10 things your dentist doesn't want you to know...

[Zoomzoomz]

linky

Your comments and and perspective on any of these 10 issues please. Can you say from personal experience that there is any truth to them? Alot of these 10 points were new to me. Highlights that struck me were...

If you're like most people, you see your dentist twice a year — just like those appointment postcards in your mailbox say you should. But where did the rule originate? In a comic book written more than 150 years ago — English satirist George Cruikshank's The Toothache

"No one quite knows what's being taken off the tooth," says Reg Moncrieff, a New York City dentist. "It's possible that bleaching takes something from the tooth that you might want later."

Another worrisome fact: An estimated 15 to 18% of dentists are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and a 2002 study of the problem by the ADA had roughly 10% of dentists reporting they'd used illicit drugs in the past year. Not exactly a comforting thought with a drill stuck in your mouth, vibrating mere inches from your brain.

A $1,000 dental bill in 1985 would translate into $2,837 today, since dental care has shot up at nearly twice the rate of inflation,

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[darius99]

believe half of what u see, and none of what u hear (or read on the internet)

 

[aphistis]

linky

Your comments and and perspective on any of these 10 issues please. Can you say from personal experience that there is any truth to them? Alot of these 10 points were new to me. Highlights that struck me were...

If you're like most people, you see your dentist twice a year — just like those appointment postcards in your mailbox say you should. But where did the rule originate? In a comic book written more than 150 years ago — English satirist George Cruikshank's The Toothache

"No one quite knows what's being taken off the tooth," says Reg Moncrieff, a New York City dentist. "It's possible that bleaching takes something from the tooth that you might want later."

Another worrisome fact: An estimated 15 to 18% of dentists are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and a 2002 study of the problem by the ADA had roughly 10% of dentists reporting they'd used illicit drugs in the past year. Not exactly a comforting thought with a drill stuck in your mouth, vibrating mere inches from your brain.

A $1,000 dental bill in 1985 would translate into $2,837 today, since dental care has shot up at nearly twice the rate of inflation,

That entire article is half-baked, biased, and distorted, where it isn't flat-out wrong factually.

Or, put another way, that's the kind of penetrating journalism that has made AOL such a respected news outlet.

 

[divertete]

Yeah, we were passing that article around school today -- good for a nice laugh! But then again the scary thing is that some people don't know to look at the credibility of sources or evidence supporting claims like this. That's why it's good to read what your patients might be reading, so you can help them understand the realities.

 

[Dentoman]

I'm not sure what he's complaining of.
According to the article,when dentists get digital radiography they are trying to sell and when they dont they are slow to embrace technology!

 

[Biogirl361]

its not an internet article, it was originally published in a financial magazine (i read it there a few weeks ago).

 

[aphistis]

its not an internet article, it was originally published in a financial magazine (i read it there a few weeks ago).

It's still full of crap. Forbes doesn't know any more about dentistry than JADA does about macroeconomics.

 

[Zoomzoomz]

Hello all, and thanks for the responses. I was expecting a little more personal experience supporting or debunking these 10 points rather than generic verbal bashing. Would still appreciate the former over the latter...I apologize that I can't point to where this author got his information, but it is out there in the mainstream media.

 

[Rezdawg]

Hello all, and thanks for the responses. I was expecting a little more personal experience supporting or debunking these 10 points rather than generic verbal bashing. Would still appreciate the former over the latter...I apologize that I can't point to where this author got his information, but it is out there in the mainstream media.

I'll tackle #2, since biomaterials was earlier this semester. Amalgam is safe. When proper mixing of the metals takes place, the free mercury particles are coated with the other metals, which takes care of the dangers of mercury (and removal of the gamma 2 phase of the reaction). If anyone is in danger, its the dental team, which has to handle the amalgam before and after trituration, on a regular basis. Even then, its nothing to worry about.

 

[Biogirl361]

It's still full of crap. Forbes doesn't know any more about dentistry than JADA does about macroeconomics.

oh i wasn't saying that it's a credible article, just pointing out that uninformed stuff can show up anywhere not just online.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Bad article full of misinformation and OPINION.

 

[aphistis]

oh i wasn't saying that it's a credible article, just pointing out that uninformed stuff can show up anywhere not just online.

True dat.

 

[DrJeff]

I just love all the amalgam scare tactics that people employ. At my local dental society meeting this past week, we had a speaker by the name of Dr. Kelly, who is a former commanding officer of the naval dental corps in the great lakes region, past researcher at the naval facilities in Bethesda, MD, and a ADA expert of amalgam, both in health and environmental issues.

