Post: #251

(11-22-2014 09:40 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  I have a random question.

I've always been slack about brushing my teeth twice a day and usually only brush in the morning. Kind of dumb since it seems like nighttime would be the more important time to do it, while you still have food on your teeth, etc. I was fortunate to be blessed with some strong teeth, though, and I've never had a cavity, so I guess that caused me to be sloppy.

Anyhow, I've recently been trying to take up the habit of doing it twice a night again. I've noticed that my mouth tastes worse in the morning when I brush my teeth at night than when I don't. What's up with that? This isn't a new observation; it's something I noticed when I was younger too. I think it's part of the reason I usually fell out of the habit.

Perhaps gargling with some mouthwash or baking soda before sleep would help?

Another thing. I always take a toothpick and and spend time meticulously cleaning my teeth after eating. I can't believe how many bits of meat come out, and if I don't do this, I can feel it all in my teeth. Is this close enough to flossing, or is it far from being as effective? I'm pretty thorough about it, and I often think about tribes around the world that reputedly clean their teeth with twigs and have great teeth (obviously they don't, or didn't, have access to floss)

A third question for you. I read somewhere that (I make that vague statement a lot - need to start recording my sources haha) brushing teeth just with water is pretty damn effective too, and that toothpastes are largely a marketing scheme. Does that mean the removal of debris and bacteria with friction is the more important part of brushing your teeth? Or is the paste an essential ingredient?

This last one is just curiosity, though I do sometimes brush just with water in a pinch. Meaning if I run out of toothpaste, I just make a note to buy it later rather than running out to the store.

1) Change your toothpaste flavor

2) Toothpick is good. I use it a lot too, but floss will get under the gums better

3) Yea, I do brush my teeth w/no tpaste too sometimes. Its better than nothing, but toothpaste is formulated to have micro-grit and foaming/cleansing agents. It helps sweep up the debris. I'm not super-read up on material science, but i know that they are formulated for specific purposes and consistency.

Post: #252

(11-27-2014 03:20 PM)amity Wrote:  @DVY Would appreciate your thoughts on the following:

I have three root canals without crowns on them.
All three teeth have some level of infection in the roots/gums and so I've been told I need all three RCs replaced, then post&core build-up followed by crowns on all three teeth.
One of the three teeth has very little surface left to play with, so a RC might not even happen, it could be an extraction followed by an implant.
The other two, hopefully will get the go ahead to do the replacement RC followed by post&core + crown on both.
Two of the three teeth have lesions (possibly the third as well, but it's tbc).
The teeth in question are #12, #13 and #14 (upper left portion of my mouth, from my perspective).
Another option I've been told is to have all three teeth taken out and implants put in, but I'm not so sure if that's a good idea.
Endodontist has yet to perform any procedure aside from x-rays, I've postponed it for a little while while I weight up my options.
She said she doesn't know exactly the situation til she gets in there and does the cleaning out of the old root canals, to determine whether each tooth can be saved,etc.
I'm also gonna go back to my dentist and chat to him as he hasn't really given me enough info thus far (the endodontist has given me more info thus far than my dentist).
What would be your recommendations based on what I've said above?
I have no pain in two of the three RCs, sometimes have some tenderness in the third RC but it's pretty minor.
Am based in Ireland so things might work a little differently to the US perhaps.

Post the X-rays and Ill give you a better idea

Post: #253

(11-27-2014 03:20 PM)amity Wrote:  @DVY Would appreciate your thoughts on the following:

I have three root canals without crowns on them.
All three teeth have some level of infection in the roots/gums and so I've been told I need all three RCs replaced, then post&core build-up followed by crowns on all three teeth.
One of the three teeth has very little surface left to play with, so a RC might not even happen, it could be an extraction followed by an implant.
The other two, hopefully will get the go ahead to do the replacement RC followed by post&core + crown on both.
Two of the three teeth have lesions (possibly the third as well, but it's tbc).
The teeth in question are #12, #13 and #14 (upper left portion of my mouth, from my perspective).
Another option I've been told is to have all three teeth taken out and implants put in, but I'm not so sure if that's a good idea.
Endodontist has yet to perform any procedure aside from x-rays, I've postponed it for a little while while I weight up my options.
She said she doesn't know exactly the situation til she gets in there and does the cleaning out of the old root canals, to determine whether each tooth can be saved,etc.
I'm also gonna go back to my dentist and chat to him as he hasn't really given me enough info thus far (the endodontist has given me more info thus far than my dentist).
What would be your recommendations based on what I've said above?
I have no pain in two of the three RCs, sometimes have some tenderness in the third RC but it's pretty minor.
Am based in Ireland so things might work a little differently to the US perhaps.

