Looking for a specialist...

Edward Green said:That’s exactly what I was getting at. 😁
I moved, and now I can't go back to my old dentist—she was wonderful, just incredibly gentle. Honestly, the idea of walking into some random clinic scares the life out of me.
And private practice? No way. My teeth are such a disaster, even God wouldn't want to foot the bill.
Location doesn't matter. I’ve got a GPS, a map, and two working legs. 😁

If I were you, I'd just cut out the sugar and candy altogether. Then maybe you'll just need routine checkups.
I learned that the hard way in Canada, where a single filling costs hundreds of dollars.
😲

Kenneth Diaz3 said:Does a dentist like this even exist?

First, some private practitioner (super friendly, did everything by the book) absolutely trashed my tooth. When I called him back a few days later because things felt off, he basically told me I was overreacting and it was just a normal reaction. Fast forward a bit, and I ended up with gangrene. So, I went to another guy (less friendly, pretty sure he's closeted) who spent the whole time trashing the first guy, only to screw things up himself. He filled the tooth way too early because—and I quote—“I wanted to get more done today.” Now, I probably have goddamn gangrene all over again. The worst part is the canals are full, and I'm terrified I’ll end up needing surgery.

Anyway, let's move on from that. I'll figure it out somehow.

My question is: is there actually a high-quality dentist in Washington, D.C.? Doesn't matter if it's a private clinic or some hole-in-the-wall somewhere.

HELP GOOGLE

Wait, can private doctors really just do whatever they want?
Is there anywhere you can file a complaint, or maybe sue them?

Anthony Rodriguez58, believe it or not, just like some people are born with thin hair or brittle nails, there are folks who simply have weak, sensitive teeth—no matter how strictly they watch their diet or stay on top of their brushing and flossing.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:Anthony Rodriguez58, believe it or not, just like some people are born with weak hair or brittle nails, there are people who just have fragile, sensitive teeth—no matter how much they watch their diet or brush.

Well, that’s me.
I learned that the hard way.
My dentist confirmed it, too.
Less sugar means fewer cavities, I guess.

Anyway, there's nothing to lose. Things can only improve if I cut back on the sugar.
It's not like sugar is some superfood packed with vitamins...😁

.

Fruit is sweet. It's packed with sugar. But hey, fruit is healthy. For instance.

Seriously though, does anyone in Washington, D.C. actually bother going to the dentist? 😁

Anthony Rodriguez58 said:Well, I'm living proof.
I've seen the results on my own skin.
Besides, even my dentist told me straight up.
Less sugar means fewer cavities.

At the end of the day, what's there to lose? Things can only improve if you cut back on the sugar.
It’s not like sugar is some superfood packed with vitamins...😁

.

Fine—you had a bad diet and it worked out for you. There are plenty of people who eat nothing but organic kale and still deal with tooth decay. On the flip side, you've got people living off junk food and skipping the toothbrush who somehow have perfect Hollywood smiles. There are no rules here. Let's get back to the topic.👍

Edward Green said:Fruit is sweet. Fruit has sugar. Fruit is healthy. For example.

Anyway, does anyone in Washington, D.C. actually bother going to the dentist, for crying out loud? 😁

I’m talking about refined sugar and candy, not fruit.
Back to the topic—I don't live in New York City, so I can't really help.

But seriously, ladies, how does it work with private dentists? Isn't there some kind of guarantee or a way to file a complaint if things go wrong?

😕

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:Fine—so you ate poorly and it worked for you. There are people who eat nothing but organic kale and still deal with cavities. Just like there are people living off junk food and skipping the toothbrush who somehow have Hollywood smiles. There are no rules here. Let's get back to the topic.👍

Alright, if you’re such an expert compared to actual dentists, why don't you just open your own practice in Washington, D.C.? Clearly, you've got it all figured out.😬

PS:
Some people smoke their heads off and never get lung cancer—does that mean there are no rules?
Also, a woman at my job smoked through both pregnancies and her kids are perfectly healthy. She claims there are no rules. Is she right?

Man, I actually found myself a killer dentist!!

😁

👋 Hey, I'm here too
I'm also on the hunt for a good (and fast!) dentist in Washington, D.C. or somewhere nearby
My guy in Vienna is amazing, but man...😱

I am also adding my name to this inquiry 😁

Private practices are excluded from this consideration 😳

But tell me, does anyone here actually have firsthand experience dealing with the dentists at the university dental clinic? Is it even worth making the trip there, or should I look elsewhere? 😕

Walter Smith8, quit being stingy and give me the number🙂🙂

Man, my dentist spent two months trying to fix one tooth—eight days dealing with this horrific gangrene. I could tell it wasn't fully cleared out; the inflammation just wouldn't settle down, and you could still see the shadow on the X-ray

I even heard another colleague telling him she wouldn't go through with the filling yet... and you won't believe it, he still insisted on "finishing the job."

