Dental hygeniests

[dadofandrew]

Any out there, or the significant other/sibling of on? Want to know what a procedure actually does and how important it is.

[Menotti80]

My uncle owns a dental practice, and my mom, aunts and cousins all work there; some of them are hygienists. Do I qualify?

[dadofandrew]

You bet. They want to do a procedure on me in addition to a regular in depth cleaning. Basically, because I have a couple 4-5 mm depths, they want to inject antibiotics into my gums. My insurance pays for the cleaning ($376), but not for the drugs ($330).

 

My wife quit going to this dentist because they treated her like a sales project, she's had one cavity in her life, and they tried selling her sealants and other preventive stuff even though her teeth are superb. Her current one always tells her her teeth are superb, no attempt at sales.

 

I'm in sales, so I know these people get paid at least in part on commission. I can use our HSA money, but when I asked why I needed it, she told me oral surgery is horrible and I never want to go through that. Not answering my question is a huge red flag to me.

 

I'm also curious as to why the cost is so high, as it's difficult to believe a one time treatment of antibiotics/anti-bacterial stuff runs $300+.

[1992casey]

Saying that "oral surgery is horrible" is hardly an explanation for why you may need this treatment. You should have been provided with an explanation detailing what this is supposed to fix or prevent and why you're a candidate for it.

 

As far as the cost, a thread on dentalfearcentral.org says that "it's done with a small blunted needle, which does NOT break the skin." Maybe the cost involved is with the equipment that's used. It's certainly legit to ask why a procedure costs what it does.

 

I think I'd ask what the consequence of waiting until your next exam would be. At that point, you could visit your wife's dentist.

 

Also, $376 for a cleaning and exam sounds high. I have to wonder if the gum treatment (if needed) would be cheaper elsewhere.

 

As an aside, I had oral surgery a few years ago (a tooth implant), and it wasn't unpleasant at all. Novocaine and gas did the trick. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Of course, not all oral surgeries are created equal.

[Paul77]

I just had the same procedure done in August. I think it cost close to $500.

[Worm8181]

Don't want to start a new thread, but I have a similar question. Has anyone ever been to Forward Dental in Madison and had problems with them? They are pretty much the only option in my health care, which covers 100% on the exams, cleanings, and x rays. I went there the first 2 times in a year and had zero problems, everything was covered no cavities. The next time I went in, I was advised to do some kind of fluoride care that wasn't covered by my insurance and that I had two small cavities that I should get taken care of. I've never had one and don't have any pain or sensitive problems in those teeth, also I looked at the x rays and couldn't see what they were pointing out. It's been a year since then and I went in for the 6 month cleaning a bit ago and all the hygienist would talk about is the cavities and when I would get them taking care of, if I wanted to have the dentist look at them, ect. So my question is: Do places like this try to make extra money off trying to come up with problems I don't have or am I just being too cautious seeing I've never had a cavity?

[1992casey]

Small cavities might not show up in x-rays, especially if the x-rays were taken before your teeth were cleaned. Cavities don't normally cause pain by themselves, but if you want some proof that they're there, the dentist can create some pain with his little pick thinger. Get them fixed. They're not going to heal, and they're guaranteed to get worse with time.

 

I'd have no clue about the "special" fluoride.

[dadofandrew]

Cavities usually do not hurt, unless infected. I can never see anything on an X-ray, I've broke my little toe twice and couldn't even see that.

[dadofandrew]

Casey, the $376 is just for the cleaning, they already did the exam. If insurance covers it 100%, it must be in the ballpark.

 

Worm, if you're paying for the fluoride out of pocket, I'd ask for advice on a rinse they would sell or you can buy at a drugstore. Heck, I paid $15 for a bottle of "special mouthwash," and my numbers are better in two weeks, but since my gums still bleed when she picks at them with a sharp metal hook, she thinks the antibiotics are necessary.

