I'm a Dentist. Doing a Q&A for Dental Health Week

Ljasonlah on 06/08/2019 - 10:53
Last edited 09/08/2019 - 11:34

Hi Guys, been a member of Ozbargain for a many years now.

Some of you may know that I'm a dentist. I've given some input previously, but its Dental Health Week, so my clinic is doing a Q&A Session where you can ask whatever dental or teeth related questions and I'll try my best to answer. Its going to a a live stream on facebook format. But I would really love to have some questions beforehand to answer. Not really an ozbargain AMA in the traditional sense, but hopefully still helpful for some people.

So if you have anything you want to ask, or something you've avoided, or if its difficult to ask a dentist in person, (eg fear of going etc), feel free to ask me!

The facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/GlenmoreParkDentist/

Please comment on the link or below here and I'll do my best to answer in the live stream. The live stream should be taking place 7:15pm this Thursday.

Cheers!

EDIT 1: wow thanks for the great response. Probably way too much to talk about in one live stream, so I will pick the most interesting topics and overlapping questions and talk about them. Dental health week is all about education and starting a conversation.
With the other questions that I dont touch upon in the live stream (i dont want to drone on and on) I will try and answer them here when I have time later. Thanks again.

EDIT 2: Live stream is done and dusted. Please let me go home and type up some answers here for you guys.

EDIT 3: Alright, The video is up on the facebook page anyone wants to watch it. I think I covered the below topics:
- How often you should visit the dentist
- Whitening and DIY kits
- Charcoal toothpastes
- Electric vs Manual tootbrushes
- Airfloss/waterpik
- FLOSSING
- Mouthwashes
- Brushing before or after breakfast?
- Gum disease
- Root canal and alternatives
- Jaw pain and grinding
- Why does dentistry cost so much?

Thankyou to those who asked questions and watched the video and hope you can give us a 'like' or comment on the video. I have answered the ones I skipped below here in the comments. There have been some very useful discussions also below.

Health & Beauty

Comments

    • jasonlah on 11/08/2019 - 19:11

      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.

  • JudasX on 11/08/2019 - 02:43

    Thank you :)

    • jasonlah on 11/08/2019 - 19:19

      Not a problem, I hope the video was of benefit.

  • gimme on 11/08/2019 - 08:37

    Do you recommend using mouthwash?

    • Tech5 on 11/08/2019 - 13:02

      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)

    • Kamsi on 11/08/2019 - 13:29

      I've stopped using mouthwash instead using salt water to rinse :)

    • jasonlah on 11/08/2019 - 19:19

      talked about this in the vid.
      I personally recommend mouthwash unless there is a specific problem. Eg gum disease

  • spoonmugen on 11/08/2019 - 20:07

    went in for a clean and scale…

    got private health hicaps scaned at ~$500
    out of pocket was $180ish

    how come my dentist discounted it to $52…

    how does that benefit him/her??

    • jasonlah on 11/08/2019 - 20:25

      A clean and scale cost $500??

      • wjojff on 12/08/2019 - 04:30
        +1

        How much should a normal check up+ clean cost?

      • spoonmugen on 14/08/2019 - 19:24

        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?

        • jasonlah on 14/08/2019 - 22:30
          +1

          Probably to be nice to you and save you some money.

  • jfc50832 on 11/08/2019 - 20:49

    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?

    • jasonlah on 12/08/2019 - 00:24

      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.

  • cosmogirlsz on 16/08/2019 - 17:38

    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!

    • jasonlah on 17/08/2019 - 17:49
      +1

      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.

      • cosmogirlsz on 18/08/2019 - 22:28

        Thanks for taking the time to answer all the questions & the livestream!!

  • sam-1966 on 17/08/2019 - 18:53

    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!

    • jasonlah on 18/08/2019 - 00:10

      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!

      • sam-1966 on 18/08/2019 - 09:19

        Yeah - had a feeling that might be the case.

        Thank you - will make an appointment.

  • Eeples on 18/08/2019 - 23:24

    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).

  • anastasiastarz on 24/08/2019 - 02:33

    Which toothpaste do you recommend for sugar addicts? And what's your best dental care tips?

    • Hogg on 24/08/2019 - 21:21

      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.

  • yummypinacolada on 17/09/2019 - 18:20

    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 $19.80

    • jasonlah on 07/10/2019 - 21:15

      I 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.

  • specialsboard on 02/10/2019 - 21:29

    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 :)

  • Hogg on 07/10/2019 - 23:34

    Hi Dr Jason,

    Is drinking JD and coke good for my teeth? I heard the acid cleans off all the plaque.

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