160

A 2020 Cochrane review that assessed the two clinical trials concluded that "whether adults see their dentist for a check‐up every six months or at personalized intervals based on their dentist's assessment of their risk of dental disease does not affect tooth decay, gum disease, or quality of life. Longer intervals (up to 24 months) between check‐ups may not negatively affect these outcomes." The Cochrane reviewers reported that they were "confident" of little to no difference between six-month and risk-based check-ups and were "moderately confident" that going up to 24-month checkups would make little to no difference either.

Likewise, Nadanovsky and his colleagues highlight that there is no evidence supporting the benefit of common scaling and polishing treatments for adults without periodontitis. And for children, cavities in baby teeth are routinely filled, despite evidence from a randomized controlled trial that rates of pain and infections are similar—about 40 percent—whether the cavities are filled or not.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 85 points 1 month ago

Further evidence that the privatization of healthcare is incentivized to produce worse outcomes and waste.

[-] benni@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

This article of a dentist testing other dentists gives some more anecdotal evidence: https://www.rd.com/article/how-honest-are-dentists/

[-] ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Great article, and shocking to see the prices mentioned and this at the end: This article originally ran in the February 1997 issue of Reader’s Digest.

[-] ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

But then it also says after that Originally Published: November 18, 2020 Who knows?

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] Melkath@kbin.social 50 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Time before last I had a dental checkup, they said I needed 12 fillings. Didn't schedule the fillings.

Last time I went in for a dental checkup, they said I needed 5 fillings. Didn't schedule the fillings.

It's been 15 years since that, and none of my teeth have gone rotten. None of them have gotten painful.

[-] Coreidan@lemmy.world 33 points 1 month ago

Sounds like you need a better dentist.

There are caring legit dentists out there. I know, hard to believe.

[-] Melkath@kbin.social 1 points 1 month ago

I dont deny it.

Shame on me for just existing with okay teeth.

[-] Coreidan@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

No reason to have shame. All I’m saying is if you think your dentist is fucking around you should get a better dentist instead of avoiding them your entire life.

There are clear benefits to getting regular checkups. You are blessed that you don’t have any problems. But that can change quickly with age.

You only get one set of teeth and you don’t know what you don’t know.

All it takes is a simple infection to fuck your shit up. Bite wing X-rays allows you to get ahead of issues like that instead of waiting until it’s an issue because by then it’s too late.

[-] TheDoozer@lemmy.world -3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

You only get one set of teeth

This is demonstrably false.

Edit: I think some people missed my joke. We all (almost all) have a set of teeth that fall out and another set comes in, so it's just funny that they used the phrase "you only get one...." like we use for eyes, or brain, when we, in fact, end up having the whole set replaced once in our lives.

[-] capital@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)
[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

They've encouraged new teeth to form in small animals through inhibiting some gene expression. It's new, but it's an exciting niche. Humans are next.

[-] capital@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Shark teeth for humans when?

[-] Pretzilla@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Baby oh baby

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

I feel like there's a lot of dentists in here mad that a study scientifically showed dental care is drastically over prescribed...

You post an ancedot about how you were over prescribed treatment which aligns with the scientific study's findings...

And someone immediately tries to tell you it was bad luck you had it happen

And not the norm across various countries like the scientific study found.

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 7 points 1 month ago

Some dentists can be very proactive. Mine ID'd 2 small cavities but said if I focus on those areas they will probably not grow and be fine.

My wife's childhood dentist gave her more than a dozen fillings for small cavities. If you ever get a dentist like that, I'd suggest to get a second opinion.

Don't fuck around with your mouth health: dentures are not fun and infections there can be lethal. But another check-up won't hurt if you think something's off.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

If you have mercenary healthcare, they're gonna want their money.

[-] MamboGator@lemmy.world 30 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

This is one of those cases where I invoke my policy of "don't let the person charging you money for something tell you how often you need to do it." It's like companies selling mattresses saying you should replace them every 6-8 years.

[-] Dkarma@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago

Takes 6 months to even get an appointment!

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 7 points 1 month ago

I think the 6mo cleanings are the prepare for people who don't take good care of their teeth. My plan allows for 3/4 cleanings a year if I want them. And some people are a lot more prone.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

are the prepare

What?

for people who don’t take good care of their teeth

Genetically, some people have weaker enamel. Economically, your childhood dental care will greatly affect your adulthood needs.

[-] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 5 points 1 month ago
[-] Euphorazine@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Man, just know my dental plan would take a study like this to move to once a year cleanings :(

I like getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist

[-] Sizzler@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 month ago

It's like waterboarding to me!

[-] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Here (Swiss) it's every year.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

it’s all year

What exactly happens continually throughout the year for you?

[-] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 6 points 1 month ago
[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

No, it was spelled right. Just a grammatical error.

[-] paige@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

I also remember reading some research which said that time spent flossing is better spent brushing.

Can’t help but wonder if the fillings I got as a kid which need to be replaced every few years were avoidable.

[-] applepie@kbin.social 8 points 1 month ago

Can confirm some bias with a trust me bro here for sure.

Rotting food is what causes most issues with teeth is my understanding for a healthy person.

Depending on how your teeth are spaces, brushing will do fuck all to dislodge the rot. Flossing is the only way to do it for me. Water floss is decent when I am lazy but nothing beats that's string friction.

I floss more regularly than brush

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -1 points 1 month ago

Exams are beneficial, they can catch issues early.

The unnecessary cleanings are the bad part, teeth aren't supposed to be bright white, to get them that way we're often stripping off a protective coating.

Like, if you're 60+ years old who cares. But doing it for decades adds up and may end up cancelling out benefits from exams.

What looks best just isn't always the best for long term health.

[-] Coreidan@lemmy.world 30 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

teeth aren't supposed to be bright white

Dental cleanings don’t make your teeth bright white. Removing tarter doesn’t make your teeth white.

All a dental cleaning should ever be is tarter removal. If your dentist is whitening your teeth then you need to get a proper dentist.

But doing it for decades adds up and may end up cancelling out benefits from exams.

You don’t have the first clue as to what you’re talking about and you’re giving people terrible advice.

load more comments (5 replies)
[-] iopq@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago

That's not what cleanings are for

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] Montagge@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago

I don't get whitening done at my cleaning. Is getting whitening done common?

load more comments (12 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 07 May 2024
160 points (96.0% liked)

science

13591 readers
145 users here now

just science related topics. please contribute

note: clickbait sources/headlines aren't liked generally. I've posted crap sources and later deleted or edit to improve after complaints. whoops, sry

Rule 1) Be kind.

lemmy.world rules: https://mastodon.world/about

I don't screen everything, lrn2scroll

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS