Carno

How bad would it be to have braces on for only a year, when the recommended time is two years?

popo

I don't know. But it'll mean one of two things: 1) your teeth don't move as much as they should, and/or 2) they don't get the required stabilization time, leading to greater relapse.

mr sticky

Hey popo- I got a query for you. I have terrible teeth and an assload of restorative work to get done as well as three, possibly four crowns, with the appropriate endo stuff on those future crowns. All told, I'm looking at a major mouth expense. I'm trying to get this done as affordably as possible and this seems like a pretty affordable place.

http://www.realpages.com/sites/sextondental/

Is there any place that I can check on their quality of service, or would you happen to know them by reputation? Any input would be wonderful.

Thanks for your time!

mr sticky

__________________
The sad thing is... as you get older you come to realize that you don't so much pilot your life, as you just try to hold on, in a screaming, defiant ball of white-knuckle anxious fury

popo

Wow those are cheap fees.

I know that it may seem like a lot of work for you but I see people everyday who are having more work done that that. It's a tough call. Every "affordable" office I've come across I would not have my own work done in them. They have to recoup their loss in other ways. A crown cost $485 at that place. Well, it says that they use "porcelain fused to non-precious metal". Myself I would never have put in my mouth nor have I ever put that in a patient's mouth. Non-precious metal can be irritating to the gum among other disadvantages. You can get that a US dental lab isn't fabricating their crowns, as alot of "affordable" offices send their work oversees even to the Far East to be made because it's cheaper. Nothing is cheap for no reason. They aren't doing charity work.

This is not to say that higher end offices are all great places either. But you can be safer in the assumption that higher end materials are being used throughout the treatment sequence.

I looked up Sexton on the Better Business Bureau site and they have a good record so that's a plus but in reality, patients wouldn't know what to complain about as long as the dentist is a nice guy who gives good answers. I tried looking for to see if the dentists at that office had complaints to their state board but it doesn't seem to be working. Go to http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/denti...=licensure.htm and click "Licence Lookup" on the top right. It should show disciplinary action if any.

If I were you I'd consider asking around. Look for a place that won't skimp on materials and consider payment plans. Most offices offer 3rd party payment through companies like CareCredit. See if the terms work out for you.

Your teeth are with you for life, if you treat them well. What seems like alot now ($7000?) will be a fortune when this work needs to be redone. A crown is expected to last 10-15 years, imagine needing to redo this work every 5 years instead. You do not want to end up in dentures.

A tip: start saving for implants one day.

Good Luck. I'm here if you have more questions.

edit: I do have a friend from dental school in Durham who I trust.

cartmen34

I'm 28, and my teeth have been hurting for about 3 weeks now. Sort of a dull throbbing. Some days it can give me a slight headache, other days I don't even notice it. I've also noticed that I've got what feel like a new set of molars coming in directly behind the molars at the back of my mouth. 2 questions:

Are new rear molars normal at my age?
Should I be concerned about the pain at all?

__________________
"The problem with quick and dirty, as some people have said, is that the dirty remains long after the quick has been forgotten" - Steve McConnell

woOt?

I noticed that I developed stains on the inside of my front teeth. I saw them both on top and in the bottom. What gives? Is this from not always brushing the inside of my teeth?

Should I be worried?

Thanks!

Cereberus

I went to school near there, and this place had a bad reputation. Besides, there's no way quality work can be done at those prices.

My suggestion: The Medical College of Georgia Dental School isn't very far away. Getting treated takes a lot longer, but the prices are probably cheaper, and the work will be first class.

Willravel

I hope no one has asked this yet...
I have been hearing some really disturbing things about the use of fluoride lately (besides people wanting to spell it "flouride"). Aparently, fluoridization of your water supply can be and is usually dangerous for your health! I've checked with people from the AMA about it, but they all refer to 50 year old studies (before major fluoridization) when they answer back. Have you any information about this? If it is dangerous, what about fluoride toothpaste/mouthwash/etc.?

