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[NSW] Dental Check Up & Clean, Simple Extraction & X-Ray, Filling or Toothache Management for $99 at Dental 99 (Sydney)

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[NSW] Dental Check Up & Clean, Simple Extraction & X-Ray, Filling or Toothache Management for $99 at Dental 99 (Sydney)
Go to Deal
squashy on 18/12/2020 - 17:19 dental99.com.au (1279 clicks)
Last edited 20/12/2020 - 14:51 by 1 other user

Not your usual Ozbargain deal.

With my private health insurance, I usually go to a dentist that has no gaps for check up, clean and x-ray. Last month, it was the usual advise that I should remove 2 of my upper wisdom tooth as it's showing signs of decay as the tooth brush can't quite get to it. Was quoted $500 each and after private health insurance, it was about $700 for both.

Went on one of the FB groups to look for alternatives and someone suggested Dental 99. It's an app where you say what you want to do and book in the appointment. Payment up front 2*$99 + $3.47 (CC payment surcharge), was worried that it's a scam but thought I could try to do a charge back if that was the case and took the dive.

Easy enough to use to book an appointment at Midas Dental, Macquarie Park. Changed the booking once in the app, no fuss.

Emailed them the previous x-ray which they are ok to accept as it's within a year.

After some checking, the dentist confirmed that both wisdom tooth can be removed without surgery and proceeded with it. The dentist took her time and constantly making sure that I'm comfortable.

Here comes the best part, after receiving the receipt in email, I submitted a private health fund claim and got back $132.40. Effectively, I paid $69.07 to extract 2 upper wisdom tooth. Your Mileage May Vary.

Tldr, instead of paying $1000 ($700 after PHI rebate), removed 2 wisdom tooth for $201.47 ($69.07 after PHI rebate). YMMV.

EDIT: as some have pointed out, you may be treated by a dentist or oral health therapist. I was lucky I guess that I was seen by a dentist.

For those who are accusing me of sock puppeting, I just wanted to give back to this community. I’m in no way associated to the company or the dentistry.

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closed Comments

    • downbythecreek on 18/12/2020 - 23:05
      +3

      What do you do for a job? Must be something incredibly altruistic if you're so outspoken about a highly trained professional earning a decent income.

    • DevelopmentalAnomaly on 19/12/2020 - 00:44
      +2

      If you know how much it cost us to study for the degree, for yearly registrations and CPD courses and trainings, for the materials, for the rent and overhead to run a clinic, plus the fact that we also have regular bills to pay, then you will realise dentists do not charge atrociously.

    • popsiee on 19/12/2020 - 12:23
      -1

      Another industry is worst Vets and a lot work under the premise of a charity which often means getting away with murder .

  • Dpx on 18/12/2020 - 18:41
    +8

    Pay for what you get

    • ge on 18/12/2020 - 19:12
      +3

      That motto might work on another website.

  • twdnewh on 18/12/2020 - 18:43
    +7

    Dental is one of those things where you can't cheap out on too much. Can try and find someone that costs a bit less than usual but there is a quality threshold which you really shouldn't go below.

  • klownvandamn on 18/12/2020 - 18:50
    +11

    you can also get wisdom teeth taken out under $5 YMMV
    https://www.bunnings.com.au/200mm-combination-pliers_p601057…

  • Rescue 26 on 18/12/2020 - 18:54
    +4

    I can top that - had a crown done for FREE! Dentist told me I needed a crown on a molar. Came back a week later to have the tooth prepared - injection, filling, tooth cut down, moulds taken and temporary crown put on. Got home, looked in mirror, rang surgery - "I think the dentist did the wrong tooth". Dental assistant (wife of dentist) assured me he hadn't. Came back 2 weeks later to have the crown fitted. Dentist had a quick look and kind of mumbled "wrong tooth but we won't charge you for it". Not even an apology.

    • ihbh on 18/12/2020 - 19:22
      +1

      Holy crap. But you need a crown for the wrong tooth as well, because they "cut it down"?

    • Serpeant on 18/12/2020 - 20:12
      +3

      I’m pretty sure that is negligent.

      I would seek the advice of lawyers if I were you.

      You have been done a disservice.

      • AFOS on 18/12/2020 - 20:23
        +2

        Exactly! Rescue26 has all grounds for legal action and claiming damages because of negligence on part of the dentist.

        This is absolutely atrocious.

    • Trance N Dance on 18/12/2020 - 22:11

      Request release of records and seek legal advice. Performing dentistry on the wrong tooth, means no consent was given which means under the law it's assault.

      • GnarlyKnuckles on 19/12/2020 - 00:36
        +1

        Sheesh Tran-dance :-O

        Re "… which means under the law it's assault":

        You should not spout such ludicrous crap in any public forum. In doing so you only belittle yourself.

        • Trance N Dance on 19/12/2020 - 02:12
          +1

          Patients cannot consent to wrong treatment, without consent the practitioner has committed an act that has recklessly wounded or recklessly caused grievous bodily harm. Definition of assault.