I’d sue him right now if I could, but I have zero proof. No medical records, no receipt, nothing. How am I supposed to prove I was even there? And you think my colleague is going to testify for me? Yeah, right.

Honestly, people like that need to be taken down. Every single one of them.

I went to see the dentist at the local community clinic over in Brooklyn.
It was fine...

Is it just me, or is nobody actually going to the dentist? Or is everyone just miserable about it? 😁

gentlejackal16, I’ve got one crucial question for you. What's your pain tolerance like? 😬

Frida Kahlo said:cookie, just give me the number, stop being so stingy 🙂🙂

Man, my dentist spent two months messing with one tooth—eight days straight dealing with this awful gangrene thing. I could tell it wasn't even "clean" yet; everything was still swollen, the inflammation wouldn't die down, and you could still see a shadow on the X-ray.

I actually heard another colleague telling him she wouldn't go near filling it yet... and you won't believe it, he still insisted on "finishing" it.

I’d sue him right now if I could, but I have zero proof. No medical records, no receipts from the visit... how am I supposed to prove I was even there? And what makes you think my colleague is going to testify for me? Yeah, right.

Honestly, they all need to be wiped out. WIPED OUT.

Sorry, but why don't you have a receipt?
That's on you if you didn't ask for one.
You can still report him, though—for tax evasion or whatever.

How did you pay? With Kesha?

About a month ago, I finally decided to ditch my private dentist and head back to the local community clinic to see an old family contact. Honestly, that private practice was absolutely draining me; the constant rush, the endless crowds, and having to wait forever even when I had a confirmed appointment made it a nightmare. It all came to a head when I developed this brutal infection that lingered for nearly two weeks. It was so agonizingly painful that I genuinely started fearing my teeth were going to just fall out from the sheer intensity of it.
😬

As it stands, I think switching back was the right call, largely due to the competition and the general quality of care available—the providers there are truly top-tier.

The clinic I'm using is based in Brooklyn, which used to be the standard for anyone living in the West side area, though I suppose those old residency-based rules don't really apply the same way anymore.

The dentist herself is actually quite wonderful. She has such a light, delicate touch and speaks softly, which is a massive relief when you're sitting there in one of those uncomfortable, worn-out dental chairs.
🙄 😁 In fact, I had a cleaning the other day, and something I usually find tedious—getting rid of tartar—actually felt strangely fascinating and almost therapeutic.😳 😁

The only thing I noticed is that she is incredibly intense about smokers; she loves giving these little lectures on how smoking ruins your dental health.

To be perfectly blunt, from a financial standpoint, being able to use my insurance at a community clinic isn't a bad deal at all. Since I fall into that category of people whose teeth tend to act up every once in a while, I am fully in favor of returning to the public healthcare system! 😎 🙂

Edward Green said:Is it just me, or does nobody actually go to the dentist? Or maybe everyone is just unhappy with their results?😁

gentlejackal16, I have a vital question for you. What’s your pain tolerance like?😬

I don't dwell on it too much. If you overthink it... it won't end well.
The main thing for me is just forcing myself to show up. Getting it done is the priority, because if I don't... things will only get worse.

As long as there aren't any unexpected complications—assuming the dentist knows what they're doing, which in my case, they do—handling the discomfort is pretty manageable.

So, just go for it... 😁 !!!

🙂

Charles Harris47, what’s the name?

How long did you have to wait for an appointment? Honestly, being told "come back in two months" isn't exactly my idea of a good time... I'd much rather they just tell me to open my mouth and see me in a month.

It seems like dentists are constantly bad-mouthing one another lately. I suppose hair stylists do the same thing; maybe it’s just part of the American temperament.

You have top-tier specialists who can handle a root canal and fix the whole tooth in a single visit.

You're saying a private dentist messed up your tooth, so you called them back a few days later and it turned out to be gangrene.🤔 Fine, if you say so. Or maybe the canals were filled incorrectly and you ended up with gangrene anyway. Go ahead, believe what you want.😬

But to think you'd end up needing surgery immediately just because of a canal revision...🤔

Look, I have no idea, but if I were actually considering whether to file a complaint against someone, I’d probably start by doing some Googling first. I might call the dental board or head down to a local office to actually ask about my specific issue.

Only then would I start throwing stones at people.

Do you honestly believe that doctors working solely through Medicare can afford to use the absolute highest grade of materials?😕

gentlejackal16 said:I went to see the dentist at the community health clinic over in Brooklyn.
It was alright, I guess.

My dentist from the Crnomerec Police Department clinic actually caused this mess 😁
*cough* 😁

Yay me.