Community Chat

[Snowpuppy]

I once had a hygienist leave me in the chair, call my insurance co and then come back to the chair to announce that I needed to have "deep cleaning" below the gum line. I said I'll pass today and then discuss my deep cleaning needs on my next visit.

She screamed at me "don't you care if all your teeth fall out"?

That was in 1996. Still have every tooth in my head the Good Lord gave me.

[ivey]

On 1/21/2014 beammeupscottie said:

If they had done the first root canal correctly there should not have been a need for another...am I right?

Anyway, once you lose faith in any medical provider don't be afraid to move on.

Yes, done in this office--but not by this dentist. Root canals can have bacteria gather at the "root" even though there is no feeling there. The deposit can eventually cause pain, and of course, they had to remove the crown to get to the source in the dentist's office. Then I had to go to the oral surgeon twice to have the epicoectomies to get to the infection. Not so funny thing, they have suggested several procedures in the past on different teeth and I wouldn't have them done--then the next time I went in, they didn't even mention them. If you saw the number of employees this dentist has, you'd understand their push. He's got too many mouths to feed!

[gubby1]

As a hygienist for 25 years and a clinical instructor at a hygiene program,I must comment. The work that we do is prescribed by the DDS. The need for xrays and "deep cleaning" is prescribed by the DDS. The "deep cleaning" ( Root planing and curretage) has to meet a strict protocol before it is a covered benefit by your ins. co. A predetermination is submitted with your xrays and a comprehensive perio chart. If the patient meets the strict criteria,then it is a covered benefit. We don't push Root planing and curretage,we simply do what is prescribed by the DDS. We don't get a bonus. I did work in a perio office for a few years and did RPC all day and was paid a few more $$ than other hygienists because generally you must be highly skilled it is grueling work .

[moonstone dunes]

I don't trust the dental chains. I was new in town once about 15 years ago and I needed to see a dentist. The office boasted they were gentle and no long wait for appointment.

The chairs were curtained off like a hospital room. I was told I needed four cleanings per year: all root planing treatments because my gums were so poor that periodontal disease would result if neglected. Treatments were very costly, no insurance.

I switched dentists after two root planings in less than 6 months. The new dentist and hygienist measured my pockets and they were perfectly normal depth. Never had a bad report card since then.

[Yardlie]

On 1/21/2014 gubby1 said:

As a hygienist for 25 years and a clinical instructor at a hygiene program,I must comment. The work that we do is prescribed by the DDS. The need for xrays and "deep cleaning" is prescribed by the DDS. The "deep cleaning" ( Root planing and curretage) has to meet a strict protocol before it is a covered benefit by your ins. co. A predetermination is submitted with your xrays and a comprehensive perio chart. If the patient meets the strict criteria,then it is a covered benefit. We don't push Root planing and curretage,we simply do what is prescribed by the DDS. We don't get a bonus. I did work in a perio office for a few years and did RPC all day and was paid a few more $$ than other hygienists because generally you must be highly skilled it is grueling work .

Great response, Gubby1. I was a perio hygienist also, as well as an instructor in a dental hygiene program. Hygienists graduate with basic skills...and an introduction to root planing. Some choose to build those skills, and others do not like it as it is grueling, exacting work.

In my opinion, there should be a more advanced board and certification for hygienists who are good at root planing and perio diagnosis...because some are not good at it and don't want to do it.

If you have any question about whether or not you have active perio disease, see a periodontist.

[scotttie]

On 1/21/2014 ivey said:

On 1/21/2014 beammeupscottie said:

If they had done the first root canal correctly there should not have been a need for another...am I right?

Anyway, once you lose faith in any medical provider don't be afraid to move on.

Yes, done in this office--but not by this dentist. Root canals can have bacteria gather at the "root" even though there is no feeling there. The deposit can eventually cause pain, and of course, they had to remove the crown to get to the source in the dentist's office. Then I had to go to the oral surgeon twice to have the epicoectomies to get to the infection. Not so funny thing, they have suggested several procedures in the past on different teeth and I wouldn't have them done--then the next time I went in, they didn't even mention them. If you saw the number of employees this dentist has, you'd understand their push. He's got too many mouths to feed!

