If he didn't he wouldn't be so attractive (as an electromagnet?)
I'm a Dentist. Doing a Q&A for Dental Health Week » All Comments
Good question, was waiting for this one :) Will be talking about this.
Should of been a eye dr you could charge even more :)
Or an ENT and he could charge through the nose
Why do you earn more than doctors in the first 15 years of your careers
Dental overheads are ridiculously high.
They need to pay for 3 staff to see you (Dentist, assistant and receptionist), any equipment and material with the word "dental" on it increases the price automatically by 5000%, rent, utility bills, indemnity insurance, marketing etc.
Overheads are much higher than a GP clinic, all the materials and the initial equipment for practice fit-outs are very expensive. A dental chair costs anywhere between 20-50k, a machine to make in-chair crowns can cost 100k etc.
All that plus they need to make enough profit to make it worth all the risks associated with medical/dental procedures.
well said. running a dental clinic costs so much. before the patient even sits in the chair it costs the operator at least $120 for the hour before they even have made $1 profit. not including the cost to do the procedure etc
Training to be a dentist is also a long and expensive process. Attending the mandatory continuous education courses can cost tens of thousands of dollars depending on the course and that's not accounting for lost revenue due to not being able to work.
So everything adds up.
@[Deactivated]: It's worth it in the end, it's not uncommon for a dentist to make $300K. But, for what they do, it's well deserved.
Imagine staring into people's mouths all day…
This. Doctors and dentists deserve what they get payed, no way I could deal with sick people, or staring/reaching into strangers mouths all day. Plus the amount of education they have to go through and maintain.
We work in a field thats about 6cm circle. My continuing education for last 3 year cycle cost me $25k. I’d say its reasonable to be paid what we’re paid.
Dentists get paid by a % of what they bill for, with the surgery taking the rest.
Because of this they dont get sick leave and paid holidays.
Theirs also the fact that they have to get a doctorate and pay off an enormous debt.Source: My family is full of dentists.
I talked about this in the video, but three main things, people here have explained it really well
1 - our costs are very high. There are registration fees, multiple insurances, i didnt talk about lawyer and accountants, but my yearly accountant bill is over $20thousand - i want to do it properly and not get audited by the ATO.
2 - all the materials we use have a markup because it says 'dental'. Everything must be TGA approved, we cant just use cheaper stuff.
3 - the government / medicare doesnt cover dental for normal adults (children from families on tax benefit A centerlink are partially covered by the medicare child dental benefits scheme)
4 - I didnt talk about this but every 3 years we need to do 60hours of continuing education courses. These courses are expensive - a one day course can be $1000-1500. We need to do 60 hours of these.
5 - I look at mouths all day and have people coming in miserable and telling me they hate the dentist and what I do to my face… its a tough gig sometimes and stressful and I think we deserve to be paid for this.
6 - I have to pay a receptionist, a nurse and myself for your time in the chair.
7 - sterilisation costs money. All the equipment needs to be serviced. The chair, xray unit, autoclave, compessor, suction all need yearly service and this is around $800-1000 PER UNIT to be serviced.again, some people will still say that its expensive etc etc.. but this is just where i'm coming from. We are not out to gouge you out of money, its just a fact that our running costs are very high and fees are not covered by the government.
Looks like you get overcharged with these services you require, you should consider Airtasker and a dude with a ciggy in his mouth may do it for $50 + extra $20 in hand? https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/475388
Is the 60 hour requirement purely for attending courses? Is that just a part of your total professional development requirements? By comparison, as a chartered engineer we're required to undertake 150 hours minimum of continuing professional development to remain registered. And within that, we're required to undertake a minimum number of hours on various topics (technical courses, risk and business management, etc).
Intuitively, 60 hours seems a bit low for a field where people's health and well being relies on the practitioner to be up with the latest.
60 hours is spread over a 3 year cycle. So every three years we need to do 60 hours. I usually do more than the 60 hours anyway as there is so many topics that you can spend time on learning.
What are your thoughts about Water Flossing (WaterPik) vs traditional flossing methods?
Is it recommended for children who will require their parents to use the Waterpik (with their mouths open)?
Good question i'll talk about this and also the toothbrush question also. Thanks :)
What do you think of the Philips Airfloss?
I tried and failed for years to build a habit of flossing daily. I even tried the single-use dental floss picks out of convenience. Being the geek that I am, I looked for a machine to do it for me. After examining the market, I settled on a Philips Airfloss. For the first time, I'm actually 'flossing' daily.
My research indicated that a Waterpik would clean better, but is more cumbersome and messy to use. The Airfloss is clean and simple, and you can fill it with mouthwash. It was specifically designed for lazy people like me.
Agreed, I hate flossing, I get told to do it every time I go to the dentist… Which is often, apparently because I don't floss.
Feels damn good when I do floss, then waterpick, then brush though. I just resent the extra 15 minutes of unpleasantness just before bed.
I do water flossing with waterpik everyday, but somehow my dentist still said it's not good enough, i.e still have plague etc. Maybe I'm not doing it right :(
waterpik and airfloss is limited benefit to most people. Unless you have dexterity issues etc and cant physically use floss then i wouldnt recommend you spend that money on a gadget with limited benefit.
Mechanical cleaning is what gets rid of plaque between teeth.
Do you do appointments at 2:30 ?
There is a bridge bidding convention called Roman keycard where either the first bid shows 1 or 4 aces and the second shows 0 or 3, or the first shows 0 or 3 and the second shows 1 or 4. The first kind is known as the dentist kind (14-30 -> 2:30)
No idea what you're talking about but I'm pretty sure it's a woosh.
2:30 = Tooth Hurty
What's best… manual or electric toothbrushes?
… and what kind of electric toothbrush is best? My research found three main types:
– vibrating (pretty rubbish)
– oscillating (e.g. Braun/Oral-B)
– sonic (e.g. Philips)My reading indicated that the oscillating kind was the best at cleaning. What's your take?
mostly just used Oral-B but love it - mouth feels much better than regular tooth brush.
Have used all 3 types including a $200+ Philips Sonicare
Went back to a $20 Oral-B Oscillating / Rotating cause I felt it worked better.
electric, specifically oral b. My strong preference is oral B. I use a cheap vitality one, but the more expensive ones last longer and batteries stay charged easier.
Why are you so cheap? ;) it's your profession, you should use what you recommend.
lol its really more the technique. if you brush properly the basic one works just as well. The more expensive one has fancy lights and bluetooth and tracking sensors and pressure sensors etc.. I personally dont need that stuff.
I haven't been to a dentist in like ten years but my teeth are fine. Except for one tooth where if I press with my fingernail near the gum it hurts a lot. Is that worth seeing a dentist over?
I don't need to be a dentist to answer that question: yes.
Lol
It'll cost you but it'll cost you 10 times more to go to the dentist later rather than now.
Research for a good dentist & research the procedure they recommend.Agreed. I've had major major dental pain thinking I'd deal with it later on. 2.2k. 3 hospital visits, ruined holidays, 7 drs/dentists. Though that one we didn't know it was dental.
Is it better for brush and then floss, or floss first and then brush?
Flossing removes the bits of food between the teeth. Once these little pieces of food and plaque are loose, the toothbrush will brush them away.
I always brush, rinse, floss, rinse? Don't know if this is right or not.
Yeah, this is how I was taught too….blew my mind when I found out people floss before brushing!
I've always been told by dentists to not rinse after brushing because you're washing away fluoride that would otherwise help protect your teeth. Just spit it out.
Same, but it's hard…
I brush first. But TBH makes no difference. Just floss.
Questions:
- What's the standard cost of a checkup and clean before gross of any health insurance benefits for your practice and how much time do you allocate for it?
- Are amalgam filings hazardous to your health?
- Do you recommend using interdental brushes?
- How should you keep teeth, gums and bones healthy?
