Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Teeth

I'm worried about my undue tooth concern.

emperor.seamus — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:29:35 -0800

I am beginning to worry irrationally and frequently about the possibility of my teeth falling out when they are obviously fine, Is this something I should talked to a therapist about? Okay, I don't have the best Oral health in the world, I won't lie about that, but right now? I have no unfilled cavities, no pain, occasionally a little blood on my brush, but beyond that? No real problems. Still, over the last couple of months I've been getting really really afraid that my teeth are going to fall out, not even the realistic rot away falling out either, more like when your milk teeth fall out. I'm spending hours at a time tonguing at one immovable tooth where I think I felt a little bit of looseness, or searching the top parts where they fit into the gums for a gap that might suggest one of them is starting to weaken.

I mentioned it to a friend of mine today, and realized for the first time that this is really really unlike me. I rarely even worry about things that are important, and I don't tend to dwell on things like illnesses I might get, or bad things that might happen. So I guess my question is, is this something I should worry about in terms of like, I don't know, a psychological problem? I've never had any issues in that area before, so I don't know if this is the kind of thing that they manifest as, and like I say, normally I'd just forget about it, but I've been worrying about my teeth progressively since around the start of October when I went back to university.

My university has free mental health staff (I'm afraid that's as specific as I can get, because I've only heard about this briefly in freshers week) to work with students, so money isn't likely be too much of an issue in whether or not I'm able to go and see someone, I'd just prefer not to waste anyone's time if this is just normal healthy worrying I'm doing.

If I'm just being stupid I'd really love to be told that, but it's bothering me that this is at once so persistent, to out of character for me, and so irrational.

Full disclosure: I have been watching a lot of The Sopranos lately. I don't think I'm that easily swayed? But I don't like to give myself too much credit either...

My root canal... it tickles?

raztaj — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:18:52 -0800

What is this sensation I'm feeling after getting a root canal? I had a root canal on a molar exactly three weeks ago. Some of the alveolar bone between the roots had been lost, but when I went back to the dentist today to have a post put in, the x-ray indicated it was healing extremely well, and showed "significant" bone restoration - (way cool, and yay!).

But every now and then I feel a slight tingly (not painful, not sensitive, not uncomfortable), almost fizzy feeling under the tooth in question. It sort of feels like tiny seltzer bubbles, but the feeling lasts only 1-4 seconds. I don't feel it every day, but when it does happen, it's usually in bursts of a few times an hour. I forgot to ask the dentist about it since I haven't had the feeling for several days, doesn't cause any discomfort, and doesn't appear to be indicative of any post-root canal problems.

What is this sensation? What is causing the fizzy feeling? Might the feeling have something to do with bone growth? Is it even possible to feel bone growth?

When Root Canals Fail...

k8lin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:39:02 -0800

I had a root canal two months ago and now have pain in that tooth. I am supposed to have the crown put on tomorrow. Should I wait to have the crown procedure started? I am supposed to have the first part of my crown procedure done tomorrow (they will file the tooth and put on a temporary crown). I went to the dentist - a different dentist than the one I had that ordered the root canal; I had a root canal and then moved to a new city - two days ago with tooth pain and she didn't seem to think that the pain was coming from the tooth that I had the root canal on but from a different tooth entirely. She did something to my teeth that involved grinding them down (the teeth on my lower jaw, the root canal was on an upper tooth) to correct my bite and that seemed to relieve the pain temporarily but now it's back. It is a dull ache, not a throbbing, searing, or sharp pain. It's just kind of annoying at this point. Sometimes it tastes a bit weird and maybe metallic, but I do not have any metallic fillings, so I'm not sure if that is psychosomatic or what.

After waiting a few days, I am now certain that it is the tooth that I had the root canal procedure done on that hurts. I am worried that the root canal is failing and that putting a crown on is a bad idea. I currently have a temporary filling. I will discuss this with my dentist tomorrow when I go in for the crown, but I wanted an opinion from someone who was not my dentist as well. I also wanted to have some information before I go in because it's a high-pressure situation with money involved and I am worried about making a choice under stress in the heat of the moment, so to speak.

I do not currently have dental insurance. It cost over $100 to see this dentist in the first place for the pain, and I don't think I can afford to go to another dentist for a second opinion and pay for the crown (over $1000), especially if I also end up needing a second root canal on this tooth. I found this dentist through several recommendations from friends and I don't know how I would even go about finding another one for a second opinion. If people agree that a second opinion is what I need, I will do my best to get one.

Also, if the root canal fails, what do they do? Do they just pull the tooth, or try to perform another root canal on it?

Help. I'm a pansy.

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:04:31 -0800

This is so shameful. I haven't seen a dentist since 2005. I've always been terrified of the dentist, but now it's been more than four years. When I finally go again, it will be so much worse. My teeth hurt sometimes, so I probably have cavities. What if I need a root canal? And the scraping! I know this sounds stupid, but for me, the scraping is the worst part. It's the way it sounds and the way it feels. It's not just the stabbing my gums with metal hooks, which novocaine helps... nothing helps the scraping.

So I can't go on like this, things will just get worse and worse. I have to go. I tried googling to find a sedation dentist... I feel so paralyzed by anxiety. I got nowhere.

Here are my conisderations. MetaFilter, please help me get this done. You are far more rational than I am and I need someone's objective, unemotional guidance.

Nutshell:

I need to see a dentist. I need a cleaning and to figure out if I have cavities, and if I do, I need to have them treated. I don't know what else I might need.

I do not have dental insurance. I do not have any money. I'm living without a cushion right now. My parents said they would pay for a visit to the dentist as a birthday present, but there is a limit to what I can ask them to pay.

Because of the financial constraints, I feel like I have to get it right the first time. If I go to a dentist who does a bad job, I will be stuck with it. This contributes to my anxiety and paralysis.

Sedation dentistry seems perfect but incredibly expensive. Do I need to accept that this is not an option for me right now, or are there reasonably-priced sedation dentists who are also reliable and good?

I'm in NYC.

Will the NTI mouth guard keep my teeth in place?

jModug — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:18:35 -0800

Will my NTI mouth guard help my teeth stay in place? (Similar to a retainer) I haven't worn my retainer in many years and recently I have gotten an NTI mouth guard that covers my front four teeth. I wanted to know if those four front teeth will stay in place or will the NTI guard have negative effects to their placement in my mouth.

Why do baby teeth come in in the order they do?

Bugbread — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:58:05 -0800

Why do baby teeth come in in the order they do? Since babies don't start out eating carrots or other particularly hard foods, but do need to mash softer foods, it seems like it would be more advantageous for the molars to come in first. Also, it would cause less discomfort to the mother during breast feeding. So why does it start with the incisors and end with the molars?

teethwhitening, teeth, tooth

SweetTeaAndABiscuit — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:18:11 -0800

I'm looking for an effective and relatively inexpensive way to whiten my teeth. Every time I shop for a product, I leave emptyhanded, confused about all the choices. I drink a lot of tea, coffee and soda, and so my teeth are badly in need of whitening. I'm not fond of dentists and my budget is fairly tight, so I'm hoping for something effective I can use at home. Strips, trays, brush on gels, it's all so confusing!

What have you used to whiten your teeth that was 1) effective, 2) inexpensive, and 3) (bonus) didn't make your teeth terribly sensitive?

Thanks, MeFi!!

Another typically American AskMeFi question

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:34:13 -0800

In the Boston area, what should one expect to pay to have two wisdom teeth removed? There shouldn't be any complications. I just need the two back ones removed because I can see that they've turned black and I was so ashamed I finally went to the dentist yesterday. He gave me a referral to an oral surgeon, but I didn't have time to call for an appointment yet, much less ask for quotes. I should prefer to pay for a good one, rather than shop around too much, but I'd like to know what's reasonable. I don't have dental insurance, but I have some money, and I've been putting this off long enough.

Porcelain or MetalFilter

PhoBWanKenobi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:43 -0800

How bad is tooth sensitivity from gold inlays? I just got the bad news from my dentist that, despite brushing and flossing daily (really, I'm a nerd about flossing!), I need a whole bunch of cavities filled. Several of these are on teeth with existing fillings, on which he wants to place inlays.

I have the option of either getting gold or porcelain inlays. I actually kind of like the idea of having gold in my teeth; I'm not terribly bothered by the aesthetic aspect, since they're back molars that already have silver amalgam fillings in them. And gold fillings would cost about fifty dollars less a tooth after insurance--which, considering the inlays are going to cost around five hundred dollars each, isn't a huge savings, but it's still a nice dinner out.

This previous ask.metafilter post suggests that gold fillings are superior in most aspects except for aesthetics (again, not a concern) and sensitivity. Back then, a mefite described a gold crown as "exquisitely cold-sensitive." I already have some sensitivity in these teeth because of the caries, but, well, I love a nice hot tea. And ice pops in the summer! Do you have any experiences with gold inlays and tooth sensitivity? Is it really so bad that I'd be better getting porcelain, despite issues with wear and fragility, and despite the fact that I find the idea of gold teeth to be sort of wickedly awesome?