[DHonks]

instead of fluoride rinses, just switch to regular tapwater instead of plastic bottles. It has the fluoride you need in it, and it's at healthy levels.

[Menotti80]

This is my mom's response:

 

"If a pt has a "couple of teeth with 4-5 mm depths" I do not understand why they are "injecting antibiotics into the gums? Sounds strange to me! FDG hygienists do SRP (scale, root planing) frequently - It is charged out per quadrant or 1-3 teeth. Also, why would a DDS tell an adult that sealants are recommended - another strange thing. Perhaps this guy should see the DDS that his wife currently sees! Please remember.....Floss only the teeth you wish to keep !!!!"

 

I dont know if that helps or not, but I gave it a shot

[BrewersSuperCollector]

This is my mom's response:

 

"If a pt has a "couple of teeth with 4-5 mm depths" I do not understand why they are "injecting antibiotics into the gums? Sounds strange to me! FDG hygienists do SRP (scale, root planing) frequently - It is charged out per quadrant or 1-3 teeth. Also, why would a DDS tell an adult that sealants are recommended - another strange thing. Perhaps this guy should see the DDS that his wife currently sees! Please remember.....Floss only the teeth you wish to keep !!!!"

I dont know if that helps or not, but I gave it a shot

I like that line.

[Menotti80]

yeah my mom tells me that at least once a month...

 

and I'm almost 28

[dadofandrew]

Thanks Menotti. I have more than a couple (5-7 would be my guess), but I have 3-4 fewer than I did before the rinse. I gotta get the work done before 12/31 for insurance, but we've decided this place is very much into selling stuff.

[Schlitz001]

Don't most dental procedures that require antibiotics usually use an oral Amoxicillin? A prescription for 28 Amoxicillin will run you about $10. What is special about the procedure that you need an injection of anitbiotics?

 

Fluoride is not present in all tap water, only water which is fluoridated. Fluoride is most critical in children under 16 years of age to prevent dental caries. Adults usually get enough fluoride from toothpaste and mouth rinses. If you need additional fluoride, consider buying an OTC rinse or gel.

[dadofandrew]

I assume the injections kill bacteria where the problem is, and keep it away for 3-6 months or so, rather than just the general Amoxicillin. I know you can get a month's worth for $4 at Wal Mart, or online without a scrip for $7-8. I have little doubt the drugs "work," but there are probably a dozen cheaper options, but lacks the profit motive.

 

This rinse kills bad bacteria, and the active ingredient is at 0.12% strength. It's just difficult to get them to say, give me 6 options, some spendy, some not, and let me make up my own mind.

[Paul77]

Don't most dental procedures that require antibiotics usually use an oral Amoxicillin? A prescription for 28 Amoxicillin will run you about $10. What is special about the procedure that you need an injection of anitbiotics?

The injection is to help stall the advancement of gum disease that is present. Its a slow release antibiotic that hopefully will help the targeted area. While I think that dentists may certainly upsell a bit, if you really do need the procedure, it's worth looking into.

Dadofandrew, is a second opinion of out the question? While we all have good intentions with our advice here, if you have multiple teeth with 4-5mm pockets, I would error on the side of caution and take the word of a professional (or two) before it's to late. The 4-5 mm that they are talking about it attachment loss between your gums and your teeth.

Menotti80 wrote:

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If a pt has a "couple of teeth with 4-5 mm depths" I do not understand why they are "injecting antibiotics into the gums? Sounds strange to me!

I don't think they inject the antibiotics into the gums. I believe it's injected into the pocket between the gums and the tooth. However, I'll give my standard, "I could be wrong, I'm not a professional"disclaimer.

[1992casey]

Poking around the web, it does appear that while this treatment would appear to have value, there definitely are dentists who are trying to push it on patients who won't benefit from it.

 

That isn't the case with all dental diagnoses, though. The ones directly related to teeth are pretty obvious. Cavities, root canals, and crowns need to be taken care of.