaena said: I agree that you should know exactly why a dentist is proposing something, but keep in mind that a 3rd dentist will give you a third opinion - and none of them could be wrong. They all have their own ideas about treatments and how aggressively to treat things so it kind of comes down to you and how you are and what you can afford and what is absolutely necessary within your budget. fwiw, unless they are baby teeth (for which I would still hesitate), I would be very hesitant to put a multiple crowns on a child’s teeth for something that could be regular-sized fillings. That’s permanently changing the tooth and crowns don’t last forever. But I’m definitely a wait-and-see kind of person. Yep, they are all baby teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emba Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 With the added information about age/anesthesia I personally would go with the less invasive option for sure. But I also agree with pp that your dentist should be showing you the X-ray and clearly explaining the options. If you can afford it a third opinion might be worth getting if only for the chance to find a better dentist for your family. But ask around if you can with people you know and ask them specifically about how well the dentist explains things. I don’t go to medical professionals who don’t have time to explain things to me if I can help it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) 31 minutes ago, happysmileylady said: You for sure need a new dentist. And if these previous ones were not, make sure you are at a pediatric dentist who has lots of experience with high anxiety kids. Yes. A good pediatric dentist is worth their weight in gold. My girls see one because I was terrified of the dentist as a child (...and adult). And -- as someone with genetically bad teeth and a mouthful of work (and no dental insurance -- yikes!) -- hugs to your DD. Teeth probs suck. Edited January 21, 2020 by alisoncooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I’m so sorry for your dd. I truly despise when my kids have dental work done. It gives ME anxiety! Although I think I hide it pretty darn well. 🙂 I know you just needed to vent, but I’ll tell you our experience. First, I’d find a dentist who’s willing to tell and show you what and why things need to be done. We’ve moved a lot and seen many dentists and our kids have had work, so I can probably guess on the filling vs crown thing. Generally speaking, fillings are easier and more conservative. But, don’t last as long. So for example, my ds had a filling at about age 5 that had deteriorated and had to be redone just last week at age 11. ☹️So ime molars are more likely to get crowns because they fall out last and have longer potential for those fillings to break down. Also location of the cavity matters. If it’s on the surface only, they’re more likely to do a filling. If it’s in between the teeth, more likely for a crown. But really I’d want all of this explained to me! I like the conservative approach, but I want to know if the cavity is so deep it’s about to hit the nerve, or if it’s on the side where it could hurt a healthy tooth, or if it’s small and just needs a wait and see approach. These things should all be explained, imo, and a good dentist will. again, I’m sorry you and your dd are going through this. It sucks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 In my totally limited experience, dentistry is a bit of an art. I wouldn't assume one dentist was trying to rip you off necessarily (though I wouldn't preclude it either). I think it's more that different dentists have different procedures that they think have better outcomes long term and there's not complete agreement about which procedures are best in exactly what circumstances. For this, I'm with others that less invasive for a little kid and baby teeth certainly sounds better. But I agree that you should get them - and maybe another opinion - to actually explain their reasoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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