I go every 6 months. At my awesome dentist, and most I have been to, the dentist always comes in at the end.
When I was on a 3-year hiatus from awesome dentist (due to us moving, not anything he did), we stumbled through some bad dental offices. The kind that tell you that you need all this extra stuff. And they insisted it was normal to clean your teeth on one visit, and come back on a second to see the dentist.
People do sometimes just go for a cleaning and not for a dental check or just go for a dental check and not a cleaning.
I've typically had what you described, but a few times mostly due to scheduling I've had a cleaning only or a dental check only. So all answers apply for me.
Post by spunkarella on May 24, 2015 10:31:24 GMT -5
At my current dentist, I get a cleaning by the hygienist and at least a cursory exam by the dentist every time. Sometimes they do a more thorough exam with x-rays and measuring my gums, but not every time.
At my previous dentist, I got just a cleaning every other time. So a cleaning every six months and an exam once a year.
I go every 6 months. One visit a year I get x-Rays and the dentist checks me out. The other visit, the dentist does come in and look at my teeth and asks if I'm in any pain.
For the past 18mos, I'd been going every three months because I had a long gap in dental care. My first three visits at the start (all within 2 weeks) were with the dentist - consultation and two sessions for a deep cleaning. After that I'd see a hygienist first, and the dentist would come in at the end.
At my last visit I finally "graduated" to a regular six month schedule - yay!
Post by LoveTrains on May 24, 2015 12:04:17 GMT -5
I go every six months. The hygienist does the cleaning first and then the dentist comes in to check. However my insurance covers 2 cleanings a year but only one dentist check. So it costs like $20 for the dentist to say hi and poke my teeth for one minute.
Post by tripleshot on May 24, 2015 12:37:52 GMT -5
I go 3 times a year for cleanings. The dentist sees me afterwards 2 times a year and the third visit is just a cleaning that I pay OOP. X-rays are once a year.
Post by maddiepaddy on May 24, 2015 13:21:51 GMT -5
My husband was in a very similar situation as yours, @foodielicious . He had been going to the same dentist for his whole life, even visiting the practice on our twice yearly visits to his hometown after we moved away. The old guy from his youth was a good dentist, however as time went on then when the dentist's daughter replaced him the practice went downhill. I *know* H had unnecessary work done as well as received inferior care as the original dentist aged and then when the daughter took over. H just did not see it until I finally convinced him to switch to a convenient dentist (who is awesome by the way) in our new town. He now looks back and realizes how awful the old place was.
I suggest you keep pushing your H to find someplace new. I know change can be hard, but I bet he'll likely quickly realize the difference in care.
The way most insurances work is that you are only covered to see the dentist 2 times a year. Because I have periodontal disease I have to have cleanings every 4 months. I see the dentist 2 of the 3 times I go each year.
Post by sarapocalypse on May 24, 2015 15:09:08 GMT -5
I get a cleaning every 6 months and see a dentist every time. I only get x-rays once a year and usually that is a more involved check-up. Even though I see the dentist every time, it seems like the "in-between" check-up is less involved. More of an quick look to make sure there are no major problems. The appointments with x-rays are generally a more thorough check-up.
Post by phunluvin82 on May 24, 2015 15:12:40 GMT -5
My dad is a dentist and he does a checkup at every cleaning...but he says there could theoretically be scenarios where a patient wants or needs frequent cleanings and may not be checked at every single one. The vast majority of his patients do not come in more than once per year (and it is apparently difficult to even get some of them to do that, lol) and thus they would be 'due' for him to check up each time. Some only come when a neglected issue has turned into an absolute emergency.
Also, the issue with the need for fillings can be somewhat subjective. Some dentists lean more toward a wait and see approach for something minor...and some prefer to be aggressive with even small cavities. Because if that patient happens to practice less than stellar hygiene at home, and/or is not good at following through with regular check ups...then it might be better to remove the possibility of a small cavity turning into a big one and an eventual need for crown, route canal, etc, that would be far more costly than a small filling. Still, I think a good dentist should fully explain the options to the patient when it is something that may not be 100% necessary at that time...and not just say, 'You "need" x, y, z'.
Bottom line though, if you have had more than one red flag with this dentist, then I would keep gently prodding him to try someone else. But I don't know if it would be my hill to die on.
I wish Mr. Foodie would just find someone new - trying to remind myself he's not a child. But since I get sucked into the eventual problem resolution, I find myself pushing...anyway...that's it in a nutshell.
Ugh, I feel like we went through this with Calvin's PCP.
Eventually we moved ~45 mins from the town where he grew up (instead of 5 mins when we were first married) and he started telling me on occasion that he was sick "but not sick enough to drive all the way to" the town where he grew up to see the Dr. I finally convinced him then that having a new PCP in our town, that he'd actually go to when feeling lousy, was worthwhile. I'm not sure how I'd have convinced him otherwise. I wish you good luck!
Also, I've never had app't at the dentist's office where the dentist didn't at least take a look after the hygienist did the cleaning. Sometimes my dentist actually does my cleaning.
Up until the middle of last year, I had an appt every 6 months. Now they have me on some sort of 3 month schedule. But I only see the actual dentist about every other time.