Dentists expense

[ohmyohmy123]

I've been to three dentists to compare prices etc. i have a jaw joint issue that causes pain, some cracked teeth due to this and I need some fillings that fell out over lockdown.

The first wanted £1200 for the fillings and cracked teeth repair. This dentist never mentioned my jaw issue and I said nothing to see want they would do.

Second wanted £800 for 2 fillings and explained all about the jaw disorder and suggested a splint.

The third says I can't have fillings as I need crowns due to my cracks and he thinks they will need extracting soon if I don't crown them. He wants nearly £4000.

I don't know who to believe. They've all said different things and the costs are so different. I don't feel the second dentist was thorough enough or bothered about the long term.

Do dentists try to make you spend more or is the third one trying to help me long term?

I think if you have cracked teeth, the crowning option is the way to go and it's not cheap so I think the third one is probably the way to go.

Worth trying to get a recommendation or two of dentists local to you?

Dentists are obviously experts when it comes to teeth but they also operate commercially. I’m sure many are not just in it for profit but in less than clear cut cases like yours, there’s obviously the opportunity to push for higher value work.

I think I’d keep looking until you find someone you’re happy with. You may find that 2 or 3 say roughly the same thing too, which will give you an idea.

It's not just commercial concerns for the dentist though. If there are different ways to deal with the cracked teeth, then different dentists will also use their experience to suggest the best course of action, not just based on charges. Crowns cost more than fillings so the materials used by the dentist changes according to what they do, as does the time they spend, the number of appointments needed etc. Just because option C costs more than option A doesn't automatically mean the dentist makes more profit from option C if their costs are higher and it takes more time.