- Any of the negatives reversible e.g. receding gums, or best outcome is to maintain current level with good dental hygiene?
sorry i missed this question.
- normal checkup and clean with xrays is around $230-260 depending on if you want fluoride. I usually book an hour for it as I spend time explaining things and talking you through the xray and intraoral photos we take, then the treatment etc. We are certainly not expensive compared to some places, but we are also not the cheapest dental surgeries that try and fit as many people in as possible. I dont like to rush things.
- amalgam fillings are not hazardous to your health. I personally dont do amalgam but if you have them and they arent causing problems eg cracked or leaking then you dont need them replaced.
- flossing is best but interndal brushes are still very good.
- talked in great detail on oral hygiene routine in the video. Its simple. Diet and oral hygiene.
- receding gums or gum disease can be controlled and stopped. the gum level can be maintained. If severe a periodontist can do gum grafting also. But dont leave it too late, early maintenance is key
Question: Why don't you answer the questions posted on this website instead of making us ask here and then tuning in on Thursday to your Facebook page for the answers?
Hear, hear!
I'm busy at 7:15pm this Thursday. Why even post here?I'm sorry you're busy during the planned live stream. It will still be viewable afterwards though.
Reason I'm doing a stream rather than answering questions is that its easier for me to talk and explain things rather than writing out individual responses essay style. Some of the questions are related and overlap also.
I'm posting here because I've been part of the ozbargain community for so long and just wanted some questions to answer and talk about. Hopefully some people appreciate what I'm doing and get some benefit out of it.thanks for your assistance and contribution :)
Why can't you and your colleagues show us your face?
Because they always look down in the mouth
will be showing my face in the live stream lol
Is that you Rob?
Do you know of any dentists named Phil McCavity?
My father had a dentist once called Dr Spittle. Of all the professions he could've chosen…
What's your opinion on having certain dental services become bulk billed through Medicare? A lot of people can't afford private health insurance.
Do you think it would be helpful for the lower income population to receive certain non-cosmetic dental treatment on a bulk-billing scheme, similar to a bulk-billing GP?
There's the children's dental benefits scheme and I think there is something for very low income earners as well
Yes, there's a concession dental benefit thing, but it's so massively underfunded you have to wait about 2 years for a checkup. At least this was my experience in the past as a student.
Depending on your state, you can always go for Public Dental Services.
If serious enough, and the line is long enough, people can be offered a voucher for treatment in a private dental practice (as long as the practice is accepting that scheme).
It would make a great difference to everyones oral health if medicare covered some portion of preventive treatments
Can you answer the questions here instead of the live stream?
he has the whole week to answer all our burning questions :D
Do you charge more for health insurance customers?
want to know as well .
We have the same fees for health or non health insurance patients. For some however that we are preferred providers for there are different fee schedules so you pay less gap.
Good to know. I used to have a dentist whose gap was suspiciously very similar to the fees for non-insurance customers.
some practices do some 'interesting/creative/questionable' things to claim as much back from your health fund, which means you dont pay a gap so they seem cheaper… but the result is that your health fund limit is maxed out and when you go get optical or physio, then your health fund doesnt pay out.
Charging the same unlike many other medical specialists, pathology clinics. Etc. Well done.
Hi Jasonlah,
Thanks for taking our questions :)Can periodontal disease be reversed with good teeth care? Ive had xrays and dentist told me that I need to see a peridontal surgeon as the xrays showed visible lines to my teeth. I am on a waiting list to see the surgeon. Since hearing this news, Ive been extra strict on my dental care routine, brushing 3 times a day with electric toothbrush, flossing. I have heard that mouthwashes can kill good bacteria as well as bad bacteria is this true? If not, is there a mouthwash you can recommend for my teeths condition? Thank you so much for your advice
Good question, I will be touching on this topic in the video. Thankyou.
Hi again Jasonlah,
Im wondering if theres another way we could access your video? I would love to see it but unfortunately, Im not on Facebook, Thanks againYou dont have to be on Facebook to see the video. You can just click above to our facebook page and say 'not now' when it tells you to log in to facebook.
1) What's the best thing parents can do to stop their kids getting in to trouble with their teeth early on?
2) What age should kids first have a proper dental checkup (assuming nothing is obviously an issue that needs earlier attention)?
3) I recently saw a dentist for a checkup who said I need to make a separate appointment for another dentist to do the cleaning. I was pretty taken aback by this. Is this a standard practice to go and get a checkup only to have to make another do do the regular cleaning? It sounded like a money printing exercise to me. Surely cleaning should be part of the annual checkup? What is your experience?
Really good questions, I will be talking about this in the live stream. Thankyou :)
This is something that should be taught at school. In a way to spark interest rather then scare. I damaged my teeth before I found out there is actually a profession called dental hygienist. I have been to quite a few and some are very good at it even I pay say 80 bucks it makes me so fresh when all the bacteria between gum and teeth are gone. Sadly anti social behaviour has made infection control the dearest part of it. Either I travel to a less social area for a good job or pay $160 for a clean that is $40 for the labour and $120 to protect the hygienist from undesirable infections.
3) It makes no difference to your final cost as an 011/012 is your examination the 022 is your xrays if needed and the 114/121 is your clean and fluoride.
Whether the dentist does it on the day, or the dentist just does the 012, 022 on the day and reschedules/delegates the 114/121 to the hygienist/therapist bears no difference to your end cost.
If anything the hygienist may provide you with a more dedicated clean of 30-40 mins whereas our time is worth more and you’d be lucky to get 10-15 mins with the dentist for a clean realistically.
A hygienist doing your clean is relatively standard practice at any busy practice.
No sharing of saliva with under 2 year olds!
It is the biggest risk factor for the child to develop decay later in life.
After two years their oral bacteria stabilises, and they are much less likely inherit the parents harmful bacteria
touched on this in the video. Diet and oral hygiene basicall.
If you need a separate appointment for cleaning, ask why this is the case. It depends on the individual circumstance. I usually do cleaning on the same visit but everyone is different and its not one size fits all.probably visit before age 4 i would say. You can bring them in earlier for the kids to get used to the environment. The last thing you want is to wait until the child has a toothache and needs a tooth pulled on their first ever dental visit.
Should I get my teeth whitened overseas (Vietnam)? If so which type would you recommend?
check youtube and save the travel money!
I use salt and baking soda and bit of vinegar to clean my teeth ( tarred by coffee ). After some 10 days my teeth look perfectly clean and white. Try my way and cause no harm. Am I right Dr.Jasonlah ?
Thetiger, vinegar is really acidic, and with the abrasiveness of the salt it can prematurely wear away the surface of the tooth. If its removing surface stains that easily it is most likely abrading or acid etching away the surface layer. I would strongly advised against this. If you want a good toothpaste that will whiten and not abrade the teeth or damage then I would suggest Colgate optic white toothpaste. Expensive but it works, and is not any more abrasive than normal toothpaste.
My dentist recommends using baking soda mixed with small amount of water into a paste, and lightly smearing on teeth after regular teeth cleaning 3x a week, leaving on overnight (not brushing it on, too abbrasive). Apparently helps with stains, and attached bad bacterial of the acidic environment they need to reproduce, or something.
Whitening is so cheap here in aus why would you fly overseas for it? I talked about going overseas for treatment in the video a bit also.
Who's that 1 dentist who doesn't recommend?
He's currently running away from colgate and oral b
Could you do this as a standard AMA instead (or as well)?
Depending on how the live stream goes, I will try to answer the questions here or do a transcript.
Thanks. In that case:
Any real reason why I can't just see my dentist 1x / year rather than 2x / year? I don't have private health care and pay the full amount, so I'm currently doing every 9 months despite the "See you in 6 months" at the end of each session.
