Being a dentist might seem like such a cushy job. People
imagine dentists holed up in their air-conditioned offices, waiting for
patients to arrive and then performing teeny-tiny procedures for an absurd
amount of cash.
Over the years, many patients or parents of patients have
though along those lines. In fact, the parents of patients may even now be
forking over a good deal of tuition towards their offspring’s dental tuition
because they still believe it is such a cushy and easy job.
The truth is that dentistry isn’t as easy as they think it
is. So here are a few things dentists would like their patients to know.
Dent School is
Expensive
Dent tuition isn’t what makes dentistry expensive. The books
don’t make dentistry expensive either. What makes dentistry truly expensive is
the amount that students have to pay for dental materials and tools. These
things won’t last a lifetime yet they still cost a lot of money and have to be
changed every few years or so.
Clinics are expensive. Every dentistry student has a chart
to complete each year. This chart is filled with cases that they have to
accomplish before moving on to the next level. This may or may not include 10
or so prophylaxis cases of varying degrees. The chart is usually composed of a
few cases for fixed dentures and removable dentures along with a certain number
of cases involving root canals, perhaps cavity restorations as well. Most
patients are of low socioeconomic status. Therefore, a clinician will have to
pay the patient for his or her time, pay for the cost of lab work and foot the
bill for the prosthesis.
So once again, dent school is not cheap because dental
materials are not cheap. So please, patients, do not ask for discounts.
Dentists have to eat and pay for utilities too.
Come Back If We Ask
You to Come Back
Years ago, a clinical instructor told us that he had
discovered the key to making patients come back. These were prosthodontic
patients by the way. He said that the best way to get them to come back was to
make sure to use green or blue acrylic instead of tooth-colored ones on their
temporary crowns and bridges. (Hello, Doc Damo of SWU!)
That’s the thing though. Patients usually don’t come back
after the first visit. They think it might save them money, especially those
who only pay for half of the procedure. This is where they are wrong.
If you have a root canal done, you leave with a temporary
filling in most cases. Failure to return would mean that the tooth has not
received ample protection. That would mean losing the tooth to decay and
treatment failure just because the patient failed to come back.
When you get temporary dentures, please note that these will
not last. They are not made to withstand years of wear and tear. They are
placeholders and they MUST be changed. Please come back for the final dentures
because at the end of the day, it will be your loss, not the dentist’s. Yes,
your loss, my edentulous friend with loose dentures that will fall out in
public.
There Is No Such
Thing as DIY Braces
Please do not think that DIY braces really work. Recently,
there have been ads circulating on social media wherein the person was offering
DIY braces. Braces are not for show. They have a purpose! They must be put in
place by a dentist who is at least licensed to perform orthodontic therapy.
If you decide on DIY braces, please know that if there comes
a time when your roots break free from your alveolar bone and your teeth start
to hurt, it is the right of a licensed orthodontic practitioner to refuse to
handle your case. So please, no DIY.
There are no DIYs in dentistry.
Brushing and Flossing
Aren’t Enough
A toothbrush and floss does not equal to thorough dental
care. Just because you do both regularly does not mean that you should avoid
visiting your dentist at least twice yearly.
You can brush and floss 3 times a day but there will always
be some deposits leftover. Please come visit us! We have the expertise and the
tools needed to remove deep-seated debris. We promise you that you will not
have to worry about bad breath for 6 months or more.
Dentists do their best to ensure that their patients have
the best oral health. But sometimes, just sometimes, patients forget that their
dentists are important, sometimes underpaid and that they have feelings too. So
if you are a patient who has thought of doing or has done any of the above
things, please hug your dentist and apologize during your next visit.
***
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