Some truthful advice about gum disease, deep cleaning, cavities, and wisdom teeth please



A

Andrew

Guest
Hi all,

So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
real some of these problems are that dentists claim
that you have.

Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
truth or not.

The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is made
by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they think
you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a nice car
and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this to decide
what is "wrong" with me.

Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and frank
opinion from any qualified prof's on the board who have a
better conscience and no need to worry about making a buck
off of me:

1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this can
cause tartar buildup inside and next to the adjoining
tooth and have had suggestions to have them pulled along
with the top two. What is the truth? Is this is a
medical danger?

2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I don't feel
any particular pain, although I will admit, I do have a
mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few weeks
without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have become
really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed. However,
I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really need a deep
clean? Is there some way I can tell myself how bad my
teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a medical danger?

3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3 dentists
ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did nothing about
it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities once again. Last
week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring a root canal and
crown. Quite ironically, it happens that 2 of the
cavities are on my wisdom tooth so the dentist
recommended its all the more reason to have them pulled!
Which is interesting, because in one sentence she said
food rarely goes back to the rear of the teeth so I
shouldn't feel bad about having them pulled, and in the
next one she is saying that I have cavities back there. I
use a home flouride treatment periodically and have
generally not had any particular sensitivity to foods
except for extreme cold and hot (which I think everyone
has). Is there some way I can tell myself how bad my
teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a medical danger?

I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies, that
you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth beyond
repair, but then again, if it weren't for the dentist,
looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only thing I can spot
visually is a) my back teeth are in fact impacted but I
don't know if that's really a problem and b) my gums have
softened because I was off the flossing for a while, so they
bleed when I floss now, again, I don't know if that's
fixable by just resuming the flossing.

Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.
 
Andrew wrote:

> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not...

Is there a dental school in your area? It will take longer
but cost less, and you can probably trust the diagnosis.

--
Cheers, Bev ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-
ooooooooooooooooooo "I read somewhere that 77 per cent of
all the mentally ill live in poverty. Actually, I'm more
intrigued by the 23 per cent who are apparently doing quite
well for themselves." -- Emo Philips
 
"Andrew" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> real some of these problems are that dentists claim that
> you have.
>
> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not.
>
> The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
> made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
> think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
> nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
> to decide what is "wrong" with me.
>
> Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and
> frank opinion from any qualified prof's on the board who
> have a better conscience and no need to worry about
> making a buck off of me:
>
> 1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
> can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
> adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
> pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
> this is a medical danger?
>
> 2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
> that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
> have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I don't
> feel any particular pain, although I will admit, I do
> have a mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few
> weeks without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have
> become really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed.
> However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really
> need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell myself
> how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a
> medical danger?
>
> 3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
> dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did
> nothing about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities
> once again. Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring
> a root canal and crown. Quite ironically, it happens
> that 2 of the cavities are on my wisdom tooth so the
> dentist recommended its all the more reason to have
> them pulled! Which is interesting, because in one
> sentence she said food rarely goes back to the rear of
> the teeth so I shouldn't feel bad about having them
> pulled, and in the next one she is saying that I have
> cavities back there. I use a home flouride treatment
> periodically and have generally not had any particular
> sensitivity to foods except for extreme cold and hot
> (which I think everyone has). Is there some way I can
> tell myself how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is
> this a medical danger?
>
>
> I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies,
> that you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth
> beyond repair, but then again, if it weren't for the
> dentist, looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only thing
> I can spot visually is a) my back teeth are in fact
> impacted but I don't know if that's really a problem and
> b) my gums have softened because I was off the flossing
> for a while, so they bleed when I floss now, again, I
> don't know if that's fixable by just resuming the
> flossing.
>
> Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.

OK, there is a standing doctrine that there is no such
thing as a post that is off-topic in talk.origins;
however the above places a serious challenge to this
belief. I hereby propose the following solution to this
apparent "refutation", and invite others to forward
alternative hypotheses:
1) Many creationists practice credential inflation by
claiming degrees in fields irrelevant to biological
evolution.
2) Dentistry is a field unrelated to biological
evolution (allowances made for comparative
primatology).
3) The person posting above has a problem with a
dentist whom he believes to be twisting the facts to
suit their own agenda.
4) Creationists make a habit of twisting facts to suit
their own agenda. therefore .:C) The poster's wisdom
teeth are offered as an example of suboptimal
design, thereby refuting creationism.

Other theories?
 