Any reason not to just by a bottle of one of those 3% hydrogen peroxide things at the chemist and dilute it 50% for whitening (used like mouthwash)? 1.5% hydrogen peroxide seems to be the active ingredient in most whitening products anyway.
I touched on both these in the video also.
1.5% hydrogen peroxide will literally do nothing.
We use 37% in chair whitening, or 6% or 9% for take home kits.
If my dentist has completed a crown and there a margin between the crown and my original tooth, would you recommend me do a new crown?
Thanks :)
a margin is the join line between the crown and the tooth. Depends on if the margin is flush or if there is a gap. You should go back to your dentist if you are unsure
yeh my original dentist saids its fine cause its sealed.
I went to get 3 other opinions from 3 different dentist - 2 say redo and 1 saids not to touch …
(In General - as i know you cant see the xray) If there was a big margin, would their be a high chance of bacteria getting to my original tooth and decaying it? as its not properly crowned?
Thanks so much for the input
if there is a gap in the margin that will allow plaque and bacteria to stay there I would be a bit wary. Again hard for me to comment over the internet. If no symptoms you could leave it, but if the crown is new, and there is a gap in the margin from day 1 I would be a bit concerned.
Why is it cheaper to go on holiday overseas for 2 weeks and get treatment done than having work done in Australia?
I assume you mean larger more invasive treatments such as implants etc?
Because someone goes on an overseas holiday - if it's not you it's the dentist, and they'll cost more because they fly business and stay at more expensive places.
I had a root canal done once and after every session when I went to book the next visit the receptionist informed me the dentist would be going overseas for a month.
It ended up taking about six months before it was all finished, albeit poorly.
And follow up question - is it just as good if the dentist in Thailand has got his dentistry degree from Australia?
Just like any profession ~ there are bad and good dentists.
I know people who have "masters" in IT who don't even know what a "Primary Key" is….
I'd be more worried about going to Thailand, getting stuff done and finding out stuff has gone wrong after coming back to Australia
if you go to a developing country like vietnam or thailand of course its going to be cheaper. They have lower costs, lower regulations, less stringent standards. Same reason why clothes and food, and accomodation is cheaper in those countries.
Its risky though, you dont know their infection control or sterilisation standards. I wouldnt risk it personally.
Are at home whitening production like "hismile" actually bad for you, or is this just dentist using scare tactics to sell the same service at a higher price?
really really good question, I will be talking about this. Thankyou.
I talked about this in the video. Hismile doesnt work. the before and after pics you can see they have used instagram filters to brighten the picture, and the lip and skin tone is different in the after pictures.
Risk is that it damages the gums and teeth surface and if you dont have the teeth check before you may have undiagnosed decay etc which whitening will worsen.
Thanks for the response! Appreciate the time you took to go back through the comments.
Another question, during the morning rush, when is it best to brush teeth? Before or after breakfast?
I heard not to brush after you eat acidic foods as the enamel is weak, eg after vomiting or drinking soda, salad with vinegar etc…in for the answer to this one.
i brush before. But it depends on your routine. If you want to brush after then wait 20-30mins if you have anything acidic like fruit juice
Why do many dentist have poor taste of music? Last dentist I visited, first visit he asked me what music do i want to listen, which I said whatever..(just hurry up!), and he ended up putting K-pop song as he is a big fan.
Second visit, he asked me again what music do i want to listen, which I answer AGAIN whatever any song will just be fine.
Then he ended up putting Frozen song as he loves the movie.LOL
Is your dentist an 8 year old girl?
He might have a heart of an 8 years old
Why do braces cost $6k?
I had braces for 24 months.
The first few appointments required x-rays. Then there was the moulds/casts of my teeth. Then there was a series of photographs and calculations I did not understand. So there was a lot that happened leading up to getting the braces.
Then there was 24 months of monthly visits and a few more here and there when things came off or was cutting my cheeks.
Seems like a lot of work for $6k TBH. I did have mine done by someone who didn't just palm of the tasks to an assistant and she was meticulous. (Maybe just for me because she is a friend). I calculated roughly 20-30 hours of her time which by extension, her assistant's time. She had a nurse by her side and a nurse working the autoclave.
Then there's the cost of materials.
It's not a bad gig, but I know tradies making more. Also hard work but less the investment.
Braces in the vast majority of cases are a non-essential service
I dont do braces at the moment, so I cant answer this question.
What if you brush your teeth (using electric tooth brush) after every single meal, is that a beneficial recommendation?
Or does your teeth and gums get worn down, if you brush too much?
Ingesting too much toothpaste residue any harm?Which Listerine is better, the green, blue or purple one? I really need a dentist to suggest a non biased fact.
Which Oral B electric brushhead is best? What would you suggest your partner to buy?
A dentist once recommend me to choose a private hospital surgeon to remove my wisdoms (thru surgery), but did not really pursuade me to chose public hospital surgeon. Was he biased and is this common practice with dentists?
Is it recommended for parents to rip out their kids really loose teeth and suck on a tissue or what's the proper procedure here?
Surely going to a dentist is an overkill expense?I can answer the one about surgeons. We do not get compensated for who we refer to beyond possibly a christmas hamper if we have a good relationship.
We usually refer to who we know will do a good job. Personally, I don't know the names of any public hospital surgeons and I feel like they would have a very long waiting list for elective surgery. Where I am, that list goes for years
Just brush twice daily. Once in the morning and once at night before you go to bed. You dont have to brush after EVERY meal. I dont to that.
Listerine I dont recommend unless you like the feeling of it. However if you have implant the listerine has been shown to reduced inflammation around the implant surface.
Oral B brush head i use the precision clean head.
A dentist should not 'persuade' you to choose public surgeon or private surgeon. I give options and discuss the benenit and risk and you choose yourself.
As a parent you can pull out the very loose baby teeth yourself. If its very loose and hanging on, just wash your hands, get a tissue grab it and pull out to the side (cheek surface) and it should come out.
do you spit out the toothpaste after you finished brushing?
is mouthwash no better than just gargle with water?
is tongue cleaning necessary?
Brush, Spit all toothpaste out as much as you can and dont rinse with water or mouthwash straight after
I clean my tongue with the toothbrush, gets rid of bacteria that causes bad breathe
Don't rinse mouth with water straight after?? what?? That gross man!
yeah you want the fluoride residue on your teeth to protect it.
When did we have a Dental Health Week?
I mean, Breast Cancer Awareness (week? Month?) is silly enough but I get it, some people are really ignorant of how to detect lumps and other abnormalities but teeth? Tooth decay and pain is very obvious and so are the prevention and solution.
Maybe we should have a not falling down the stairs awareness month.
Because you shouldn't only go to the dentist when you have pain and tooth decay is not always obvious. I know i'm guilty of not going to the dentist often enough, like once in the last 10 years, because i had to see the dentist 4 times for the one tooth (she couldn't get it right) and during one of those she got me to bite down on that spike thing, but didn't tell me to do it gently and it killed, traumatised me only went 6 years ago due to a filling breaking off.
I'm not saying that you should only attend due to pain and that practice has been a standard practice for decades now.
This "Dental Week" isn't going to change any misconceptions of routine checkups as by definition, anything ongoing is perpetual. The dental week is only there for a week.
So what I do not understand is why there is a "Dental Week" and not the actual preventative practice.
You are just as likely to lose teeth to tooth decay, as you are to lose it to periodontal disease. What kind of symptoms should we expect from the second?
Additionally, many don't see the importance of routine checkups
It seems people think a dental week fixes problems. It is just a way to increase marketing revenue by newspapers, magazines, TV…
Want to actually increase awareness? Have basic health classes in school. If that doesn't work, what hope does one week of noise make to adults?
Besides, telling someone who doesn't want to go to a dentist about what gum disease is probably has the opposite effect. They're going to pick the symptoms they don't have and go, "well, I'm all good."