          The end result in these things usually end up being trivial but don't mistake the act of what happened to not be serious.
          It's just easier to settle the matter as a civil dispute rather than pushing for the police and prosecutor to take on the case and then sue as a victim of a crime. Essentially shit happens, we'll fix it with money. Wastes less judicial time and effort as well.
          In cases like where a wrong tooth has been worked on and there's record of it, the matter usually (at the instruction of the indemnity insurer) ends in a settlement after a complaint has been filed with either the Dental Council of NSW or AHPRA (if it occurred outside of NSW).

    • firedragon on 19/12/2020 - 12:32

      That is so bad.

    • AdosHouse on 19/12/2020 - 15:21

      A crown doesn't last for life, they only last about 5-15 years depending on a range of conditions. Now you will have to get it replaced for the rest of your life at your expense. I would look at getting compensation.

  • EightImmortals on 18/12/2020 - 19:11

    Got dentist?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoBYttpiqg8

  • Elidrin on 18/12/2020 - 19:20
    +5

    This seems very dodgy, especially after reading some of these comments.

  • Alialh on 18/12/2020 - 19:29
    +9

    I manage two medical/dental clinics in Point Cook Victoria
    Happy to answer any dental related questions, been working in the field for 8 years
    If you have Medibank/Bupa/HCF you should be going to a members first provider as members first providers have to follow a set price list set by the health insurance
    Also often enough you’ll get general check up and cleans for ‘free’ through these clinics because the health insurance will pay for it all
    Also FYI new clinics etc or big chain clinics often do check up, clean, fluoride and X-rays for $99 which is a huge bargain, they’re actually losing money on those deals to try and bring people in
    The clinics I manage charge $185 for a general check up and clean which is about the price the Heath insurances set them at and I would say is a ‘fair’ price
    And there’s always a little bit of leeway for regular customers or people that really can’t afford it
    Dental industry in Australia is pretty (profanity) though and is not nearly as lucrative as it may seem
    I have no idea why Medicare won’t even cover a dental check up when you have people going to the GP for dental related pain, getting antibiotics and pain killers until they end up in hospital at which point the taxpayer is paying for a hospitalisation
    Basic dental cover really should form part of Medicare

    • virhlpool on 18/12/2020 - 23:29

      Basic dental cover really should form part of Medicare

      We all know this, right? But what is more annoying is that even private insurance doesn't cover more than 30%-35% cost of any major dental work due to their ridiculously low annual cap. Why should there be any cap when you're paying for dental insurance. What's the point otherwise?

    • tulip99 on 19/12/2020 - 09:45

      I have a dental question for you :-)

      I need to wear a nightguard because I grind my teeth at night. I've been seeing my dentist for a few years and he's made me 4 previous nightguards, that wore out/cracked badly. With this new one, made in Sept 2020, I've had problems with it fitting me properly. I've gone back 4 times to get it adjusted and I still have sore teeth for hours the next day. The last time I went back to him he said he couldn't help me with it any more and referred me to a maxillo oral? specialist in the city. So I made an appt with him but the earliest is March 2021! Apparently this specialist will have a look at the nightguard and see if there's a problem with it.

      I feel really fobbed off because I've been wearing a nightguard every night for over 3 years without problems like this.

      The nightguard cost me $700 so basically I don't feel comfortable/safe wearing it right now so I'm using the Good Morning Snore Solution dummy so I don't grind into my big front tooth.

      Do you have any advice please?

      • Alialh on 20/12/2020 - 01:06

        Sounds to me like somethings gone wrong when the impression was taken / ur teeth moved during the time you got the impression taken / the labs not done the best job
        $700 does sound exorbitant. We charge $450 which I thought was a lot
        I’ll ask the principal dentist on Monday why a referral to a maxillo facial surgeon was necessary in this case; maybe it’s to do TMJ botox?

        Look obviously the harder night guards aren’t going to be as comfortable as the softer ones, but they definitely shouldn’t be hurting your teeth
        Personally I’d be asking for the entire night guard to be remade from scratch

        If they’re a half decent clinic and you’ve been their patient for a long time they’ll remake it (mind you they’ll have to pay the lab again, but that’s like a pizza shop remaking a botched pizza I guess? I don’t know, it’s part of the business)

        Also there’s not much in terms of ‘adjustments’ that can be done, only minor things can be adjusted and if it’s still hurting in my humble opinion from what I can see I think it needs to be remade

        Also maybe seeing a TMJ specialist (maybe that’s a maxillo?) is the right way to go since you clearly (unfortunately) have something larger going on that should be addressed

        • tulip99 on 20/12/2020 - 10:49

          Thanks for your reply :-) My dentist doesn't seem interested in doing another impression. I think something went wrong with the design. He uses a digital scanner instead of an impression tray with putty.

          He told me was referring me to the specialist (just found the card, he's an oral and maxillofacial surgeon) and the specialist is supposed to look at this nightguard and decide if the design is flawed and if so the dentist said he'll work out something with me. But the first appt I could get with the specialist was March!

