Fluid that 'magically' rebuilds teeth could make the dentist's drill obsolete
Breakthrough dental technology attacks the first signs of tooth decay, rebuilding the tooth from within.
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Comments
I understand the debt load, because one of my friends just finished medical school.
If it wasn't for her husband's income, she would have been forced to drop out of school for financial reasons.
As for me, I can finally start getting long neglected dental care now that my kids are emancipated, and I'm no longer supporting two families.
My family court judge wouldn't listen when I said that I needed medical care.
He told me just to have all of my teeth pulled, get dentures, and shut.... More
My wife is a dentist and so I have a different perspective. Unlike a general doctor, if you can find one these days, a dentist has to have all the tools of the trade on premise: equipment costs are expensive; they also have to have all the supplies, materials and ability to sterilize the equipment used. Equipment costs can be between $200,000 and $500,000. Then there is the cost of staffing the office, again unlike a doctor's office all procedures are performed by the office staff(don't.... More
I would go to the dentist more often if they don't always insist on x-rays. It's just too much already. As it is, we're getting enough radiation from Japan's nuclear meltdowns:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2011/04/09/radiation-detected-in...
.... More
All dentists are scammers. They overcharge and then try to get you to allow them to overcharge even more. bandits!
"The main reason that people don't go to the dentist regularly is fear,"
That's only part of the problem. It's also the huge cost, especially for something which is considered by many to be a want not a need; and it's also a fear of being lectured to, due to the poor bedside manners of school dentists. So many people never see a dentist again after they leave school because of the poor experiences they have with school dentists.
This new discovery should be available without going to a dentist. Why not let people use it at home. You know if the dentists get to control it, they will charge a fortune for it.
probably to ensure that it is applied correctly so people don't give themselves horribly misshapen teeth by just squirting this stuff wherever they think it goes.
These comments make for interesting reading for a dentist. A little knowledge is a very dangerous thing.
Heck, give it a chance, we don't have enough information to doubt it. The article said the results were promising, so, why not consider it?
I can see this being added to regular toothpaste in ultra low doses as a preventative.
The problem with the expense of dentistry is the overhead. Typically 70-80% . Then if you take into account 4 years of undergrad, 4 dental school, and usually 2 years of post-grad (thats 10 years) of earning nothing, it surprises me how much people resent spending money at the dentist, when no one seems to question their MD. Try going to school for ten years and then having people resent every dime they spend in your office. Nice.
Good point. Now try going to veterinary school (4 undergrad/4 vet, similar or more expense), learning all the MD and Dentists do and more (and on more species). THEN try to make a living. Many professionals are well, under appreciated and though to live extravagantly when the reality is far different.
The undergrad is a waste of your time and money, but the total combined education expense keeps most people out of the field. If it weren't for this doctors salaries would
collapse.
Try being a teacher who had to get a master's degree due to state law and people resenting your salary for teaching (which is far less than a dentist's salary). I feel no sympathy for dentists, they charge too much even with decent insurance.
Please, ou work eight months a year.
Many people have a misconception regarding teacher's salaries. Let me clarify a point regarding teacher's salaries in California. I don't know about other states, but in California their contract stipulates that they are not paid for any holidays or days not worked in the summer. Teachers are paid only for the days they actually work. Yes, they are given one paid "sick" day per month worked (10) and 3 days for bereavement for the death of an immediate family member, but that's it.
So.... More
Amazing, I thought teachers only had June, July, and August off. Let's see; 12-3 equals 9. So teachers work 9 months, not 8. Maybe you ought to have paid attention to your teachers.
Back to the topic, dentists are as bad as insurance companies with their prices.
Even more amazing, I thought teachers also got 2 weeks off for Christmas break, 1 week for Spring break and additional days that easily amount to 7 days. I guess that does make 4 months off. I guess maybe you should go back to school.
Also, do teachers have excessive overhead costs like dentists? Last I checked, your personal overhead was negligible. I understand teachers aren't overpaid, but don't insult other professions, it simply reflects poorly on you as well as your "profession.".... More
You have no idea how much out of pocket money a teacher puts in every year to get things for his/her students. About the salary. We are contracted for 190 days and get paid for those days only. It is just that the state spreads the money out over the year so that we get a check for each month. Most of us are taking courses or workshops over the summer, many of which are required.
I am not sure exactly what a teacher pays for overhead of their own income. I know most supplies are provided by the school, but I'm sure there is some investment of their own. As a dentist, I can tell you that I spend roughly 700,000 dollars in overhead, and that is off of my bottom line. Most patients do not understand how much labs charge us to fabricate partials, crowns, dentures, etc. Most of these charges are due to labor and the materials themselves. As we all know, gold is not.... More
Don't forget that we pay our and our families health insurance, and if we are lucky enough, our own retirement. I am 42 and have no retirement due to paying start up and student loans. My mother, father, and both grandmothers were teachers, and I and they can and will tell you that they have life easy compared to me. Since we are on the subject, I went to high school with someone who got 8 on their ACT, while I got a 32. She is a middle school teacher now, yet she seems like the smart one to.... More
OK, I am going to put an end to this debate by those parties involved:
In one corner you have the teacher who works 9 official months (throw in the holidays that were mentioned and it translates to close to 8 months, yet it does not include the argument always made by teachers of "working at home" which I am sure can vary). Most teachers I know are contracted for 180-190 work days per year (this does not include coaching, or running other various extracurricular.... More
You must have dental insurance and medical insurance..... my husband works for a small company and we only have medical. And with the two of us plus two kids, that's 8 dental checkups a year plus any additional work ($$$) and we must pay out of pocket for it all. It is very hard to afford. I had a cavity last time, and they did a filling -- I timed it, and it took 5 minutes total from start to finish. $280 later...... Shoot, I wish I made $3360 dollars an hour too!