How do you change the habit of people who ignore "prevention is better than cure" from only attending due to pain? It sure isn't telling them some more.
Is it supposed to be a friendly reminder then? I pretty sure dentist send out recall reminders.
So don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to diminish the good work of dentist, I'm just saying that Dental Health week doesn't help anyone but advertisement platforms.
Actually is tbh. I've lost count of the amount of patients who came in to "fix a toothache" who turned into 6 month recall patients without any issues.
I agree about your sentiment. This is the problem with all downstream 1:1 interventions. It often does not work. As dentists, we do a lot of upstream advocacy work with governments, but it is always slow progress
@Tech5: Exactly. First point of contact is still pain. What makes the patient interested in ongoing contact? Not dental week but a good experience at the dentist. Good job doing that. It's not easy.
With dental diseases, majority are self preventable is it not? You cannot get government to blanket enforce people to do the right thing. It's not dissimilar to obesity. No amount of awareness funding is going to make people run.
What makes people want to prevent problems is to prevent pain. Since we can't go out and hurt people (we really shouldn't), the next best thing is to let them feel the inevitable and let them feel the financial pain.
Pain is a great teacher and if we remove physical pain and financial pain, people are just going to be more negligent.
So, dentist, dental products and pharmaceutical companies paying for advertising space on Dental Week isn't doing anyone any good. (Except folks at the local Chronicles.)
@[Deactivated]: lol contrary to popular belief, I dont actually want my patients to be in pain. My life would be much easier if people came in for 6 or 12monthly checkup and cleans and had nothing wrong with them.
@jasonlah: Of course you do not wish them pain. I don't think anyone but the most horrible people would wish that.
Pain is there whether we wish it and it will/is the reason for many people to seek a dentist for the first time. Not awareness.
People stay away for the same reasons too, fear of pain and fear of costs.
Awareness campaigns that run from sponsorships increase the advertising expense of practices. Those costs can be better put towards literally anything and be more beneficial.
@[Deactivated]: The purpose of dental health week is basically to spark a conversation, hopefully spread some awareness.
Its the same as many other special awareness weeks like speech pathology week, legacy week, missing persons week, national child protection week etc etc.Its all about starting a conversation. We all have to start somewhere.
Approximately how much should I pay for invisalign? And is there an insurance policy you prefer for the purposes of dental rebates for orthodontics?
I have no idea on this sorry. Visit your dentist or orthodontist and you can get second opinions.
Why do you earn more than all doctors in the first 15 years of your careers, and most doctors thereafter?
As someone who works in Glenmore Park, i'm sure you see a lot of people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Do you think that general dentistry should be fully covered by medicare at the cost of reduced reimbursement to dentists?
Very untrue statement about how much we earn. Dentists start off with a higher graduate salary but the scope to increase is limited.
Compare this to doctors and surgeons and anaethestists where they have much higher scope to increase earnings as their careers progress.I think preventive dentistry should be covered in part by medicare, why they dont cover teeth is beyond me. But the the problem is also where is the money going to come from? Higher taxes likely. And you dont want it to end up like the UK system NHS dentistry where the public dental services are so spread out and underfunded that it results in very poor quality work.
My kids (around 10 years old) have whitish spots (the spots are more white than their teeth colour) on their teeth. Is it something to worry about ?
Dental fluorosis is a common cause of white spots on the teeth. There are several possible causes of white spots on the teeth. People usually get this when they are young if they consumed too much fluoride as a child. It is usually a harmless condition that only tends to develop before the teeth break through the gums.
- TLDR - use kids toothpaste - make sure not to digest + spit and rinse.
thank you!
i second this.
What do you think about with respect to private health funds buying and taking over dentistry? They offer cheap, or 100% rebates on dental checks etc. Seems like a great deal!? So what are the positives and negatives of that?
A combo of ten silly, basic and curiosity questions
1) In the morning do you brush then eat or do you eat then brush and why not the other?
2) Should you floss in the morning if you did so the previous night or would that be a waste of time? (bonus listerine or simply warm salt water to gargle)
3) Follow up question to two have you had clients that purposely don't floss or clean their teeth on appointments with a general cleaning scheduled? (guilty here)
3) Do you advocate for home-job teeth whitening with carbamide peroxide / bi-card soda etc etc or done professionally? (bias question I know)
4) What are the long term implications of a missing teeth number 14?
5) Do you believe Australia should be moving towards a medicare scheme for possibly free once or twice checkup yearly, cleaning, filling etc for each person?
6) What time generally should you stop eating and drinking at night before bedtime? (Current dentist said chips are ok but soft drinks are a big no no)
7) Have you had clients that went from complete neglect of oral health to one of your best patients? How does that make you feel as a person/profession?
8) Any out of the ordinary cases that stuck by you so far in your career?
9) Manual or electric toothbrush and floss or water-pik? You have to pick one of each and the pros and cons
10) Lucky last - Would you inform your patient on a shocking job that a previous dentist had done that you had to fix?Sorry I missed this question scrolling through
1 - talked about this in the video, it depends on your routine. If you brush after then wait 20-30mins after you eat then brush, not straight away
2 - I floss at night only. Once a day is already a really good effort. Nobody likes flossing.
3 - lol yes.
4 - if you are missing a tooth the risk is that the other teeth drift into the space, making it harder to restore with a implant or bridge later down the track.
5 - I talked about this in the video also. Medicare should pay for some preventive treatment but then they would have to find the money from somewhere, likely tax people more etc and then people would complain etc etc… different governments have tried and failed over the years
6 - doesnt matter imo. just brush before you go to bed and floss.
7 - yes of course, the best one was a patient with an addiction, who overcame his personal problems, then came to me very ashamed and embarrassed about his teeth. Took many visits but he is much better now and appreciates his oral health. Good outcomes like these are literally the reason I became a dentist. When i was younger I had shocking teeth and the orthodontist fixed them with braces and literally lifted my confidence in life, so yeah it is a good feeling. As opposed to people tell me to my face they hate the dentist lol
8 - see above
9 - talked about this in great detail in the video. I use oral B electric, and normal floss.
10 - Its difficult talking about shocking jobs. Reason is patients forget, or dont know what happened or their story is wrong. I dont know what circumstance the 'shocking job' was done under and what was discussed. Unless it is a very obvious case of misconduct the I will err on the side of caution and just tell them what I see during the appointment, without speculating about what was done before, but still advise the patient and they can do what they want with the information I give them.
Why didn't you make the thread when you can actually answer questions. Are you going to answer the questions already asked?..
No one reads the first post, we just read the heading and start bashing the keyboard.
cant please everyone
I was in stitches when I first saw this. Bob is a classic on WILTY.
I have a 2 year old that sucks his fingers to go to sleep, when and how do i stop him from doing this and how bad is it for his teeth?
Every dentist I speak to says that the sucking pushes the front teeth outwards and will need braces to correct if it isn't stopped quickly.
Our child sucked her thumb from a young age and we let her do it because she slept better when we left her. I wish we didn't because the habit still exists after a year of trying to get her to stop.
We have tried:
- Silicone finger covers. Covers one finger, but she moves onto another finger
- Terrible tasting nail polish from the chemist. It works for a while but because she is so obsessed she just pushes through the taste, especially at night when she wants it the most.Eventually I sowed up a fabric mitten with Velcro at the bottom which she cannot remove for the night time and when driving in the car. We use the nail polish during the day, and are super vigilant when carrying her or leaving her alone always removing her finger out.
It's gotten better, and will take probably another year before she drops the habit completely
How old is your kid?
3 now. We started to try and stop her at 2.
Some kids start kinder and prep with the habit. We wanted to avoid that.
Yeah he has been to see the dentist who said the same so we are trying to encourage him to stop but it's hard to police through the night. We encourage him to cuddle his teddy to go to bed rather than suck his finger, which works, but as he re-settles during the night the fingers inevitably get sucked.
