Paq

i'm not a dentist, nor do i play one on TV, but i can pretty much say that a lot of cavities are pain free....be glad it was caught ahead of time.

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Delirious

Are porcelain veneers tax deductible? I had 4 of them at about 1k each.

popo

Nope, not connected. Your gums will bleed if they're inflamed. Gums get inflamed when plaque (combination of food & bugs) is present. It's possible that something got lodged in there like a popcorn kernel but it's most likely that there's plaque retention. Rough tooth surfaces also retain more plaque. It's great that you're brushing often but flossing might be the key here...

Yes. Sometimes you'll feel it, other times you won't. It depends on how deep it is and the condition of your "nerve" inside the tooth. There's a huge gray area between a perfectly healthy pulp (where the nerve & blood supply to the tooth is found) and a dead one.

I have no idea but I doubt it unless it was for functional (as opposed to esthetic) reasons. Check with your tax CPA.

Siege

Thanks for answering all of our questions popo!

Here's another one: After I got my filling, I noticed that my tooth is super sensitive. I can't even drink milk without feeling pain. It's already been a week. Is there anything I can do about this? Or will it go away on it's own? My sister used those "sensitive teeth" toothpastes for a while but stopped when she found they were next to useless.

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milio

I have a real dilema here, my wisdom teeth are cummin out, ive had braces, wheni first got them, orthodontist told me i needed to getthem pulled, i didnt because i wouldhave hadto havemy braces on like two extra years, i wasnt haven that, but now its happening, what should i do, go to a dentist havethem pulled and just have them bill me? would it be worth it? and what would the costs be? im 18 btw

popo

The OTC toothpastes for sensitive teeth are iffy but there is prescription high fluoride toothpaste that is much more effective. Whether it'll help you in your case is another story. If sensitivity persists after time and adjustment and more time, it comes down to redoing it. Some initial sensitivity with white filling is expected. Prolonged sensitivity is not.

Sorry man, I'm trying hard but I don't understand....

Intense1

Hi Popo - thank you so much for answering our questions.

Mine is this: I have receeding gum lines on my....ok....there's my front teeth, then the next two (on either side), then the next two are ok, but THE ONES AFTER THAT (I guess they're the first molars on both sides) I went to a local dentist once to check on this, and he told me to sit back and relax, and then he proceeded to bring this air-blowing monstrosity to my very sensitive teeth, and then he put on this plastic on the teeth and gums. He was a bit old, and got offended when I grabbed his arm as he blew cold air on my poor teeth! Just 24 hours after he did this the plastic came off, and I've dealt with it ever since.

Am I doomed to have exposed gums now? I'm in my mid 40's, so I'm not a youngster, and I have very good teeth, for the most part, and good gums too.

Do you ever get belted by patients, by the way?

Edited to add: He didn't tell me before he blew the cold air on my teeth, by the way.

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Paq

i'm proud to say, after years of neglect, i am finally able to take care of myself...


which means an extraction, several crowns, etc...

i just had my first (of four) visits and he removed a molar. He gave me some gauze and 800mg motrin for the pain. My issue: 4 hrs and still bleeding and i've been swapping gauze out and i'm out right now. I am trying to eat potato soup and ...it's a bit of an issue, to put it mildly. Any tips? this is the first 9 hrs home now and the bleeding is pretty much gone. is there anything i really need to watch for. I can't drink much and i still taste blood, and it's just very uncomfy. The pain isn't bad at all, though, after the first 2 hrs. I think i was biting improperly with the gauze in my mouth.

I'm really scared of removing the bloodclot in the socket accidentally. I dont' know how easy it is to do that and i REALLY do not wish to have a dry socket.

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popo

Nope, haven't been belted by a patient yet. Yet.

The receding gums could be fixed with the composite (white) fillings and it sounds like that's what your doc tried to do. You should go back if they came off (it's pretty common when used for this purpose) and maybe he'll try again. It depends on a few things that I can't see on a message board but I'd prefer to do gum grafting to cover the exposed roots. Ask him about it and he'll send you to a periodontist for eval.

In the meantime, don't brush so hard on these teeth. I have a feeling that's how this happened.....

