Your teeth and people who drill them

[K9]

I just discovered that you can buy water jet flossers (a.k.a Water Picks or Oral Irrigators) for use at home. Does anyone have one of these or know anything about them? I'm tempted to pick one up to use as an alternative to flossing, which I find to be a fucking chore.

[01101010]

I just discovered that you can buy water jet flossers (a.k.a Water Picks or Oral Irrigators) for use at home. Does anyone have one of these or know anything about them? I'm tempted to pick one up to use as an alternative to flossing, which I find to be a fucking chore.

I had one back in the day when I had braces. Worked well, but use warm water. I used for once and almost died.

[Merusk]

I think he meant he used cold once and almost died.  I agree that's TERRIBLE.   I also had one in the braces days and revived the practice more recently.  It's great for flushing out the gum pockets but the dentist says it is is not a replacement for flossing. It doesn't scrape the bacteria/ gunk off the spaces between teeth or aerate the anaerobic bacteria so they die.

[ghost]

Just floss.  Water piks don't do the job right.

[Selby]

It's great for flushing out the gum pockets but the dentist says it is is not a replacement for flossing.

Yeah, I've got pockets that have seriously nasty growths in the back of my throat that irrigation cleans up, but I wouldn't ever drop the flossing because so much comes out that only floss can get.  I used a Water Pik for quite a few years when I was growing up but it died and I haven't replaced it yet.  Flossing is a chore, but it takes less than a minute and I just suck it up and do it every day.  My dentist loves me for it.

[Merusk]

This is the greatest invention in flossing ever. : The Reach Access Flosser

I've flossed regularly ever since getting one, and some of the terrible pockets I had (6-4-6) have gone down a whole rating in the last year.  I had the giant Y-shaped floss holder when I was a teen but it couldn't ever get the back of my mouth like this does.  It's fantastic.

[Sir T]

I just had my back lower wisdom out. The tooth had impacted,  been pushed up my jaw and the lower parts of the tooth under the enamel were exposed, and naturally the entire length of the tooth under the enamel was decaying. It hurt like a bitch and I was keeping it damped down with clove oil and I was really scared it was going to or was abscessing. I went to one dentist who wouldn't touch it as he was afraid it would break if he tried to extract it, and said I needed to go to Hospital and get it out under general anesthetic. SO I went to another dentist recommended by my sister for a second opinion, and she said she would give it a try, as living with constant pain was a no no. Well I apparently have strong roots as she spent 20 minutes working the tooth slowly out, as she said she didn't want to use a pliers as the tooth was so weak it might crack. Well part of it still did, but she got it out in the end. It still hurt a bit coming out despite the 4 doses of local she put in, but it was tolerable.  Now the anesthetic has worn off and by God it hurts.

I have the sheet about care after the extraction, which basically says don't rinse your mouth for 24 hours after the extraction and after that use a salt water rinse for a few days, and avoid hot food and drink and eat soft food  but can you guys give some additional advice?

[Trippy]

Lots of drugs?

[Sir T]

That route sounds good. 

[01101010]

Don't swish too hard - I recommend just swirling the salt water around, no swishing. I have also done the wet tea bag thing for the first day or two to help the clotting. No straws and no suction or you could pull that clot out of the socket. Don't freak out if tiny bits of bone are pushed out of the gum, that happens. Other than that, pain killers for the throbbing and once that goes away, ibuprofen for the swelling.

I just had two root canals done last month and saw my dentist last week to get the core build-ups done and order the crowns. Surprisingly I did not feel a thing for either procedure until my dentist told me they'd have to use this electrosharp machine to cut away the gum a bit to get at the decay under the gumline. Very strange itchy, tickle-type pain. Odd since I just got done with an hour of drilling the teeth done to the core build-ups with nothing but the annoying sound to bother me, but once she started cutting...

[Lantyssa]

Sleep.

The meds they gave me made me vomit everything back up, but I wasn't able to pin it down to them instead of the pain for three days.  All I could do was sleep because I couldn't even get a vicodin in me until then.

If you don't have that problem, drugs and sleep.

[Samwise]

Don't freak out if tiny bits of bone are pushed out of the gum, that happens.

Nobody told me that and I did freak out.  THE TEETH!  THEY WON'T DIE!

[ghost]

Don't swish too hard - I recommend just swirling the salt water around, no swishing. I have also done the wet tea bag thing for the first day or two to help the clotting. No straws and no suction or you could pull that clot out of the socket. Don't freak out if tiny bits of bone are pushed out of the gum, that happens. Other than that, pain killers for the throbbing and once that goes away, ibuprofen for the swelling.

I just had two root canals done last month and saw my dentist last week to get the core build-ups done and order the crowns. Surprisingly I did not feel a thing for either procedure until my dentist told me they'd have to use this electrosharp machine to cut away the gum a bit to get at the decay under the gumline. Very strange itchy, tickle-type pain. Odd since I just got done with an hour of drilling the teeth done to the core build-ups with nothing but the annoying sound to bother me, but once she started cutting...

