We had our first checkup with a new dentist in our new city, Raleigh, NC, on Monday, August 20. We had X-rays taken, gum depth checked, were screened for cancer, and checked for cavities, plaque, tartar, and calc.
After the technician had taken the X-rays, the hygienist checked my gums using a gauge to measure the gum pocket depth. Then the dentist showed up and performed all the checks again! When she performed the gum depth exam, on the very last tooth, she twisted the depth gauge slightly. I literally jumped in my seat in pain! She sighed, rolled her chair back a little, and then told me the bad news:
1. I had moderate periodontal disease;
2. I had two cavities;
3. I had a third cavity that was developing; she would keep an eye on it.
4. I would have to have a procedure called scaling and root planing;
5. My dental cleanings visits would double from 2x to 4x per year to keep the periodontal disease in check; and
6. The missing crown (Ive lost 3 on the same tooth!) would need to have a crown lengthening surgical procedure before she could put another crown in place.
The written quotation was $3,384 (not including the crown lengthening surgery). My wife's checkup revealed gingivitis. The total for her procedures started at $340 plus doubling her dental visits to 4x per year.
One week later, we went to a different dentist for a 2nd opinion. Here are his results:
1. No periodontal disease whatsoever. There was very little bone loss (nothing more than expected from a 46-year old man). Four of my teeth had gum pockets in 1 area (out of 3 areas) that were 4mm; the gums were healthy, pink, tight, had no tartar or calc build-up, and did not bleed.
2. I had NO cavities;
3. The 3rd cavity did not exist;
4. No scaling or root cleaning was needed;
5. I only needed a simple cleaning to restore my gums back to a healthy depth. Bi-annual cleaning would maintain my gums in a healthy state.
6. The tooth with the missing crown required a root canal followed by a gold crown with part of it going into the hollow tooth. This would prevent the problems with losing the crown. No crown lengthening surgery would be required.
My wife had some plaque and tartar buildup due to her braces, which could be removed by a regular cleaning. Every gum pocket in her mouth was 1-2mm with only 1 area of 1 pocket of 1 tooth that was 4mm. She had no gingivitis.
We had our teeth cleaned that very day. Since this was preventive dentistry, our insurance paid 100% of the cleaning.
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