so, i stopped by a dentist's office on the way home from a compost run yesterday, and they penciled me in for an assessment this morning.

i know it had been a long time since i had a cleaning, so a little bit of build-up was expected. however, i've never had a cavity before, and i'm not experiencing any pain in my mouth, so i was really just expecting a cleaning - something i certainly am overdue for, granted, but i felt no reason to expect more than that.

in hindsight, i should have realized that the entire concept of the assessment was a red flag. i'll admit that i haven't gone to a lot of dentists, but the premise of being "assessed" implies that they're looking for a way to bill you. i mean, you don't get an assessment at a doctor's office - you get a checkup. you get an assessment at an auto shop, or a plastic surgery clinic.

you might argue that if it's been six years since my last appointment then i should expect some cavities, but it had been at least ten years since my last appointment before that, and i walked out without any cavities. so, if i went ten years without a cavity, why can't i go six? nor did the other dentist ask for an "assessment", but merely cleaned my teeth the first time, and then asked me to come in for something he called "painting", which consisted of topping up the enamel around the gums. he claimed i was brushing too hard, which is something they told me when i was a kid, too.

the second red flag was the suggestion that i should come in for cleanings every three months. that's a little excessive, and just seems like a way to squeeze money out of me. they'd be lucky if i agreed to yearly cleanings.

so, when they showed me some pictures of some "discolouration" on my back molars and claimed they needed to drill, i told them i'd like a second opinion. i'm not a dentist, but it didn't look like a cavity, to me. it didn't hurt when they pressed down on it.

i may have been more likely to agree to a drilling if i felt the analysis was more thorough. i mean, you'd think you'd try to clean it first, right, and then figure out if you need a filling after you've cleaned it, especially when it's been a long time since the last cleaning. as it is, it took him mere seconds to determine he needed to drill into my mouth - as though he'd already made up his mind before he walked in.

i'm evidence-based and everything, and in the end i may agree to the drilling, but the only thing that this place convinced me of is that they wanted to squeeze as much money out of me as they could. so, i'll need to make some calls this afternoon....

i need a cleaning. clearly. but, i don't think i need any fillings and i do expect the next dentist to agree.

in the mean time, i need to do a little research so that i'm able to make my own diagnosis of the evidence.