Electrocautery.  They often don't numb for that.

[Engels]

Don't swish too hard

Bigot! SirT can swish all he likes. Wait, what are we talking about?

[proudft]

It hurt like a bitch and I was keeping it damped down with clove oil and I was really scared it was going to or was abscessing.

If you're already used to the taste of clove oil then you're all prepared for dry socket, in my experience.   

(I can still taste that glop if I think about it)

How old are you?  I was 'of advanced age' (just under 40) and so it took longer to heal, had dry socket, etc, etc.  But nothing a constant stream of Percocet couldn't fix.  It seems really variable, with some of those whippersnappers up and bouncing around the next day.   Me, I didn't do any useful work for like a week and half.   

[Sir T]

I'm 42. I'm making like an old person and sleeping.

Probably do some sleepswishing too.

[01101010]

Electrocautery.  They often don't numb for that.

I have dubbed it the demon machine. I am ok with what it does and it worked perfectly for me, I am not ok with the pain it causes. Holy god...

[Hawkbit]

Don't freak out if tiny bits of bone are pushed out of the gum, that happens.

Nobody told me that and I did freak out.  THE TEETH!  THEY WON'T DIE!

This was the worst part of the procedure for me.  I had to go back twice, months after they were extracted because the bone chips were lodged under the surface, causing an ulcer at that spot.  The irritation and pain those chips caused was second only to a kidney stone I passed.  The only upside was more percocets. 

I really wish I could get a script for one percocet on Thursday evening to go with a glass of wine. 

[ghost]

Yeah, very, very common for bone chips to work their way out even 6-9 months after having teeth out, particularly lower wisdom teeth. 

[Abagadro]

Orthodontist recommending a palatal expander and braces on the two front teeth. Kid apparently has giant teeth and a tiny mouth.  About to be 2 grand in and the kid isn't even 10!

[Morat20]

Orthodontist recommending a palatal expander and braces on the two front teeth. Kid apparently has giant teeth and a tiny mouth.  About to be 2 grand in and the kid isn't even 10!

Better to do it now. If you wait, the teeth will come in all jammed up and it'll cost more and take longer to fix.

At least, that was what my ortho said about my kid's teeth, lo those many years ago.

But yeah, ain't cheap. :)

[Lantyssa]

Oh gods, the expander.  I hope they're less monstrous these days.  I hated that thing.

[Morat20]

Oh gods, the expander.  I hope they're less monstrous these days.  I hated that thing.

My kid said it wasn't that bad. I don't think they're quite as big -- it certainly wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it.

Then again, he was thrilled to finally get rid of it.

[Lantyssa]

Sounds better.  Mine was a solid block of plastic that had enough room to fit my tongue in my mouth.  Barely.

[Yegolev]

Current model is fancy and small, speech intelligible with a few days practice.  We are in the middle of eleven quarter-cranks, one quarter-crank every two days.

What comes next will be more than $2000.

[Hawkbit]

I haven't been to the dentist for about two years. I got my wisdoms out in early 2013 and it used my entire insurance allowable for the year, so I got off track with bi-yearly visits. I also wasn't entirely fond of my general dentist, so I'm looking for a new one.

They're all different and honestly, I don't trust them. 10 years ago I went to a new dentist that told me I had to get 11 fillings across 2-3 sessions with him. It didn't seem right, because my previous visit everything was fine. I got a second opinion from another office and they said it would only be 2 fillings. That experience has really put me off, but it's time to figure it out.

How to get started? Outside of looking through Yelp reviews and matching them up to my in-network options, there's no way to get good information on a dentist. Does anyone have any advice? Can I go in and ask for a list of prices prior to the visit so I can compare how my insurance will pay out? I'm trying to balance my out-of-pocket expenses with quality of service.

[Merusk]

Whatever happened to Ghost, anyway?

My experience with finding and switching dentists is you just have to find one whose staff you're comfortable with. More and more it seems like Dentists are pushing more off onto their hygienists while they just become middle-men and anesthesiologists.

I've been through 3 dentists in the last year, I can go into details but it seems pointless. I've gone through recommendations and they've not been useful to me because most folks hate them and just want it done with ASAP with little interaction. That's probably why there's so little information on them, not wanting to think about 'the scary mouth man.'

Prices for all 3 have been the same when in-network, so asking for a price list probably won't do anything. Switching providers or adding other things like fluoride treatment are the only times my prices changed.

[WayAbvPar]

I left my last dentist because his hygienist annoyed the shit out of me. She was nice, but just WOULD. NOT. SHUT. UP.  I do not want to have a conversation with a bunch of instruments in my mouth. I want to get out of there as fast as humanly possible.

That was 2 years ago now and I still haven't found a dentist. I haven't looked very hard either. I want someone with modern equipment/techniques, and young enough that they aren't going to retire soon (my old dentist was on his way out, another reason I left). I think I might look for a woman this time...I would imagine smaller hands would be a plus 

[Paelos]

Whatever happened to Ghost, anyway?

