At my recent check up at the local dentist's, I was checked by a dental hygienist instead of the dentist that treated me last time.
However, I still had to fork out the same $200 for the scale and clean.
Anyone else think this isn't fair??
Dental Hygienist VS Dentist - Regular Check up/Scale and Clean
dabs on 01/03/2023 - 10:42
Poll Options
- 45Getting treated by a dental hygienist should be cheaper
- 11Should be the same price regardless
Comments
Same as nugs for me.
Dental hygienist does 97% if the work. Dentist swings by as a box ticking exercise.
I leave without paying.
recent check up
This is the key. If you had to return next week for a filling then you will see the dentist for longer.
We've always asked for our dentist to do the check ups, despite there being a hygienist that could have done it. Our dentist is more experienced and ends up being the one that needs to do the work anyway if something significant needs to be addressed. Either way it's 'free' (although indirectly you're paying for this service via your premiums which go up each year)
Hard to say, price could have gone up without the hygienist.
You still pay the same for blood drawn by a nurse or doctor for a medical check up. I would argue sometimes the nurses are more experienced.
If it is purely just scale and clean then the hygenist is sufficient. But if you are going for a full check up and clean, then I would argue a dentist is needed for professional advice.
You don't pay a doctor to draw blood, you pay them for their reasoning to decide to draw blood.
That is true also but i make the choice for blood to be drawn as an annual check up. The price the same irregardless who draws it.
Seems to be a good/smart biz model . Setup the Dental Hygienist's to do most of the grinding work and the Dentist only comes into play for the more advance work .
Isn't that every industry?
Apprentice mechanic does the service, graduate fills your tax return…
If specialists are doing the base work all the time then you'd have less capacity for the more complex ones.
The job title doesnt necessarily mean the quality of service would be any different.
Exactly. Once a fundamental level of competence is achieved, the car service, tax return, etc. ain't suddenly going to be done to a higher standard. So long as that competence is there, including the ability to identify and escalate issues when they arise, the title/qualification/seniority doesn't change your outcome.
You should ask for itemised account. Scale and clean is around $150-180 while a dentist check is $60ish.
Strictly speaking it's the same procedures done, so same price should be charged.
I go to NIB Sydney and the dentist does 90% of the work.
Hygienist hands over tools and does the flouride treatment at the end.
Also it's no GAP if you have their insurance, even at 60% cover.
And sometimes (not often) they give me freebies.
And they have sms reminders (is this common?).Same for every dentist I've ever visited including the ones in shopping centers like Pacific Smiles. The dental hygenist is never alone with the patient, the dentist does the work
Those aren't hygienist, they're assistants. No one hires a qualified hygienist to only assist a dentist chairside, if they did that practice owner is just pissing money down the drain. Hygienists are allowed to practice independently and alone on patients.
I don’t whether fair or not. But luckily at my no gap dentist (via private insurance), I can choose. Only once I chose an hygienist and I was happy (I didn’t feel he did same job as the dentist), hence now I always choose dentists (and my favourite is on maternity leave atm)
at mine it is clean by hygienist and a 2-3 minute check by dentist (gap free private though)
.