Well I hope that it's all more comfortable now, a couple days later. As long as you avoid using a straw, smoking, and spitting you should be fine. Now, props to you for getting things straightened out. You should be like a beacon for lots of other folks reading who have neglected themselves out of fear for years. Can you imagine if someone didn't wipe their ass for years and it constantly bled on touch due to infection but yet they didn't see a doc out of fear??? Same thing here, just opposite end of the hose.

dudette

iv been in the dentist clinic constantly for the last 2years-i got braces but also have to get my canines extracted.i now have an appointment nearly every month
things are goin fine im nearly finished my treatment but the last two weeks my guns have been so so sore.it started with some inflammed gum that nearly covered all of my tooth but now it has spread to the rest of my teeth,the swelling went down but between all of my teeth the gum is really raw and brushing is a pain in the ass
iv been putting bongela on it
i ALWAYS brush my teeth.my gums have always bled a bit but i have never had this happen before. they all bleed when i brush.just wondering if you could give me some advice.my dentist barely talks to me but he has never mentioned me having bad plague or gum diease or anything.

Paq

honestly, no blood and no pain, what brought me in was an elbow to the jaw that cracked one of my rears..sadly, the one that had to be removed It's a couple days later and i still ooze a bit of blood when i sleep. I say ooze bc it's not open and bllleeeeeeeeeeeding like it was at first, but i can tell it just oozes a bit in my sleep. i can eat, just very carefully now.

and yeah, it took quite a bit to get this taken care of..3 more visits and i'll be shipshape

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Lucifer

Okay, here's a weird one for you.
My gums are receding away from my jawbone. Meaning, that in the back of my mouth, just behind my last molar, my jawbone is protruding into my mouth through the gums.I can actually reach in and touch bone. Needless to say, it's kind of painful. I visited my dentist two weeks ago and he cut the gum open and filed the bone down with his drill so that the gum would close over it, but he wasn't able to put a stitch into it. Now it has opened back up and the bone is sticking out once again. I travel a lot, and my company has arranged for me to see another dentist in a few days. Do you think putting a stitch into the gum will help keep it closed?
My dentist deduces that this whole thing was caused by a bone chip that came through the gum, and the gum pulled back from it, and then just kept on going after the chip fell out. But my last major operation was wisdom teeth about 20 years ago. Does this sound plausible?
Do you think that this is the start of an endlessly recurring thing, that every couple of weeks, I'm going to have to go the dentist to have him file my jawbone down?

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popo

Are you diabetic? If not, are you certain? Are you taking any medications such as Fosamax?

While your doc's explanation is very plausible, you're right in thinking that it has potential to occur following a recent surgery in the area. With no recent history.... I dunno. Do you wear a partial denture over the area? Any habits of note? Do you smoke? Chew?

Go see an oral surgeon or periodontist. If an infection gets into the bone, it could turn serious. Of course I could be overstating it without having seen you.

Lucifer

Okay, so not diabetic, and quite sure. I've been on antibiotics to prevent any infection (novo-clindamycine) and dilaudid for the pain. I don't smoke or chew and I don't wear dentures. I'm getting finished work for the year at the middle of December, and I'll take your advice and seek some more medical advice. Thanks

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Paq

all i have to say on this: any amount of pain that i am in or am going to be in for my issues...is NOTHING compared to that...WOW.

seriously, wow.

I've often wondered what exposed bone would feel like, but never thought about how easy it would be to find out....that makes me cringe just thinking about it.

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popo

Good choice on the antibiotic. But if dilaudid is the only thing that helps for pain I'd recommend that you not wait until the middle of December. Really.

Intense1

Ok Popo, here's a different one:

My mom is 72, and has dementia, and I've just come home to help care for her this past year. My sibs don't know who her dentist is, and the "usual suspects" as to who could be her dentist have all retired over the past few years.

I need to make an appointment for my mom to see a dentist, just for a regular check up and cleaning. She has mentioned going to a dentist in a nearby town, but this particular dentist has retired, but another has taken over his practice. Should I take mom to this new dentist and start up a new relationship with him? I can't find her dental records anywhere in our county!

How often should I take my mom to the dentist, as an adult?

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popo

Wow, you're a good one.

I can't think of a way to find out who her dentist is aside from calling everyone you can think of. It's possible that she hasn't seen anyone for a while with the dementia and the retired dentists.

At this point it really doesn't matter who she goes to. She can start a new relationship with anyone as the focus will be on maintenance and cleaning up any messes. I doubt she'll be walking in with a picture of Julia Roberts in hand.

As for how often it really depends on her needs. If she can't physically (or mentally) keep up with hygiene she may be better off going anywhere from once/month to once every 3-4 months. It depends.

Good luck, you deserve it.

kurty[B]

Thanks so much for this thread popo. This is simply spectacular. I'm sure this has already been addressed, and I'm sorry for that.

