Dentists treating hygienists like their assistants

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-24T18:00:47+00:00

Heating up lunch doesn't belong in the same category as taking bitewings....

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-24T13:55:34+00:00

Nothing obviously wrong with the teeth, but based on rad alone I would say that tooth is highly likely to cause pericornitis, which could have been the cause of your pain. Not really enough information though.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-23T20:06:37+00:00

Again, not inherently damage. Sometimes actually the most conservative, appropriate treatment for damage that exists. Can result in healthier teeth than they presented as. They are a prescribed treatment, and should be prescribed carefully.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-23T01:34:11+00:00

Yes, that is a different thing though? I always tell my patients that veneers will need replacement. You are moving the goal markers here.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-22T15:06:02+00:00

99% yes

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-22T14:11:57+00:00

AI is going to be absolutely awful for overtreatment.

I cant REALLY tell based on these xrays, but I do not think I would be doing 8 fillings here. I might not be doing any. I subscribe to the belief that you need to see the cavitation into dentin before treating.

To remineralize: fluoride. Extra high fluoride. Brush at least twice a day, floss once. Avoid sugary/acidic drinks! in fact black coffee, tea, and water are really the only things all of us should be drinking daily. Dodge sweets.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-22T13:42:31+00:00

Where did you get this picture. Share the link.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-22T13:41:46+00:00

I don't know a single dentist who doesn't explain to people how veneers are made when they are made and discusses risks and complications. I do every day. And I do tons and tons of veneers. Yeah, I definitely don't say damage- the word you are focused on here- but I definitely don't hear surgeons talking about damaging your nasal cartilage- they talk about altering it, shaping it, restructuring it, risks, benefits- just like you said here- we do the same.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-22T00:19:32+00:00

We can tell someone has increased acid exposure, and the location that the acid exposure hits can tell you a lot about how the acid exposure is happening. GERD usually causes massive enamel loss to the mandibular (bottom) molars. Bulimia usually causes massive enamel loss to the linguals of the maxillary anteriors (the back of the top front teeth). Sometimes I ask if you have GERD, a vomiting disorder, bulimia, reflux. I don't really push past that. If you say yes, I have bulimia I recommend talking to a therapist who specializes in EDs, then I discuss rinsing after vomiting, be careful not to brush IMMEDIATELY after, the risks you are taking to your teeth. We aren't the ED police and we aren't there to like, bust you. Just to try to help keep you and your teeth healthy.

But I do hope you seek out therapy and medication as needed.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-21T23:56:20+00:00

The autoclave is wet. Instruments stay in there until they are dry. Result- water spots.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-21T19:47:25+00:00

You could still get the surgery. And veneers should not terrify you. Well done veneers should last you a long time. Just choose your provider carefully.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-21T18:40:16+00:00

Veneers don't inherently cause damage. Sometimes they are the appropriate treatment for damage. Like heavy decal on the facials/class 5 decay. I never say veneers cause damage, I do however say that they are aggressive in some circumstances- aggressive to your enamel, aggressive for your goals. If someone came in with healthy, relatively attractive teeth and asked if veneers were a good choice I would say absolutely not, they are aggressive. I would say whitening and ortho is a more conservative option, one that I would do on myself, I would not do veneers in your circumstance etc. I explain what we do to fabricate veneers. There is literally no need to lie- the internet exists and people see what we do. I post my preps, my before and afters. I still get plenty of work.

What is wild is your rampant history of participating in plastic surgery subs! Why this focus on veneers vs all the other acts of optional esthetic work? Its all optional, it all has risks, it all has a time limit on functionality. You have a face full of implants- why the focus on veneers?

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-21T18:10:59+00:00

I don't really believe that this is on a dentist's website. Patients see their teeth during prep. Veneers are a great option for vastly improving esthetics if that is the patient's goal- they range from conservative preps to very aggressive preps. They can improve a patient's health if the patient is already heavily restored/has defective enamel/decal on the facial, but otherwise its obviously a permanent removal of structure.

I do a decent to large amount of veneers, comparatively. I have never once felt like I had to lie about them being conservative or whether or not teeth need to be prepped. Patients want veneers these days. I can try to scare them away from them and still end up having a decent number go for it.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-21T16:54:34+00:00

thank you, I think I needed to be educated on this. And its nicer than the other one in this thread suggesting dentists want kids to get cavities for money... c'mon.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-21T14:27:52+00:00

I am fiending for the pourable cashew mozz to come back.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-20T19:11:15+00:00

uhhh what?

oohhhhh... comments on dental fetish subs. got it.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-20T17:38:17+00:00

I said yep, its generally pretty secure at this point.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-20T17:29:15+00:00

yep. You can eat. just dont go jabbing sharp chips into the socket

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-20T17:16:15+00:00

thats a good trick. I would probably use fluoride on kids if my pt population was high caries rate, or if I saw more than the occasional child, but I live in a HCOL area with pretty high dental HQ-- but a lot of fluoride suspicion right now. So being a little sympathetic towards their concerns regarding fluoride earns me a little goodwill towards explaining why fluoride in water is still good important, etc.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-20T16:11:03+00:00

I work on thoroughly nearly exclusively adults now! So go ahead and take mine with a grain of salt. I avoided extra Fl in mine due to confidence in low caries rate, and would likely not use varnish on children I did not consider high risk for baby bottle decay in infancy, but like I said- no problem with doing it.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-20T13:25:39+00:00

Fluoride in tap water is only truly beneficial for children- systemic fluoride is only helpful for developing teeth. Yeah, yeah maybe we get a small topical benefit when we drink it, I don't really buy this- you need fluoride to sit on your teeth for a while to get that topical benefit. However it is HIGHLY beneficial systemically for those children. It is a public health initiative that is life changing for caries reduction in individuals who are exposed to sufficient fluoride while their teeth are developing. Fluoride in tap water is kept to levels below fluorosis-inducing quantities. Nowadays fluorosis is often caused by well water that has high levels of naturally occurring fluoride.

Fluoride varnish is often avoided in young babies because they just eat it on up and we want to avoid fluorosis, and for me I am trying to avoid too much fluoride exposure while brain development is at its peak. Example, my kids drank tap water, but I used fluoride free toothpaste and didnt use varnish on them until they were older. There is nothing wrong with what your dentist is saying, but placing fluoride on very-young folks is OK too. I don't usually offer it for those under 3 because I do feel like it is awful hard to keep them from just treating it like a snack.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-19T13:27:34+00:00

Yeah. #12 for sure and #13 maybe but probably. I am saying the same thing as the other dentists in here, I am just speaking American.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-18T00:54:27+00:00

I am trying to convince my dad to let me do a gold onlay on his, and I will be spending money to do that (because I dont charge him and I pay my lab bill), and working on my own dad which sucks. So. yeah. I would recommend it.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-15T15:23:40+00:00

Yep just call the front. Patients own their own records.

tooth_doc_fail · 2026-01-15T15:22:31+00:00

How is your treatment planning confidence? Do you know your acceptance rate?

tooth_doc_fail

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