There is a song .... Cavities comin' and goin' ...........

>On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 01:55:48 +0000 (UTC),
>[email protected] (Andrew) wrote:

>3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3 dentists
> ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did nothing
> about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities once again.
> Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring a root canal
> and crown.
 
Andrew wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> real some of these problems are that dentists claim that
> you have.
>
> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not.
>
> The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
> made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
> think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
> nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
> to decide what is "wrong" with me.
>
> Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and
> frank opinion from any qualified prof's on the board who
> have a better conscience and no need to worry about
> making a buck off of me:
>
> 1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
> can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
> adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
> pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
> this is a medical danger?
>
> 2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
> that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
> have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I don't
> feel any particular pain, although I will admit, I do
> have a mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few
> weeks without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have
> become really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed.
> However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really
> need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell myself
> how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a
> medical danger?
>
> 3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
> dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did
> nothing about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities
> once again. Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring
> a root canal and crown. Quite ironically, it happens
> that 2 of the cavities are on my wisdom tooth so the
> dentist recommended its all the more reason to have
> them pulled! Which is interesting, because in one
> sentence she said food rarely goes back to the rear of
> the teeth so I shouldn't feel bad about having them
> pulled, and in the next one she is saying that I have
> cavities back there. I use a home flouride treatment
> periodically and have generally not had any particular
> sensitivity to foods except for extreme cold and hot
> (which I think everyone has). Is there some way I can
> tell myself how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is
> this a medical danger?
>
> I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies,
> that you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth
> beyond repair, but then again, if it weren't for the
> dentist, looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only thing
> I can spot visually is a) my back teeth are in fact
> impacted but I don't know if that's really a problem and
> b) my gums have softened because I was off the flossing
> for a while, so they bleed when I floss now, again, I
> don't know if that's fixable by just resuming the
> flossing.
>
> Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.

Put it off a few more years. The problem will take care of
itself. Happy mumbling.

Tom Faller (with an appointment to have a wisdom tooth
pulled in two weeks)
 
Yo consumer groups ,,, ask us some dental questions!

We got answers fer ya!

JOEL


On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 01:55:48 +0000 (UTC),
[email protected] (Andrew) wrote:

>Hi all,
>
> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> real some of these problems are that dentists claim that
> you have.
>
> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not.
>
> The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
> made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
> think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
> nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
> to decide what is "wrong" with me.
>
> Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and frank
> opinion from any qualified prof's on the board who have a
> better conscience and no need to worry about making a
> buck off of me:
>
>1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this can
> cause tartar buildup inside and next to the adjoining
> tooth and have had suggestions to have them pulled along
> with the top two. What is the truth? Is this is a
> medical danger?
>
>2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
> that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
> have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I don't feel
> any particular pain, although I will admit, I do have a
> mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few weeks
> without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have become
> really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed.
> However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really
> need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell myself
> how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a
> medical danger?
>
>3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3 dentists
> ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did nothing
> about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities once again.
> Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring a root canal
> and crown. Quite ironically, it happens that 2 of the
> cavities are on my wisdom tooth so the dentist
> recommended its all the more reason to have them pulled!
> Which is interesting, because in one sentence she said
> food rarely goes back to the rear of the teeth so I
> shouldn't feel bad about having them pulled, and in the
> next one she is saying that I have cavities back there.
> I use a home flouride treatment periodically and have
> generally not had any particular sensitivity to foods
> except for extreme cold and hot (which I think everyone
> has). Is there some way I can tell myself how bad my
> teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a medical danger?
>
>
>I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies,
>that you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth
>beyond repair, but then again, if it weren't for the
>dentist, looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only thing
>I can spot visually is a) my back teeth are in fact
>impacted but I don't know if that's really a problem and b)
>my gums have softened because I was off the flossing for a
>while, so they bleed when I floss now, again, I don't know
>if that's fixable by just resuming the flossing.
>
>Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.
 
Any questions from consumers about dentistry? We have
answers.