Post the X-rays and Ill give you a better idea

Post: #254

DVY - thanks again for doing this!

Quick question, I lost my two front teeth 12 years ago. I am 40. In all of this time I have not gone through with the implants, I have worn a partial. I keep the partial clean everyday, take it out every night, but I have noticed my gum recessing, and my dentist recommends the implants.

Should I not wait anymore to get the implants? My concern if I wait is bone loss in my upper teeth, where they wont have much bone to screw into if I wait. I like using the partial becauseits easy to clean. Thanks again.

Post: #255

a few questions:

1. how often should a deep scaling /root planning be done?(heard to many not good)

2. What is better bridge or implant?

3. How come right after a tooth is removed dentist says bone implant needed. I the tooth just removed shouldn't an implant not need any bone work?(i read 85% of time there shouldn't be a need for one)

Post: #256

(11-27-2014 06:43 PM)Vaun Wrote:  DVY - thanks again for doing this!

Quick question, I lost my two front teeth 12 years ago. I am 40. In all of this time I have not gone through with the implants, I have worn a partial. I keep the partial clean everyday, take it out every night, but I have noticed my gum recessing, and my dentist recommends the implants.

Should I not wait anymore to get the implants? My concern if I wait is bone loss in my upper teeth, where they wont have much bone to screw into if I wait. I like using the partial becauseits easy to clean. Thanks again.

Its a personal decision, but yes bone and gum receded with time. Maybe you can get a 6-unit bridge (about same price) and get a hollywood smile. Decision ulitmately lies w/the patient.

Post: #257

(11-28-2014 01:34 AM)DVY Wrote:  

(11-27-2014 06:43 PM)Vaun Wrote:  DVY - thanks again for doing this!

Quick question, I lost my two front teeth 12 years ago. I am 40. In all of this time I have not gone through with the implants, I have worn a partial. I keep the partial clean everyday, take it out every night, but I have noticed my gum recessing, and my dentist recommends the implants.

Should I not wait anymore to get the implants? My concern if I wait is bone loss in my upper teeth, where they wont have much bone to screw into if I wait. I like using the partial because its easy to clean. Thanks again.

Its a personal decision, but yes bone and gum receded with time. Maybe you can get a 6-unit bridge (about same price) and get a hollywood smile. Decision ulitmately lies w/the patient.

Thanks! I think I will do that. My 30's have been tumultuous(highs and lows), and I wanted to have some real stability before I take the plunge and get the surgery.

Post: #258

Anyone else who are digging the organic toothpaste that can be found in pharmacies in Thailand?
Nothing cleans my teeths like this and it's cheap and you use very little paste every time you wash.

I bought a full box of it and brought it home.
Recommended and lasts forever.


   

Post: #259

' Wrote:Say what you will about legal liability, USA has some of the better dental care in the world. I have seen some shoddy dental tourism work and I have seen some excellent foreign dental work. Especially shoddy work- Russia, former FSU, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala. There is very little rhyme or reason. I have a small sample size w/this and never really ran a survey/questionaire. Also big differences between individual dentists capacities. Some dentist do implants, Root-canals, extractions, wisdom teeth. Some only do simple stuff. Its not an apples to apples comparison.

Sorry Got to disagree here. I have never had worse dental care than in the US. I even had a friend that was a dentist, my dentist and he fobbed off a lot of mediocre lab work on me as it turns out.

US dentists will give you the same tail light guarantee that other countries do. Some US labs are better, but for the most part, you may as well go to Mexico, Thailand or Eastern Europe to get it done at 1/3 the cost.

My last US dentist was VERY expensive and worked at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the US. His prep work was appalling. The tooth was curved so the crown opening was wider than the tooth leaving cement to fill the gap. Sinc cement is porous this was a guaranteed fail.

Since I NEVER get new dental work permanently cemented into my head until I have worn it for a while I had an offshore provider check it out. They ended up re prepping and did a better color match.