Much thanks for any help.

innovis

I've heard some stuff about mercury fillings breaking down over time and introducing mercury into the body, causing various ill effects. Is there any truth to this?

popo

Cartmen: no, it's not common but it can happen. Get it checked out and yes you should be concerned about anything that causes pain.

Woot: it's very normal to get staining there since these areas of in more contact with food and there are grooves in the teeth. It just means that there's another reason to get regular cleanings.

Cerebrus: excellent point. I've mentioned it throughout this thread... if cost is an issue then go to a local dental school. Prices will be similar to (if not cheaper) than what that website showed and the work will be top quality or it won't go in your mouth.

Willravel: Yes, fluoride is toxic. So is oxygen. At limited doses, both are very safe and even beneficial. For some reason there is a movement in the US of people who try to push the idea that there is a massive conspiracy to push fluoride into the population. I've seen no studies to substantiate that. There are also groups who believe that root canals cause all sorts of neural problems and that Barney is a real dinosaur. No way to please everyone.

innovis: similar idea. There's simply no evidence to substantiate this claim even thoughit's been studied for decades. Amalgam fillings do contain mercury until it's placed in your mouth. Once it is mixed in that mixing machine the mercury reacts with the other substances to form different compounds (too lazy to look it up again) from which mercury cannot be isolated. It's like trying to extract sugar from a cake you just baked. Mercury does not get intruduced into your body as the filling breaks down.

Redlemon

Very interesting, I hadn't heard that before. Perhaps a better analogy: sodium explodes in contact with water. Chlorine is a poisonous gas. Table salt is sodium chloride. Salt will not explode in water, or create toxic gsaes.

__________________
I can't read your signature. Sorry.

pan6467

First, I appologize for length but for all you serious soda drinkers......


I can give you personal experience. For the past 10 years or so I have at least drank a case of soda a day and probably at least 2 liters a day for 5 - 10 years before that. It was easy to drink while I drove, or wanted something inexpensive (since I have never been much of an alcohol drinker) and for some reason I needed the oral fix (much like my smoking).

I was fine with my teeth until about 4-5 years ago. I started to notice small decay along the gumlines of my front teeth but I hadn't been to a dentist since I was in the Navy in 1990, so I was scared and ignored it and continued to drink massive amounts of soda (although I changed from sugar to diet and from Mt. Dew to caffeine free). The reason for the caffeine free was I read caffeine (especially as much as I was drinking depletes your body of calcium real fast.... I figured that would stop the decay.)

I have had 2 abcessed teeth removed in the last 3 years and have one molar in severe breakage. Both times, the dentist (different dentists) claimed my teeth were fixable and showed signs of strength but the soda was eroding them fast. Today, I know the soda is destroying my mouth but I cannot stop, and have allowed the soda to destroy my teeth and gums. The gums have gotten so raw from the soda that I have to brush very very softly. I can constantly taste blood from my gums. My teeth are so bad now that I am in constant pain throughout my jaw, neck, ears and sinuses.

I am so scared now to see a dentist that I suffer through the pain and the toothaches are so bad that not even Anebesol helps.... The pain gets especially bad at night, but is there constantly. And even though I know a visit to the dentist and doing away with soda will take care of the pain, I am 1) scared to death of the expense 2) scared of the pain of a dentist (which would be temporary and small compared to the pain I suffer now and 3) finding a caring dentist that won't lecture me but will help me.

I know it sounds hypocritical or a "won't happen to me because he was far more extreme in his soda drinking than I am" but ease up now before you end up like I have. There is no doubt in my mind soda is every bit of as addicting as any drug, at least for me. I have been able to kick most of my other addictions but soda and smoking.... both of which destroy my teeth.

The smoke traps the soda's acid onto the teeth........ Also, according to reports I have read is never brush your teeth after drinking a soda, you should wait at least an hour afterward as the toothpaste actually will trap the acids onto your teeth and rot them faster. Sugar or Diet doesn't matter the acid is what destroys the teeth.