I'm bleeding!

crazylegs — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:59:07 -0800

how much bleeding is normal after a wisdom tooth extraction? I just had a wisdom tooth removed this morning. There isn't much pain, for which I'm grateful, but I appear to be bleeding like a stuck pig. The tooth was taken out 6 hours ago. How long is this supposed to go on? I keep putting gauze pads against the hole left by the tooth and they keep coming out completely soaked in blood. Is this normal? Anything I can do to keep my blood inside of me?

Half a loph is better than none.

Panjandrum — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:38:34 -0800

Aside from mugging the tooth fairy, what's the best way to get my hands on a substantial number of real human teeth? It's for science.

Destined for problem teeth?

mittenbex — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:14:23 -0800

What will REALLY happen when I get pregnant if I have poor oral health? I keep reading about how you need to get all your dental work taken care of before you get pregnant or during your first trimester (or whatever the designated window is).
The fact of the matter is I have awful quality (but great cosmetically) teeth. It's always been this way. As a child, I did regular cleanings and had cavities taken care of as needed. I definitely didn't keep up with brushing and flossing as much as I should've but what adolescent does?

But from high school on I was great about brushing (still not awesome about flossing) and I still repeatedly would get cavity after cavity. I've had a root canal experience go completely awful with an infection and I then had all four wisdoms yanked and experienced terrible dry socket which -- seriously, WORST pain of my life.
Now I'm 25. I have no insurance but I sucked it up and paid out of pocket for a cleaning and exam last summer. I still have cavities to be taken care of but didn't have the money to at the time. I realize I should've just gotten them fixed and gotten put on a payment plan BUT I didn't, and whatever. I gotta get them done.
Last week I had two old fillings break so I've been puttering around for a week with holes in two of my back teeth, frantically brushing constantly and rinsing. I'm going tonight to have them looked at to see what my options are.

I'm just wondering, or more I guess ... I'm petrified that I'm going to get pregnant a few years from now and my teeth, no matter their condition, are going to like rot away. My grandmother told me after she had her kids her teeth just basically went to shit and she ended up needing a bunch extracted and eventually she had dentures. I realize this was like 50 years ago so we've come along way with dental care.

Any dentists or people with first hand experience?
When I find out tonight what the situation is -- do I have to get everything taken care of and fixed up to avoid a monstrosity of the teeth when I eventually get pregnant?

Any women have stories about dental stuff and pregnancy?

Thanks!

Less than a Filling.

I, Slobot — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:22:13 -0800

How careful do I need to be with eating and brushing around a large temporary filling from a root canal in progress? Had my first ever root canal today (Yippee!). I had neglected a fractured tooth and then the pain became unbearable in the last week. I don't have a good track record of regular dental visits and it'd been a while. The dentist was great when I went in yesterday to get it examined. He said there was an infection and I needed to get it taken care of ASAP, so he got me in today to start the root canal. I will be going back for a second visit to finish the process.

The procedure itself was intense as I didn't know what to expect and the infection was, apparently, pretty bad. I left in a daze with a numb face and a prescription for Vicoden and without much instruction from the Dentist on caring for the large temporary filling.

So my question is, should I avoid chewing on that side of my mouth? If so, for how long? (I won't be going back for three weeks due to the Doc going on vacation) Can I brush like normal and use mouthwash? What other precautions should I take, if any?

(Tooth in question is my second molar on the bottom right)

And I thought I'd left braces back in high school...

sunshine arakhan — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:25:22 -0800

I lost my retainer and my orthodontist doesn't have the records to make me a replacement. I got my braces off about 4 years ago, and was given a retainer like this to wear on my upper teeth of a night.
Fast forward to 2009 and occasionally I'd still wear it when things were feeling a little 'out' - my teeth haven't really moved at all, but anyone who's had braces knows the 'tight' feeling you get when you pop your retainer in overnight again (enough money was spent on the process, so I might as well use it!)

I moved house recently and have absolutely no idea where the retainer is, it's gone. I called my orthondontist (I have since moved to the other side of the country) who informed me that they didn't keep my final moulds, just a photograph, so they can't make me a replacement. Great.

So what are my options? I know I can get a dentist to take current moulds and make me a new one, but that defeats the purpose of getting that post-braces straightness back. Are they able to alter the moulds a little? Push everything back a millimetre or two? Or is there something I can do (sleep with my palm pushed against my mouth??).