Recent published research about average daily mercury "consumption" (the study was done in France using the "average" french diet) has shown that the average diet has approximately 30 micrograms of mercury in it. By comparison, the mercury "leached" off of 7 amalgam fillings has about 10 micrograms of mercury in it. Environmentally, asuming "conservative" use of amalgam seperators in our offices, the dental profession is responsible for 0.7% of environmental mercury, while coal fired electricty plants provide approximately 50% of all environmental mercury Even better stuff, the baseline national average for mercury content in drinking water is 2 parts per million (think 2 pennies in $10,000), however, in some states, we as dentists are allowed to release our waste water into the sewer system with mercury content of less than 5 parts per TRILLION, so basically we as dentists have to purify the water that the municipalities give to us. And of course the best one yet, ABSOLUTELY NO COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD HAVE BANNED THE USE OF AMALGAM FILLINGS - If anyone tells you so, ask them to prove it, they can't, and frankly many countouldn't afford to. Politicians like Dianne Fienstein are just suckers for the scare tactics and are looking to pander to the media scare blitz that amalgam generates.

One last thing, in a research article soon to be coming out of UCONN on the economics of amalgam replacement, it is estimated that to replace all amalgam fillings in patients (small one with composite, large ones with crowns) would have the U.S. consumers paying in 1 year for dental care 75 cents out of every dollar spent on health care, whereas no its less than 10 cents on the dollar.

This is a topic that you'll be asked about very, very often in private practice, so get used to talking about it.

 

[Mustt Mustt]

It's funny how people only take the information into account that helps their argument. The article mentions how dental care costs doubled from 1985 and no digital x-rays etc. Doesn't even mention how much does to cost to be a dentist? How the costs have risen in education? How much of time and money is invested by individual in the profession? How much does it take to open a practice and other expenses. Many of these people like to critic profession based on financial stand point. I rarely see the Bashing of the CEO salaries in Financial magazines. They are justified? ya right. Many of these financial experts are loosing consumers money and still get their full salary. It's all crap.

 

[darius99]

I rarely see the Bashing of the CEO salaries in Financial magazines. They are justified? ya right. Many of these financial experts are loosing consumers money and still get their full salary. It's all crap.

good point

 

[bpenly]

I rarely see the Bashing of the CEO salaries in Financial magazines. They are justified? ya right. Many of these financial experts are loosing consumers money and still get their full salary. It's all crap.

Even more disturbing is that many large corporations not only pay this salary, but also give attractive golden parachute clauses (i.e. Carly Fiorina from HP received $21.4 M after her skilled leadership sent HP into the crapper). To make sure this compensation is available, these same boards that approve such high CEO compensation also vote to dismember pension funds and employee benefits. It is total crap like this that made me leave the corporate world so that I can be my own boss following d-school.

 

[ktcook83]

The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) sent out an email about this article yesterday. It has a link where you can write in. See below:



Subject: Wrong Dental Advice: Send Letter to the Editor ASAP


March 23, 2006

Today an inaccurate and inflammatory dental health story that originally appeared in Smart Money was highlighted on America Online's main page in its "Your Money" section.

We need your help to set the record straight. We encourage you to use our online tools to submit a letter to the editor expressing your great disappointment in the advice found in this article: http://money.aol.com/smoney/insurance/healthcanvas3?id=20060320123709990001


To get started, please take the following steps:

Visit this link on the AGD's Advocacy Web site to send your letter:
http://capwiz.com/agd/issues/alert/?alertid=8616116&type=CU
Next, click on the "Compose Message" button in the middle of the page (located under the Smart Money contact information).
Enter your contact information and add any personal comments.
Enter the verification code you see at the bottom of the page.
Let Smart Money know your thoughts by clicking on "Send Message" to successfully transmit your letter to the editor.
Best regards,

Bruce A. Burton, DMD, MAGD, ABGD
AGD President

 

[Biogirl361]

I just love all the amalgam scare tactics that people employ. At my local dental society meeting this past week, we had a speaker by the name of Dr. Kelly, who is a former commanding officer of the naval dental corps in the great lakes region, past researcher at the naval facilities in Bethesda, MD, and a ADA expert of amalgam, both in health and environmental issues.

Recent published research about average daily mercury "consumption" (the study was done in France using the "average" french diet) has shown that the average diet has approximately 30 micrograms of mercury in it. By comparison, the mercury "leached" off of 7 amalgam fillings has about 10 micrograms of mercury in it. Environmentally, asuming "conservative" use of amalgam seperators in our offices, the dental profession is responsible for 0.7% of environmental mercury, while coal fired electricty plants provide approximately 50% of all environmental mercury Even better stuff, the baseline national average for mercury content in drinking water is 2 parts per million (think 2 pennies in $10,000), however, in some states, we as dentists are allowed to release our waste water into the sewer system with mercury content of less than 5 parts per TRILLION, so basically we as dentists have to purify the water that the municipalities give to us. And of course the best one yet, ABSOLUTELY NO COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD HAVE BANNED THE USE OF AMALGAM FILLINGS - If anyone tells you so, ask them to prove it, they can't, and frankly many countouldn't afford to. Politicians like Dianne Fienstein are just suckers for the scare tactics and are looking to pander to the media scare blitz that amalgam generates.