Again I am being hypocritical as I am always, ALWAYS with a soda in hand and brush 2 times a day and I usually had a soda right before (at least within the hour, and I have a soda almost right afterward.... I take 6 24 oz bottles (= to a 12 pack of cans) to work with me everyday.... first thing I do when I wake up is reach for a soda and last thing I do at the end of my day before I try to sleep is drink soda.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

pan6467

As sick as it sounds having typed all that a few days ago got me to face my problem. I went and had root canal today and it was really not that painful just very time consuming. I also had the dentist estimate how much it would take to fix my teeth.... $4135.

My questions for the dentist here are:

are root cleanings painful?
and
is sedation dentistry safe?

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

popo

Kudos! Great that typing it out got you to do something about it. You'll be very happy that you did.

1) root canals themselves are seldom painful. The reason people associate a root canal with pain is the fact that you usually get a root canal done when you have an infection in the nerve. Infections hurt.

2) It is very safe if the dentist is trained in it which you need to be to get a licence. So yes, it is very safe. But I would ask the dentist if he is ACLS trained. You don't need to be but it would show extra commitment to safety.

3) At $4100 you better count your blessings. That is peanuts compared to what it would cost if you let things slide further.

Congrats.

Cereberus

I know I'm butting in, but...

That's a great improvement, but the carbonation is also harmful over long periods of time. Applause for the caffeine reduction, but when you feel capable of it, you might try switching to one of the sports drinks that are basically flavored water with a minor amount, or no sugar.

Your quote to fix things probably didn't include replacing those teeth, which you should consider for the long term. Otherwise, teeth can drift, thereby messing up your bite, and sometimes your jaw joints.


I don't want to jump on you after you've improved so much, but smoking absolutely destroys your gums. Plus, when you've got gum problems, they usually can't be restored to their former condition--just TREATED, which isn't as good.

That report doesn't sound right to me. The faster that stuff's off your teeth, the better. Besides, you can always brush without toothpaste, but I don't believe the toothpaste traps anything.

It's critical to brush, and preferably floss, after that last soda. Otherwise, the stuff is doing its harm all night. Even worse than during the daytime, because salivary flow, which helps prevent decay, slows down at night.

(There's a dentist in the family.)

Good luck.

Cereberus

That's the analogy my dentist uses. Minor point: Dental amalgams give off a very minor amount of mercury vapor after you chew, but it's much less than the amount of mercury in a fish dinner, and it's not methyl mercury, the bad kind.

No matter what kind of scare stories are out there, out of hundreds of studies, no one has ever proved a link between amalgam and a health problem (well, there might be a few people sensitive to it, but that's it).

You can always get white or gold fillings anyway. They're just more expensive.

popo

Actually (minor quibble regarding your generally good advice), but brushing immediately after a soft drink is not a great idea because of the acidity. Enamel dissolves in a highly acidic enviro and brushing the teeth will encourage this dissolution. Same reason that (while it counters all logical thoughts) brushing immediately after vomiting is a no-no. Better to drink lots of water to get rid of the taste.

Cereberus

Hey, good-natured quibbling is fun.

I think this is a great thread, too.

SiN

popo!

It's my turn to ask some advise, I appreciate that you do this, this thread was the first thing I thought of today after my dentist visit ...

Anyways, here's the situ - I've got a bad molar (# 30) - it's had various fillings over the years, including one composite on the inner front corner that broke off a few years ago, and I was for one reason or anohter never able to get it repaired.
In the meanwhile, it decayed. bad.

earlier this year I finally started working on getting it fixed.
I've had 2x root canals on it, one was in May and the other was on the 3rd of June.
The plan was to in July crown it.
I know there was an abcess in there, visible in the x-ray.

Now ... since earlier this week I've had a horrible toothache there. brings-tears-to-the-eyes horrible.
(I don't know if it's possible for an abcess to 'pop' open? but I wonder if that's what could've happened, as I remember the night before, chewing some gum, accidently on that tooth, and felt a weird 'suction' feeling through the tooth).
Anyways, I've had this pain since Tuesday, (taken lots of ibuprofrin to manage it) and finally today got into the dentist
(but a different dentist at a different clinic, while the one i've been seeing had the day off).

he took an x-ray, and recommended that the tooth be extracted. he said I've got a large infection under it, and treating it 'from the top' might not work out in the long run.

