I've tried 6 dentists recently, 2 were local; 2 were referred by people I knew; 2 were referred by health-care professionals who were trustworthy and gave me truly excellent results in their own field. I'm in Melbourne, Australia, and I have no reason to believe that our dentists are particularly bad.

All 6 were either dishonest or incompetent. Including: preventing my front teeth from meeting; modifying opposing teeth for a fit; key equipment not working; charging me for work not done (I was informed that they'd checked the invoice too); going back on an agreement (to give me the xrays); going ahead with work without asking me (I found it impossible to get out of the chair to stop him); and of course being overcharged (my accountant remarked on it.)

However, all 6 were excellent at minimizing pain, and that seems to be what most people notice. I'm more concerned about getting my teeth fixed.

The 2 previous to these 6 were not very good. I would have thought 6 more would be enough to find a good one. I have given up on the dental profession as institutionally corrupt. I do not believe there is even any facility to complain about them, as that would also be run by dentists.

Because it's difficult for a layman to check a professional's work, especially when that work is also difficult to inspect, I used secondary signals in the above. However, I also bought a small mirror, and a direct inspection also revealed a misplaced shallow drill hole (with no filling). I remember years ago one of the previous dentists had slipped, but I didn't think it had actually resulted in any drilling. None of the dentists mentioned this very obvious rogue drill hole.

I think most people are happy to get out of there, and if any pain stops. I just wish I could DIY my own dental work.

Can anyone suggest how I can find a competent dentist?