          So I really think my dentist is fobbing me off. The first nightguard he made me was perfect and didn't give me any problems but it cracked badly within a few months and he wouldn't give me one so slim again until this new one, which doesn't fit right.

          • pizzacracker on 23/12/2020 - 05:10

            @tulip99: You can look into getting a nylon night guard made which is the strongest on the market. This kind of splint usually costs $550-950 on average in Sydney. Do you snore or have history of reflux? They are related to grinding. Need to treat the cause first

  • gfernandez95 on 18/12/2020 - 19:34
    +18

    Dental student here… You'll get what you pay for.

  • pizzacracker on 18/12/2020 - 19:46
    +2

    not an ozbargain deal. sure i would come here for cleans and simple extractions, but not for fillings. reading from the google reviews and previous comments, the fillings are of poor quality and management

    • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 00:29
      +1

      Interesting cause of the 8 fillings I have had they've all been great. Do you really trust google reviews? A place known to come up with bullshit from either competitors or people who definitely bend the truth? I recently saw a plumbing place who were giving 20 dollar woolies vouchers to people who give them a 5 star review. Totally gonna believe what google reviews says.

      • GnarlyKnuckles on 19/12/2020 - 00:41
        +1

        Erm, tiggy 69…

        None of the posters above are getting '$20 woolies vouchers' to recount their negative experiences. What are you suggesting their motivations are?

        • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 09:38
          +2

          As mentioned below by a dentist, other dentists don't like this. Could be because it's cheaper and driving them out of business so competitors leave bullshit reviews slandering the company.
          I know I know No one would ever do that on the internet. Everyone on the internet is nice and supportive or everyone else /s

      • pizzacracker on 19/12/2020 - 04:04

        When did you get them done? Comment here after a year and see if you still have the fillings or if they have been pain free. You can't see in your own mouth if they have done a good job or not. 8 fillings are quite a lot at once and you don't know if they were overtreating you or not either

        • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 09:40

          First filling was in Feb this year. So I can say 10 months in and no problems. Actually my health fund dentist, who I saw for a free cleaning, noticed I had new fillings and said they looked good.

          • pizzacracker on 19/12/2020 - 13:25

            @tigs6969: Sure, you got lucky. Did he/she take an x-ray of your fillings to check them too?

            • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 13:44

              @pizzacracker: Nope, but I showed him the photo and xray that got taken at dental 99; was on my phone on the app.

  • brongz on 18/12/2020 - 20:07

    for this type of cheap dentist just make sure everything is ALL-IN/the LOT. otherwise they charge you for x-ray and extra things before they do the procedure.

    and for filling, make sure it is really only 1 hole, not more! once they did x-ray and they found 2 holes, then you have to pay for extra hole. in the end, it's not flat $99.

    call to make sure

    • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 00:27

      Okay so I have had 8 fillings. My first visit was a full mouth xray, a clean and a full mouth check up on what work I need done. 99 bucks. I then went in again and got a filling I know would cost a packet cause big (profanity). 99 bucks. 7 fillings on I paid 99 bucks each time, actually I paid (profanity) all cause of my health fund but I was charged 99 bucks. No bullshit, no (profanity) arounds.

  • Ceri on 18/12/2020 - 20:10

    I'm all for competition. Hopefully this can bring the overall cost down. Have PHI and still have to go to student dentist to get check-up and clean sometimes cuz the cover has all been used up..

    • Trance N Dance on 18/12/2020 - 22:13

      When you say student dentist, do you mean the public clinic?

      • Ceri on 18/12/2020 - 23:17

        It's a teaching clinic for dental student at the end of their final semester. The treatment is also still supervised by regular dentist
        i have had good experience so far, they are just prolly slower than normal dentist

        i go to the one in Parramata https://www.pacificsmilesdental.com.au/special-offers/parram…

        • 42 on 20/12/2020 - 21:06

          The saying goes "cheap", "fast", "good" . Pick two.

  • happyness on 18/12/2020 - 20:20
    +1

    If I remember correctly, when dental 99 originally opened their prices were low because the treatment were done by dental hygienist and therapist. Maybe they have changed now and have hired dentist to work for them? Must be so cause they hint at being able to start root canals.
    As care generally varies from each dental practitioner I wont say that the experience would better or worse, however at their prices if their appointments aren't somewhat short/rushed they will be barely breaking even or making a loss.
    Very smart model though, doing treatment with little overhead and in skilled/experienced hands can be done very quickly.
    I would be cautious going to these places if you haven't been to the dentist in a while or have complex treatment as sometimes not treating these issues correctly will lead to more problems.

  • shutuptakemymoney101 on 18/12/2020 - 20:23
    -1

    Wait till we can fly internationally again, for a fraction of the cost of an Australian tooth extraction in Thailand you can get a brand new smile and an absolutely gorgeous set of new tits.

