Hello for the past three years I stop going to see any dentist.  I do not like them and feel that they are always just out to make their next car payment with your pay check.  That said I started cleaning my own teeth.

I been scraping the tartar/plaque off my own teeth with a small screwdriver.  I think my teeth look really good and I have no dental issues.  However, people that have seem me do this tell me that I am messing up my teeth.  I do not believe this but I would like to hear a third opinion.  Is it possible that I am doing damage to my teeth?

I just want to go in for  dental cleaning.  I have not been to a dentist is a little while and I do not have dental insurance.  Are there dentist that will take me without insurance and just do a cleaning.   I do for a cleaning but my teeth are otherwise find so I do not want to be charged for more services then I need since I will be paying for it.

I want to buy a cheap dental insurance plan.  I just need something for my two cleaning a year and X-rays really.  I never had any cavities or other issues with my teeth but I want to keep it that way.  I do not want to have to pay 30 -40 a month for dental insurance.   That does not make sense to me.   Looking for a cheaper plan they will give me two free cleaning and X-rays.

When getting a second dental opinion how do you know which dentist is correct?

So here is the story.  Last year I was told by the dentist at the time that I needed to have a filling done on one tooth and to have a deep cleaning.  So wanting to make sure I got a second dental opinion from a different dentist. That dentist said that I do not need a filling or a deep cleaning.   Okay so I when to him for just the regular cleaning he said I needed.

Six mouths later he says now I do need to have a filling and a deep cleaning.  He gave me a cost that was much higher then the dentist that I when to before him.  This bother me so I when to another dentist for a second opinion.  That dentist told me that I do not need a deep cleaning and that I do have a very small cavity on my tooth but it was too small to worry about doing a filling on yet.  When different dentist tell you different things how do you know which one is telling  you the truth.  I do not want to feel like I got bate and switched.  Which is how I am feeling.  They tell me what I want to hear the first time then try to get me to do all this expensive dental work the second time I go.   What is up with that?