The thing I like about offshore labs is remaking the crown is so cost effective if you have any problems with the first run at it.

The place I found does everything from surgery to extractions and they have a specialist for each. Their charis are full in the winter months and the place is run by an American. I will never use another US dentist again.

Post: #260

I will finally have dental insurance on February 1st and be able to take care of some cavities I've had for a while.

Post: #261

(12-08-2014 03:21 PM)BetweenTheLines Wrote:  

' Wrote:Say what you will about legal liability, USA has some of the better dental care in the world. I have seen some shoddy dental tourism work and I have seen some excellent foreign dental work. Especially shoddy work- Russia, former FSU, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala. There is very little rhyme or reason. I have a small sample size w/this and never really ran a survey/questionaire. Also big differences between individual dentists capacities. Some dentist do implants, Root-canals, extractions, wisdom teeth. Some only do simple stuff. Its not an apples to apples comparison.

Sorry Got to disagree here. I have never had worse dental care than in the US. I even had a friend that was a dentist, my dentist and he fobbed off a lot of mediocre lab work on me as it turns out.

US dentists will give you the same tail light guarantee that other countries do. Some US labs are better, but for the most part, you may as well go to Mexico, Thailand or Eastern Europe to get it done at 1/3 the cost.

My last US dentist was VERY expensive and worked at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the US. His prep work was appalling. The tooth was curved so the crown opening was wider than the tooth leaving cement to fill the gap. Sinc cement is porous this was a guaranteed fail.

Since I NEVER get new dental work permanently cemented into my head until I have worn it for a while I had an offshore provider check it out. They ended up re prepping and did a better color match.

The thing I like about offshore labs is remaking the crown is so cost effective if you have any problems with the first run at it.

The place I found does everything from surgery to extractions and they have a specialist for each. Their charis are full in the winter months and the place is run by an American. I will never use another US dentist again.

My biggest complaint (and others I know) is dentists(no offense to our resident forum one) basically often make up things you need to get more work done on you. They do it just as much as car mechanics and I find it even worst because at least a mechanic gives you a part that works and is better than what you had.

A dentist..at least in Brooklyn will actually tell you stuff that isn't true. I hope our host can explain why SOOO many do that. Don't believe me? go read forums where people are complaining.

I have learned the best defense is 1. research 2. get second opinions.
Now for my GREAT stories that prove my point:

Quote:In 2005 I went to a new dentist..typical Religious Jew dentist that we have in Brooklyn. Very affable.

It was 2 years since I last been to one and felt NO PROBLEMS. Guy told me I have 2 cavities somewhere in the back. He then asked me if I like my Veneers(i have 6 on my front top). I said sure.
He then told me I need a cleaning because he couldn't see because of my plaque(spider sense went off since he had x rays)

He then told me after I had the x rays that my veneer teeth had cavities and that the veneers had to be destroyed (couldn't be taken off..which is true most of time i think).

Spider sense went off in my head for numerous reasons:
1. I never had cavities before on front teeth and i never even eat/chew with those teeth because of veneers.

2. What the statistics that I would have on ALL 6 of them?..coincidentally ones with veneers.

3. 90% of the time dentists fill those teeth from behind.

So what did I do?

I went for a second opinion.

Big mistake. I let the guy know it was a second opinion and he asked me who the dentit was. He then disappeared for 5 minutes( he must have called on the phone that 1st dentist and the office was like 7 blocks away lol)

Second dentist told me the same thing.

What should I do? what would you do?

I decided to go to my old family dentist office that doesn't take my union insurance BUT since they know me since I was 4 yrs old and even put the veneers on..i thought I would trust them.

OUTCOME: he told me I had 1 cavity and they can fill it from behind .That's right..only 1. I didn't believe him so his partner came and looked and said same thing.

So basically this SCUMBAG wanted to force me to do 7k in work that I didn't need and another SCUMBAG DENTIST basically out of professional courtesy agreed with him(even my family dentist out of professional courtesy didn't want to put in writing what happened because I thought of reporting the original dentist to licensing division)


This was 10 years ago.... no cavities on those teeth. They didn't fall off like the 1st dentist said they would lol.

Another story..not as good though

Quote:I needed some GUM work( my veneers caused inflamation)

I went to a periodontist. The guy was proud that he supports the police and he is even a FOP member.

