Dentist question

[Sandman]

Also correct.


For all intents and purposes, medicine is socialized in this country also.

[BTAirsol]

I consider myself very lucky in the teeth department. My teeth are almost 49 years old, I have not been to the dentist in 25 years. That was my last cleaning. Never had a cavity, had braces. Still have 1 baby tooth right lower canine. Chewed tabbaco for 10 years, still smoke a cigar couple times a month. Brush my teeth once in the morning, and never floss unless meat gets caught in my teeth. I asked my dentist 25 years ago why am I so lucky. He said that people have bacteria in their mouth that fights all the bad stuff and I am one of the lucky ones.

[Sandman]

I think genetics plays a large part in it as well.

My step mother is a dental hygienist. She says that all children are born without any bacteria in their mouths at all. The bacteria comes from sharing eating utensils and food with family members.

My teeth are okay. A few cavities, but nothing new in the last fifteen years (since I left the Navy and I take better care of myself). I have to keep on top of it. I build up calculus at a pretty high rate so I have my teeth cleaned every three months rather than twice a year as normally recommended.

[lazs2]

Bt you are indeed fortunate and blessed with good genetics I would say.

sandie... if you want to nit pick... we can do that.  

lazs

[Sandman]

Originally posted by lazs2
sandie... if you want to nit pick... we can do that.  

No need... I'm done nitpicking.

[BTAirsol]

Try a toothpick....not a nitpick.

[Vipermann]

My wife works as a dental hygenist for a really cool dentist Yesterday he was on the front page of the Philadelphia Eagles web site as their fan of the week.

He's into all the latest equipment. The newest thing he's using is a laser to drill. Really cool and no need to be numbed up.

[beet1e]

Originally posted by lazs2
but then being from england..... I didn't expect you to know anything about either dentistry or guns.   I mean.... how could you?

Well, I'm alive, and I have no dental problems, so clearly I know enough.

[wheez]

Originally posted by beet1e
all of whom berate UK dental care on a regular basis.  

The UK has dental care?

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by BTAirsol
He said that people have bacteria in their mouth that fights all the bad stuff and I am one of the lucky ones.

Kinda like a Dog huh? LMAO

[DrDea]

Originally posted by lazs2

In the case of guns... only a very tiny fraction of the gun owning population uses them to commit homicides many of which are either justified or... we are better off with..  on the other hand....  the same guns are used 1.5-3 million times a year to prevent crime.

lazs

  Ted Kennedy has killed more people with his driving than I have with my gun.

[guttboy]

Back on track....my wife is a dental hygienist and my best friend is a dentist.  They both say that what may have happened, as alluded to earlier, is that there may have been decay that was not properly removed prior to the first filling.  They also stated that you probably didnt get novacaine....lidocaine (sp?) is what was probably used as novacaine is generally not used these days.

What should you do?  Well  tough call.  What my buddy says who has his own practice in NM, if he did the work on the same spot and there was decay under the filling he did they would redo the filling at no charge...I am not sure of the exact time limit on that and could ask....remember as time goes by you still have the chance for more cavities.  I believe you stated 6 months so Ill ask him.

On the sugar issue....whoever stated its the bacteria that causes the decay is 100 percent right on the money.  Sugar has nothing to do with it except for the fact it is what the bacteria eat (for lack of a better term) and their byproducts cause the decay on the tooth.

[FuBaR]

Originally posted by nirvana
6 months ago I go in to get my tooth filled as it was decaying and such.  Being that my teeth came in decalcified, they haven't ever been super strong.  Anyway, the dentists office was running a tad behind at the time so I sat down and in the novacaine went right immediately.  He said he did a new way of injecting it, where he stuff one needle in the back of my throat like normal, but also stuck a shot right under my tooth to be operated on.  That little experiment did not go well at all as I felt pain throughout the procedure and let him know this.  I lived on, what's a little pain, you know?  10-20 minute oiperation and I was set to go.  Normally a filling is 30 minutes or so.  

Skip ahead to now, and I have a cavity in the same spot that was supposedly filled.  What am I supposed to tell them on April 12th when they see that I have a recurring cavity?  Well another couple hundred bucks down the drain cause the dentist fixed his schedule but also screwed up my tooth in the process.

Oh, I have another cavity on the other side too:(

Better dental Insurance

[Chairboy]

I just got back from the dentist, he filled in a cavity in my bottom left jaw.  He did the first injection of numbing agent and asked if my lips were numb after a few minutes.  I say no, so he starts injecting more.  As he's doing this, I realize that my lips actually ARE starting to numb, but he's already done, so I got a heavy dose.  The rest of the visit went great (no cost out of pocket, last visit ended up providing a credit in my favor that covered this visit, yay insurance!) but now I sound like mushmouth whenever I talk.  Habba-dabba-dooba-deyba, Fat Albert?

Oh, and drinking something was exciting, I coughed for like a minute after improperly swallowing because of the numb mouth.

[nirvana]

Lidocaine, novacaine, whatever -caine it was, it didn't work.  They used to give 2 injections in the back of the lower and upper jaw.  This time he went 1 far back and 1 right under the tooth.  As i stated earlier, hius "new technique" sucked.  I would love to have that laser work done though,  No grinding and no pain?  Count me in!