After my dentist messed up a root canal he did on me I learned my lesson. I will always go to an endodontist now for that procedure! Dentists do too many procedures they are not qualified to do.

[scotttie]

On 1/22/2014 Brinklii said:

On 1/21/2014 gubby1 said:

As a hygienist for 25 years and a clinical instructor at a hygiene program,I must comment. The work that we do is prescribed by the DDS. The need for xrays and "deep cleaning" is prescribed by the DDS. The "deep cleaning" ( Root planing and curretage) has to meet a strict protocol before it is a covered benefit by your ins. co. A predetermination is submitted with your xrays and a comprehensive perio chart. If the patient meets the strict criteria,then it is a covered benefit. We don't push Root planing and curretage,we simply do what is prescribed by the DDS. We don't get a bonus. I did work in a perio office for a few years and did RPC all day and was paid a few more $$ than other hygienists because generally you must be highly skilled it is grueling work .

Great response, Gubby1. I was a perio hygienist also, as well as an instructor in a dental hygiene program. Hygienists graduate with basic skills...and an introduction to root planing. Some choose to build those skills, and others do not like it as it is grueling, exacting work.

In my opinion, there should be a more advanced board and certification for hygienists who are good at root planing and perio diagnosis...because some are not good at it and don't want to do it.

If you have any question about whether or not you have active perio disease, see a periodontist.

Excellent! This bears out what I was saying I believe. Dentists try to do too many procedures they are just not qualified to do. Some will even do orthodontia.

[Yardlie]

On 1/22/2014 beammeupscottie said:

On 1/22/2014 Brinklii said:

On 1/21/2014 gubby1 said:

As a hygienist for 25 years and a clinical instructor at a hygiene program,I must comment. The work that we do is prescribed by the DDS. The need for xrays and "deep cleaning" is prescribed by the DDS. The "deep cleaning" ( Root planing and curretage) has to meet a strict protocol before it is a covered benefit by your ins. co. A predetermination is submitted with your xrays and a comprehensive perio chart. If the patient meets the strict criteria,then it is a covered benefit. We don't push Root planing and curretage,we simply do what is prescribed by the DDS. We don't get a bonus. I did work in a perio office for a few years and did RPC all day and was paid a few more $$ than other hygienists because generally you must be highly skilled it is grueling work .

Great response, Gubby1. I was a perio hygienist also, as well as an instructor in a dental hygiene program. Hygienists graduate with basic skills...and an introduction to root planing. Some choose to build those skills, and others do not like it as it is grueling, exacting work.

In my opinion, there should be a more advanced board and certification for hygienists who are good at root planing and perio diagnosis...because some are not good at it and don't want to do it.

If you have any question about whether or not you have active perio disease, see a periodontist.

Excellent! This bears out what I was saying I believe. Dentists try to do too many procedures they are just not qualified to do. Some will even do orthodontia.

Well, some do take a lot of advanced training or even do a residency in general practice dentistry before they start practicing. They are qualified to do a lot more than just fill teeth. I worked for one general dentist who spent a couple weekends a month for a year or so learning to do orthodontia...but he picked his patients. He knew his limitations.

Usually, dentists are cautious about who they do endodontics on. They do learn to do that in school, but many of them won't do the molar teeth because there are so many canals involved. The endodontists end up with the most complicated cases that the general dentists don't want to do or run into problems with.

Same thing with oral surgery. They learn to do oral surgery, but know their limitations. The difficult cases end up with the oral surgeons.

They don't like to get into something they can't handle.

[violann]

I'm getting frantic. The new dentist who took over from my previous dentist L-O-V-E-S to do implants, and I want to keep my home grown teeth as long as possible. Don't know how to find someone else. It's really driving me crazy!

[lulu2]

On 1/22/2014 violann said: I'm getting frantic. The new dentist who took over from my previous dentist L-O-V-E-S to do implants, and I want to keep my home grown teeth as long as possible. Don't know how to find someone else. It's really driving me crazy!

Your general dentist does implants?

My general dentist does not even do extractions, let alone implants. He did refer me to an oral surgeon for both procedures.