I will be making an appointment with my regular dentist next week, to figure out a course of treatment.
(and in the meanwhile, today I got a script for antibiotics and painkillers).

I'm fine with pulling it, I suppose. I don't want a 'problem tooth'. I was hoping to keep it, of course, but whatever. I don't like the idea of having a constantly festering infection in my head, either.

So - I guess my question really, is this:

If I just have it extracted, with no 'replacement' ..
(money is an issue, very much, and my insurance will be ending at the end of july as well, and I still have another tooth on the other side that we will be crowning in july, that will cost me enough as it is..) ..

would it be feasable and ok, to just let it go, and in a couple of years when I have insurance and enough money again to then put in a bridge/implant (afaik implants are far pricier?)

Is that something people often do successfully?

Thanks for taking the time to consider my problem

__________________

Janey

Maybe I'm stingy, but can you explain to all of us why it is so damned expensive for a crown? $485 is enough for me to say 'no' to getting one, much less more than one. And you say this is cheap? Not to mention its in American dollars.

There must be a reason why these costs are so high. Is it pass-through costing? I.E. passing the cost of doing business down to the end consumer, so that we are not really paying $485 for a crown, but $485 for the crown plus salaries, office expenses, dental supplies etc etc?

Squishor

Wow, I just found this thread. This is great. Thank you so much, popo, for being willing to take the time and share your knowledge!

I haven't read all the previous pages so if my question has already been addressed just point me in the right direction.

I have numerous dental problems, partly due to poor nutrition as a child, weak enamel, and particularly stemming from a time period of about five years when my teeth weren't getting the beneficial saliva rinsing they should have as a result of a bad habit. Not to spell it out but if you know what that means, you'll know. Fast-foreward to the past five years, when I've paid thousands in deductibles to my dentist trying to save my teeth. My problems are exacerbated by the fact that I grind my teeth in my sleep, although I have been wearing a night guard for the past three years.

The rear-most lower molar on the left side of my mouth is giving me all kinds of problems. I haven't been able to chew on the left side of my mouth for at least the past two years. My dentist did two root canals and it still hurt. I don't know why but that one tooth is a real bitch, I've had so much more pain with it than any other tooth it's just indescribable. One time it was still hurting six novacaine shots later!

I'm trying to save the tooth if at all possible...I already have a nice gold crown that I was wearing for a number of months, and I'll be running out of teeth pretty quick if I just start having the problematic ones pulled. Plus, the right side of my mouth is getting pretty tired from doing all the chewing so I'd like to have all the teeth I need to chew on the left side when the time comes, if that makes any sense.

The pain I've been having is two-fold. I have a deep throbbing pain in the jaw below the tooth, that seems to spread a bit downwards and towards the front of the jaw. I also experience more surface pain that feels like it's coming from the tooth itself, or the area immediately around it. It seems more pronounced when the inner side of the tooth is contacted. I've also had some problems with the tooth in front of it, which still aches a bit even after a root canal, but it doesn't seem to be the source of the pain I'm describing.

After two root canals didn't help, my dentist referred me to an endodontist about a year ago but I wasn't able to pay for the decuctible and so just dealt with it for a long time. Now my dentist has an in-house endodontist, which means I was able to get treated on a payment plan, so I saw her on May 4th. I found that I was in extreme pain after the procedure, although I was optimistic because she found some new canals on the inside of the tooth. Unfortunately the pain didn't go away. Two weeks later it had subsided to a nagging, deep throb and has pretty much leveled off there, although there has been some gradual improvement. It's also hard to quantify my discomfort level because I'm taking hydrocodone for a knee injury, although I'm taking the lowest possible dose I can, usually no more than 2.5 mg at a time and mostly at night. My dentist decided to hold off on cementing the crown back on for obvious reasons, so we're in a wait and see period. The tooth doesn't seem to be cracked.

My question is just, do you have any insight at all into what could be causing me so much discomfort from one tooth that's been treated nearly into oblivion? Have you ever seen a similar situation? Can this tooth be saved?

Thanks again, and sorry for the long post.