JOEL

On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 01:55:48 +0000 (UTC),
[email protected] (Andrew) wrote:

>Hi all,
>
> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> real some of these problems are that dentists claim that
> you have.
>
> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not.
>
> The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
> made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
> think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
> nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
> to decide what is "wrong" with me.
>
> Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and frank
> opinion from any qualified prof's on the board who have a
> better conscience and no need to worry about making a
> buck off of me:
>
>1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this can
> cause tartar buildup inside and next to the adjoining
> tooth and have had suggestions to have them pulled along
> with the top two. What is the truth? Is this is a
> medical danger?
>
>2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
> that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
> have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I don't feel
> any particular pain, although I will admit, I do have a
> mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few weeks
> without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have become
> really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed.
> However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really
> need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell myself
> how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a
> medical danger?
>
>3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3 dentists
> ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did nothing
> about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities once again.
> Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring a root canal
> and crown. Quite ironically, it happens that 2 of the
> cavities are on my wisdom tooth so the dentist
> recommended its all the more reason to have them pulled!
> Which is interesting, because in one sentence she said
> food rarely goes back to the rear of the teeth so I
> shouldn't feel bad about having them pulled, and in the
> next one she is saying that I have cavities back there.
> I use a home flouride treatment periodically and have
> generally not had any particular sensitivity to foods
> except for extreme cold and hot (which I think everyone
> has). Is there some way I can tell myself how bad my
> teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a medical danger?
>
>
>I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies,
>that you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth
>beyond repair, but then again, if it weren't for the
>dentist, looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only thing
>I can spot visually is a) my back teeth are in fact
>impacted but I don't know if that's really a problem and b)
>my gums have softened because I was off the flossing for a
>while, so they bleed when I floss now, again, I don't know
>if that's fixable by just resuming the flossing.
>
>Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.
 
Thanks for posting this interesting case. I don't spend much
time on this Newsgroup, but feel I have a few insights that
should help you make sense of your recent dental
appointment.

1. Cavities can come and go. If one dentist uses advanced
technology to detect decay, say a laser, and the next
uses 1900 technology, say an explorer, to detect decay,
the latter will not find any problems until the decay is
very far along.
2. Periodontal disease is a progressive disease that has
times of advancement and times of quiet. It is painless,
like high blood pressure, until someone tells you you
have it you don't know.
3. Floss will help, however if your pockets are deeper
than 2mm it won't help at all. If the disease has
progressed to where the bone is involved you need
periodontal therapy.
4. Yes, dentists make a living working on crappy teeth, but
this isn't a surprise to you. According to your post,
these problems have been progressivly worse, it's time
to pay the piper.
5. Wisdom teeth should be removed if they are decayed.
Depending on the nature of the impaction they can stay
or go. If they are sideways and any part of the tooth is
through the bone, then it's best to have them removed.
Junk can get to the crown of the wisdom tooth by
following the back side of the tooth ahead of it and
cause problems, including decay in an unerupted tooth.

You didn't mention your age, or your over all health. Gum
disease/periodontal disease is a modifiable risk factor for
heart diseas and stroke, and others. The infection can raise
all kinds of problems.

I hope this was more helpful than some of the other posts on
this topic.

Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH "Everbody wants to save the
earth - nobody wants to help Mom to do the dishes."
- P. J. O'Rourke
~~~~~~~~~
http://www.dentistry.com/poralhealth_02.asp
 
[email protected] (Andrew) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi all,
>
> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> real some of these problems are that dentists claim that
> you have.
>
> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not.

investigative reports have shown that many dentists do
attempt to pad their income with expensive scare
tactics. then again in this sue-happy society, it could
be a cya thing.

> 1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
> can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
> adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
> pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
> this is a medical danger?

don't know about the medical danger, but i'm getting mine
pulled (not a thing wrong with them) because i have trouble
getting my toothbrush back there and i believe i'll end up
w/healthier gums in that area. studies have shown a
correlation between gum disease (bacteria) and heart
problems. might be a good idea to get them out for
preventative reasons.

>
> 2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
> that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
> have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I don't
> feel any particular pain, although I will admit, I do
> have a mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few
> weeks without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have
> become really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed.
> However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really
> need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell myself
> how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a
> medical danger?

i don't know if you can tell about your gums yourself
because of the shadows in your mouth, but i certainly can
tell if someone has gum disease when they smile. gums look
really bright red and inflamed. but might be harder to see
inside and in back. i think a deep cleaning involves
separating the gums from the teeth(?).

i'd get back to flossing--the bleeding should stop after
a while. also, think about investing in a sonicare. i
love mine. my gums are better and there's much less
tartar buildup.

> 3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
> dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did
> nothing about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities
> once again. Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring
> a root canal and crown.

fishy, fishy.

> Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.

floss. get a sonicare. visit a dental school, even if you
have to stay somewhere overnight. should be cheaper than
unneeded dental work or visits to several dentists for x #
of opinions. if you do need a crown/cap and it's in the
back, you can get a stainless steel one for lots less.
also, try to avoid the root canal--back to that
bacteria/heart thing.
 
"Andrew" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
generally not had any
> particular sensitivity to foods except for extreme cold
> and hot (which I think everyone has).

this is not normal. you may be showing signs of deep tooth
decay involving the nerve. most folks have cleanings done
1-2 times a year in addition to regular flossing and
brushing. i'd rather pay the money now than have to wear
dentures later. your choice.
 
[email protected] (Andrew) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi all,

Hi,

Have you been having regular very 6 months professional
cleaning; this could also be done in dental clinic of a
dental hyguenic program at local 2 yaers college if they
offer it..usually, they get practise experience foer the
students..while you pay cheap rate.

They don't do cavity fillign and stuff..

Now..I will tell you my expericne and then answer each of
your question.

After being broke for 3 years during which I didn't see any
dentist - I had my wisdown test removd and all cavities
filled and was having regular dental cleanig prior to that
period, I went to see a dentist.

Everything he said sounded reasonable but I was annoyed that
he wanted me to do some cosmetic work on the tiny, little,
barely noticeable chip I have on a tooth (as a kid, I used
to play by opeong bottle with my tooth though my mtoher said
not to do that because in my mind, i was like..my teth are
strong... until one day, I felt something and knew that I
had a little chip; I was smart enough not to do it again.
BTW, my teeth are very straight -never need brace and uite
pretty) but when he realized that I had no dental insurance
- I didn't buy it knowing that I would need any major work
-he didn't suggest that anymore. I did some filling done
with him...

I continued to go to him .. till i moved to another satte..

Here...I didn research to find the best one for my sister
who needed urgent care..

The guy turned out to be the top in his field; When he was
doing fillings for mys sietr, I was like "What the h**l?"
because it seemed that every teeh seemed to be needing
caviti filling but she had neglected her teeth and also was
lazy to brush properly and so I thought that hers could be
that bad ..until...it was time for me to dental cleaning and
I decided to do with him..though my intention was not have
the same dentist..

When he told me about needing the cavities filling..I was
like ..I had been seeing a dentist regularly and how come he
never told me...

when I said that, I think he got worried that I would
confront my old dentist for failing to inform me about
those and so he said that some dentists wouldn't consider
those pockets as cavities (as far as I was concerned, they
were natural pockets on each tooth excluding the front
ones) and I realzied what was also happening with my sister
on those fillings. She did have other filings that were
legitmately needed. I was the one in charge of supevising
sincc she had a bad experience prior to my arrival here,
getting ripped off...

She alraedy had most of her teeth done and so we didn't stop
the dentist..

So ..some of yours could be those things that are not
necessary. So, I suggest .. you ask detail questions and
understand what tooth need filling at where by getting a
picture of the drawing of the whole mouth and understand
what he wanted you to have it doen on each of those teeth by
referring to them by numbers...

And this dentist would give me the total cost of the whoel
mouth when i aksed for it. Instead, he would give me for a
quater of the mouth...I amy go to him again one more thing
but I refuse to do any unnecessary work.

Since he know that I am very informed (I accompanied my
sister and asked everything done on her and in fact, by
referring to each teeth with the number after I found out
about those unnessary fillings....yes, I let them knwo that
I was watching evry details..), he can't fool me with
unnecessary work.

>
> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> real some of these problems are that dentists claim that
> you have.
>
> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not.
>
> The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
> made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
> think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
> nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
> to decide what is "wrong" with me.
>
> Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and
> frank opinion from any qualified prof's on the board who
> have a better conscience and no need to worry about
> making a buck off of me:
>
> 1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
> can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
> adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
> pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
> this is a medical danger?

Wisdom teeth are best to remove as they push other teeths
(crowdedness) but if you already have them they have already
pushed those other teeth but still, it would make it better
for brushing if they are gone...

>
> 2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
> that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
> have gotten too big and need deep cleaning.

What type of deep cleaning? What's the term? deep planing?
That would be cleaning under the gum..Unless..you have
neglected dental care for a long time, your gum are in bad
shape, I doubt that it would be necessary for just missing
lossing here and there....

> I don't feel any particular pain, although I will admit, I
> do have a mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few
> weeks without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have
> become really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed.
> However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really need
> a deep clean?

Once the plague has calcized and became claculus, they have
o be
removed by professional clenaing since flossing won't
remove them..

Why don't you go to a dental clinic at a local college and
get that regular prof cleaning done first...

> Is there some way I can tell myself how bad my teeth are?
> What is the truth? Is this a medical danger?

If it is really bad, the danger is the health of your gum
and hence affect on your teeth

>
> 3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
> dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity.

This sounds like those natural pockects ones..I suggest you
go to dentist with worn out clothes..

> I did nothing about it. 2 dentists
> ago, I had no cavities once again.

That means..those the above comment I amde was likely

> Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring a root canal
> and crown.

> Quite ironically, it happens that 2 of the cavities are
> on my wisdom tooth so the dentist recommended its all the
> more reason to have them pulled! Which is interesting,
> because in one sentence she said food rarely goes back to
> the rear of the teeth so I shouldn't feel bad about
> having them pulled, and in the next one she is saying
> that I have cavities back there. I use a home flouride
> treatment periodically and have generally not had any
> particular sensitivity to foods except for extreme cold
> and hot (which I think everyone has). Is there some way I
> can tell myself how bad my teeth are? What is the truth?
> Is this a medical danger?
>
I have wisdom teeth removed and I recommend that.. but your
budget is tight, you might want to wait if it is not
causing too much probelm..I am not a dentis by the way.
just sugegsting that you have to evaluate your need...

> I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies,
> that you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth
> beyond repair, but then again, if it weren't for the
> dentist, looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only thing
> I can spot visually is a) my back teeth are in fact
> impacted but I don't know if that's really a problem and

May be need of wisdow teeh removal..

>b) my gums have softened because I was off the flossing for
> a while,
Just for a little bit won't do harm...after next clenaing,
keep up with it...

>so they bleed when I floss now, again,

That's normal...it just emans..you have calculus
(calcized plague) that needs to be removed via routine
prof cleaning ...

>I don't know if that's fixable by just resuming the
>flossing.

No..get prof. routine cleaning...
>
> Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.
 
My mistake, nto deep palning but root plaing which is deep
cleaning ... under the gum....

If you have not doen regualr prof clenaing for a very long
time and didn't brush (and floss) well, may eb you need it
but the key is

- ask what ti to be done on each tooth and how much
for each work
- how much for root planing...usually, half a mouth (top
bottom) is done once and the seond half done after giving
a chance for the gums to heal ..

get a second opinion....
 
Sorry, I know this is off topic...

[email protected] (Andrew) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi all,
>
> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> real some of these problems are that dentists claim that
> you have.
>
> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to fix
> my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had this
> story unloaded on me before, and it is really truly nerve-
> wrecking since you never know if they are telling the
> truth or not.

I know what you mean. Dentists (and particularly
orthodontists) seem to be the quacks of the medical
profession. I've never found myself doubting any procedure a
doctor wanted to do ("Blood test? Sure here's my arm") but
now that fluoride in the water have wiped out the majority
of cavities, dentistry is all about 'appearance' which is
subjective as hell.

Get a second opinion.

>