I'm having all four wisdom teeth pulled next month (waiting till after the holiday rush). I'm wondering what to expect on the recovery time, and also what to expect for the diet immediately afterwards. I imagine lots of milkshakes and puree'd food. I plan to take a day or two afterwards off work, but if 4 days later I plan to go snowboarding is this a problem? Obviously, if I'm still taking pain killers I will not bother.

The other question I have, my front tooth (I believe 9) was severely chipped as a child. Because of insurance reasons they normally only replace it with a filling. After a few years it gets discoloured, and after a few more years it will fall out (it's extremely sensitive when it falls out). I'll have another filling put on. I've wanted to put a cap on it, something permanent to avoid that visit, but this is considered "cosmetic" by the insurance companies. Is there anyway around this? The other front tooth (8) has stress fractures all through it from the same incident that chipped (9) is there anything I should do about that one, or just let it be, it does not bother me; just every dentist I go to points it out.

HoneyPot

All of my wisdom teeth are grown in and I have room for all of them except for one. Its been killing me! I can't tell if theres not enough room for it or that its just the actual growing in part thats making my mouth hurt so bad. Its finals week for me at college and I really need some quick fixes for pain until I can get to a dentist or at least afford one! Ugh.

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ktspktsp

Hi popo,

I just got some fillings done today. I have a couple of questions about this:

1) It took only a bit of novocaine to numb the upper part of my mouth, but it took a lot more to numb the bottom. I had to make the dentist stop and use more novocaine twice. So, why does it take so much more for the bottom?

2) Despite hitting the limit for the novocaine, I was still feeling some pain, so the dentist used a lower speed drill which was not as painful. Why are higher velocity drills more painful?

Thanks!

Paq

ktspktsp: I have been through 2 of 4 3 hr visits to the dentist and i can help with some things from another patient's perspective:

1. My upper is much easier to numb than the lower. my doc said it was just bc of how the nerves are routed and how much harder it is to numb the lower. My rear right bottom took 7 full vials of stuff, 3 of which were some off teh wall stronger stuff that he didn't use often. I burn through it pretty quickly, apparently. I don't know why, maybe the caffeine i drink or my past reliance upon painkillers to get through the day. my upper took 2 and was much smoother. The bottom required sticking the needle directly into the nerve chamber of my tooth which ...well, let's just say i'm still trying to unclench from thinking about it. My last visit was EXCRUCIATING for the lower jaw, left side. Again, about 7 vials and 2 shots into 2 teeth directly into the nerve chamber (root canals). took forever to numb. He gave the first vial and went away, came back and NOTHING was numb. so 2 more, then did some work on the upper side that took less than one to completely numb for 2 hrs.. after 3 vials in the lower, i was numb for about 40 minutes, then had to re-numb to complete 1 canal, then numb again for the rearmost tooth to do a pulpotomy so i wouldn't have trouble between now and my next visit.

2. i have the same thing. apparently, the higher speed drill has cold water it sprays which my teeth are almost always sensitive to. either that, or the assistant just sprayed cold water in, but just thinking about ti makes me cringe. The slow speed drills dont' really bother me much comparatively.

and yeah, i hit the limit for anesthetic both times. I have been going for 3 hr sittings just to get hte most done in the shortest amount of time possible, and i have to be re-numbed repeatedly. The upper is NOWHERE near as sensitive or resistant as the bottom.

ah vell, lesson learned..don't neglect your teeth..i'm just happy i can replace or repair all the damage for under $12,000

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ktspktsp

Thanks Paq!

Wow, 3 hour sittings! I don't envy you.

The interesting thing for me is that when the dentist moved to the big vial ("let's cut to the chase", in her words , I couldn't feel the needle at all, so she could stick the needle away in so many places without a bother .

12k, .. I have 4 cavities (one left to do, on the other side) so it should cost me 200$ given that I have insurance. I'm definitely gonna start flossing now!

Average_Joe

Popo,

I just read something scary. I read that the silver amalgam for fillings may contain toxic amounts of mercury. A study was done that links Mercury poisoning from fillings to autism in children (from the parent) and other potential health issues. I just had 10 fillings replaced over the last year and a half. How worried should I be? Should I have replaced the silver with porcelain?

Paq

yeh, i have 2 3 hr visits, 1 1.5 hr visit, adn 1 probably 3 hr visit, then 2 more to set my crowns then 2 more to put in implants.