    • hasher22 on 18/12/2020 - 21:51

      yup and im going to Korea for face surgery :)

    • DevelopmentalAnomaly on 19/12/2020 - 02:44
      +4

      Yes it is cheap until something goes wrong— like a wrong shade of the veneers or crowns that cannot be changed because of the short holiday you have, or a failing dental implant, or an infected extraction socket or a root that was left in the socket that caused the infection. You go back to Australia with a problem then asking dentists in Australia to fix it which in turn doubles the price you pay. You see, it may be cheaper to have it done overseas plus you get to have a holiday but is it really cheap once something goes bad and you can’t just fly back to that country to have it fixed. Flights + accomodation and food + medical/dental fees + shopping + having paid/unpaid work leave— is it really cheaper?

    • pizzacracker on 19/12/2020 - 04:10
      +2

      I haven't seen great work done in Thailand. It may look nice on the outside but when you take the x-rays or look closely in the mouth, it's a different story. Again, you pay for what you get

  • Homr on 18/12/2020 - 20:37

    I got my 4 wisdom teeth taken out from the public system. My GP put me on the waiting list and 1 month or so later I got a called from my local public hospital advising me that they had a cancellation and asked me if I could come in for the surgery in the next 2 days. I accepted it and got my wisdom tooth taken out. That saved me a few K's for sure

    • toobzy on 18/12/2020 - 22:00
      +1

      Yep same here.. Just go through the public system, you get it for free.. Full hospital treatment. My wait time was 8 weeks but wasn't an issue for me

      • Homr on 18/12/2020 - 22:03

        Yes, I was a Uni student back then with a part time job so flexibilty was my advantage then. I also scored 5 days sick leave too. I don't know how flexible you can be if you were on salary, it could still work for me now with the ability to work from home these days…..

      • Splashtash on 18/12/2020 - 22:51

        15 months atm in canberra due to covid - was 12 months lol or get a letter from your gp for one tooth emergency fix up

        • Homr on 18/12/2020 - 23:35

          ohhh damn :(

    • Ceri on 18/12/2020 - 23:20

      Did you pay any out of pocket cost still? Didnt know wisdom teeth extractions are covered under medicare..

      • Homr on 18/12/2020 - 23:27

        No, did not pay a single cent. You just need a referral from your GP

        However, the aftercare is different between public vs private but that is a different story.

    • virhlpool on 18/12/2020 - 23:33

      But what are the criteria for GP to write a referral for the public system? I am curious because this isn't very common. Also, if the wisdom tooth extraction is simple, can't it be a day-surgery? Mine took no more than 20 mins at a private dentist as there was no surgery required.

      • Homr on 18/12/2020 - 23:48

        Criteria would be the xray showing the wisdom teeth protruding outwards towards the gums. If it's not common then maybe my GP was very smart then 🤗

  • iluvtofu on 18/12/2020 - 21:22
    +1

    I'm with NIB Health Insurance and go to NIB Melbourne Dental Centre. For 2 wisdom teeth and 1 front tooth earlier this year, I'm out of pocket $163.20 (provider charge was $408 in total).

    Similar for 1 wisdom tooth last year it was out of pockets for under $60.

    Over the 2 years, I've visited 7 times and it has all been good experiences. Prior to this, I had bad teeth and no confidence going to see a dentist.

  • hasher22 on 18/12/2020 - 21:49

    Thank god im with HCF, they have their own dental centres which have experienced specialists, dentists, assistances and hygenists.

    I got my 4 wisdom teeth taken out in a private hospital and my total bill came to $600. I was put to sleep too, day bed too.

  • Gar24 on 18/12/2020 - 22:05
    +8

    I honestly couldn’t hold myself and comment after I read some of the comments here.

    Me and my mother have personally been to Dental 99 Macquarie Park. The clinic is pristine, you’ll be shocked with the equipment they have.
    The dentist was thorough and highly professional and did 2 fillings and 1 extraction for my mum plus a check up and clean for me.

    For some people mentioning young age what does that have to do with anything? The people working there hold a 5 year university degree and are registered to practise dentistry such as anyone else in Australia. Also, when you started your careers in your fields were you 40 years old? Everyone starts young and a filling isn’t something that requires 20 years experience.

    Also, if you have a hole in your tooth for 3 years and get a filling and then get pain, that’s on you, not the dentist. It is common sense that if the decay is close to the nerve and the tooth is worked on, the nerve can then get irritated and you may get pain.

    In my mums case the dentist did warn about that possibility and showed her the xray where the decay could be seen close to the nerve. He did the filling and she did not get pain.

    I highly recommend this place and think that people that haven’t been there shouldn’t comment

    • JustASmoothSkin on 19/12/2020 - 08:55
      -1

      Guessing alot of dentists must frequent ozbargain seeing as a comment saying competition is good got neg'd. Even if doing dentistry is a expensive career it shouldn't cost someone a month or two of their wage to solve their pain or fix a problem such as crooked teeth. $6000 for braces for my sister, we can't afford that. Basically extortion, and the fact that the odd dentist can be compassionate enough to do something for a fraction of the cost proves that the prices are way to high. If your operating costs are to high to perform dentistry lobby to reduce the associated fees.

