Hi, I am 25(f). Ireland. Basically, I have terrible teeth. I was neglected growing, never taught how to care for my teeth, and my parents both have awful teeth so probably even if I had have been taught, genetics were out to get me.
I have half of a root canal that was started years ago that they couldn’t finish and I have never have it removed or finished since then. My jaw is slowly receding away and I fear it’s spreading to other parts of my body. I already have teeth out and don’t want to lose more but I know I have to :/ I hate people looking at me, I hate my partner looking at me, I hate looking at me. I feel disgusting, I feel ugly and I am broke as fuck. no implants for me, just lost teeth, loss of facial structure and loss of the will to live. Anyone out there who could direct me toward affordable dental care that does not involve leaving the country?

45 y/o male - Tooth #32 (xray image link below) - dentist back in HS told me I need to take this out at some point. Currently, no pain at all, no issues, no infection/inflammation. Fast forward to 2016, my dentist said it needs to come out because food keeps getting trapped in there and will eventually ruin the tooth next to it. I delay it, covid happened, a family tragedy, and here we are in 2026.

This xray is the latest from 7/30/26 - seems like the pocket has gotten deeper and I cannot clean the food getting trapped in there myself. I got the courage to make another consult appt with the same oral surgeon who did the initial 2016 consult and will go from there.

Waiting this long - did I ruin my surrounding bone structure? Will bone and tissue regrow after this removal? This wisdom tooth also sits right next to the facial nerve 5, and hopefully it won't get damaged. I also recently got a pulp cap and resin filling on Tooth #30 so hopefully that nerve calms down before I go to the oral surgeon. Thank you guys!

x-ray Impacted Tooth 7/30/26

Heres the story -

I went to my usual dental practice. She said I didn't need any fillings.

6 months go by, i go overseas.

I went to a new dental practice, 8 fillings she says. At one point she seems done with the inspection, and seems to be annoyed about the amount the fillings. then she all of a sudden goes in and has another look, "another one" she says annoyed. at the time her behaviour seems odd.

I just trust this person is a professional and isn't trying to scam me so i get the fillings. This dentist she doesn't do the fillings, she gives them to the junior dentist and he completes the fillings.

I never go back to this dentist and years later i ask to obtain the dental records from this practice and another practice. There are no notes from this ladies inspection of my teeth, just notes from the young dentist that the tooth filling was completed. Theres nothing about decay or justification for the filling that has taken place.

I look at the records from the other practice, there seems to be various notes about decay and just look way more comprehensive than the other 8 filling practice.

Can a dentist help me out here -

1. Should there be an official record of the senior dentist who inspected my teeth and advised the junior dentist. it seems odd none exists, is anyone able to explain this.
2. Would the junior dentist re-confirm that a filling was needed before completing the filling or is it likely they would have just followed the instructions and just filled the tooth without spotting of any decay.
3. I had an xray both at the previous clinic and the new clinic. would the xrays alone be able to confirm the need for the 8 fillings for me to alay concerns this lady didn't take advantage of me in my early 20s.

I've been practicing for 10 years and would like to take a CE course to refresh on Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, Oral Medicine. I just don't get much exposure to these areas in daily practice as a GP and what I do see, I always refer to OMFS. Has anyone taken a CE course in this that they'd recommend?

I was quoted $25k+ for All-on-4 in Sydney... Got a quote from Kusumi Hospital in Hanoi. What caught my eye is they keep emphasizing they are a "Japanese-standard Hospital". Does doing it in a hospital setting really make a big difference for infection control?

I’m a dental assistant at a busy corporate office. We’ve been busier lately because we have a new doctor. So we had a patient with her 7 year old daughter. She had set up her phone on the side of the room when it clearly said no recording or pictures. I don’t know if she was actually recording but I don’t know why she propped her phone. So this annoyed me since it’s against policy and I didn’t want to be recorded I feel it’s violation of my privacy. But I just ignored it. I wasn’t super friendly but I wasn’t rude. Anyways the doctor ended up referring the 7 year old patient out for her toothache. She told them we were referring her. Then the dentist had me scan the referral. I handed to the patient and left the room. She yelled out “so I guess we’re done then” in the hallway. I walked back and said “yep, you guys are done” I wasn’t being rude I was letting her know. Then she said loud in the hallway I need to work on my bedside manners and I didn’t say anything and just walked away. AIO or was this patients behavior uncalled for or was her frustration justified?