It doesn't exactly work that way... it's not like a dentist is literally doing a filling every 5 minutes. You also have to factor in the time required to set up, clean up, talk to the patient, wait for anesthesia, etc.... not to mention time lost when patients are late or don't show up for their appointments. Dentists don't make $3000 an hour, trust me. But they are compensated well in general, because the materials are expensive, dental school is long, difficult, and expensive, and they.... More
The regular MD does not charge you 450.00 for each visit. Dentists charge you a crazy amount of money when go there. I had a partial done that cost me close to 800.00 and that was with my good insurance! Yes I resent spending a lot more than what I should have to spend! They need to make it more affordable! I dont mind paying for services but to inflate the charges the way dentist do its robbery!
If you would have taken care of your teeth in the first place you wouldn't have needed a partial and wouldn't have to complain about the price you pay. There is another option...don't get the denture and don't pay the money.
Actually, if you have insurance your employer has chosen the plan and the level of coverage. True, most replacements are typically covered only at 10-20%. Preventive maintenance and repair are less expensive. The incentive here is to go for maintenance cleaning, catch problems early and avoid the expense of replacement to your employer as well as yourself. The costs are not based on you as a patient unless you have directly purchase insurance by yourself. To satisfy insurance, each and.... More
I suspect that the combo of dental insurance in the US being little more than a discount program with a very low cap--if you are lucky enough to get it at all and the articles/tv spots done by various news organizations about "upselling" at the dentist leads to price concerns. Basically a trip to the dentist combines some of people's worse fears: pain, money, lack of understanding and control. People question their MD definitely or just ignore recommendations there too.
We just hop over the border and have dental work done in Rosarita Beach - great dental office and lab all in one. They can do the lab work (dentures, caps, crowns, etc.) while you go to lunch at great mexican restaurants. The cost is less than 1/3 of north of the border i.e. exam, xrays, cleaning for around 40.00USD.
Seriously? Peptide-shmeptide. Its called brushing, flossing and using an antiseptic mouthrinse twice a day. Make sure to use the fuzzy end of the toothbrush.
Sorry genius that doesn't always work...if it was that easy there wouldn't be any use for dentists.
Seriously? There's already something that does the same thing that has been around for decades and is cheap and you already have it in your house...it's called fluoride. It won't work if you have a hole in your tooth, but neither will this magical new P 11-4. Read the fine print.
Now we know dentists & doctors can help however, strict modern medicine has run rampant which isn't all good. When fluoride is brought up we know good & well you aren't fully educated or don't care. Fluoride is proven to be terrible, it is an aluminum byproduct & it is a poison.
If you want to make a good point, it's important to use good grammar, otherwise you sound like a child. "When fluoride is brought up we know good and well you aren't fully educated or don't care"...that's the most idiotic thing i've ever heard. Yes, fluoride is toxic if you ingest enough of it, so is water. An aluminum byproduct, what does that even mean? Take a chemistry class and when you've been educated past high school maybe you can bring anything important to the conversation.
Do.... More
Something like this should be made available over the counter. You know if you can only get it at the dentist's office, they will make it so expensive no one will be able to afford it. It all about the money.
Even if this product is legitimate, it doesn't mean you'll be able to do it yourself. How will you know where and when to use it? You'll still need the dentist to diagnose the cavity, where it is, and how extensive it is.
That would be great!!! I have very loose tissues and when the dentist tried to fill in a cavity near my gum line it ripped my gums. This would be a good thing for people like me \o/
Actually, I think the main reason people delay going to the dentist isn't fear; it's the expense.
BINGO!
Yeah. And the added cost of the tiny painter and scaffolding would only make matters worse.
I agree with you, it is the cost. I have a small crack in my tooth, which is so small it causes no pain at the moment. But even with insurance, to have the tooth crowned will cost me over $700. That is a large tab that I am paying my dentist in advance a little at a time, before I have it done.
dentist / friend would love to see this article.. how do I get it to him? w/no email address
Option 1) CTRL + P and then press enter (make sure you're printer is on)
If that doesn't work, proceed to Option 2.
Option 2) Give your computer to the next person you see and take up gardening.
It will be regulated and only available thru dentists. It will be more expensive and not covered by dental insurance....my guess
Oh my word. Are you serious?!
You can print it and give it to him. Remember snail mail?
Tell them to google it.

































