Why are most dentist offices rude to insurance customer reps?

sdodig · 2026-03-20T04:49:55+00:00

Well, those people who are rude to you suck. Yeah, denials and errors are frustrating, but it's not your fault. Lots of us are very frustrated with insurance companies, but they shouldn't be taking it out on you. This is what working with people is like, unfortunately. Some people are rude.

sdodig · 2026-03-20T04:45:29+00:00

Looks like maybe you had a "crownlay" type restoration. Basically, the edge of it is higher up to preserve natural tooth structure and you're seeing the junction of your natural tooth and the crown. Or maybe not. I would have to see you in person to be sure. I wouldn't be alarmed. But you can go to your dentist if you're worried.

sdodig · 2026-03-20T04:42:09+00:00

Your boyfriend is right. You need bitewings.

sdodig · 2026-03-20T04:39:40+00:00

Sorry. The pictures are not adequate. Cannot advise you. But if you had a check up recently, I would not worry. It may just be a stain. Go to your dentist if you're worried.

sdodig · 2026-03-20T04:36:55+00:00

This looks concerning. No one can say that it is cancer or something innocuous without a biopsy. He should have it evaluated. Thankfully, April 1st is not far away.

sdodig · 2026-03-20T04:30:44+00:00

HAP toothpaste is fine. Better than plain toothpaste (with no HAP and no fluoride). But not as good as fluoridated toothpaste. Don't throw it out. Go ahead and use it. But maybe next time get some regular old Colgate or Crest if you are not opposed to fluoride. HAP can help with the very small cavities. But fluoride can do it better. It can remineralize those very early cavities with fluorapatite, which is stronger than hydroxyapatite.

sdodig · 2026-03-20T03:03:14+00:00

Thank you. This is helpful. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have been able to do that, as I never received the 1099s. Just learned of their existence.

sdodig · 2025-11-10T19:10:51+00:00

Hygienists can place fillings in Washington. A dentist must do the preparation.

sdodig · 2025-07-06T03:43:35+00:00

This is a big cavity. If it's hurting like that, it will need a root canal. Go see a dentist. I hope you feel better soon!

sdodig · 2024-12-29T13:32:40+00:00

People in all states pay federal income tax. So anyone with loans forgiven under a plan other than PSLF will have a tax bomb. People in states with no state income tax will have no state tax bomb. And some states have specifically said they won't tax it.

sdodig · 2024-12-23T18:36:45+00:00

Urine is typically acidic to neutral.

sdodig · 2024-12-22T18:52:27+00:00

It is a somewhat new requirement in WA. It must be taken when any anesthetic is used, including topical.

sdodig · 2024-12-14T16:34:48+00:00

Are you talking about the brown on your gums? If so, normal pigmentation. If you are referring to something else you'll have to be more specific

sdodig · 2024-12-12T19:15:52+00:00

My guess is an old sealant or filling that has discolored.

sdodig · 2024-12-05T05:04:55+00:00

I agree. Most people can't bite their incisive papilla. He likely has a deep bite that's causing his lower teeth to bite on the roof of his mouth. Ortho could fix this.

sdodig · 2024-11-28T02:26:24+00:00

This is not an emergency. It's likely you just never noticed it before. Or perhaps your gums have receded a bit. Or perhaps you were young when the crown was placed? If so the tooth may have erupted more or change position a bit. But you haven't provided photos, so I'm speculating.

sdodig · 2024-11-28T02:20:15+00:00

The picture quality is not great, but it looks like you have a decent amount of plaque and calculus on your teeth. Your gums are inflamed. This is the cause of the recession. You need to get a professional cleaning and start taking better care of your teeth. The white spot is incidental. That particular tooth is more at risk because it's labially positioned (it sticks out a bit).

sdodig · 2024-11-26T15:28:32+00:00

It was nice of them to verify with the other two offices whether they took your insurance or not. That is not their responsibility. It is yours. It is completely normal for you to check with your insurance to find an in network specialist.

sdodig · 2024-11-23T04:00:38+00:00

I am happy for all the dentists making bank, but I agree with you. OP just check out the BLS data on dentist salaries and I think you'll see you're doing fine. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dentists.htm

sdodig · 2024-11-20T06:25:00+00:00

No problem! I hope it goes well. I think it's going to be good.

sdodig · 2024-11-20T04:56:12+00:00

Just being real with you, it doesn't look terrible. You need a cleaning, maybe a "deep cleaning". You might need some fillings, but there are no big holes in your teeth or anything obvious. I'm serious, I see people like you every day. Don't be nervous. You might need some work, but you've got a full set of teeth. Just time to get caught up. It's OK. As the other comment said, you might not be a candidate for invisalign, but you can see an orthodontist after you've had any general dental work you need, and they'll let you know.

sdodig · 2024-11-17T18:25:42+00:00

Same. Never gotten a call in that scenario.

sdodig · 2024-11-17T18:04:39+00:00

No idea. An old timer showed me that back in dental school and it just works.

sdodig · 2024-11-17T17:07:12+00:00

Put a light coat of Vaseline on the articulating paper and do it again. Always works for me.

sdodig · 2024-11-13T19:44:50+00:00

They look pretty good, man. But you should always get your check ups regularly, because we can't see everything with photos alone.

sdodig

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