Tough one because as you say he uses them for comfort and re-settling.
I saw some elbow brace which stops them from being able to bend their arm and get their fingers in their mouth that I was tempted to try. I kind of fell bad though as I don't want him to develop anxiety from not being able to comfort himself.
Our daughter did it a lot for comfort. She had an adorable “suck thumb plus grab adult ear” routine which she did before bed or when sad/sick.
We’ve heard similar as Herbse, but that it was okay for the first couple of years, and to stop it after age 3 or so.
We ended up distracting her when she was doing it out of boredom and allowing it for comfort. Then when she turned four or so we had a conversation with her and explained why she shouldn’t suck her thumb, then just provided her with a quick reminder whenever she was doing it which worked for us. She’s 7 now and we had even forgotten that she used to do it until we saw a photo recently.
i would like to go to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. i only want my teeth cleaned and nothing else. why do dentist charge an additional check up cost?
If the dentist cleans your teeth and notices that you have a "sign" of cancer in your mouth - do you want to know about it?
that's my problem then. i only want to pay for my teeth to be cleaned and nothing else.
Not sure any dentist would be able to do this due to liability issues
- e.g. you suing them after things go wrong.I'd be seeking legal advice, and then you'd need to find a dentist willing to see you and follow that advice.
Have a look at DNRs and how complex they are to have written up and adhered to (especially in Australia).
We are unable to due to duty of care. If you were in only 3months ago then sure, we might do a cursory check and not charge
legally cant do this. The checkup cost is a consultation fee.
Go to dental hygienist instead.
Surprised NO ozbargainer asked if toothpaste and the entire dental industry was a scam / money making when alternate therapies such as oil pulling and or natural / zero-waste toothpaste was easily made / available and practiced by indigenous / aboriginal / natural folk that have been doing it for generations / centuries without access to toothpaste or toothbrushes?
Try it yourself as a $8 challenge - it's quite a bit of "effort" considering each pull consumes a min 30-40 minutes of your time…. but in light of insurance / dental fees - plus it's 100% natural - why not?
lol. are you still eating bush tucker too? More likely you’re eating a high carb diet, conducive to more decay than eating wigety grubs.
Did these natural folk have access to a lot of refined sugars like chocolate and soft drinks? Use your head
Why would you waste 30-40mins of your time a day on oil pulling when you can just brush your teeth twice daily for 2 minutes each?
Would you recommend electric tooth brush over non-electric one? If so why?
For the majority of ppl, the automatic rotation is better at removing plaque than you manually rotating your brush. If you know what you’re doing, likely very little meaningful difference but for most ppl it eliminates human error
- What is the real solution to sensitive teeth?
- Is it bad for your teeth to get cleaned too often by the dentist? (I get mine cleaned 4-5 times a year)
- Which works better - Professional whitening by a dentist or those teeth whitening products you can buy online?
- Sensodyne works for me.
- If it's the same dentist and they haven't stopped you then I don't see why you should stop throwing your money away. You can brush TOO much but you would think a dentist would not be causing damage by cleaning that many times.
- You do know whitening your teeth makes them more sensitive right?
1 - depends why the teeth are sensitive. Many reasons why teeth are sensitive, eg enamel wear, erosion, decay, gum recession… there is no one size fits all solution, it depends on the diagnosis.
2 - Ask your dentist why you need it cleaned 4-5 times a year. If you have gum disease or high rate of decay or other medical problem then that will make sense.
3 - professional whitening works much better. Your dentist will also advise you if it is safe to do it (eg if you have sensitive teeth, whitening may make it more sensitive temporarily)
Do you think charcoal toothpaste make a difference in teeth whitening? What whitening toothpastes do you recommend? Thanks
I answered this in the video. Dont use charcoal toothpaste.
Before I see my dentist I will floss, brush, mouth wash and tongue brush because I feel that it's the right thing to do.
Do you get any patients that come in right after having lunch and still have chewed food in their mouths. Do you find this disgusting at all ?
part of the job lol. Theres much worse things I see and deal with than people with old food in their mouth.
Must we actually change our toothbrush every 3 months?
3 months is around the right time to change it as the bristles wear out, and also bacteria can grow around the bristles. Think of how long you can use the same towel after showering before you need to change it… same with toothbrush head except you cant wash the toothbrush head to get rid of bacteria.
do anti-vaxers allow their children to brush their teeth with fluoride based toothpaste and if so , why?
You should ask an anti vaxer ;)
Thanks for doing this!
I have had one dentist say I have holes that needed filling. Another dentist has looked and said he saw nothing to be concerned about.
Are there any reasons that there could be two totally different diagnosis?
Subjective clinical judgement leading to possible over / under treatment.
Some people believe in filling every hole - some people believe in prevention and management.
Hard to say…
Thanks! Hadn't thought of that as a reason. I had thought a hole was a hole, either it's there and needed filling, or its not 🤔 how wrong I was
It is all subjective. Each dentist has a different threshold at which they believe something needs a filling, crown etc.
Thanks! This was the first time I had seen different dentists, so differing opinions had literally not occurred to me.
I had been, how to say, serially faithful to one dentist at a time until recent years.
Subjective, one may have taken xrays, the other may not have. One may know your history eg you've been coming regularly and they are watching or monitoring the tooth, if you go to a new dentist obviously they dont know anything about you previously, how often you visit, how many decays youve had in the past, etc etc
Thanks, Jason! Subjectivity on treatment like how tech5 and blehgg explained, seems to be it.
I don't have a history with either dentists, it was a new consultation with both.
Some of you may know that I'm a dentist.
We can tell from your profile pic 😁 .
I'm curious as to approx cost of compulsory insurance? (For practicing dentist with his own practice, 1 dentist, 1 nurse)
Also, have you got any idea why Australian dentists are paid amongst the highest in the world ?
I was thinking perhaps it is to do with high insurance costs. Maybe it is just because Australian dentists are the best .$2000 indemnity insurance, higher if you do more high end procedures.
If you’re talking about other business insurances etc, that’ll be around $5-10k a year depending on your turnover.Aus dental is of an exceptionally high standard 90+% of the time, I’d say most of us are compensated above average, but fair given the balance of technical difficulty and lvl of training, not to mention putting up with people/their complaints/helicopter mums etc.
My indemnity insurance is $2500-3000
Business insurance is $6000
building insurance is $2700, we cant just use AAMI or normal insurers.
Tax insurance is $700
Cyber insurance (for patient files) is another $1500
I have income insurance and needlestick injury. another $4800
etc etc etc.. All these insurances increase every year
I just paid $300 for a filling in my 9 year olds baby tooth. Why? Its going to fall out anyway who cares if it has a hole in it?
space maintenance. prevents ortho issues.
also, it can give your kid toothacheAlways get gold filling for kids.
Tooth fairy needs some bling 😎If it is a 9 year old baby tooth, it will probably be another 2-3 years before it falls out. A lot can happen in that time
If you leave it there is a risk of pain to your child from toothache, or could develop and abscess or infection and damage the adult tooth underneath.
Joining Smile does it give you true discounts ?
No. their max prices are actually pretty standard. You are paying a fee to a third party to get supposedly cheaper prices elsewhere.. doesnt make sense.
What are your thoughts on removing light tartar at home? Is it safe or is it actually as bad as dentists make it out to be?
How can you remove tartar at home?
Brushing before or after breakfast?
After. Removes the plaque and food that builds up from brekky
My crown is starting to hurt but only sometimes. Does that mean that I need to get a new one asap?
You should see your dentist to get it checked and xrayed, so see what is wrong with it and they can give you the treatment options.
I hate flossing, my dentist tells me to floss. I have read articles that there is an absence of evidence that flossing is actually effective.
