Going to the Dentist

[charlesr]

It's probably important to get your teeth checked after that period of time. Just look around. Don't you even get a slight twinge in your tooth if you eat chocolate? Normally that highlights some tooth decay.

Nope.

I got a sore jaw about 10 years ago and the doc said I was grinding my teeth in my sleep due to stress, so went to see the dentist in the hospital to get a mouth guard - I mentioned I'd not been to the dentist for years and he pushed me into the chair and started digging around and was annoyed to find perferct teeth (so actually, yeah I saw a dentist 10 years ago, but I didn't go for a checkup, just for a guard, so I don't count it).

I only clean my teeth once a day in the evening.

[Malc]

You lucky git.

[Pilotwings]

I got my first false tooth 3 weeks ago, front left one on the top. Plus got fillings and not sure but maybe got one or two capped aswell. Didn't go to the dentist for about 10 or 12 years!

On the plus side I got all for free

Feels horrible having this fake bit of plastic in your mouth, I haven't even been wearing it lol.

[gunrock]

You lucky git.

But aren't you glad your not his missus, who has to kiss him before he goes to work in the mornings!

Just kidding, Charles!

[charlesr]

I think she'd agree, depending on what I ate the night before.... Although If I actually had to go to work, rather than working from home, I'd clean em for fresh breath purposes.

[NW2013]

I'm going at the end of the month. Think I'm going to need some fillings as a couple of my teeth seem to have got grey patches on them. I think this is due to an unknown period where my electric toothbrush wasn't working properly (don't ask how I didn't realise!) and I drink a lot of fizzy drinks. Got a manual now.

I've had a filling (replacement of an existing one) before without injections. I did it because it was a mate's birthday and we were going out on the lash the same night and I didn't want my mouth to be numb.

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

The central area of one of my back teeth seems to have worn away and is beginning to hurt when food gets stuck in there and pressure is applied.

That's exactly what I had.

The dentist gave me the injection but it hurt like hell when he was grinding away. Basically the decay had gotten to the nerve so he gave me two options.

1. Root canal
2. Extraction

I thought sod it, I'll have it out and it was totally painless. Plus cheaper in the long run.

[Malc]

Got to have an injection for a filling tomorrow. It's in the same area where the last injection hurt. Not looking forward to it. Maybe he just injected too quickly last time which caused the pain, hopefully he'll do it slower this time.

[gunrock]

I'm actually in the same lucky position as Charles, I've only visited the dentist 3 times in 39 years.

At junior school we had a checkup once every 18 months or so (something I guess they don't do now), and then after that nothing until I was 26 and thought "Hmm, wonder if i should have a check up?".

So I went to the dentist and he asked when my last check up was, I said "Never, not since the free ones at school" and he said he was amazed, and excitedly got his dental nurse to check out "this gentleman's fantastic set of teeth". I thought he was taking the michael, until he ran to the door and called in his receptionist to have a look!

He scraped away some tartar and sent me on my way. I asked when I should come back and he said "Don't bother. Unless you have a problem, of course".

The last two times were just to get my daughter onto the dentist's books, because our local dentist (private) has a policy of a 50 quid admin fee, unless I joined and had a check up, too. So I paid 35 quid for me and 15 quid for her! He also has a policy that if you don't make an appointment within a month of them sending you your SMS reminder, they take you off the books and you have to pay the admin fee again.

He wasn't very happy with me though, because when I asked when to come back, he looked glumly and said, "in a year, I suppose". I asked if my teeth were okay and he said once you're through your twenties, if you don't have any problems and you don't change your diet/lifestyle, chances are you won't get any (problems).

So I guess, I wasn't the sort of cash cow he was looking for. My wife on the other hand, has had thousands of pounds of work done by him and I guess the permatan he has from all his exotic holidays, is part funded by her teeth. Git.

Ooh, long post, sorry!

[charlesr]

So what makes us different from loads of other people with rotting mouth china?

I read that there are bacteria that fight the bad bacteria and that some people have dominant good bacteria. Perhas we could sell cultures to other people.

[PrayforMojo]

You lucky sods with perfect teeth. What's your secret?

I need to register with a dentist, moved house a couple of years ago and never got round to it. Broke a tooth on a Cadbury's Boost a few weeks ago, so I know it's only a matter of time before it starts causing me endless grief.

Nothing worse than toothache. Nothing.

[gunrock]

You lucky sods with perfect teeth. What's your secret?

I asked the dentist that, and he said that good genetics with a good teethcare regime (i.e regular brushing, well taught and supervised from a young age) were key. He asked me if I drink a lot of fizzy drinks and I said only diet cola's and he said stop that as the acid in cola is as bad for the teeth as the sugar is.

Bad luck with the broken tooth. Hope it's not a major drain on funds nor too painful.

[gunrock]

So what makes us different from loads of other people with rotting mouth china?

I read that there are bacteria that fight the bad bacteria and that some people have dominant good bacteria. Perhas we could sell cultures to other people.

yeah, get people to gargle with a small bottle ofmy spit every day. It'd be like Yakult. I can see it now... charslesr and gunrock spitoon juice(tm). Then we'll get bought out by Glaxo SmithKline and be set up for life.

[QualityChimp]

I too have all my own teeth (I paid for them myself...).

Only kidding, I really do have all my h'original teef. I brush them twice a day, sometime floss, sometimes use that hooky scraper thing like the dentist and sometimes gargle.

My teeth are pretty white too, but just from using paste with whitener in it, no Hollywood treatments or anything. They're a natural white, not snow white like some moviestars!

I actually like going to the dentist, because I only ever get a scrape and polish and it makes my mouth feel cleaner.

Sadly, I think it's partly in the genes as I know regular brushers who still have fillings.

You should still do it twice a day though! I have some friends who clearly don't brush and their teeth are horrific!

[PrayforMojo]

Bad luck with the broken tooth. Hope it's not a major drain on funds nor too painful.

Cheers. It's my own fault, though, so not looking for any sympathy. It's not cost, needles, drills, anything like that, which puts me off going to the dentist, it's that your completely stripped of your dignity.

My last dentist always tried to start up a conversation as he was prodding around in my mouth. Looking back, I'm sure he was taking the piss, and he always seemed to be surrounded by a bevvy of beauty queens as assistants, which sounds awesome, but I was always paranoid about dribbling on myself when he said spit. And of course, if you get something in your head like that, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.