      • downbythecreek on 19/12/2020 - 16:54
        +2

        What do you do for a job? Would you accept a significant pay decrease so whatever product you produce would be cheaper for the end consumer? Probably not, but yet you think a dentist should?

        What do you think is an appropriate hourly rate for a highly qualified medical professional that performs surgeries with sub millimetre precision?

        • JustASmoothSkin on 19/12/2020 - 20:30
          -1

          Would I take a pay cut to produce a cheaper service for a customer?

          Yeah I would, hell I would sacrifice every penny over my living expenses every week if it meant that someone in pain or suffering from bullying and abuse could receive the treatment they need to live a proper full life.

          But why even take a pay cut? The amount of people that need dentistry work done is staggering and the only reason they don't do it is because it's too expensive for them. Make it more economical and then treat more people. Whats the next argument? "but then it's more work.' Well hire more people, you're running a business. Make it profitable and scale up in size, literally Amazon's business model. You don't need to be scraping dimes on each treatment but you shouldn't be exploiting people's pain and suffering either.

          I have a consult booked for the 1st of February with a dentist. I shouldn't have to be saving every dollar from the last month to afford it. All I need is a couple wisdom tooth removed, cost my mother $1200 for hers.

    • Hogg on 20/12/2020 - 15:54
      +1

      This sounds a lot like how people on the industry talk.

      The part about decay being close to the nerve being on you if you leave it is something I've heard dental therapists say.

      It's a common technique for reviews to mention someone's mother's experience to appeal to our empathy.

      Do you work for dental 99?

    • Hogg on 21/12/2020 - 06:27

      I just checked. You signed up just to comment on this deal. Could you not "honestly" hold yourself because you work for Dental 99?

  • AFOS on 18/12/2020 - 22:18
    +8

    Guys, your health (and teeth as well) is your best asset which serves better than any other investment that you can possibly make. Cheaping out on that is will come at a price later in life. Find a good dentist you can trust and stick to them.

    • Homr on 19/12/2020 - 00:01

      Do you have a recommendation for Sydney dentist for overbite teeth??

      • AFOS on 19/12/2020 - 13:17

        Sorry, I am Melbourne-based. Judging by description you will need to see orthodontist, not regular dentist

  • zan5hin on 18/12/2020 - 22:59

    There is also one in Melbourne, I got a $99 filling this week: https://affordabledentistcbd.melbourne/

    • brongz on 19/12/2020 - 00:16

      Did they charge you extra for the X-ray? Because they charge me for that and told me it’s 2 holes, so I have to pay more (I thought I got only 1 hole in my tooth).

      Basically it’s not that $99 flat per ads suggest.

      • zan5hin on 19/12/2020 - 08:45

        I didn't have an x-ray, I had another dentist tell me I needed a filling for $160, said thank you and waiting a few months and found these guys.

  • PressQ on 18/12/2020 - 23:05
    +16

    I am going to probably get hate for this but I wanted to put the effort into put this out to anyone this reaches out to.

    Just for some quick background info, the overheads of running any type of practice, esp dental is huge. You have to take into account the receptionist wages, dental assistant wages, on top of chair running costs, materials, CPD costs and other staff training and more… all to provide quality treatment to patients of course.
    The profit margin can be sometimes less than
    10%.

    Here is where it gets bad. Australia has a high fee for labour (such as manual labour) and professional knowledge (professions requiring uni degrees for example). Cheaping out on costs (dental fees in this case) means that it has to balance out some point and you cannot get all THREE: cheap costs, professionalism, quality of treatment. When this sort of business model is pushed, what ends up happening is a race to the bottom; where dental clinics will lower their costs and just start packing patients in and provide really really low quality of dental work, to make up for the cheap costs. Lot of examples happening in a few countries such as the NHS in UK.

    Now the balance is finding a local dentist that doesn't overcharge, yet shows care and patient centred treatment. Trust me, you do not want dental treatment that is cheap where the dentist or other dental professional is likely getting underpaid and/or using cheap materials, which is what dental99 is.

    To help other people who read this far here are a few tips to save and look for a good dental clinic:
    1) Make the most use of the Government's Child Dental Benefits Scheme
    2) Go to dentists that are locally owned (as opposed to corporate - unless you already have health insurance and want to make the most use of it, which is another tip in itself). The reason for this is that local dentists care for local community members and are more likely to provide better services as their business also thrives off good reputation/sense of giving back to community.
    3)Be upfront with the dentist. Dentists are not devils (as much as the public think they are with their pokey things and instruments of pain and agony) and they are all trained to be empathetic, caring and understanding. Yes some dentists just like other professions can be absolute assholes but most of them have good values and will work out fees with you.
    4) Brush twice a day and floss. Honestly. It works.

    Anyone is welcome to give me a pm or ask questions to me :) just wanted to make sure that the Ozbargain community don't rush into any medical treatment without knowing these basic things at least, and suddenly have their fillings fall out during a hot date…

    • paperpaper on 18/12/2020 - 23:27
      +1

      Nobody can PM you. You’ve disabled it in settings.