Anyway he tells me I need 6 crown lengthening. For those who don't know that is when they try to get more of the remains of a tooth available at the surface to be able to put a crown on it. Has NOTHING to do with inflamed gums. My general dentist said GENGIVECTOMY..he never heard the CL term used for that.

After researching I found out that SOME cosmetic specialists refer to gingevectomy as Crown Lengthening in procedures where client has a gummy smile. It is a purely cosmetic procedure and since it isn't covered by most insurance they call it that.

Thing is my insurance paid 100% for the gingevectomy(spell check not working) that costs 100 bucks (maybe a whole quadrant..not sure). He was going to charge me 400 bucks where I had to pay 100% cash since it isn't covered.

Suffice it to say I got myself taken care of someplace else.

Quote:Hd a co worker whose dentist told him he had multiple cavities that he didn't have and that he isn't a"cleaning service". Appointment was just for a cleaning.

Again this isn't to attack our resident dentist here. I just want honest answers and hope this will be a bro before ho's kind of debate.

In other words NO DEFENSE because of professional courtesy(just like I was honest in police threads). TBH at the time I was enraged and actually thought of sticking my Glock in his mouth to watch him piss his pants and if this was FSU..cops can and will do shit like that lol( i am a bit of loose cannon when enraged so don't FUCK with me lol)

1. Is this an American phenomenon? Maybe dentists are more honest overseas.

2. Why do they have the audacity to be so blatant about it?

3. What should we do if we feel this is happening? Who /how would you recommend we report them? or maybe you suggest we just tell them we found out the truth and extort them?

Post: #262

Yea dont get me wrong. Things like this happen ALL THE TIME. My FWB refer clients to me all the time (these newly in the area people come to me in a near panic, because they have been upsold 2-20k of work).

Lots of greedy, short-minded dentists out there. I've detailed a few common semi-scams. (full mouth rehabs, un-necesary deep cleanings or other perio stuff (anecdotally periodontist are some of the biggest con-men), $750 nightguards, replacing old but functional fillings, replacing functional but unaesthetic crowns, etc etc etc).

Like I said before, get 2nd or even 3rd opinions for large work (you usually can get X-rays sent to your email for free).

Be very wary of a dentist that immediately upsells you on work.

Search for a dentist that has a conservative mindset (usually older guys).

Yelp is a big help now.

You can make a formal complaint w/the dental board of that state for egregious errors

@BTW the lines
Glad you found somebody you like, but for every good case I see at least 3-4 bad ones (maybe the happy patients never come back to me...). I see up to 15-20 pts/day. Just my 2c.

Post: #263

DVY, thank you so much for this thread. You definitely answered a few of my questions.

1) I am considering braces for my teeth. They are not too skew but I remain self-conscious of my smile. As mentioned before, you recommend metal over lingual braces as they are quicker and more effective. On average, what would the price difference be (ratio-wise)? Of course, this would depend on the severity.

2) I enjoy having my evening smoke after brushing my teeth, 40 minutes before I sleep. Are there any effects on my teeth worth considering or is it fine to continue this guilty pleasure?

Thanks again for sharing your expertise.

Post: #264

What is your opinion on bonding? I don't like my top teeth but after researching veneers I'm a little turned off. They aren't crooked, it is a size and shape issue of the incisors outside of the middle two and between the canines. My middle two are fine and my canines are not bad.

Post: #265

(12-15-2014 04:53 AM)Noir Wrote:  DVY, thank you so much for this thread. You definitely answered a few of my questions.

1) I am considering braces for my teeth. They are not too skew but I remain self-conscious of my smile. As mentioned before, you recommend metal over lingual braces as they are quicker and more effective. On average, what would the price difference be (ratio-wise)? Of course, this would depend on the severity.

At least double the price, I don't see lingual braces going for under 7-8k

2) I enjoy having my evening smoke after brushing my teeth, 40 minutes before I sleep. Are there any effects on my teeth worth considering or is it fine to continue this guilty pleasure?

Yea, Id brush after you smoke. Whats 2 mins anyways.

Thanks again for sharing your expertise.

