Do we have any dentists here?

[FloridaMan]

So here's an update. I canceled (for the brits in the thread, we spell it with one "L" over here) the procedure. I'm in there every four months for a cleaning anyways. I'll have them keep the wax molds so that if/when this bonding comes off, we can do it then. This is 100% a cosmetic procedure and as far as I'm concerned, they look fine as they are. 

Another pilot friend brought up a good point the other day: he mentioned that a Dentist friend explained to him that people are taking much better care of their teeth these days so that to keep the same sort of revenue coming in as in decades past where the WW2 and earlier generations were getting mouthfuls of crowns, there's a bit of a drive to up-sell other types of procedures/treatments. 

[Hank]

5 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

Hank, i dont have any issue with you guys at all.  The "we" was the clue.  The only person who says "we" is the Queen.  I always tease, it is my thing, a sort of defense mechanism. 

How the UK is called Great Britain i honestly have NO idea.   

No offense was meant, so please dont take any.  I promise you, if someone annoys me on here, they WILL know about it.  

Andrew

No offense taken or intended, and didn't mean to derail the thread. But the whole England/Britain thing has never made sense to me, and I don't think that can be blamed on the French, like a lot of other weirdness with out language can be (thank you so much, William . . .).

[rbridges]

52 minutes ago, Antares said:

So here's an update. I canceled (for the brits in the thread, we spell it with one "L" over here) the procedure. I'm in there every four months for a cleaning anyways. I'll have them keep the wax molds so that if/when this bonding comes off, we can do it then. This is 100% a cosmetic procedure and as far as I'm concerned, they look fine as they are. 

Another pilot friend brought up a good point the other day: he mentioned that a Dentist friend explained to him that people are taking much better care of their teeth these days so that to keep the same sort of revenue coming in as in decades past where the WW2 and earlier generations were getting mouthfuls of crowns, there's a bit of a drive to up-sell other types of procedures/treatments. 

I wouldn't describe it as an upsell.  The focus on teeth has shifted dramatically over the last few decades.  I went through 4 years of dental school and a 3 year residency, and I have never placed a veneer.  They simply weren't very common back in the late 90's.  Back then, most dental work had a heavier bias toward function, but people have started placing a much larger emphasis on esthetics.  Go watch an episode of Charlie's Angels or any show from the 80's with well known movie stars.  You'll notice that yellow, crowded teeth were very common.  You'll also notice that breast augmentation wasn't as common either.  lol

Getting back on point, dentists do A LOT of cosmetic work nowadays, but I wouldn't say it's an upsell.  The American consumer wants it.  My wife visited a friend in Germany, and someone asked if she was from the US.  She asked how they guessed, and they said her teeth were so pretty.  As far as income, I believe the average dentist today makes more than his counterpart from a few decades ago.  The options available today are unbelievable, and patients have much higher standards.  In aviation terms, is a manufacturer upselling the public by making autopilots and GPSs standard on new planes?  

If you want something that looks great and holds up longest, veneers are hands down the best way to go.  As you mentioned, they do have a finite life time depending on how well they are prepped and maintained--I've seen veneers that have held up decades.  My wife's original set of veneers held up great and only had to be replaced because she fell and broke and edge to one.  If someone is prone to decay and has a history of constantly replacing fillings, I don't recommend any restorative work that isn't necessary.