      • PressQ on 19/12/2020 - 00:57

        Oops my bad, most of the times I just lurk so I don't know how to work the whole PM thing haha happy to answer questions by reply

        • paperpaper on 19/12/2020 - 01:55

          Do you know anybody who does MSE in Australia?

          • PressQ on 19/12/2020 - 04:37
            +1

            @paperpaper: I'm assuming you are talking about a Maxillary Expander. Any orthodontist/General dentist with an interest in ortho will be able to sort you out in the right direction. Having said that, adults are likelier not to respond to the treatment as well as, say for teenagers who are still undergoing growth.

    • Ceri on 18/12/2020 - 23:27

      The dentists themselves make banks though. I got wisdom teeth and premolars taken out to make space for braces and it costs me $2.5k (no surgery).
      Braces is another story too. $450 each appointment, even when it was just simply tightening the bands, the wire didnt even changed.
      Understand that experience does get baked into the cost but there's no guarantee it's gonna be perfect just because I pay more either..

      • paperpaper on 18/12/2020 - 23:33

        Did you notice your palate is smaller after having the premolars extracted?

        • Ceri on 19/12/2020 - 15:58

          Im not finished with my braces treatment but I'd imagine it'd depends on the severity of the overcrowding. I did ask the ortho about the face shape changing but he can only say that they'd try their best.

          My mouth is also small-ish in the first place, and the movements are gradual. So no, no noticeable difference so far.

      • PressQ on 19/12/2020 - 01:02

        I agree with you that dentists do get paid well compared to the average population. But not a whole amount of bank as you think they do.

        I think I forgot to put in that I am a principal dentist with my own clinic located on the East Coast. I pay all my staff above award rates and my dentists are rewarded as a commission based as is the nature of the profession. I can tell you right now that Medical GP's will earn more than your average dentist.

        However by no means I am saying that dentists are not well off generally, it's just that most of us don't have german cars by the dozen in our 4 car garages or anything like that.

    • Money Maker Mike on 18/12/2020 - 23:49

      Vast generalisation with tip #2. I work in both private and corporate practices and I don't treat my patients differently. I do agree with most of your other tips though, including avoiding Dental 99. I would never want to work there because I do good work and I know my worth…invariably there will be compromise for both dentist and patient if everything is $99

    • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 00:24

      Where did you get this information that the dental professional is getting underpaid, or you said likely. And also the cheap materials bit? Cause I discussed it with one of the dental hygenists when I went in and asked if they get paid properly cause its so cheap "yes we do" And the materials aren't shit quality "Nope same stuff as another dental practice" Now sure they could have bullshitted me. But I dunno; I think I'm gonna trust them unless you provide me a source on this.

      • PressQ on 19/12/2020 - 01:06
        +2

        Hey, as I replied above I don't think we are underpaid as a profession.
        Sorry for not mentioning it in my original comment. I am a principal dentist with 13 years experience after grad.
        No business, let alone any dental clinic will straight up tell you "yes we use cheap products and compromise on quality". haha.

        Dental99 is notorious amongst the dental profession as promoting bad quality, "fast food" dentistry. Is it because other dentists are losing business because of the price? Perhaps but the reviews and the patient experience tells you all you need to know about this notorious business model.

        • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 09:36

          Yeah, google reviews is totally reliable. As I said in another comment "Do you really trust google reviews? A place known to come up with bullshit from either competitors or people who definitely bend the truth? I recently saw a plumbing place who were giving 20 dollar woolies vouchers to people who give them a 5 star review. Totally gonna believe what google reviews says."

          • PressQ on 19/12/2020 - 13:10

            @tigs6969: Totally agree with you. I guess nowadays you really cannot trust anything unless you go experience it yourself. I guess it's just the healthcare professional in me to make sure people have the right information before making any health related decision. The ball is always in your park, so to speak.

            • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 13:44

              @PressQ: Yep. See I did actually check reviews myself before going and I saw quite a few bad ones but I figured "(profanity) it, 99 bucks to see if it's bullshit" And I'm a happy customer. I'm not discounting that others have had shit experiences cause it happens of course. But the multiple people I've sent to this place have thanked me and raved about how good it was and cheap.
              I do understand why people are like "cheap so it's shit" cause I was in the same frame of mind before going in.
              And I'll be going back soon too. They're starting to do crowns and bridges and shit too.

              • PressQ on 19/12/2020 - 13:50

                @tigs6969: I am happy that you found a dentist you are happy at. Just keep in mind that there are usually reasons why something is cheap compared to the market and use your judgement :)

                • pizzacracker on 19/12/2020 - 14:20

                  @PressQ: Lol he's going for the crowns. RCT tomorrow

                  • PressQ on 19/12/2020 - 15:36
                    +1

                    @pizzacracker: If that's the case that reflects what I said.
                    The ball is in his park now. It's his body so he makes the decisions.