Ustwo

Of course thats why.

And $485 is dirt cheap.

I'd be very afraid of the quality of a $485 dollar crown.

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Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

Willravel

I...um...didn't mean to bring up the conspiracy aspect of this question. I was refering more to fluoridization in the water supply, which is a very different fluoride than you might find in a mouth rinse or toothpaste. Rinsing and brushing every morning is much different than drinking and bathing in and washing your clothes in fluoridated water. The average person rinks maybe 64 oz. of water a day. Without a filter such as reverse osmosis, the flouride goes into your stomach and is digested. Every time you take a glass of water or boil your food (which concerntrates minerals such as calcium or fluoride in the food as it cooks), every time you wash your favorite shirt, you are being exposed to flouride.

Maybe the question is: How much fluoride is too much, and is it possible to get that amount from city water with fluoride in it?

Ustwo

Edit:Not needed.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

qweds

is this still going?

Ok, I've had a hole, large enough that I can feel it with my tongue, on the outside of my top rear right molar for at least 6 months now. I've been waiting until I finished school and started work to get insurance. The tooth itself has never bothered me pain wise but recently the gumline around the tooth gets sore when i brush. I have to wait another week and a half or so before I can get in to see a dentist, will this be ok?

Thanks a bunch

__________________
tim(mah)

Pip

I know using someone else's toothbrush is a big no-no. Is using someone else's plastic flossing thread holder ( a y-shaped thingie I do not know the name of!) okay, or should I buy my own?

Biscuit Buns

Hey, I just wanted to give a big thanks to you, Popo. I read the entire thread and will be making an appointment with my dentist tomorrow (only because the office closed about an hour ago). It's been 4 years since I've last been and my teeth have gone through quite a bit since then. It's about time. Thank you for the motivation.

Actually...I do have a question...but it's not for Popo. How many of us read this thread while flossing and/or brushing?

__________________
A hard man is good to find. ~Mae West

Huijingwu

Hello Popo,

I had a root canal done about two months ago. It's been hurting more recently and now just two nights ago I began to bleed immediately after flossing the temporary crown. It bled alot. What can this mean?

Thanks,

Huijing

popo

qweds: get thee to a dentist. i have a feeling that a root canal and crown lengthening surgery are in your future.

pip: can i loan you the $1.99?

biscuit buns: good show. glad to help. now show us those biscuits.

huijingwu: you shouldn't be waiting so long to get the crown done after a root canal. it sounds like the temp crown is coming off or not contoured well and is digging into your gums. you need to keep the gums around a crown (especially a temporary) very clean by brushing & flossing daily. if it's bleeding it's a problem.

Zeraph

Hello Popo, I recently went to a new dentists and he said I need to replace two silver fillings because they each had a small part that was chipped (or something I don't remember the exact phrasing). They arn't that old, I'm 20, so they were maybe around 6-11 years old (I have more than 2 fillings so it's hard to remember.) He wanted to do white fillings because if it ever happens again they are easier to repair. So I get the white the fillings, but (its been about 2 weeks) they have been hurting, like when I swish cold water, or bite down on anything. They weren't hurting when I had the silver fillings. They pain isnt that bad, but I'd be pretty pissed if it's permanent. Oh, and I can also feel them with my tongue, theyre rough, not sure if that's important (never had white fillings before).

My sister, who went to him right before I did, had never had a cavity in her life (she's onyl 18 though) but the dentist told her she had two. That isn't too abnormal by itself, but with me not having any pain, then getting pain after he works on me, makes me wonder.

Is this normal then? Getting small chips/cavitys in silver fillings and have them replaced with white? I'm particulary interested in if its normal to feel pain in them afterwards, as I've had 4 or 5 fillings and never had this problem before, so maybe I'm reacting badly to white fillings? Or did he put them in wrong? Could this be a shoddy dentist?

Thanks

popo

Zeraph: Yes, it's very normal to get chips in silver (amalgam) fillings. They need to be replaced every few year. 6-11 years is very lucky in your case. Nowadays, lots of people are getting white fillings in back teeth and while it's true that they can be repaired more easily, it's also a fact that they are more technique-sensitive. That is, sensitivity after getting one is very normal and there are various steps to take to lessen this sensitivity. These steps make it more technique-sensitive than an amalgam filling which requires no such steps.

