Going to the dentist?

Sunny Disposition

Went for the second time since 1998 today. There were no problems at all, just had a cleaning. Is it all a racket saying people should go twice a year or am I just lucky?

Jim Bob Scratcher

20 years? You must brush your teeth 5 times a day?

Arghus

You are lucky.

Giraffe Box

When a dentist says ''Open wide'', he looks in and sees two weeks in the Bahamas.

JohnCleary

Apart from mandatory visits as a child, I've never been to the dentist. It's about the only bit if good luck I have.

Brush twice daily, though. And when I'm in SE Asia every year I get a cleaning and whitening. Fcukin sexy teeth, I have

brevity

All I think about when I go to the dentist is that episode of the Simpsons and "The Big Book of British Smiles"

Planet X

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Went for the second time since 1998 today. There were no problems at all, just had a cleaning. Is it all a racket saying people should go twice a year or am I just lucky?

That'll be tremendously influenced by your diet. You must have a good diet. Well done.

Jordan 199

brevity wrote: »

All I think about when I go to the dentist is that episode of the Simpsons and "The Big Book of British Smiles"

Ralph, how many times a day do you brush?

Snowseer

Planet X wrote: »

That'll be tremendously influenced by your diet. You must have a good diet.

Or a very bad dentist.

Yer Da sells Avon

I went to the dentist recently for the first time since the 1990s and all I needed was a filling. I have a terrible sugary diet, but I brush twice, sometimes thrice, a day. I brush quite vigorously too, which must have helped. I'm supposed to go back for a checkup in a few months, but I'll probably put it off until the 2040s. Might be due another filling by then.

.......

I was at an endodontist once and there was a patient in the waiting room who was 101 years of age. In for a root canal.

Why would an 101 year old woman bother with the pain and expense of a root canal and not just get the goddam thing out?

grindle

....... wrote: »

Why would an 101 year old woman bother with the pain and expense of a root canal and not just get the goddam thing out?

A.Dentist wrote: »

Ooh, you'll want to hold onto your teeth, never know how many visits I might get out of you much longer you'll live.

Both possible, take your pick.

mikhail

Jim Bob Scratcher wrote: »

20 years? You must brush your teeth 5 times a day?

You must never have heard of gum erosion. The bastards get you coming and going.

Electric Sheep

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

I went to the dentist recently for the first time since the 1990s and all I needed was a filling. I have a terrible sugary diet, but I brush twice, sometimes thrice, a day. I brush quite vigorously too, which must have helped. I'm supposed to go back for a checkup in a few months, but I'll probably put it off until the 2040s. Might be due another filling by then.

You would be better off brushing less vigorously with a more efficient brush such as a Sonicare or Braun. Eventually overly vigorous brushing wears away at the gum line, particularly the bottom gums.

Yer Da sells Avon

Electric Sheep wrote: »

You would be better off brushing less vigorously with a more efficient brush such as a Sonicare or Braun. Eventually overly vigorous brushing wears away at the gum line, particularly the bottom gums.

My dentist said my gums are strong and healthy. I use cheap toothbrushes and replace them regularly, and always buy the cheapest toothpaste I can find.

Capt'n Midnight

Is it safe ?

Radiant Cool Crazy Nightmare

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Ralph, how many times a day do you brush?

Why must you turn my office into a house of lies

Electric Sheep

Going every 6 months does seem like a lot. i know you get tartar build up and all that
and even if you do floss you look a state after a cleaning anyway. it's all lies!!

Electric Sheep wrote: »

You would be better off brushing less vigorously with a more efficient brush such as a Sonicare or Braun. Eventually overly vigorous brushing wears away at the gum line, particularly the bottom gums.

ye i have a bit of receding gum in one area from over vigorous brushing.
i got an electric one recently but it has a shaver plug :mad:

Jordan 199

bluewolf wrote: »

i got an electric one recently but it has a shaver plug :mad:

Those two pin plugs. Get an adapter for it.

Sycamore Tree

I hate dentists with a passion. I reckon I go about once every 5 years. Usually only if there is a problem. My teeth are generally in decent shape and I am in my mid-40s.

paleoperson

I spend hundreds and hundreds of euro on dentists every year. I have brushed every day for decades. However once enough teeth of are filled, they just keep coming since each filling only lasts a few years. So yeah, you're extremely, extremely lucky.

The only lie, and it's a huge and really offensive lie, is the "do the simple things like brush every day and your teeth will be grand". Not true in the slightest!!! I also really hate when bad teeth are used to insult or denigrate people. I guess some people always need to find something to supposedly show their superiority to others over.

ceadaoin.

paleoperson wrote: »

I spend hundreds and hundreds of euro on dentists every year. I have brushed every day for decades. However once enough teeth of are filled, they just keep coming since each filling only lasts a few years. So yeah, you're extremely, extremely lucky. .

Yes, the only work I have needed on my teeth the past 15 years are on old fillings I got as a kid/teenager. Root canals/crowns/replacement fillings are expensive. So far my daughter has no cavities and I want to keep it that way

Kevin Finnerty

JohnCleary wrote: »

Apart from mandatory visits as a child, I've never been to the dentist. It's about the only bit if good luck I have.

