I get what you’re saying about balance, but I actually lean a bit more toward trusting the tech—at least for second opinions. My dentist once missed a hairline crack that only showed up on a 3D scan, and if we’d just gone by the “old school” check, I’d probably be in way worse shape now. Isn’t it worth paying for the scan if it means avoiding bigger bills or pain later? Sometimes I wonder if we overestimate how much dentists can see or feel without those tools.
Sometimes I wonder if we overestimate how much dentists can see or feel without those tools.
That’s a fair point, but I think it’s easy to swing too far the other way and assume tech always catches what humans miss. I’ve seen 3D scans pick up tiny “cracks” that turned out to be artifacts, not real problems. It’s not super common, but it happens, and sometimes folks end up stressed or even paying for work they might not have needed.
Honestly, a good exam with eyes and hands still goes a long way. I’m all for using scans when something feels off or if you’re not getting answers, but I wouldn’t say they’re always necessary for every checkup. There’s a balance—tech is awesome for second opinions or tricky cases, but it shouldn’t replace a thorough clinical look.
Funny thing, I had a patient convinced she needed a crown after a scan at another office, but on closer inspection, it was just a shadow from a filling. Saved her a bunch of money and a tooth. Sometimes the “old school” way still wins, at least for the first round.
That story about the shadow from a filling rings true for me. I’ve had dentists spot “problems” on scans that turned out to be nothing after a hands-on check. It really makes me wonder—has anyone here ever pushed back on a recommended procedure and found out it wasn’t needed?
It really makes me wonder—has anyone here ever pushed back on a recommended procedure and found out it wasn’t needed?
That’s happened to me more than once, actually. A few years back, my dentist saw something “suspicious” on an x-ray and wanted to drill right away. I hesitated and asked for a second opinion—turns out it was just some weird shadow from an old filling, nothing urgent at all. I totally get the anxiety around this stuff. Sometimes you really have to trust your gut and ask questions, even if it feels awkward. It’s your mouth, after all.
That totally resonates. I had a similar thing with my orthodontist—he wanted to pull two teeth before braces, but I dragged my feet and did some research. Ended up keeping all my teeth. Sometimes “just in case” isn’t a good enough reason, you know?