> The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
> made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
> think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
> nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
> to decide what is "wrong" with me.

Ever done the reverse on your dentist? My hypothesis is: the
more expensive the office, the more likely they'll find
something wrong with you.

I came up with that hypothesis last week, after I saw an
orthodontist who had a silver convertible BMW, an
expensively manicured garden and a state of the art designed
office. I came in to check how much it would cost to
straighten 4 of the teeth in my bottom jaw (they aren't very
visible but I wanted a quote). He told me I needed: $16,000
braces top and bottom (although only the bottom ones were
crooked), four teeth removed and replaced by titanium bolts,
an operation on my bottom jaw to lengthen it and several
crowns. At least $30,000 of work, probably more.

I'd hate to see what he charges people with obviously
crooked teeth...

>
> Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and
> frank opinion from any qualified prof's on the board who
> have a better conscience and no need to worry about
> making a buck off of me:
>
> 1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
> can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
> adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
> pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
> this is a medical danger?

Are they painful? If so, get rid of them. I had 4 painful
wisdom teeth out a few years ago and I'm very glad I did.
I'm far more comfortable without them.

If they're not painful, why bother unless they're crowding
other teeth in your jaw? Sure they may get tartar, but
that's what dentists are there for. Use a tartar control
toothpaste.

>
> 2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two visits
> that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth pockets
> have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I don't
> feel any particular pain, although I will admit, I do
> have a mild tinginess in my gums because I went a few
> weeks without flossing (my mistake) and my gums have
> become really soft, so when I floss now, my gums bleed.
> However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I really
> need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell myself
> how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a
> medical danger?

Deep cleaning? This must be an American thing. In Australia
dentists clean teeth and give fluoride treatments as part of
a usual check up but I've never heard of 'deep cleaning'.
Sounds like a marketing trick to me.

>
> 3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
> dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did
> nothing about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities
> once again. Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring
> a root canal and crown.

Did you teeth actually hurt when they told you about the
cavities? Nothing like pain to make you believe what the
dentist is saying! ;-)

>Quite ironically, it happens that 2 of the cavities are on
>my wisdom tooth so the dentist recommended its all the
>more reason to have them pulled! Which is interesting,
>because in one sentence she said food rarely goes back to
>the rear of the teeth so I shouldn't feel bad about having
>them pulled, and in the next one she is saying that I have
>cavities back there. I use a home flouride treatment
>periodically and have generally not had any particular
>sensitivity to foods except for extreme cold and hot
>(which I think everyone has). Is there some way I can tell
>myself how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is this a
>medical danger?
>

I wish I knew the answer to that one. I wish there were
truly reliable dentists out there that were capable of given
an objective opinion.

Again, I can only suggest getting a second opinion.

>
> I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies,
> that you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth
> beyond repair, but then again, if it weren't for the
> dentist, looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only thing
> I can spot visually is a) my back teeth are in fact
> impacted but I don't know if that's really a problem

If there's no pain, it's a problem only if you decide it's
a problem.

>and b) my gums have softened because I was off the flossing
>for a while, so they bleed when I floss now, again, I don't
>know if that's fixable by just resuming the flossing.
>

In theory, flossing and gargling Listerine should fix it.

Dancing Blasphemer
 
OK, you got crappy teeth ......

NOW WHOT???????

>On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 14:59:01 +0000 (UTC), "Thomas H.
>Faller" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
>> made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
>> think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
>> nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
>> to decide what is "wrong" with me.
 
On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 15:43:34 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(AllEmailDeletedImmediately) wrote:

>[email protected] (Andrew) wrote in message
>news:<[email protected]>...
>> Hi all,
>>
>> So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
>> wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
>> real some of these problems are that dentists claim
>> that you have.
>>
>> Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
>> limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
>> even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
>> recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to
>> fix my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had
>> this story unloaded on me before, and it is really
>> truly nerve-wrecking since you never know if they are
>> telling the truth or not.
>
>investigative reports have shown that many dentists do
>attempt to pad their income with expensive scare
>tactics. then again in this sue-happy society, it could
>be a cya thing.

REPLY

Maybe CYA or maybe CPID.

Car Payment Is Due.

JOEL

>
>> 1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
>> teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
>> can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
>> adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
>> pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