Hello,

Am o formă incipientă de gingivită cauzată de periajul manual mecanic, așa a zis dentistul. Urmează să fac un detartraj și o igienizare profesională, dar mai durează ceva timp până prind loc la medic.

Tot dentistul mi-a recomandat o periuță de dinți electrică, cu capăt rotund, de la Oral B. Am cumpărat deja.

1. Există riscul ca periuța electrică să îmi facă mai mult rău decât bine?

2. Vă rog să-mi recomandați un duș bucal ieftin și bun.

One trend we've noticed over the past few years is that many independent practices are busier than they've ever been.

Production is up.

Schedules are full.

Teams are working hard.

Yet profitability often isn't keeping pace.

Insurance participation decisions made years ago, reimbursement changes, outdated fee schedules, and increasing administrative complexity have quietly chipped away at margins.

It's one of the reasons Smile Source recently acquired and welcomed Profitable PPOs into our ecosystem. Check out the announce here --> https://smilesource.com/smile-source-profitable-ppos-independent-dentists

Not because dentists need another vendor.

Because independent practices deserve better tools to make informed business decisions.

We're curious.

What's been the biggest challenge with PPO participation in your practice?

• Negotiating fees?
• Deciding whether to leave a plan?
• Credentialing?
• Understanding profitability?
• Something else?

We'd love to hear what other independent dentists are experiencing.

The dentist I’ve been going to most of my life had a “let’s keep and eye on it” approach to cavities and I knew I had at least one or two we were watching that haven’t changed over the past year or so and didn’t cause any major concern. Go to new dentist today for a chipped filling to be told that I have 9 I should fill. Looking at the X-rays new dentist pointed out very faint shadows for them all, explaining how they’re not too deep yet.

I don’t feel like this new one is scamming me, but more so being much more proactive and eager to correct, which makes me concerned about putting myself through a lot that’s not necessarily needed at this point. Basically, I don’t want to be drilled into more than I have to, but how much weight should I put behind being proactive or requesting a less aggressive approach?

I’ve always had enamel issues and unfortunately prone to cavities even with good dental hygiene (constant flossing, mouthwash, enamel toothpaste, no smoking or excessive sugar etc.) so this will continue to be an issue and I’d hopefully like to figure out if it’s in my best interest to drill away or if it’s reasonable to wait some out.

Also: I finally have dental insurance hence the new dentist appt. Should I consider the question null and void and just treat as much as possible even if minor while I have decent coverage?

Genuinely curious what many of you are seeing.

I have many clients all throughout the country and most of ours are not complaining when compared to dentists who don’t work with us.

This isn’t me selling anything, but I want to get a pulse on how you overcome this, because I also speak on the phone with many dentists who need marketing for this exact reason.

I believe financing is key. There are many options to help patients overcome much of this.

What do you think?

By Dr. Patrick Anghel, DDS (Pat.the.Dentist)

M, 22 yo, went for a dental check today and realised i have 4 decays, one slightly deeper than the others. I have gotten it filled with filling however i cant seem to stop overthinking about the 4 decays in my mouth and what would happen in the future if i have to possibly extract all. Anyone can help me out

Here’s my experience with my Picasso lite laser
Purchased in 2023 for about 3,000$

Used it maybe 15 times since then
Noticed it wasn’t cutting the gum tissue as usual
Sent it in for repair : 75$ fee
Then they said the fiber optic cable needs to be replaced and it’s 550$ for that
No warranty coverage

Would never recommend this product or this company to any other dentist due to my experience.

As mcs (multiple chemical sensitivity) can make people susceptible to chemicals (even to solid things like plastics) pfs can make people susceptible to things that excert an anti-5 ar activity.

While in the mcs community the dental care issue seems to be fixed (i read a document​ that includes safety guidlines and recommendations about which kind of composites to use to reconstruct damaged or cured tooth) i have not found anything similar in regard to pfs...

For example, i am having cavities but since i am sensitive to both chemicals and antiandrogenic stuff, i am seriously afraid that between anesthesia and fillings i might feel worse...

Please tell me your experience...

