Over the past 5-10 years or so, a trend in dentistry has become alarmingly fashionable. We at Plaza Health Dentistry have even coined a term to describe it … Speed Dentistry. This racier style of dental drilling we feel is likely a direct result of the proliferation of HMO style Dental Plans; the types of plans that have a restrictive list of dentists, who looking for more “business”, sign up for discounted fee structures, which are designed by insurance companies and then packaged and sold at a discounted rate to employers.
So what’s not to like about lower dental fees? Not one thing, that is, unless quality is sacrificed in the process, which is exactly the case with speed dentistry. To illustrate, here’s an example. Imagine, don’t actually do this (we care not to be held liable for injury), trying to completely peel an apple with a paring knife in 10 seconds. You could probably do it … but how would the apple look when you’re finished?
Now, reach for another and spend a minute or so carefully peeling it. It’s obvious which apple would look better upon completion. It’s interesting (and noteworthy) to then visualize exactly how much extra good apple (beneath the skin) was lost, needlessly, during the “speed” cut. Now, imagine replacing the paring knife with a dental drill (at 40k RPM) and the target switching from a red delicious to your permanent molar. Ouch.
Carrying on … Let’s examine again last week’s Blog issue of a Crown vs an Onlay. Trust us (we’re in the field) a tooth can very easily be cut down for a Crown with a rapidly spinning, sharp diamond bur. In fact, would you believe there are “profitability advisors” for dentists that are recommending that dentists whittle teeth down for crowns in 5 mins or less!
An Onlay, on the other hand, is more slowly and meticulously prepared, resulting in much more of your natural tooth to be spared in the process. Ensuing problems after a Crown are far more numerous than after the more minimally invasive Onlay. One common problem as a result of the trauma associated with a Crown preparation is a dead tooth (maybe months/years down the road), which then becomes infected. This leads to more time in the dentist’s chair to have a root canal performed; and even more money spent. Again, ouch (referring to the money – the root canals are usually not painful these days).
Other problems with Speed Dentistry are visible in the pictures below. These patients came to Plaza Health Dentistry concerning problems with their Crowns. The lack of care (speed?) which created these problems in another office has now led to even more problems, more chair time and, of course, even more money!
Is Speed Dentistry really much cheaper?
Bottom line, be an informed dental health care consumer. Think twice about a Crown and discuss this matter with your dentist. Let s/he know that you are aware of treatment options (like an Onlay) and of quality differences in dentistry. Choose the option that makes the most sense to you. Don’t be afraid to, early and often, ask questions. Ask to see a post-treatment x-ray (with a lay description) and a prognosis when treatment is complete.
Next week we’ll look at very new trend in dentistry, and Plaza Health Dentistry’s answer to control costs, namely the efficient use of ultra-modern, high technology.
Visit our website at http://www.stlouis-cosmeticimplantdentist.com/ or give us a call at (314) 843-0500.