>> this is a medical danger?
>
>don't know about the medical danger, but i'm getting mine
>pulled (not a thing wrong with them) because i have trouble
>getting my toothbrush back there and i believe i'll end up
>w/healthier gums in that area. studies have shown a
>correlation between gum disease (bacteria) and heart
>problems. might be a good idea to get them out for
>preventative reasons.
>
>>
>> 2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two
>> visits that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth
>> pockets have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I
>> don't feel any particular pain, although I will admit,
>> I do have a mild tinginess in my gums because I went a
>> few weeks without flossing (my mistake) and my gums
>> have become really soft, so when I floss now, my gums
>> bleed. However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I
>> really need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell
>> myself how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is
>> this a medical danger?
>
>i don't know if you can tell about your gums yourself
>because of the shadows in your mouth, but i certainly can
>tell if someone has gum disease when they smile. gums look
>really bright red and inflamed. but might be harder to see
>inside and in back. i think a deep cleaning involves
>separating the gums from the teeth(?).
>
>i'd get back to flossing--the bleeding should stop after
>a while. also, think about investing in a sonicare. i
>love mine. my gums are better and there's much less
>tartar buildup.
>
>
>> 3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
>> dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did
>> nothing about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities
>> once again. Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring
>> a root canal and crown.
>
>fishy, fishy.
>
>> Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.
>
>floss. get a sonicare. visit a dental school, even if you
>have to stay somewhere overnight. should be cheaper than
>unneeded dental work or visits to several dentists for x #
>of opinions. if you do need a crown/cap and it's in the
>back, you can get a stainless steel one for lots less.
>also, try to avoid the root canal--back to that
>bacteria/heart thing.
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> [email protected] (Andrew) wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > Hi all,
> >
> > So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> > wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> > real some of these problems are that dentists claim
> > that you have.
> >
> > Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> > limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> > even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> > recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to
> > fix my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had
> > this story unloaded on me before, and it is really
> > truly nerve-wrecking since you never know if they are
> > telling the truth or not.
>
> investigative reports have shown that many dentists do
> attempt to pad their income with expensive scare
> tactics. then again in this sue-happy society, it could
> be a cya thing.

Heh. Speaking of "scare tactics" that reminds me of a
pamphlet I saw in a waiting room that offered "advice" for
patients who had questions about a certain costly procedure.
It basically said that unless you have the procedure done,
then all your teeth will fall out. It made absolutely no
attempt whatsoever to explain alternative treatments or the
progression of problems that might befall the patient who
declines treatment.

> > 1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> > teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
> > can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
> > adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
> > pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
> > this is a medical danger?
>
> don't know about the medical danger, but i'm getting mine
> pulled (not a thing wrong with them) because i have
> trouble getting my toothbrush back there and i believe
> i'll end up w/healthier gums in that area. studies have
> shown a correlation between gum disease (bacteria) and
> heart problems. might be a good idea to get them out for
> preventative reasons.
>
> >
> > 2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two
> > visits that I am not flossing enough and that my
> > tooth pockets have gotten too big and need deep
> > cleaning. I don't feel any particular pain, although
> > I will admit, I do have a mild tinginess in my gums
> > because I went a few weeks without flossing (my
> > mistake) and my gums have become really soft, so when
> > I floss now, my gums bleed. However, I'm back on a
> > daily floss plan - do I really need a deep clean? Is
> > there some way I can tell myself how bad my teeth
> > are? What is the truth? Is this a medical danger?
>
> i don't know if you can tell about your gums yourself
> because of the shadows in your mouth, but i certainly can
> tell if someone has gum disease when they smile. gums look
> really bright red and inflamed. but might be harder to see
> inside and in back. i think a deep cleaning involves
> separating the gums from the teeth(?).

You're thinking of gum surgery. By "deep cleaning" they
probably mean scaling and root planing, which is where they
numb you up and scrape way up under the gum line.

> i'd get back to flossing--the bleeding should stop after a
> while. also, think about investing in a sonicare. i love
> mine. my gums are better and there's much less tartar
> buildup.

Brushing and flossing won't help if the periodontal pockets
are several millimeters deep. You can't get down in the
pocket, and it would be painful if you tried.

My suggestion would be to get checked by a periodontist.

> > 3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
> > dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did
> > nothing about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities
> > once again. Last week, I had 4 cavities, one
> > requiring a root canal and crown.
>
> fishy, fishy.

A complicating factor is what a dentist thinks qualifies as
a "cavity". Some will call virtually any brownish spot a
cavity. Some will call white lines cavities (the white
lines are basically the precursor to a real cavity). Others
don't call it a cavity until there's a gaping black hole in