I realise an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. I have also read rebuttals which state that studies on flossing are hard to conduct due to individual differences in technique and ability, suggesting that flossing by a dentist is better than no flossing at all, but on average there is no improvement from the individual flossing vs not flossing.
Care to weigh in on this, share studies where flossing appears effective, or simply address the issue from a theoretical perspective (e.g there's crud between your teeth, it's bad for the gums, floss you lazy bugger)?
What benefit could there be from rotten food and bacteria sitting between your teeth?
Didn't say there was benefit. I said the little available research suggested flossing and brushing was not superior to brushing alone.
Your response is like if someone asked "should you stretch before lifting weights?" And someone replies "what benefit could there be from tight and inflexible muscles".
Pretty useless.
I addressed this in detail in the video.
Hey thanks OP - question for you. I had a temporary filling with intention of getting a root canal about 10 months ago. Root canal is so expensive I have not gone ahead but not getting any pain in that tooth any more ( back left Molar on the bottom ) what are the concerns with progressing without the root canal as I cannot afford the $4k plus I have been quoted. What is likely to happen with temporary filling?
Temp filling will eventually break. Tooth will eventually hurt. Longer you wait, the lower the success rate of the root canal
Yes the temp filling will break or leak bacteria into the cavity, possibly have more decay.
Do you recommend sugar free chewing gum such as Wrigley's Extra Chewing Gum to improve oral health? If so, how often would you recommend someone to chew sugar free chewing gum?
Thanks.
Best chewing gum for oral health would be one that contains xylitol, or even better, cpp-acp like Recaldent
sugar free gum helps clean the chewing surface of the teeth after eating, also stimulates saliva which naturally contains minerals that protect the teeth surface
Hi everyone, I will be doing the live stream at 7:15pm today. I am currently at work from 10am to 7pm. After the live stream I will answer the questions here in this thread. Thankyou.
What is your yearly salary??
I own my own business so I dont get a salary. I get the scraps after I pay my staff, suppliers, bank, insurance company, THE TAX OFFICE (big one). My business is new so at the moment I dont really have a figure.
What's your yearly profit?
How much you pay for the dentist that you employ?I have one dentist and that is me. The business is new so cant really answer the profit question sorry.
Teeth whitening has been mentioned above, however (1) can you recommend and state the pros and cons of the best affordable at home procedure available to purchase easily over the counter/online (e.g. Crest white strips) comparative to the affordable procedure available at the dentist (e.g. Zoom)?
Also, I understand in many Asian countries whitening is offered at much lower prices, (2) if one was to go overseas (e.g. Thailand/Bali) and ask for whitening at a standard clinic (e.g. https://www.theteethwhitenerbali.com/) what are the pro's and con's? (3) Alternatively what should I look for at these clinics to ensure they are safe and effective for whitening?
Thanks in advance!
talked about in the video.
Literally why would you go overseas to get whitening that is cheap here in oz? Professional whitening is only $400 and that is safe regulated, proven results.
Home whitening I would recommend colgate optic white. Do not get online internet ones like hismile
I’m currently in the process of solving a dental cost dispute in the US, so I’m wondering if the situation in Oz is a lot better… Things like, being charged consultation fees ($100-) every time going in to his office for any services, and the last time I was even charged a dental health health education fee ($300)
sorry i have no idea about the usa system
I have daily chronic tension headaches (2 years now, reaction to medication I was taking). My dentist indicated there is evidence of grinding (not severe though) on my teeth. My jaw muscles are fairly tight and stiff, opening/closing jaw is pretty average.
I was fitted with a custom made mouthguard to wear at night. I found this didn’t really help though.
In your experience do dental splints work? Could you suggest further treatments?
thanks for your answer OP! Will look into a referral and use the jaw exercises in the meantime!
hope you found it useful
When can you ask a dentist for a refund? My dad has a crown that fell off 3 times over the course of two months. A temporary crown lasted 6 month prior to the installation of this new crown. Does my dad have a case of a full refund? The dentist charged him every time he revisited to fix the fallen crown. Are there any dental associations or ombudsman that we can seek help from?
Have you tried to ask for a refund in writing? They are obliged to tell their insurer when you do so. The insurer will probably just pay you out if your case is legitimate. You can also complain to AHPRA and the Dental Board of Australia on 1300 419 495.
hi knightelf, can you tell me more about the obligation? My dad has emailed them several times and they have never responded.
ask the dentist, why is the crown falling off? Is it a new crown or is it an old one?
The dentist claim that the tooth is to shallow and that the glue does not bind well with the new crown. The problem is, the temporary crown done overseas lasted more than 6 months.
When I visited a dentist for scaling he asked to visit again 3 more times. he divided my mouth four parts - upper right, upper left, down right and down left. One visit per a part and cost about 150 dollars. I did it as I have no idea about the cost and the procedure in overseas as I do it in my home country. I just think the cost is a lot in overseas. Later I found no dentist does it like that. He was a Chinese dentist and talked a lot of things making me didn't think of cost. After that I never do it again here. It cost 50 dollars in maximum in my home country. Bad dentist…
There are plenty of dentists that do that. A routine 6 month clean with your regular dentist is done in 1 visit. But if you have been neglecting your periodontal health, then yea, can often take 4 visits of deep cleans.
Your $50 cleans in your home country may be the reason why your gum/bone health is so poor and now needs fixing
What was your flossing/brushing routine in say, the past 10 years before visiting this dentist?
That's not quite true.
Almost all dental practitioners divide the mouth into four - mainly to make it easier to refer to later.
Scaling only a quarter of the mouth in one visit likely just means that you had enough tartar to make him think he wouldn't be able to do a good job cleaning your whole mouth in the limited time he had.
Would you prefer a nail in the doodle or a splinter in the eye?
You said ama. Lol ill tune in just to check if u answer it 😂
splinter in the eye, still got the other one :)
Lol i put that in because ive recently had a accident where a silky oak branch hit my eye and ive still got wood in it.
Honestly id rather a nail in the doodle after that 😂
My back tooth started aching out of nowhere. Around the area where ot meets the gum. Hurts when I suddenly move or bump my head also. Any thoughts?
Could be sinus, could be an infection or abscess.
You really need an examination to check the tooth and likely xray as well.It feels like it is healing on it's own. Aching is going away. Ok to not get checked up?
if its been a while since your last checkup, just go get it checked and xrayed lol
I'm currently a uni dental student and wonder how much do fresh grad dentists earn? and how much does it increase to after 5 years, 10 years etc? (average of course)
Thanks for answering pffft
hey sorry I missed your question when I was scrolling through.
Average graduate salary i believe is around $80k give or take. As a uni student you probably shouldnt be focused on money in your first job. The things to look for are - good and ethical boss, someone who is willing to mentor you in your first few years.
In my first job I had an excellent boss who took his time to educate me and help me when my skills werent as good. This is so much more important than money in my opinion.Thanks so much for replying. Have a good night!
How are job opportunities for new grads - I heard the metro oversupply is pretty bad atm, any truth into this?
@maybeamacy: You should be ok. Or move to the country like I did for my first job. Very good lifestyle in rural.
Thoughts on Xyletol mints vs just brushing teeth after lunch? Thankx.
sugarfree gum.
Dont brush straight after if you have had anything acidic to eat or drink (eg salad dressing, juice, soft drink, wine etc.)Why?
Strips ya dentene.
My guess is it moves it all around.
How soon can I brush after lunch? Is it better to floss daily in the morning before or after brekky?
Whats the best and safest in home whitening sytem?
Thanks!
answered in the video and above.
Colgate optic white is the best DIY.
Professional home whitening by a dentist is safe as well and gives much better results.I've been using Colgate optic white for over a year, I've noticed some improvements but yet there are still yellow stains here and there especially my bottom teeth. Will colgate optic white make all my teeth white eventually or is this the best it can do?