Brush twice daily, though. And when I'm in SE Asia every year I get a cleaning and whitening. Fcukin sexy teeth, I have

Where in SE Asia? Or is it universally cheap over there?

r93kaey5p2izun

I was at the dentist yesterday for a filling. I hadn't been in 15 years and decided I finally had to bite the bullet. I went last week for an initial assessment and expected to need lots of work. Very relieved to be told I just need one filling. The visit 15 years ago was for impacted wisdom teeth. Other than that I had only been to the school dentist. That's what put me off for life.

Sycamore Tree

Do ye floss? I never do but dentist encourages it.

OldMrBrennan83

Went last year for the first time in a decade. Had to get one out and it was horrendous. Way worse than I remember as it wouldn't numb.

That said, it wasn't half as painful as the quote for a root canal and crown! As if.

Agricola

I went to the dentist while I was in college for the first time in 10 years. My mouth was a warzone. It took 18 months of regular appointments for various work untill I could get to the stage I'm at now, which is going in once a year to be told all is fine and just keep doing what I'm doing. It was a savage waste of money all for the want of having a proper cleaning regime throughout my teens.

When the guy in the sunscreen song said "Floss" he wasn't joking.

goose2005

....... wrote: »

I was at an endodontist once and there was a patient in the waiting room who was 101 years of age. In for a root canal.

Why would an 101 year old woman bother with the pain and expense of a root canal and not just get the goddam thing out?

Root canals aren't painful any more, that's a myth. Or at least not as painful as they're made out to be

OldMrBrennan83

goose2005 wrote: »

Root canals aren't painful any more, that's a myth. Or at least not as painful as they're made out to be

They're about a million quid though.

spurious

Was taken in 1974. Had a horrendous experience. Went again in 1994, got one tooth pulled. Needed no fillings. Will go back again if I need to. Mid 50s age-wise.

Trigger Happy

Sycamore Tree wrote: »

Do ye floss? I never do but dentist encourages it.

I need to floss a lot. Bits of food get stuck between my molars that would stink my breath if left unattended. And no one likes bad breath!

I go to the dentist about once a year for a check up as I really hate injections and will do anything to avoid them and I figure keeping things healthy in there will help avoid having to get more fillings and thus injections.

Sunny Disposition

Jim Bob Scratcher wrote: »

20 years? You must brush your teeth 5 times a day?

Brush twice a day, never floss or anything though. I’ve a fairly sugary diet. Maybe I am just really lucky. I went because I had bleeding gums, the dentist said they’ll be fine now after the cleaning though. Went in 1998, again in 2009 and earlier this week.
Not going pushing my luck anymore though, will start going every year!

_Brian

Like all human traits strong teeth are a genetic trait, if you lucky enough then they will taken more abuse and need less care.
Others will struggle even with a strict routine.

jester77

I was like the OP, didn't go for at least 20 years. Parents never took me to a dentist either when I was young. Had a bad fall on my face when I was a kid, front tooth came loose and it eventually reset but is now crooked and overlaps the other front tooth. So pissed they never took me to have that looked at. Also have 1 bad tooth from my teen years that should have been taken care of but never was until too late, had to get a root canal for that.

The first visit after 20 years required 3 fillings. Now I go every 6 months, no filling since. Just get them cleaned and checked out each time.

Some day if I have enough spare cash I might look into getting that crooked front tooth straightened, but don't really want to wear braces at my age.

seamus

Yeah, think I haven't been since 1998/99 myself. Never felt the need tbh. Now I have a dental plan through work and a dentist a five minute walk from home, I really have no excuse except I'd have to take time off work to go, so it's not top of my list. I really should go.

Mr. CooL ICE

Last went in 2006. Chipped a canine after falling on a night out, so got it capped. Cap fell off a few weeks later and never bothered returning. Teeth are grand.

.......

goose2005 wrote: »

Root canals aren't painful any more, that's a myth. Or at least not as painful as they're made out to be

Eh - Id just had one and I was in agony and trying to stop shaking before I attempted to drive home.

Electric Sheep

All you non-dentist attenders, what do you do about tartar removal? My mind is boggling, I attend the dental hygienist four times a year. My dental insurance pays for it, as it is considered to be preventative for periodontal disease.

Sunny Disposition

Electric Sheep wrote: »

All you non-dentist attenders, what do you do about tartar removal? My mind is boggling, I attend the dental hygienist four times a year. My dental insurance pays for it, as it is considered to be preventative for periodontal disease.

Did nothing. The reason I went in the end was b cause my teeth were bleeding while brushing. She said it was a type of gum disease, but she cleaned the teeth and said it is fine now.
Obviously I shouldn’t have left it so long, seems a lot of people who do everything right get loads of fillings.

SEPT 23 1989

The Eastern Health Board butcher put me off for life

told her my mouth wasnt numbed

drills into a nerve

seamus

Electric Sheep wrote: »

All you non-dentist attenders, what do you do about tartar removal?

What's "tartar"?

seamus

seamus wrote: »

What's "tartar"?

the hard yellowy stuff building up around the bottom edges of your teeth

seamus

Can't say it's something I've ever noticed.

seamus

seamus wrote: »

Can't say it's something I've ever noticed.

it's usually on the inside, i *think*. see if you can angle a mirror at the back of your bottom teeth

https://riverrundentalspa.com/difference-plaque-tartar/

AndrewJRenko

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

The Eastern Health Board butcher put me off for life

told her my mouth wasnt numbed

drills into a nerve

Was this the butcher of Cornmarket?