So. Did your guys do things to lessen sensitivity? I dunno. If he did, did he do them well? I dunno. Are your teeth just sensitive and will hurt after anyone touching them? I dunno. See if it goes away after another week or two and if not, replace the fillings.

In the perfect instance, a gold inlay is the best restoration in these cases. Yes, it costs more and yes it's gold but it *can* last forever and will not cause sensitivity.

Cheers.

Zeraph

Thanks! That puts me at ease. I went and saw him and he shaved some off of one, so that one feels a lot better. The other I think I just happened to be more sensitve to, and I believe will go away after a few more days. The main thing I was worried about was the silver vs white sensitivity.

Elphaba

What a wonderful find. I have a question if the dentist is still in.

I have one loose tooth in the upper right quadrant due to bone loss. I refuse to consider a bridge because of unsatisfactory previous experiences, so my dentist recommended an intercoronal splint using the healthy tooth on each side of it to give it stability.

My question is whether there might be any risk to the two healthy teeth in playing the support role?

Thanks for all of the great information, Popo!

Mantus

First of thank you so much for this thread popo.

I haven't been to the dentist for about 14 years now. I take very good care of my teeth and have had zero problems in all this time.

Well until now. I noticed that a gap is forming between my lower left cuspid and the 1st bicuspid. Not sure when this started happening or if it will continue to cause problems.

Can this be stopped/corected? I am 24 years old btw. I guess I have a phobia of dental visists.

Rangsk

Just as background, I'm 20, I have pretty good teeth with no major problems (so far, just a couple cavities). I've been going to the same dentist in Pennsylvania twice a year for 12 years now, but I go to UC San Diego and with my current situation I can't go home twice a year anymore.

To make a long story short, I need to find a new dentist in my area. I looked at a few online websites, and they list literally 60+ dentists within 10 miles of my house. How am I supposed to choose? Even with a resource that lets me look up details on them (I couldn't find any), I can't sift through 60 of them.

Do you have any suggestions for finding a good dentist in my area? Would my university hospital be a good choice? I have Met Life insurance, and they seem to cover most dentists, so that's not a problem.

__________________
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose." -- Douglas Adams

popo

Sorry I missed the previous questions...

Elphaba: Since you say that it's in the upper right quad, I'm assuming that it's a posterior tooth (behind your canine). If so, IMHO, I would not recommend the splint. It won't hold up long term. If you don't want a bridge (good for you!!!!) get an implant. They outlast bridges and do not harm the adjacent teeth. If you've had bone loss, you may need a bone graft but it's not a big deal.

Mantus: Go to a dentist. Chronic periodontal disease is an infection that [B]by definition[B] is painless. If you don't visit a dentist, you only find out that you have it when you teeth become loose and by that time it's often too late to save your teeth. That being said, teeth move unless held in place by other teeth. If a tooth has started drifting, it will continue until stopped somehow.

Rangsk: Good question. I have no idea how to find a dentist. There's 1-800-dentist but I believe they just charge dentists $$ and promise to send them a certain number of patients/month depending on how much they pay. Contrary to what they lead you to believe on the commercials, it's nothing more than a yellow pages. UCSD doesn't have a dental school and a hospital is better suited for other types of people who can't afford treatment (like those on welfare, requiring lots of treatment with little cash). I doubt you'd find what you want there. Check the yellow pages, check the area around school for a place that has alot of students as patients. Maybe they have a student special or something. Wish I had a better answer.

Sage

Here's my question:

What's the deal on getting wisdom teeth out? (and if this has already been addressed just tell me) I have all 4 wisdom teeth, and they've never caused me pain, the only thing that is "wrong" is the ones on the bottom caused a little bit of crowding (emphasis on the little bit). So, should I have them taken out or not? I have never regularly gone to the dentist, and now I don't have dental insurance, but I've brushed at least twice a day my whole life, and haven't ever had a problem.