                    However for anyone else reading this let's put it this way. Would you amputate your leg and replace it with a prosthetic because it's stronger and sturdier? An ethical doctor will not even recommend it. Same with teeth. If all of a sudden that cheap dentist recommends an RCT and a crown without evidence of decay/breakdown of teeth, you are amputating healthy teeth to replace with a prosthetic. An ethical dentist will not recommend this.

                    • pizzacracker on 19/12/2020 - 15:41

                      @PressQ: Exactly. In the end you end up spending more money for RCT or implant

                    • tigs6969 on 19/12/2020 - 18:41

                      @PressQ: Great to see people are still assuming things. Do i need to point out what happens to people who assume? So i have one tooth completely (profanity) that can't be filled, needs a crown.
                      Oh btw if you RESEARCHED like I said a few times, you'll notice that Dental 99 doesn't do root canals, at all. They do the pain management for it BUT they will tell you to goto another doctor because they acknowledge not having the ability to do RCT for 99 bucks.
                      As you haven't researched and are assuming, I have had enough of this conversation and will leave you both to spout your non researched opinions to each other.

                      • pizzacracker on 19/12/2020 - 22:15
                        +1

                        @tigs6969: You're assuming things too. I never said dental99 does root canals and I know they don't do root canals (duh) because they cost at least $700. You do know that with every crown prep there's 20% chance of getting root canal in the end? If it's not even needed, you're removing a huge amount of tooth structure. Crown preps are harder than fillings so I'm hoping a licensed dentist will do your crowns. Good luck!

    • Cynicaloflife on 19/12/2020 - 21:56

      I don't really agree in going with locally owned Dentists over corporate. Locally owned Dentists usually have higher expenses and therefore generally push for more cosmetic/expensive procedures. An associate Dentist might be forced by the principal Dentists to upsell crowns etc.

      I myself recommend people to go for corporates as Dentists don't have the revenue generating pressure and hence are focused on more preventative Dentistry (at least in mine). Plus the materials are better at Corporate as they have more buying power.

      But Honestly, if executed well I think this is an excellent idea. This guy is a smart man. It focuses on preventative Dentistry which is what a majority of people actually need. If introduced in the Country Australia, they would be extremely booked out (Dentists charge an arm and leg in the country and are a rip-off).

      If I was Gamer Verdian, I would team up with the Australian Dental Council to introduce migrant Dentists in the outback (similar to the defunct Public Sector Dental Workforce Scheme) to reduce dentistry shortage.

      • pizzacracker on 19/12/2020 - 22:21
        +1

        I've worked in corporate and they don't always have the best materials. They cheap out on etch, cheek protectors, burs, and the damn chairs. Some corporates have kpi to meet which is unfortunate because I would never recommend something for financial gain

        • Cynicaloflife on 20/12/2020 - 18:09
          -2

          This is not the point of this post but wanted to clarify -

          Those KPI’s were there in pretty much every locally owned clinic that worked in. Locally owned clinics really really need to make a profit (so that the principal can drive their Mercedes) but for a corporate if one clinic makes a loss they can be compensated by the others.

          I will never work for a local/family practice due to the KPI’s and lack of job security. What’s to stop a family practice from dropping you when they get an even more experienced Dentist for your role?

          If the etch is cheap, let it sit there longer to do it’s job. If cheek guards are cheap, then use rubber dam (you should be using this anyway). I work with only 3 burs for fillings and 2 burs for crown prep. Burs are cheap to buy, you can buy your own. As long as the chair can seat a patient and let you do your treatment then that’s good enough, who cares for the fancy tv etc.

          Now let me tell you some of the private practice stores that can shock the readers here.

          1) One of them didn’t even have a Rin X-ray system. The owner was cheap to pay $30 to buy one from eBay.
          2) Reusing slow speed burs (manufacturers instruction is single use), cause they are too cheap. Imagine if burs break and patient swallows.
          3) Charging $450 for a simple extraction (highest in Australia) as they live in an area with rampant decay and so can get away with it when patients are in pain.
          4) Allocating untrained/poorly staff as they don’t want to pay $2 extra per hour, resulting in poorer treatment outcomes for the patient. One of my nurse didn’t even know what a ‘composite’ was
          5) not taking radiographs post obturation for root canal. If root canal fails, rather than referring to specialist, extract the tooth and charge the patient for an implant.
          6) Reusing root canal rotary files due to being cheap. If the file breaks, extract the tooth and charge for implant instead of referring to specialist.

          I can go on and on….but locally owned practices are out there with one purpose - rip people off. At my corporate, everything is single use and staff have at least undergone training for assisting.

          University education also makes a difference in how a locally owned clinic is run. I would rate Dentists from UK > Australia > International.

          • PressQ on 20/12/2020 - 19:03
            +1

            @Cynicaloflife: I'm sorry but I have to interject and hard disagree with you here. By all respect I understand as a doctor/dentist you may have worked in various practices. Even as a new grad KPI's are mainly a thing of corporates, and the locally owned private practices I have had the pleasure to work in does not enforce KPI's. I have seen corporate dentists get laid off because they didn't bill $x amount of treatment per day and this encourages a working environment where a dentist will overtreatment plan to meet set targets.