@blacker- go for it, but it won't be perfect aesthetically

Post: #266

(11-27-2014 06:37 PM)DVY Wrote:  

(11-27-2014 03:20 PM)amity Wrote:  @DVY Would appreciate your thoughts on the following:

I have three root canals without crowns on them.
All three teeth have some level of infection in the roots/gums and so I've been told I need all three RCs replaced, then post&core build-up followed by crowns on all three teeth.
One of the three teeth has very little surface left to play with, so a RC might not even happen, it could be an extraction followed by an implant.
The other two, hopefully will get the go ahead to do the replacement RC followed by post&core + crown on both.
Two of the three teeth have lesions (possibly the third as well, but it's tbc).
The teeth in question are #12, #13 and #14 (upper left portion of my mouth, from my perspective).
Another option I've been told is to have all three teeth taken out and implants put in, but I'm not so sure if that's a good idea.
Endodontist has yet to perform any procedure aside from x-rays, I've postponed it for a little while while I weight up my options.
She said she doesn't know exactly the situation til she gets in there and does the cleaning out of the old root canals, to determine whether each tooth can be saved,etc.
I'm also gonna go back to my dentist and chat to him as he hasn't really given me enough info thus far (the endodontist has given me more info thus far than my dentist).
What would be your recommendations based on what I've said above?
I have no pain in two of the three RCs, sometimes have some tenderness in the third RC but it's pretty minor.
Am based in Ireland so things might work a little differently to the US perhaps.

Post the X-rays and Ill give you a better idea

Thanks man
I actually went to another dentist instead, who a friend recommended to me.
Am so glad I did!
This guy straight away put me at ease, took an overall x-ray of my teeth, gave me holistic assessment of what problems were there (not just the root canals) and identified a much more pressing issue of a wisdom tooth in the bottom left corner of my mouth which had a deep filling in it and also some decay(and tenderness).
He assessed that if this bad boy wasn't tackled first of all, then any restorative work on #12-#14 would be in vain, cos there would be no "defenders", no big cornerstone teeth to protect the smaller teeth.
Cannot believe my old dentist never dealt with this.
Looking back now, I realise my old dentist was insufficiently skilled to tackle that big corner tooth (he kept telling me it would be better to tolerate the low level pain I experienced if it wasn't bad, as 'the solution could be much worse than the cure!')
Even the endodontist he sent me to previously, she didn't display any real empathy for my situation, she had a 'surface' niceness, but it didn't feel genuine.
I called it off at the last minute with my old dentist and endodontist, and saw this new guy, who successfully treated that dodgy corner wisdom tooth with a solid root canal, having first cleared out the old filling and decay which was present.
Will come back to him in the new year to tackle the #12-#14 teeth, but am confident now that we'll get it sorted without the doubts and anxieties I had previously.
My new root canal feels fine, no pain, no anxiety, things are looking up!
I would urge anyone, if you are not happy with the way your dentist is dealing with your teeth, if you feel like he/she is just dealing with things in a piecemeal/localised way, rather than looking at the big picture of your overall dental health, then get out, my friend, and seek a better, more capable, more caring dentist. They are out there.
The difference between my new dentist and the old (dentist and endodontist) is astonishing. Worlds apart.

Post: #267

DVY, I've been using baking soda water as a mouthwash after taking ACV.
Is this enough to rebalance the mouth's pH, or should I approach this differently?

In a similar vein, I drink tea... continuously. Usually milk tea, but I'm moving on to green.
Is this stuff too acidic to have in one's mouth for a good four hours every day?
I've read contradictory reports about it.
Some say it's the lesser evil compared to carbonated drinks, others say it fights plaque.

Post: #268

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread. I looked for the topic but alas, no luck. Will a scale and polish whiten my teeth? I have been using baking soda and have had only a little success.

Post: #269

Deleted.

Post: #270

I have noticed that people with veneers or crowns all seem to have horrible breath.

Is this from the veneers and crowns or is it something else. I have ground my teeth down so much and would like the PFC or whatever but not at the cost of reeking breath.

Post: #271

@ Pride Male- Scale and polish will remove surface stain

Post: #272

Veneers and crowns are more difficult to clean. People arent very clean to begin with. I think its more a function of that than anything.

Post: #273

Thoughts on titan granules for use in bone regeneration after dental surgery?

Invested in a company a few years back that research and make titan granules. They're in talks of mergers/acquisitions right now but it seems slow going.

Post: #274

What do you think about oil pulling -- with coconut oil. --means swishing mouth for about 15 - 20 minutes with the oil.

Post: #275

no clue on titan granules.

Already answered about oil pulling.