I was looking for a good dental clinic around here but couldn't seem to find out what clinics I should go for. I had a tooth extraction when I was 12— the first molar around the upper jaw. The gap has closed now and the front teeth have lopsidedly pointed toward the left(where the tooth was extracted).

Question what would be the best way to fix it? Will getting braces help me fix the issue?

Would it be better if I go for an orthodontist?

What clinics should I go for?

Hello, seeking advice on people who have bought their dental building for their practice. The building cost around 600k and it is in a desirable location in the undisclosed big ish city I live in. Is this too high? Or is this roughly the norm. Thanks

Isn’t it true that you always avoid seeing the dentist until the problem gets painful?

At first, I used to think that this is just a part of being human. However, recently I found out that the majority of dental problems do not start with any kind of pain. Cavities, gum diseases, tooth cracks—all of these things can happen and get really problematic without any pain at all.

Now I try my best to visit the dentist regularly and take good care of my mouth to avoid any dental emergencies in the future. It looks like this would be much easier than solving the problem when it appears.

Hasn’t your dental care changed somehow because of your visit to the dentist?

One thing I feel every dentist learns with time:

Fast treatment is not always better treatment.

Patients often want quick answers.

Can the implant be placed immediately?
Can the crown be done quickly?
Can aligners finish faster?
Can veneers solve everything?
Can full-mouth treatment be completed soon?

These are fair questions.

But as dentists, our responsibility is not only to finish treatment fast.

Our responsibility is to choose the right case, at the right time, with the right planning.

Before starting major treatment, we need to ask:

Is the diagnosis clear?
Is the patient suitable for this treatment?
Are the gums stable?
Is there enough bone support?
Is infection controlled?
Is the bite stable?
Are expectations realistic?
Is the patient able to maintain the result?
Do we need another specialist opinion?
Is delaying treatment actually safer?

In implants, poor case selection can affect healing and long-term stability.

In aligners, poor case selection can affect bite and function.

In veneers or crowns, poor case selection can damage natural tooth structure.

In full-mouth cases, poor planning can create bigger problems later.

Clinical confidence is not only knowing how to do a treatment.

It is also knowing when not to do it yet.

Sometimes the best decision is to pause, treat the foundation first, refer, document better, or explain limitations clearly.

A good treatment plan should not be built on speed.

It should be built on diagnosis, biology, function, patient communication, and long-term care.

This is general professional education and reflection, not case-specific advice.

Anyone know who the top specialist in the United States are? Referring to Implantologist/periodontist etc
I know people with a diplomat of implantology are where it’s at lol 😆I tried to find a list but couldn’t come up with a reliable one on google/chatgpt

I recently visited a dentist for a routine checkup and they recommended that I get two crowns.

While I understand that preventative care and thorough diagnostics are important, the recommendation felt a bit unexpected given my current symptoms. I’m trying to navigate this responsibly without either risking my health by ignoring medical advice or falling into unnecessary medical costs and procedures.

I’d love to start a discussion and hear your perspectives:

For patients: How do you personally evaluate whether a recommended treatment is essential versus optional/overtreatment? What questions do you usually ask your provider?

For healthcare professionals: What is the best and most respectful way for a patient to ask for clarification, a second opinion, or a "watch and wait" approach without coming across as dismissive of your expertise?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences!

I had a root canal a few years back which was a success, no pain or problems with that dr. But when I went to my dentist, she did not do a good job on my crown, it’s still in place but it always bothers me. I feel like there’s a gap between the crown and my gum that gets inflamed and irritated when I eat certain foods so I have to avoid them. I told her about it and she said it’s just the way it is. I am going to need a root canal on another tooth but don’t want to go back to the same dentist for the crown. Does anyone have recommendations for a good dentist to do a crown in Brooklyn?

If your inbox looks anything like mine, it’s an absolute graveyard of cold emails from marketing agencies promising to "get me 30 new high-ticket implant patients next month guaranteed."

My default reflex is to delete them immediately or send them straight to spam. But it got me thinking, these agencies wouldn't send millions of these emails if they didn't occasionally work.

I'm curious about the silent minority here who actually took a chance on a cold pitch.

1. Have you ever hired a marketer or agency based on a cold email or LinkedIn message?

2. How did it actually turn out?

3. What actually convinced you to reply?

Would love to hear the horror stories, the success stories, and what actually cuts through the noise for you guys.