DIY stuff can only work slightly. The concentration of whitening agent or hydrogen peroxide simply isnt high enough in the DIY stuff.
Did anyone watch it?..
Sad to hear from the Q & A that I still need to do string/traditional string flossing AND water flossing :( Great analogy of the car
lol
Turned out to be not helpful AMA LOL
i'm sorry to hear this, what question did you want answered?
Oh lol you asked about the music question haha
I just play the radio usually
I missed it! Didn't saw this thread until just now. I definitely have a question I'd like to ask.
I brush my tooth twice every day, really tried hard to look after it. However, over the past few years, I started to notice some black spots/lines appearing in the grooves of my back tooth, and I can notice it starts to get worse, slowly, but surely, and spreading to tooth in front of them.
So, I went to a local dentist, did some cleaning and got an x-ray. Dentist told me they were decays, and recommended me to drill and fill 7 tooth. That's a lot!
I talked with my parents who have had fillings before, and they told me that it will make my tooth more sensitive, and I should get a second opinion.
Now, I've visited dentists before, and I used to have these black spots/lines as well, but they always told me to just observe, and no further actions required. So this time I am really not sure if this is serious enough to get filling for 7 tooth. There is no pain, and x-ray shows that the decay/cavity has not progressed through the outer layer yet.
Here comes my questions, is there a easy way for myself to determine whether or not I should get fillings? And what would be the potential side effects.
If its been a while since your last few visits then there is real possibility that you have developed decays over that time. Especially as you say they are getting worse and spreading.
Ask the dentist (or your regular family dentist who has your history) to explain to you why it needs filling. At my clinic we use xrays and cameras to show patients and explain.The side effects of not getting treatment if you do truly have decay is what you should think about.
I have a friend who smokes 15-25 cigarettes a day and her teeths are white AF!
Yet, I don't smoke and her teeths are whiter than mine. How does she keep her teeths so white??
I use colgate optic white toothpaste everyday
ask your friend? Maybe she has veneers. maybe she vists the dentist regularly to get them cleaned or whitened? i dont know lol
I just googled veneers and it looks like she does have them. Her teeths are like "too" perfect.
Are veneers permanent??
Do they fall out?? http://i.imgur.com/3rMzshx.gifv
Can they be an alternative to braces?
Veneers are permanent but they do require maintenance. They are cemented onto the teeth and do not fall out unless there is a problem later on such as decay or if you grind your teeth.
The veneers can make your teeth look straighter, but as for the question if its alternative to braces, the answer is it really depends on each persons individual situation and how their teeth are.
Thanks for offering, appreciated it indeed!!!
Just want to ask about if any thoughts on Myobrace treatment? they claim they can correct my son's problem (under bite) in a nature way, rather than wiring it up.
We have tried for 1 yr not much of progress, shall I continue or I have already been a marketing victim?
thanks
I personally dont have extensive training in orthodontics and so I cant comment on Myobrace. However I have heard from some colleagues that it is limited in how it can work and the results. I suggest you seek a second opinion.
Sorry I cant be of more help
Is teeth cleaning necessary for everyone?
Not a doctor but I would say so, no one brushes their teeth perfectly all the time, especially in the back of the mouth, so having it cleaned by a dentist can prevent gum disease etc
The frequency that you should get it cleaned by a dentist depends on how well you clean your teeth and what your health fund covers/how much you can afford.
If you have teeth you need them cleaned. The buildup of plaque and tartar can cause gum problems, not just decays etc.
I get my teeth cleaned 6 monthly. (but the frequency will vary for each person)
If anyone’s interested in finding a dentist in Western Sydney I can vouch for Dr Jason and Glenmore Park Dental.
Went there for a checkup/cleaning this afternoon after reading this Q&A and watching the live stream.
He was very thorough examining my teeth, took xrays, took before and after pictures using some kind of specialised camera on a wand. (Never seen a dentist use it before)
Explained in detail the condition of my teeth and gums both before and after the cleaning, showing pictures on a monitor.
Was able to diagnose gum disease affecting my mum and explained to me an X-ray of my teeth which shows signs that I am also predisposed to the condition. None of the dental practices I’ve been to have mentioned it before.
The cleaning was the most pain-free/painless that I have ever been to. I usually go to Pacific Smiles Dental and it always hurts.
In the dental room there’s a lcd tv mounted on the roof, so there’s something to look at while you’re on the chair and he does his work.
My health insurance is with Westfund who they’re partnered with, so no gap, no need to pay any extra - health fund paid for it all.
Although I’ve never have had to pay gap with my health fund at other dentists I’ve been to (so price of individual services don’t affect me so much - health fund pays for it) had a look at the hicaps receipt and the total cost of my first visit was much cheaper than at Pacific Smiles Dental Penrith.
Very fair pricing and no dodgy markups.
If you live in the area and you’re with a health fund that has gap payments or aren’t insured, might be useful to know.
The dental practice is pretty much just the dentist and an assistant so service was very friendly and personal. Didn’t feel rushed, appreciated the honest service + advice.
Not affiliated with them in any way but as a new & independent practice they deserve the positive rep/feedback.
It was lovely to meet you today and I'm glad you were happy with our service. Thankyou.
I just check Westfund. Does extraction also include wisdom teeth extraction?
General Dental
No annual limit
For diagnostic and preventative dental, periodontics, endodontics, fillings and extractions or oral surgery.Set item benefits depending on service or item number
2 month waiting period
12 month waiting Specialist DentalYeah I’m pretty sure it does, oral surgery and extractions listed under general dental would include wisdom teeth. Most other health funds have it under major dental + 12 month waiting period. NIB for example is one of those.
But you should call them to double check, there might be set benefits for extractions/surgery.
Straight forward wisdom teeth extraction can be done at almost any dentist. If your wisdom tooth is very close to a nerve, (could damage feeling in your face/movement if they make a mistake) you might need to visit a specialist or dental surgeon. But a check up and X-ray should make that more clearer.
.
I also highly recommend Dr Jason.
Agree 100%, will be going back. Never knew cleaning could be painless. Mum booked her second appointment on the spot after her checkup + I got quite a few family members planning to switch to him in the future.
Should an 18 month old have their teeth brushed and if so how often? Toothpaste or not?
Yes if they have teeth you should brush them. Use a very soft baby toothbrush (NOT ELECTRIC ONE). Use a 0-2 or 2-4 age toothpaste with reduced fluoride, and only a tiny smear. Morning and night before you put them to bed.
Avoid giving them a bottle of milk etc or feeding after brushing at night.Avoiding feeding seems like poor advice as they need fluids etc
Also if plaque gone why would food be a problem ?Sorry I mean you should brush their teeth right before bedtime, and they shouldnt feed afterwards (because they are sleeping). You should never give the baby a bottle before they go to bed.
If they do need to wake up and have a night time feed, then by all means go ahead, but then brush again.In response to your question that the plaque is gone so why is food a problem, the plaque forms again even if you dont eat. The saliva has bacteria in it which doesnt go away. For example when you wake up in the morning after sleeping all night, you develop plaque on your teeth even though you havent eaten.
This is a good website and goes into oral health for babies in great detail.
https://www.dhsv.org.au/dental-health/general-dental-advice/…
I drink apple cider every morning diluted with water would it harm my teeth in long run.?
As long as you drink it in one go, or with a meal then there is no problem - similar to drinking orange juice in the morning. Just dont sip on it throughout the day. The apple cider is acidic so risk is the tooth erosion or tooth wears away. But make sure you drink normal water during the day, you dont want the acidity in your mouth all the time.
I talked about brushing before or after breakfast also previously and in the video.
Hi Jasoniah - thanks for the AMA.
Would you clarify the following statement/question I have:
Dentists who after doing a 1-2 week course feel they are qualified to perform or prescribe orthodontics (ie. braces).