__________________

Nayzo

Wow, this is such a useful forum I found today by chance.
Okay, I am almost 25, and had great teeth until I was about 17/18. I had braces, retainers, and two cavities and then I got my wisdom teeth (only had three; two tops and a bottom) out almost exactly 7 years ago. That was unpleasant, as that's how I found out I am allergic to most prescription pain killers. Anyway, it's at this time, that my teeth problems began. The wisdom teeth incident was also the last time I saw any sort of dental expert.
For the first week of healing, I could not open my mouth wide enough to brush my teeth. For a month, I couldn't open my mouth entirely. After that month, I had a buildup of permanent grime on my front teeth. A while after that (6 months to a year), my molars that happened to be next to where I would have had wisdom teeth slowly started deteriorating painlessly. When I was 19, I chipped one of my front upper teeth, which was fine, but slowly, more and more pieces have been chipping off (still painlessly). And now, for the last week, my bottom right, 12 year molar has been agonizing me. It's gotten to the point where underneath my jaw is very tender, my ear aches, and forget about eating on that side of my mouth. Now, I have not had any dental coverage since I turned 18. I finally broke down today (after I spent two hours crying from pain) and called my old dentist to get in there tomorrow morning to deal with what I assume will be a nasty root canal. This will cost me at least $1100.
Now, I want to get my mouth back to better health (I hate being so self conscious about smiling and laughing). However, I cannot afford it, as I am a poor college student who somehow manages to live off of a $700 a month income. I noticed that you recommend getting work done at a dental college. I happen to live relatively close to Tufts University (and from what I hear, they have a great dental school). I was just wondering, exactly what is the price difference between my overpriced dentist and say getting it done by students? I have never liked going to the dentist; I fear mouth pain and the sound of drills. In fact, I adored my orthodontist as a child, but I never came to like the dentist. I assume the price I was quoted is just for the root canal and does not take into account the crown that I will need. I simply cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars, but I am willing, despite my fears, to get the damage to my once pristine teeth fixed. I want them cleaned, the top 12 year molars fixed, the chip fixed and whatever else is having issues fixed. But right now, I need this one tooth immediately fixed (I kept hoping and hoping the pain would go away, but I can't sleep at night anymore, and I am sick of the ridiculous amounts of ibuprofen I have ingested over the last week). Also, is it just coincidence that the deteriorating molars are next to where I had my wisdom teeth removed? I had them taken out long before they neared the surface (so as not to ruin the thousands spent on orthodontics), but I just think it's quite odd that these are my major problem teeth. Perhaps I inadvertently neglected them, feigning sensitivity, despite the fact the sockets had healed. Also, I should point out that I am a smoker and a coffee drinker. I do not drink soda, and I dring 6-8 glasses of tap water daily for the flouride. I brush my teeth at least once a day, but most days I brush twice. I try to floss often, but I'd be lying if I said I did it daily. Also, since I am such a wus about pain, is there anyway to be knocked out and have everything else fixed in one clean sweep? Any advice/comments are very much welcome, and thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of these questions.

popo

Sage: If they're not causing a problem then it's ok to keep them. It sounds like yours are starting to cause a problem, crowding. These kinds of things generally get worse over time and the teeth get more difficult to extract as you get older. If you are under 25, I'd get them out.

Nayzo: It sounds like while you may have had great teeth until 17/18, you haven't kept up with it since then. The "permanent grime" isn't permanent but it needs to be removed by a hygienist or you may need periodontal surgery to get it all off. I strongly doubt that the bad teeth have anything to do with the fact that they are close to where your wisdom teeth were, it's just that they are now the teeth furthest back and most difficult to clean. Smoking does not exactly help the situation. It alters your body's ability to fight off disease.

In short, yes go to Tufts or BU. Expect to pay ~25-50% of a dental office price (overpriced is a very relative term my friend....).

Johnny Pyro

My mother has a receeding gums. Is there any way to fix that? Shes had it for about three years. Its gotten worse. Thanks Popo.

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"From delusion lead me to truth, from darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to eternal life. - Sheriff John Wydell