I think he was changing jobs or moving and he just quit posting. I see him on Steam all the time.

[Ironwood]

Last I heard he had a Honeycrisp accident.  Ruined his posting hand and most of his teeth.

True Story.

[ezrast]

Ghost, I'm looking for a general dentist in a new city (St Louis). Any red flags I should avoid before picking a random name from Yelp?

Avoid chains.  Make sure the office looks clean, but not too fancy.  Use your gut instinct when you walk into the place and have the initial exam.  If they don't charge for an initial exam, or charge a very low fee, they are very likely to push treatment.  Make sure the treatment plan matches your prior dental history. 

I have no idea if this is good advice because I never followed through. 

[Count Nerfedalot]

I like my dentists to be perfectionists*.  The times I've switched, usually because of moving, I've talked to friends (and coworkers, and acquaintances, and business contacts like bankers or insurance agents or realtors or cashiers or anyone willing to talk about their dentist) and told them that is what I was looking for and listened to see if their dentist matched that description. Once somebody described their dentist as matching that description, I gave them a go. It's worked out well every time but once. That once was when I found out my other requirement was that the hygienist was not allowed to be the type who thought it was her duty to punish me or teach me a lesson for not taking care of my teeth as well as I should!


* I had a REALLY bad experience with a dentist when I was 15. I had a cavity that got out of control while on the other side of the continent from home one summer, and by the time I got home it had abscessed and I needed a root canal.  Our dentist was a family friend, in the same religious circles, so my parents trusted him implicitly. (There are no words to describe how much my eyes are rolling as I type that.) He's finally retired and they've gotten a new, real, dentist and have finally learned what I was so upset about, to the tune of several thousand dollars each to fix the mess he left of their mouths! Anywhoo, I was his first root canal. I was in that damn seat for a couple of hours and had nightmares about his hands in my mouth for 20 years after. The bastard broke the tooth in the process, made a mold for a crown in the horribly abused and swollen crater, slapped the ill-fitting thing on a couple weeks later, and in the process left a cotton swab underneath it which was discovered by a REAL dentist 15 years later when he redid the crown to make it right.  All three of us in the room at the time of the refitting (dentist, aide, and me) barely managed not to throw up when he pulled the old crown off that putrefying mess!  So, I highly value and will gladly pay for someone who has the skill and takes the time to do it right! Sadly, I'm about the same age as my current dentist (who is absolutely fantastic) so she is likely to retire before I die leaving me to look for another again. :(

p.s. Small hands/thin fingers are definitely a plus for a dentist. Also for prostate checks, fwiw.

[WayAbvPar]

I like my dentists to be perfectionists*.  The times I've switched, usually because of moving, I've talked to friends (and coworkers, and acquaintances, and business contacts like bankers or insurance agents or realtors or cashiers or anyone willing to talk about their dentist) and told them that is what I was looking for and listened to see if their dentist matched that description. Once somebody described their dentist as matching that description, I gave them a go. It's worked out well every time but once. That once was when I found out my other requirement was that the hygienist was not allowed to be the type who thought it was her duty to punish me or teach me a lesson for not taking care of my teeth as well as I should!


* I had a REALLY bad experience with a dentist when I was 15. I had a cavity that got out of control while on the other side of the continent from home one summer, and by the time I got home it had abscessed and I needed a root canal.  Our dentist was a family friend, in the same religious circles, so my parents trusted him implicitly. (There are no words to describe how much my eyes are rolling as I type that.) He's finally retired and they've gotten a new, real, dentist and have finally learned what I was so upset about, to the tune of several thousand dollars each to fix the mess he left of their mouths! Anywhoo, I was his first root canal. I was in that damn seat for a couple of hours and had nightmares about his hands in my mouth for 20 years after. The bastard broke the tooth in the process, made a mold for a crown in the horribly abused and swollen crater, slapped the ill-fitting thing on a couple weeks later, and in the process left a cotton swab underneath it which was discovered by a REAL dentist 15 years later when he redid the crown to make it right.  All three of us in the room at the time of the refitting (dentist, aide, and me) barely managed not to throw up when he pulled the old crown off that putrefying mess!  So, I highly value and will gladly pay for someone who has the skill and takes the time to do it right! Sadly, I'm about the same age as my current dentist (who is absolutely fantastic) so she is likely to retire before I die leaving me to look for another again. :(

p.s. Small hands/thin fingers are definitely a plus for a dentist. Also for prostate checks, fwiw.

Let's hope she washes her hands in between.

[Count Nerfedalot]

  or at least changes gloves! 

[Engels]

Way, if you're willing to go downtown to the Municipal tower at 5th and Columbia, my dentist, Dr. Kim, is pretty rockin'. Korean-american, young, fast, and very precise. My regular hygienist is also great. She is quite shy and doesn't gab, and is a goddamned machine. The oral surgeon isn't bad either; he's Chinese, like PRC chinese, so there's a bit of a language barrier but he's good as well.