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Philangicality

Dear PoPo,

I was reading about wholistic dental care.

This one dentist recommends making a paste of 3Parts Baking Soda, 1Part table salt. Then pour a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide into your hand with the mixture. Mix it up to make a paste. Then getting a soft bristle tooth brush and take the paste and work it into your where the top of your gums overlaps the bottom of the tooth. There is a name for that part, I just forget, you probably know.

This is suppoused to strenghten the gums and make sensitivity on teeth less painful.

He also says to use a rubber triangle pick thing once the gums have grown a bit and flossing.

I have not tried it yet, but am interested and was wondering what you thought about this.

popo

1) cool soft foods. no straws, no smoking, no, um, sucking motion. i wouldn't recommend snowboarding 4 days later as this is the prime dry socket period. while exerting yourself you could dislodge a blood clot and end up on a lot of pain.

2) it sounds like you will need at least one crown, it's just a matter of when. i would delay it as much as possible since a crown preparation removes far more tooth structure than a filling preparation. with a crown lasting on average 12 or so years, think of how many times it'll have to get replaced with each time the doc needing to remove a bit more tooth. same with the other tooth.

if it really hurts, you need to see someone. there could be a flap of skin over it allowing for bugs to get under. this could cause a pretty good infection. no quick fix unfortunately.

1) blame god. it's much easier to get at the nerves around top teeth than it is for bottom teeth. the bone in the bottom jaw is much denser so while for the top teeth we can just let the anesthetic seep into the bone for bottom teeth we have to get the nerve at the source way back there. it's not a big deal (medically-i'm sure it is a big deal to the patient ) to have to give a couple.

2) the limit is pretty up there, ~11 full carpules for an average male. the slower one could be considered less painful because it doesn't spray water. but it can only be used a bit at a time (it doesn't drill much and it's not cooled by the water).

i'd like to read that study if you have the reference. as far as i know, there has NEVER been a study linking the mercury in amalgam to anything. and it has been studied ad nauseum. even if worried, i would not recommend that you replace the fillings since drilling them out releases far more mercury than leaving them alone.

baking soda has been studied extensively and was popular in the 70's. the research shows that it does nothing. the one thing that has been shown in each and every study to make a difference is....... guess.... brushing. if you live in a fluoridated water area then the tooth paste is only there for flavor. brushing alone (with floss) will cure gingivitis (unfortunately not periodontitis). get rid of the plaque, period. if you like baking soda, ok. if you like toothpaste, ok. but brush.

i'm curious, one of my old instructors still was adamant about using this technique. and he's in california.... where was this? private practice or university? you can give his initials if you like.

Philangicality

I got this off of a website of a private practitioner. I forget his initials.

I think the purpose of the baking soda was to change the Ph in the gums to a less acidic and more basic balance to make an unfavorable environment for bacteria.

I will however step up the brushing to more than just morning and night.

thanks PoPo

Paq

just a quick question here.

first off, thanks for all the useful info.

Second, i had my wis tooth removed...then i had to have the one in front removed due to a nick that was missed and became infected...so they removed that one and did a root canal on the one in front...well, i took an elbow to the jaw and lost that one recently...

so i have a weird feeling in my mouth, but no biggie..i'm mainly concerned bc i have a sharp area at the junction where the 2 teeth met when they were there. I can just feel something hard and pointy and i don't feel any gum tissue on it...i have no idea what it could be. any ideas?

the good thing is that i have an appt on jan 4th for my 3rd of 4 major visits and i can find out then what it is, but iw as just wanting to be prepared.

btw, it does not hurt at all, just that i can feel it.

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popo

Chris, it sounds like it could be anything from a sharp piece of tooth to a sharp piece of bone. Either way, let your doc know and he'll get rid of it for you.

Paq

sounds gross.

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popo

nah, you want gross just ask for gross. i got pics.

UrbanAngel

Hi popo

I asked for your advice earlier in this thread, in regards to an odd crease I had in my face after having a wisdom tooth pulled. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't just premature aging, but I guess my muscles were spasming in that side of my face. Over the next few months I developed an earache, headache, neck pains, and a tight feeling on my face and forehead, all on the left side. I noticed I could no longer open my jaw straight. My face also became more lopsided. At this point both sides are kind of messed up, and I look different as the musculature of my face has changed and become strained. I went to a different dentist 3 months later and he said that I had tmj, and that my jaw disc was displaced. He said it would go back to normal in time and prescribed muscle relaxers and jaw exercises, but it got worse. I sought a second opinion from a neuromuscular dentist who said my face and neck muscles were "a mess" from this and fashioned me an orthotic. I wore it for 2 months and my neck and ear felt a bit better but the headaches got much worse. I don't clench or grind my teeth during the day, and both dentists said that they didn't think I did while sleeping as there were no signs of that on my teeth. I have never had any jaw problems before this.