            However by no means I am saying that all corporates overtreat; however that is the general case in Australia.

            Also I don't know where you pulled out UK dentists > Australian dentists> International Dentists. I have met my share of all and trust me, some UK dentists should not have their qualifications recognised here by the way they preach and approach patient care.

            • Cynicaloflife on 20/12/2020 - 19:42
              -2

              @PressQ: I am guessing you own a practice ? and don’t want the reputation of locally owned dental practices to tarnish.

              What points do you disagree? All my points are from experience and I have worked at a few practices.

              Locally owned practices may not call it KPI’s, but they will still tell you informally that you have to bill $400 - $500 an hour (all the ones that I have worked in did). If your not doing at least 2 crowns a week, the boss will have an informal chat with you. Of course, if you consistently fail to meet them they will fire you on the spot.

              So in essence, the corporate setting KPI’s are no different than locally owned practices.

              I would even take a group practice (like no gap dental someone here mentioned), over a locally owned practice.

              I pulled the uk vs Australia vs international to differentiate the way local owned practices can be run. In general I find the Uk trained dentists to run their practice quite well. International trained/overseas are the worst as i find they tend to cut corners (poorly trained staff, less equipment etc) and be a bit of a miser as they are out there to make money (general consensus).

              • PressQ on 21/12/2020 - 02:10

                @Cynicaloflife: I am not out to defend anyone's practice. I am a partner now in a clinic and have had my share of experience of corporates and locally owned practices. Your assumption and gross generalisation of locally owned practices cannot be further away from the truth.
                I am not talking about KPI's specifically. Most local dentists do not have ANY set targets to meet. I am sorry that you had experiences with those bad ones but having worked at multiple practices (as both preferred provider and corporate partner) I can tell you that corporates WILL push for billings. Hard.
                As I stated above, I have no intention of defending any practices but I am here to set correct information for any members of the public that come across this.
                And as a matter of fact it sounds like maybe you are affliated with corps. That's fine but it would be best not to do a disservice to your dental colleagues who work in non-corp clinics, which incidentally tend to be the majority.

                • Cynicaloflife on 21/12/2020 - 11:08
                  -2

                  @PressQ: Of course being a partner, you would support the locally owned clinics as the corporates are threatening your existence.

                  I know corporates who do not push for billings. I know dental Corp (the largest) doesn’t. The owner of Dental99 himself appears to work for Dental Corp.

                  I am trying to make the public aware of the short falls of going to a locally owned practice through my experiences.

                  If you read my post, I am also advocating group practices (non corporate) over a dentist owning a single clinic. There are too many pitfalls of going to a single owned clinic (as I stated). I worked for one and I would never. They cut too many corners with safety and I would rather have overservicing from the corps > safety.

                  I am not affiliated with the corps but I certainly hope they do take over Dentistry (especially Dentist owning single clinics) in Australia. Group practices (non corporate) are still not too bad.

                  • PressQ on 25/12/2020 - 18:58

                    @Cynicaloflife: I disagree with your view but being civilised people we can agree to disagree.

                    However I find your stance quite fascinating. You are the first dentist to ever say that you want the corps to take over. The dental industry has taken a downward spiral ever since corps were introduced because of their sales tactics and bullying of associates and coercion to patients by threatening to lower their cover by going somewhere else.

                    And as a direct result many corps are now suffering as a consequence of their way of practice. Many have shut down.

                    Anyways I will stop replying to this reply thread as it does not seem to be productive or helpful to the general public at all.

          • pizzacracker on 21/12/2020 - 12:46

            @Cynicaloflife: The cheap etch I used was in a syringe that obtained the etch from a huge bucket. When you dispense it, it goes everywhere even though I just want to etch enamel. You need to use cheek protectors when polishing the restoration for occlusion check. As if you can have the patient have rubber dam on during that time! The cheek protectors I was supplied were made out of paper. The chair I used was terrible. It either leaked or cracked, ultrasonic or intraoral camera not working, or can't even be operated going up and down. Trust me, you need to have a WORKING chair at least. The corporate I was at had chair maintenance literally almost every week. I don't know how you use just 2 burs for crown preps but I use 4 for the type of margins and finishings I want. Why should I buy those burs myself? At the last corporate I worked, I had to buy my own vring sectional matrix kit and rotary Endo machine. I've never been at such a cheap corporate in my life. At the same corporate, they didn't fix their broken OPG machine for 2 freaking months.

            I'm hoping with the new corporate I'm working at, they will treat me better and supply me with better materials so i can be efficient at providing the best treatment to my patients. I agree with your points on some private clinics. It just depends on your luck because I've worked at good and bad private clinics.

            Btw, you don't let etch just sit there for a long time. Over etching can cause sensitivity

  • thriftysach on 18/12/2020 - 23:24

    Free with a healthcare card at the community dentist

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