Open Wider: Your Wallet Not Your Mouth - A Consumers Guide to Dentistry (Paperback)

~ Fred Quarnstrom (Author), Marzena Makuta (Contributor), Anne Woodley (Contributor)
Key Phrases: oral conscious sedation, smile makeover, unnecessary dental work, Open Wider, Restorative Dentistry, Jay Leno (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Do you really need 8 crowns. 30% of crowns that are suggested are not necessary and will make the tooth weaker. Should wisdom teeth be removed? Less than 10% are ever a problem. Over treatment has become rampant in today¹s dental office; how can you guard against this?

How do you choose a dentist? Who protects you from shoddy work? What does the dentist need to know about you? Why tell the dentist you are a diabetic? How do you know if the work is necessary?

Are silver filling and tooth bleaching safe? How should I prepare for retirement? What do you do if you feel you were mistreated? What do I need to know about dental insurance? It is your mouth; you need to be a informed dental consumer.

About the Author

Dr. Q graduated from dental school in 1964, served in Vietnam with the Navy, did a residency in general anesthesia, holds 4 fellowships and teaches at 3 dental schools in addition to practicing general dentistry for 44 years. Two of the authors saw dentists who were overselling dentistry. What made them suspicious? Anne holds an MA degrees in ethics and Marzena a MS in mathematics and a PhD in linguistics. As patients, they were invaluable in writing this book from a consumer¹s point of view.

Product Details

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (January 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419678426
• ISBN-13: 978-1419678424
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,326,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Marginal message - lost in translation..., February 14, 2008

By	John Rance Davis "Rance Davis" (Sherman, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a general dentist who read this book for a small study club. Here are some thoughts/comments/opinions that were given about this book by members:

Group consensus was that while there is always a need to question the integrity of our profession - this book seemed to paint with too broad a brush. The underlying tone of book reads as if the profession, as a whole, is unethical. When more than likely there is the same level of honesty that has been present for decades.

Other comments:

"It is as simple as this...do patients trust their dentist? If they don't then they will love this book, if they do?...then they should save their money."

"Dentistry has a large number of gray areas with regard to treatment choices. This message of this book does little to help navigate those areas...other than to infer that you should not trust your dentist."

"The book is poorly illustrated..."

"The narrative seems to paint with a broad brush - which works to erode the professional trust that is a prerequisite to the dentist/patient relationship."

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars written by a dentist who works for an insurance company, April 27, 2008

By	Edwin A. McGrew "Ed McGrew" (Whitefish, Montana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

i still can't understand why this book was written. the author suggests it's to make us informed consumers but i suspect otherwise based on what i read. for the record, i've read this book cover to cover.
if you're in need of dental work and don't have a dentist please ask people you respect for a recommendation. who are you going to trust, the dentist who works for your insurance company or the dentist who is going to work on your teeth? some of the technology the author warns against is state of the art designed to improve the quality of care. if you don't trust your dentist then find another one but whatever you do don't follow the guidelines the author sets forth in this book. your oral health may depend on it.
i've worked in the dental technology field for over 15 years and have worked with hundreds of practices. i've worked with dentists of all shapes and sizes. the vast majority are honest hard working professionals who are passionate about what they do.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT "Buyer Beware" MUST READ!!, February 27, 2008

By	MD (UW Grad) - See all my reviews

This is a tremendous read with very insightful commentary presented in an easy-to-follow manner. Dr. Quarnstrom offers a terrific overview of the dental process from educational requirements, licensure, regulatory aspects and finally practice management. Salient points are supported with actual cases, and his 40 years of experience in the different facets of this profession help to make better consumers and patients out of all of us. I can only imagine how difficult this story was to get into print, and while some practitioners may find the title and even some of the commentary inflammatory, these are truths that needed to be told. I enjoyed every page, and so far every written review submitted. As a dental consumer I would certainly wonder why some "professionals" are annoyed that this information has been made public in a very readable format. Thank you Dr. Quarnstrom et al.!