I realize that this may be somewhat outside your realm of expertise, but I was wondering if you know or have heard of anyone who was cured of this, and by what methods they did so. It has been 7 months since the injury, and I'm worried I may be stuck like this for the rest of my life. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

popo

Angel, sorry it's taken so long for me to reply.

I have to say that I have no hands-on experience with this type of thing. It's also a bit beyond giving out advice without an exam. Check out http://www.abop.net/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={7B822CB1-8BA9-48B3-89F4-E0CDC19B4345} for a diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain. There are also a few centers in the US that deal specifically with Orofacial pain. I'd highly recommend you see someone at a local dental school. They can more easily take their time to figure out the case that has no easy answer.

I wish I had a better answer. Best to you, and keep us all up to date.

Sharon

Ok this made me laugh!

One of my molars on the left side of my lower jaw has what appears to be a small hole on the side of it. I don't know how it got there. It's not causing me any pain, and I do brush religiously so I'm not too worried about it but I'm wondering how it got there.

Any ideas?

popo

The outside of lower molars have a groove in them that is notorious for getting decayed. That's what it sounds like.... you need a filling! Not causing pain b/c it's not deep enough yet. Psst: don't wait until it hurts.

UrbanAngel

Thanks for your reply. I've already met with a diplomate from the Board of Orofacial Pain, didn't make much progress unfortunately. However, there is a large dental school nearby, so I'll definitely give them a call to see if they can help. Thanks again for the advice.

Sharon

Thanks popo.

Can I ask you another question? Are teeth whitening treatments safe? Toothpastes? Which ones are more effective than others? Which are the least expensive / best value?

Sorry for all the questions... it would be good to get an opinion from an expert who couldn't give me a self-interested opinion based on which one would be most profitable. My dentist doesn't seem like the type, but second opinions are always good.

Paq

hey popo, i just finished my 2nd to last visit to basicaly rebuild my mouth anyway, i just had impressions taken for my crowns and i am currently sporting some acrylic temporaries. I was wondering if there were any special instructions/anything i can't eat, etc, with the permanent crowns. I've been told to avoid sticky food and anything raelly hard, so popcorn and gum are out, but is there anything i have to worry about with the crowns?
also, the dentist i use has a 5 yr warranty on his work and the crowns themselves, and i was just curious as to the average life of a crown? if ti helps, these are my my lower molars and premolars. not sure of the names, but basically the last two teeth before the wisdom teeth.

and now my dr is talking about doing some more cosmetic work/whitening/replacing old fillings with porcelain, etc. Any tips?

oh, and i am going ot have an implant on my upper right to replace one he couldn't save. kinda bummed, but whatever. Any idea what i can expect in cost/pain/longevity?

Thanks again, so much.

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popo

Bleaching systems are safe but they obviously vary in effectiveness. This isn't my area of knowledge but I'll tell you what I know. Least expensive is definitely any of over the counter stuff but of course it's the least effective. On the positive, it's cheap so you can try it and see if you like the results. If not, the dentist will have the stronger stuff. We always do. Whitening toothpastes don't do anything from what I've seen. Your dentist will have a home bleaching with trays and in-office bleaching. The home is cheaper but takes longer. The in-office is faster and sometimes comes with home bleaching for upkeep. If your teeth are sensitive, go with home bleaching so you can titrate it in a way.

Good stuff.

The permanent crowns can be made of gold, ceramics, or a combination. If they contain ceramics, treat them like fine china. They can chip/crack and will if you crack nuts, bite into ribs, etc. with them. Gum shouldn't be a problem. A 5 year guarantee is pretty good, lots of folk give a 1 year or 2 year or none. The average lifespan is in the range of 10-15 years for a single crown.

The implant is my area... All I can suggest is that you go to someone who has years of experience with documented successful cases that he can show you. If you're not seeing a specialist for it, don't hesitate to ask for one if you sense BS. Inexperienced people tend to paint too rosy a picture. In general, it doesn't hurt any more than a tooth extraction but I have no idea if you'll need a bone graft or gum graft, etc.

If you have questions, I'm here.