alt Hacker News> I swear they all just make it up as they go.
Good rule of thumb: trust the person who isn't telling you to spend more money, usually.
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Good advice.
Im at a well known megaprofessional dentist,priced "a little above the average" if you want something unusual.
One day, we started to initiate "small project" for some teeth, involving some additonal costs for "beauty-stuff". The accounting appartment(!!!!) of them adviced me to get whatever-XY-insurance before the first step is done to save some costs. On the first day in the morning when step 1 started, I talked to the doc about this advice - she said: "I do not know what they thought but this is a dentist, not an insurance reseller. I do not suggest to do this, you wont need it in your case."
Since then, I never went to another one.
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Yea, there are good ones out there. I had a horrible experience with unnecessary work done because I didn't know any better, drilled too deep, root canal, then installed a crown that cracked. Told me everything had to be filled.
Next dentist basically just said I need regular cleanings, or to learn to floss better. I've been going to him for 10 years now. Recommended lots of people to him.
Another signal is, how nice is their office? Is it a little converted bungalow with drop ceilings? Or a big modern monstrosity with floor ceiling windows.
I've also had experience bringing a friend to Mexico to get work done, which worked out well. Ended up saving a bunch of money, got the work done that day.