Are You Seeing A REAL Specialist

Board Certified Prosthodontist and Board-Certified implant Dentist, Dr. David McFadden, discusses 2nd Opinions and checking the credential of your dentist when you THINK you’re seeing a true specialist to verify that they are indeed a specialist, and not just someone who uses terms and phrases that make patients THINK they are, when they’re not.
Terms like “Implant dentistry”, “Cosmetic dentistry”, Reconstructive dentistry” and “Neuromuscular dentistry” are NOT specialties in dentistry. They are words, too often used in marketing themselves under the guise that they’re a specialist. And unfortunately, there’s no regulation of this in dentistry.
There are 12 dental specialties, but only ONE of them deals with the REPLACEMENT and the RESTORATION of teeth. That specialty is called “Prosthodontics”, and the dentists who are specialists in Prosthodontics are called, “Prosthodontists”.
*To learn about the 12 specialties, and how to check credentials, visit: www.dentalimpl...

[@leianehiltz2486]

I have noticed in my more rural area that we only have oral surgeon (1, singular), though you can find a few more oral surgeons a couple hours drive away. General dentists are the ones who take an impression and install the actual crown or tooth. My apologies for using Dr. McFaddens informative videos as a pulpit as they align with some of the errors that, like an onion.... I've been discovering this year. They happened and were treated as small, one of oopsies. They've added up and what struck me is the term "General" dentist because, after multiple mistakes, my 2 years out of college dentist told me he was only a "Basic Dentist" with limited skill sets. I had figured this out by now but that he said it out loud and with a guilty smile that said there wasn't much I could do because this is normal is what upsets me most. I had smiled and rolled with the earlier minor accidents. While having a molar extracted, the entire top broke off at the gumline and lodged in my throat. Very frightening to be flipped over to dislodge a sharp tooth from my throat. He had not used a dental dam. Same procedure, he broke the tooth beside it. When I saw the repair after freezing wore off he had constructed a smaller version of that tooth and it shreds dental floss because it's not smoothed off.
I had been having small repairs made to fillings in my back teeth and when I brought up seeing dark spots at the base of them he assured me it was stains from the amalgam. 2 months later I had several dark spots with holes in my back teeth. Now I've been seeing the dentist quite often due to other oral health issues, so he had ample opportunities to see this himself but I had to demand x-rays in order to learn that all that work was wasted because all those teeth were decayed beyond repair below the gumline. I'm fairly certain that "below the gumline" isn't some mysterious place, unfamiliar to a dentist. That upon each visit, I expect my dentist to have a look around before proceeding with what's planned for that visit.
Yes I suffer from dry mouth and yes I've been acutely aware so I've always used mouth moistening products such as Xylimelts at night. The connection to the oral disease I have is more logical. Erosive Lichen Planus. I've had to take several compounded oral rinses over the past 3 years. As we found decay in other teeth I worried about these sweet syrups and asked the pharmacist if they had sugar in them. She didn't know even after doing her own research so I've asked several until 1 did tell me that they did indeed contain sugar because it's more stable ( keeps the medication from going bad too early). This sounds counterproductive, even if compound has to be done up in smaller batches, it only makes sense to never use sugar in a medication you're supposed to swish several minutes and not eat or rinse out for at least an hour.
All in all it's seemed that, no matter how well I flossed and brushed, my teeth were doomed. The lichen planus created open sores on the inside of my cheeks, huge ones in my tongue and caused terrible burning along my gums
It's horribly disheartening after seeing 4 different specialists, that I could have received more support and better more studious care. A recent graduate from dental college should be ready to start working "with support and observation" of more experienced colleagues. His admission that he "was only a basic Dentist" could only have been said to try to excuse his lack of being observant and generally running our appointments too casually. Chatting over my head with assistant. I have made a few comments here on UA-cam since there is little any patients in Canada can do when things go wrong. If I report him, the worst he gets is a warning and maybe forced to be supervised for awhile. Nothing that would fix my damaged teeth. After all, the goal is to save natural teeth if at all possible. Not force the only option available to me (implants) when I fall into the vast majority of citizens who cannot afford it. Since we aren't talking about a single tooth or 2 but ALL back teeth, upper and lower. Keep hoping for a suggestion or a miracle as dentures aren't an option with lichen planus. I damaged my back so badly when I was in my late 20s that I was forced to take a disability pension which is no more than 16,500 a year. Here in Canada that's below the poverty line. My cheeks have already begun to hollow out with the loss of some molars and despite being 57, appearance still matters a great deal. That's "superficial" compared to the fear of how will I eat? I knew my "senior" years wouldn't be comfortable but this frightens me. That the quality of life for me is dipping down to an almost unbearable level. Very tired of fighting for my rights

[@davidmcfadden878]

You are not alone in your low opinion of the dental industry. The system is fraught with problems starting with who they accept into dental school, uninspired faculty and administration, inadequate requirements, everyone passes, no oversight in private practice, no real disciplinary boards, and the list goes on. I am very sad to read your story.

[@aroncarvajal7080]

Totally agree with you. thank you.