One last thing, in a research article soon to be coming out of UCONN on the economics of amalgam replacement, it is estimated that to replace all amalgam fillings in patients (small one with composite, large ones with crowns) would have the U.S. consumers paying in 1 year for dental care 75 cents out of every dollar spent on health care, whereas no its less than 10 cents on the dollar.

This is a topic that you'll be asked about very, very often in private practice, so get used to talking about it.

good post, they told us most of this stuff in our biomaterials class too. don't you love the part about dentists having to purify the water? lol.

 

[NileBDS]

I agree that the article seems to be very superficial, and to me, sounded like 2 people chit chatting in a public restroom. No science really involved to back any of the claims;
Anyways, what I think;

#1 is utterly incorrect. There are more reasons to see your dentists twice a year nowadays than ever before. Lets face it, the only flossing some patients get is from their hygienist.
#2 Leaking toxic waste ? Ok ... imaginations please ? send in the UN inspectors ...
#3 probably the only potentially valid point in the whole article.
#4 this is exactly what answer you would get when you ask the receptionist. "No one quite knows what's being taken off the tooth". Ok, back to d2 you go ... where the hell do they get ther information ?
#5 "twilight sleep", never heard of it, might be true, although N2O and sedations are the norm. Twilight, if exists, must be the exception rather than the rule.
#6 merely kodak pushing for more sales of it's digi revolution x-ray technology. who cares what x-ray head you have in your office (apparently AOL), as long as you can interpret it correctly. I am sorry, but digital x-rays have no superiority over traditional ones. plus the traditional x-ray is a legal paper document, which might end up saving your rear end in court oneday.
#7 so what if you have to re-do it 5-10 years down the road ? some people have their breasts or faces done more often than that (no offense, this is a medical issue). maintenance.
#8 ok, maybe another potentialy valid point, although i do not agree with the whole premise of it.
#9 "Another worrisome fact: An estimated 15 to 18% of dentists are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and a 2002 study of the problem by the ADA had roughly 10% of dentists reporting they'd used illicit drugs in the past year".
Must be the loans.
#10 How much did they expect to pay a specialist. This is someone who has endured 4 years undergrad, 4 years dental, 2 years atleast specializing and residencies and has some loans to pay off, and mouths to feed. S/He has spent the last 6 years perfecting the procedures you requested of him to perform. Look of it this way, would you rather pay him $1500 for your molar, or loose it and pay another guy $3000 for a 3 unit "fake" bridge?

 

[v&andy_yankee]

A $1,000 dental bill in 1985 would translate into $2,837 today, since dental care has shot up at nearly twice the rate of inflation,

Yes, but how much did they pay for dental school back then? I'm betting that the price to attend dental school has shot up by at least twice the rate of inflation. I'm paying an arm and leg for school...and hopefully one day I'll get them back.

 

[ItsGavinC]

In addition to what was posted above from the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association has relayed the following:

"A significant number of our members contacted us yesterday to complain about an inflammatory article posted on America Online (AOL) entitled, “10 Things Your Dentist Doesn't Want You to Know.” This article first appeared in the April issue of Smart Money magazine, and AOL posted it in its entirety. ADA President Dr. Robert Brandjord sent a response about the article to Smart Money.

Staff quickly posted information on ADA.org about the article, with information to help members lodge complaints if they wished. Here is the contact information for AOL:

General AOL Corporate Media Inquiries Nicholas Graham 703-265-1746 (You’ll get voice mail. The automated system will prompt you to press a certain number if you are an AOL member. Please do so. It’s important to register your complaint, as an AOL member and as a dentist, about this article). If you are an AOL member, you could also send an email to AOL via your log in screen.

It’s likely that the complaints the ADA and our members registered with AOL yesterday prompted some positive action. By mid-afternoon, AOL had moved the article from its landing page to a significantly less prominent spot. It also replaced the photograph that originally appeared with the article (a mass of sharps aimed at a patient in a dental chair) with a traditional image of a dentist about to examine a patient."

 

[El Guapo78]

Are you kidding me, rising costs of dental care. I paid over $200,000 to go to dental school, fortunately I will have a low interest rate (2. something). Starting in July the Interest rate will jump to 6.8%. Why don't they talk about how the Gov't is trying to keep people from attending professional school. Or, how we will be paying off debt for 30 years.
Well I suppose since the taxpayers paid for our education I guess we should provide free care for the rest of our lives.
This whole article is crap. The ONLY valid point they make is in the statement:
"If you really want to save money on your teeth, take care of them"

 

[ktcook83]

They dropped the drug and alcohol statistics, yet neglected to draw a comparison with the rates in the normal population.