the tooth.

This will cause you to get completely different, but all
technically correct, diagnoses from different dentists.
 
"Joel M. Eichen, D.D.S." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Yo consumer groups ,,, ask us some dental questions!
>
> We got answers fer ya!
>
>
>
> JOEL
>
> Joel,

What is your definition of a dental question? You are
obviously very knowledgeable, but sometimes (many times) you
are very dismissive when it comes to some serious questions.
Even in regard to my own questions of recent weeks when I
was quite scared about the sudden severe onset of teeth
sensitivity coupled with parotitis. I had a couple of really
helpful responses, but was quite surprised at your lack of
compassion. Dentistry generally is an expensive exercise, so
people like Andrew have the good sense to question where
their money is going and if it is necessary. Regards, Linda
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 01:55:48 +0000 (UTC),
> [email protected] (Andrew) wrote:
>
> >Hi all,
> >
> > So, I think this topic has been posted before, but I
> > wanted to get some fresh answers to the topic of how
> > real some of these problems are that dentists claim
> > that you have.
> >
> > Last week, I went to a new dentist on a new barebones
> > limited insurance I have (only covers dental exam, not
> > even basis prophylaxis), and I came out with a
> > recommendation that I needed $3000 of dental work to
> > fix my supposedly god awful horrible teeth. I've had
> > this story unloaded on me before, and it is really
> > truly nerve-wrecking since you never know if they are
> > telling the truth or not.
> >
> > The problem is that the dentist's bread and butter is
> > made by telling you you have crappy teeth - and if they
> > think you have money (I am not wealthy, but I drive a
> > nice car and wear nice clothes) I am sure they use this
> > to decide what is "wrong" with me.
> >
> > Here are the problems given - I'd like a honest and
> > frank opinion from any qualified prof's on the board
> > who have a better conscience and no need to worry about
> > making a buck off of me:
> >
> >1) Impacted wisdom teeth pull - I have 2 impacted wisdom
> > teeth and I have had 3 past dentists claim that this
> > can cause tartar buildup inside and next to the
> > adjoining tooth and have had suggestions to have them
> > pulled along with the top two. What is the truth? Is
> > this is a medical danger?
> >
> >2) Deep cleaning - I have been told in the last two
> > visits that I am not flossing enough and that my tooth
> > pockets have gotten too big and need deep cleaning. I
> > don't feel any particular pain, although I will admit,
> > I do have a mild tinginess in my gums because I went a
> > few weeks without flossing (my mistake) and my gums
> > have become really soft, so when I floss now, my gums
> > bleed. However, I'm back on a daily floss plan - do I
> > really need a deep clean? Is there some way I can tell
> > myself how bad my teeth are? What is the truth? Is
> > this a medical danger?
> >
> >3) Cavities - 4 dentists ago, I had no cavities. 3
> > dentists ago, nearly every tooth had a cavity. I did
> > nothing about it. 2 dentists ago, I had no cavities
> > once again. Last week, I had 4 cavities, one requiring
> > a root canal and crown. Quite ironically, it happens
> > that 2 of the cavities are on my wisdom tooth so the
> > dentist recommended its all the more reason to have
> > them pulled! Which is interesting, because in one
> > sentence she said food rarely goes back to the rear of
> > the teeth so I shouldn't feel bad about having them
> > pulled, and in the next one she is saying that I have
> > cavities back there. I use a home flouride treatment
> > periodically and have generally not had any particular
> > sensitivity to foods except for extreme cold and hot
> > (which I think everyone has). Is there some way I can
> > tell myself how bad my teeth are? What is the truth?
> > Is this a medical danger?
> >
> >
> >I appreciate any guidance, self-checks, home therapies,
> >that you can suggest. I don't want to damage my teeth
> >beyond repair, but then again, if it weren't for the
> >dentist, looking at my teeth in the mirror, the only
> >thing I can spot visually is a) my back teeth are in fact
> >impacted but I don't know if that's really a problem and
> >b) my gums have softened because I was off the flossing
> >for a while, so they bleed when I floss now, again, I
> >don't know if that's fixable by just resuming the
> >flossing.
> >
> >Please provide any advice you have. Thanks.
 
[email protected] (AllEmailDeletedImmediately) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> if you do need a crown/cap and it's in the back, you can
> get a stainless steel one for lots less.

And you can just let the tooth rot for a lot less, too.

Stainless steel crowns are used primarily for baby teeth
that aren't expected to last more than five or six years
anyway. On a permanent tooth, it is no substitute for a REAL
crown which fits the tooth properly.

- dentaldoc
 
On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 23:15:47 +0000 (UTC), [email protected] (Amanda) wrote:

>[email protected] (Andrew) wrote in message
>news:<[email protected]>...
>> Hi all,
>
>Hi,
>
>Have you been having regular very 6 months professional
>cleaning; this could also be done in dental clinic of a
>dental hyguenic program at local 2 yaers college if they
>offer it..usually, they get practise experience foer the
>students..while you pay cheap rate.
>
>They don't do cavity fillign and stuff..
>
>Now..I will tell you my expericne and then answer each of
>your question.

Hiya Amanda,

English not your native tongue ? Just a shot in the
dark there.
--

W_B

Take out the G'RBAGE for e-mail
[email protected]
 
On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 23:25:04 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Amanda) wrote:

>My mistake, nto deep palning but root plaing which is deep
>cleaning ... under the gum....
>
>If you have not doen regualr prof clenaing for a very long
>time and didn't brush (and floss) well, may eb you need it
>but the key is
>
>- ask what ti to be done on each tooth and how much for
> each work
>- how much for root planing...usually, half a mouth (top
> bottom) is done once and the seond half done after giving
> a chance for the gums to heal ..
>
>get a second opinion....

Learn to type or get a spellchecker.
 
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