Shouldn't orthodontics be recommended or performed specifically by an orthodontist? I feel dentists think they're capable of doing these but may not be suitably qualified for these procedures.
Your thoughts?
Orthodontics is just another part of dentistry, just like root canals, extractions, crowns. There are dedicated dental specialists for each of those procedures as well.
Just like in those procedures, the key is case selection. Understanding which cases are easy and within your scope of practice, and which should be referred.
Hi khomeine,
General dentists can legally perform all and any aspects of dentistry. They are general dentists. So we are fully qualified to do that.
However, each dentist must only perform treatments that are within their scope of knowledge and abilities.Your dentist should explain to you the options on treatment including the option for referral to specialist, and you should make your own decision.
Interdental brushes Vs Flossing?
Can the former replace the latter or flossing better all round?flossing is still best. However interdental is still very beneficial.
What does an X-ray actually cost you? I don't mean the machine itself, but every x-ray you take?
X-ray itself, close to nothing (except if you count the cost of the machine and reusable films. 10,000+). But you aren't paying for the x-ray. You are paying for the interpretation of it
dentists don't print on film. It just goes to the computer.
The interpretation is part of the job and is required for getting work done. It should have been factored into the filling, root canal or whatever work you get done.
I am a dentist. The "film" is a reusable phosphoric plate that is put into a phosphor plate scanner. Both of these cost money. This then goes into the computer
If you say the interpretation is part of the job, what about bitewings taken for routine examinations? You don't necessarily need to do a filling to justify taking xrays. How would you detect the presence and extent of decay starting interproximally without an xray?
If you want to factor it into the cost of a root canal sure. We can increase the price of root canals by the cost of 3-4 xrays that is often needed, and build it into the price. What about those cases where you only need 1 xray? Should that patient subsidise the cost of treatment for people with more difficult cases? There is a reason why the australian dental association fee schedule separates an intraoral xray as a separate item number (022)
What about the comprehensive or periodic examination (that is, 011 or 012). By your logic, these should also be free.
Hi lostn
At my practice we use digital xrays, which are actually more expensive than the old school film xrays. For a breakdown of cost involved in small intraoral xrays
- xray machine around $15k
- xray scanner (which reads the phosphor plate) $10k
- xray phoshor plate around 2k for a pack of 6. There is a maximum time these plates can be used before they get scratched and unusable.
- xray head bag (for infection control)
- phoshor plate bag (for infection control)
- bite wing or periapical film holder (the plastic thing you bite on). $200 for pack of 6. Can only be sterilised 100 times or so before the plastic becomes brittle or breaks.
- cost of storing the digital xray - we have to pay subscription fee for the xray software this is $400 per month. In addition to the usual practice management software, which cost me $4000 upfront for first 12 months and $480 per month afterwards subscription
- Cost of backup of digital images - I pay around $250 a month for backup to the cloud - again health specific due to patient confidentiality issues.For root canals that require xrays, we factor these into the price estimate for the whole treatment. We charge a maximum of 4 xrays per root canal treatment - the initial xray, the xray to determine the length of the tooth, the xray to determine if we have cleaned the tooth to the correct length, and the final xray showing the completed root canal. If we need to take more xrays (and most cases I do take more from different angles etc), there is no additional fee.
Another example is for tooth extraction. I usually say tooth extraction is around $300. But this includes the consultation/examination and diagnosis, the xray, and the actual tooth extraction. But the bill is broken down into separate items.
When you see a breakdown of fees, the reason is that it is the dental association and health funds way of tracking treatment done and rebates.
I hope this helps a bit to clarify.
Thank you :)
Not a problem, I hope the video was of benefit.
Do you recommend using mouthwash?
Quite a few studies have shown most mouthwashes are useless. Some containing chlorhexidine are used, but only if the dentist asks you to. (Risks of fungal infections etc)
I've stopped using mouthwash instead using salt water to rinse :)
talked about this in the vid.
I personally recommend mouthwash unless there is a specific problem. Eg gum disease
went in for a clean and scale…
got private health hicaps scaned at ~$500
out of pocket was $180ishhow come my dentist discounted it to $52…
how does that benefit him/her??
A clean and scale cost $500??
How much should a normal check up+ clean cost?
he replaced a filling… i didnt ask for but prob rang it up on the bill anyway how.
still doesnt explain why he will run the hicaps and then discount my gap?
Probably to be nice to you and save you some money.
Hi Dr Jason, why do some people have straight teeth naturally and others crooked teeth. Is there something wrong done by the person when their milk teeth fall off?
some is genetic. Eg big teeth, small jaw. Or Jaw alignment may be wrong.
Many other factors like using a dummy when we are toddlers, or thumb sucking or tongue thrusting, or airway problems causing mouth breathing.
Important to detect these factors early.
Hi Jason, my dad is missing two back teeth (not the very back ones) and visited a dentist who recommended a bone graft and either one dental implant in the middle, or two dental implants next to each other.
He's been putting it off for years, is this causing any damage to his gum by doing this? And would it be high maintenance to care for one implant in the gap where there should be two?
Thank you!
generally a couple of things happen when teeth are extracted that could cause problems later (if he wants to fill the gap)
- the adjacent teeth could tip into the space, or the opposing tooth could keep growing into the space , which means there is less space to put an implant in.
- The bone around the area where the tooth was removed could continue to shrink away, meaning less bone for an implant to be placed.
- one vs two implants really depends on how the gap is now, there is no definite answer and you should seek advice from your dentist.
Other option is to leave the gap and not do anything if the gap doesnt bother him.
However everyone is different, so probably best to seek treatment/consulation from your dentist.Thanks for taking the time to answer all the questions & the livestream!!
I'm hoping to ask a question… a couple of years ago, I had a back molar just fall out - literally. The tooth was perfect and the root was just over and inch long. Should I be concerned?
Thanks, Jason!
pretty sure you dont need me to tell you there might be an underlying problem :( Teeth dont fall out for no reason. Get them checked!
Yeah - had a feeling that might be the case.
Thank you - will make an appointment.
Wouldn’t you rather we had a Medicare levy increase and you get paid like doctors and you could even bulk bill?
Surely this would be cheaper in the long run as the medical costs and illnesses due to mouth diseases will be less. (Not to mention less pain and suffering which ought the be the case in an enlightened society).
yep!
Which toothpaste do you recommend for sugar addicts? And what's your best dental care tips?
Colgate Neutrafluor 5000. You can only get it over the counter at a pharmacy. Recommended for high risk patients and safe for long-term use. Just overkill for people who are not high risk. Remember to spit your toothpaste out but don't rinse.
The best dental care tips are the cliche; Brush twice a day, floss, and don't have too much sugar. It's boring but it works. Just like diet and exercise.
Have you heard about Dental99 at Sydney? They charge flat rate of $99 for any general dentistry. I went there last week, and I'm really surprised at how much they've done and how professional they are (all for $99). I usually need to spend $300 whenever I need to visit a dentist for a filling.
What do you think? Do you have any idea how they can make the price so low compare to other dentist?
This is the detail of my invoice:
013 Oral examination – limited $19.80
037 Panoramic radiograph – per exposure $19.80
532 Adhesive restoration – two surfaces – posterior tooth – direct $19.80
022 Intraoral periapical or bitewing radiograph – per exposure $19.80
022 Intraoral periapical or bitewing radiograph – per exposure $19.80I have no idea lol. I usually book an hour appointment per patient, and I need to pay my nurse and reception/steri which is already around $50-60 per hour. There is no way an independent dentist can compete with those prices.
I’m late to the party, but did everyone else go out and buy themselves an Oral B Vitality after watching/reading this?
Also picked myself up some Optic White - coincidentally both on special at Woolies. Thanks Dr Jason :)
Hi Dr Jason,
Is drinking JD and coke good for my teeth? I heard the acid cleans off all the plaque.
Why do you charge so much? :)