Ok, my "old" dentist sold his practice and moved out of town. The "new" dentist is fine, gives lots of novacaine (sp) and is friendly and optomistic. Now....a couple questions..... the receptionist and my hygenist are no longer there.... not sure if they quit or got fired. Anyway..... they are gone. Would you go where your hygenist went? or stay at the dentist?

Also, if your dentist tells you you need something major (2 crowns, basically), would you get a 2nd opinion?

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I'd get a second opinion only if I wan't 100% comfortable with the new dentist. Do you have a reason to believe that "new" is dishonest with you?

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You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

NO, not really. It just seems like he is recommending crowns for everyone coming thru the door. He is getting a lot of new equipment......said one thing cost $50K.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I've had them recommend crowns and decided to wait until I had an issue. One time it was almost 10 years before I did.

Now when you DO have an issue I wouldn't wait at all, because you don't want it to turn into a root canal. If you're not having any issues with those teeth and you don't have a money tree in the back yard, I would wait.

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nope, no issues, but, they do have OLD fillings in them........

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I have been with my dentist for a long time and he is pretty good about not doing a bunch of things I really don't need. He knows I have a limit of $1,500 each year from my insurance so we do what needs to be done first. I never want to go over the limit unless it is something that I really need. I would tell him no if he wanted to put in crowns just because the fillings were old. You don't have to stay with him just because your dentist sold his business to him. Heck he may not have even liked this guy.

Yeah, I have all my old filings from the 60's too. My dentist said that if/when they started giving me trouble we would have to replace them. In one case, I had one crumble that was so big that I had to have a crown done. The operative words here are "when it started giving me trouble"

I figure they've been in my mouth this long..... Ya know??

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If I don't like my dental hygenist (sp?), it's all over for me because that is who I spend the most time with. I have to like the dentist (ie: trust him) but you also have to like and trust the person cleaning your teeth.

Would I get a 2nd opinion? It depends. How long since you last saw "your" dentist before this new one? Did he/she say anything about those crowns being needed or keeping an eye on your old fillings? If not, I would wait a bit unless those teeth are causing you pain. I once had a dentist tell me I needed to have a root canal on a tooth and I didn't trust him so I went to me old dentist (who wasn't covered by my insurance) and he said it wasn't a root canal thing but rather an exposed section of my gums causing the root be sensitive. Told me what to do and viola...lots less pain (I have gum recession so pain isn't entirely gone).

Trust your gut

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Thanks everyone!

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

You seem to know where your old hygienist went, so why don't you call her and ask about the new dentist and why she isn't with him anymore? If she's at work, give her your number and ask her to call you when she gets home. That way she can talk without others hearing.

And I would get a second opinion if you decide to stay with this dentist.

NO, I don't know where my old hygenist went, but.......when I called today to see who would be my new hygenist, I did ask where my old hygenist went. The girl (the only one left from the "old" team) said she didn't know where she went,but, if you look up "X Y SMITH" in the phone book, you can call her. Kind of gave me the feeling she DOES know where she went but can't say, kwim??? I am going to call her and find out what's up.

For now I still have my appt. to get the other tooth drilled out, but, it is a few weeks off, so I can easily cancel it.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

It's kind of like when your hairdresser leaves a salon. The won't tell you where he/she went either......KWIM?

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YEP. I did call, and SO GLAD I did. Let's just say the other onlay is ON hold

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

this is interesting, some of my coworkers have gone to a new dentist near the office and they are getting all their fillings replaced saying theirs are old, crumbling and leaking out.

I'm curious whether that kind of thing, replacing all fillings, is really beneficial. I don't know.

I really hate having dental work done, I almost pass out at those shots in the mouth...so I would only replace something that was a problem.