In my quarter-century of dental hygiene service, I have helped
many people of all ages regain their oral health and a better quality of
life.
That's why this true story I'm about to tell is something I reflect upon often. Most of us still have mothers and fathers, so we can relate to taking care of elders and what they go through.
The following happened to a senior who is among a large group of aging people that has become a major target market for dental bridge replacements.
One day, a patient from Beverly Hills in her early 70s visited our dental office. She said it was time to replace the old bridges in her mouth. It wasn't so much the cost of several thousand dollars, perhaps, but bridge replacement can damage existing teeth that support the bridge.
When she told me about replacing her bridges, I replied, "Why?" I had just cleaned her teeth and saw nothing wrong with her bridges. I asked if the dentist, my boss, recommended new bridges to her. She answered, "No." The woman revealed that her sister told her that bridges don't last. Her sister was in the process of getting new ones, as we spoke.
Several days later, a patient new to our dental office, also in her 70s, arrived for a second opinion. Her last dentist told her it was time to replace an old bridge and she didn't believe him. After an examination by my boss, the bridge in question was found to be perfectly sound. Nothing was wrong with it whatsoever.
Here's the moral of the story:
Dental work can last a lifetime, so can bridges.
If someone suggests you replace an old bridge, get a second opinion.
Here's how to know whether a bridge needs replacing, but you should see a dental professional about it.
A bridge that does need to be replaced is not sealed at the edges. This allows bacteria to leak under it that will decay the actual tooth. This must be fixed.
Replacing a bridge is a major process which can result in other problems with the teeth involved. If your bridge is leaking, you have no choice. The teeth involved are already in danger and the additional step of replacement becomes necessary.
If there is nothing wrong with your bridge, replacing it can create problems for perfectly healthy teeth connected to it.
A dentist who recommends unnecessary dental work worth several thousand dollars is committing fraud. If this occurs to you, I suggest you report it to the authorities to keep someone else from becoming a victim.
When you file such a report it is your word against the dentist's, who will not be charged with a crime. But it may make this dentist think twice before recommending unneeded dentistry to another unsuspecting patient.
Here's a final example of the need to be aware. A victim of Alzheimer's Disease, another patient in her 70s was cared for by her husband. The couple changed dentists when my office stopped accepting their dental insurance.
At the first visit to their new dental office, the dentist fixed two cavities for this woman. Several months later, the new dentist recommended this patient get 11 veneers for her front teeth. A veneer is cosmetic dentistry. Each veneer minimally costs $1,000 each, not to mention the time and discomfort involved in doing this to a patient with Alzheimer's Disease.
Her husband said he realized it was less expensive to be treated in our dental office and pay for services than go to another dental practice that accepted their insurance.
That's why this true story I'm about to tell is something I reflect upon often. Most of us still have mothers and fathers, so we can relate to taking care of elders and what they go through.
The following happened to a senior who is among a large group of aging people that has become a major target market for dental bridge replacements.
One day, a patient from Beverly Hills in her early 70s visited our dental office. She said it was time to replace the old bridges in her mouth. It wasn't so much the cost of several thousand dollars, perhaps, but bridge replacement can damage existing teeth that support the bridge.
When she told me about replacing her bridges, I replied, "Why?" I had just cleaned her teeth and saw nothing wrong with her bridges. I asked if the dentist, my boss, recommended new bridges to her. She answered, "No." The woman revealed that her sister told her that bridges don't last. Her sister was in the process of getting new ones, as we spoke.
Several days later, a patient new to our dental office, also in her 70s, arrived for a second opinion. Her last dentist told her it was time to replace an old bridge and she didn't believe him. After an examination by my boss, the bridge in question was found to be perfectly sound. Nothing was wrong with it whatsoever.
Here's the moral of the story:
Dental work can last a lifetime, so can bridges.
If someone suggests you replace an old bridge, get a second opinion.
Here's how to know whether a bridge needs replacing, but you should see a dental professional about it.
A bridge that does need to be replaced is not sealed at the edges. This allows bacteria to leak under it that will decay the actual tooth. This must be fixed.
Replacing a bridge is a major process which can result in other problems with the teeth involved. If your bridge is leaking, you have no choice. The teeth involved are already in danger and the additional step of replacement becomes necessary.
If there is nothing wrong with your bridge, replacing it can create problems for perfectly healthy teeth connected to it.
A dentist who recommends unnecessary dental work worth several thousand dollars is committing fraud. If this occurs to you, I suggest you report it to the authorities to keep someone else from becoming a victim.
When you file such a report it is your word against the dentist's, who will not be charged with a crime. But it may make this dentist think twice before recommending unneeded dentistry to another unsuspecting patient.
Here's a final example of the need to be aware. A victim of Alzheimer's Disease, another patient in her 70s was cared for by her husband. The couple changed dentists when my office stopped accepting their dental insurance.
At the first visit to their new dental office, the dentist fixed two cavities for this woman. Several months later, the new dentist recommended this patient get 11 veneers for her front teeth. A veneer is cosmetic dentistry. Each veneer minimally costs $1,000 each, not to mention the time and discomfort involved in doing this to a patient with Alzheimer's Disease.
Her husband said he realized it was less expensive to be treated in our dental office and pay for services than go to another dental practice that accepted their insurance.
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