Again no teeth has visibly moved, but my main beef is with my front right tooth. It was the main offender whilst having braces so if I go a couple of months without wearing the retainer at least once it feels as if it'd shifted forwards ever so slightly.

FWIW I live in Melbourne, Australia.

Thanks!

How do you clean your dog's teeth?

COD — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:01:48 -0800

The Vet says my dogs need a teeth cleaning. What are my options? The Vet wants to put both dogs (beagles, 9ish years old) under for a teeth cleaning. The bill will be $500 plus. Does anybody have experience with the various products that are available for cleaning dog teeth? Do they work? I'm having a hard time accepting that cleaning a dog's teeth costs more than my dental cleanings, or more than the annual teeth float for my daughter's horse. Also, older dogs and anesthesia are not a good mix. It's relatively low risk, but still... If I can avoid anesthesia and save money that is a good thing.

Quick dental aesthetics-fix in NYC?

pearl228 — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:38:06 -0800

Top-notch dentist or prosthodontist in NYC to fix small chip on front tooth asap. In short, would you please recommend a top-notch dentist or prosthodontist (prosthodontist because I need to see one for a consult anyway) who gets aesthetics and is smart (i.e., sophisticated, would not ever be responsible for chiclet smiles)? An understanding of subtlety is an absolute must. Details below:

-----------------------------------------------
Chipped my left front tooth last night while kissing the boyfriend. It is a small chip, but about as big as the notch between the two front teeth - so, aesthetically upsetting to me.

I'm 23 and my smile has been basically perfect forever. The miniscule imperfections it shows have been, up til now, attractive net/net. But this one needs fixing right away.

I don't have a dentist in new york at the moment, and don't want to risk messing up my smile by going to someone who is going to file down the edge of the tooth or provide clunky bonding. (Bonding would be okay if it'd fix a blemish this small and be unnoticeable - I'm not sure what method is best to fix this, so any suggestions on the method/materials commonly used to repair a super fine, smooth edge of a front tooth (upper incisor I guess) would also be appreciated.) Thank you!! :)

Like I Need Another Hole In My Head.

The Whelk — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:01:15 -0800

No Insurance-Filter: I suspect I need some minor dental work done, where can I get it done cheaply and quickly in NYC? Caveat: No Insurance, but some savings. I've heard horror stories about NYU Dental school, but I've gone to Dental Schools for cleanings and minor work all through childhood without a problem (No Cavities! ever!), is it really that bad?

Anyone know a decent dentist in the metro area or know where I can find one?

The cost of dental care in Germany

Planet F — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:35:48 -0800

I need information regarding the German dental costs to non-resident European nationals, with a EU health card but no German health insurance. My boyfriend has been experiencing varying forms of tooth and gum pain towards the back of his mouth (Wisdom Tooth area, he hasn't had them out yet), and this morning started spitting blood (NOT coughing blood, this is definitely mouth-related). I've been suggesting he see a dentist for a while, but he's heasitant because of the fact that we're both exchange students in Germany, and he doesn't have German health insurance, just the EU health card compulsory for all EU residents travelling within the EU. This card does not, as far as he knows, cover any dental costs, emergency or otherwise.

Does anyone know what the costs associated with a simple checkup would be? If something more major is required, he will fly back to England to have it done, on insurance, but I feel like he should get it checked ASAP.

Bonus questions: does anyone have an idea, if not wisdom teeth, of what this might be? How he can treat it in the short term?

Emergency whitening

Maximian — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:42:14 -0800

Is there any way I can get my teeth significantly whiter within 10 days? An event at which I'm going to have a lot of photos taken looms. I had intended to go see a dentist about whitening, but I've been very busy in the last few months and never got around to it. Now, suddenly, I have only 10 days left.

I tried whitening strips last year on a whim, but they don't fit my mouth at all. I've seen whitening kiosks in certain malls; do they work? Any other ideas I'm overlooking? I haven't actually called any dentists, since I don't have a dentist right now, and everything I've heard about dentistry in this country seems to imply that one always has to wait weeks for an appointment.

help.

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:17:50 -0800

My teeth are bad. Really bad. Totally rotted in the back, cavities in most of the surviving ones. I need help. This stated after going though emotional trauma in my late childhood, early adolescence. And in an attempt to gain some control over my life, I totally and completely neglected my teeth (I know it doesn't make sense, but personal and family issues manifested themselves in this weird way). I feel so stupid, embarrassed, so regretful for this, but I can't go back. I desperately want to have my teeth fixed - to feel good, not in pain, ease in eating, and maybe feel better about myself.

Are there any services in the Boston area that will help me, and help with the costs? (I am just out of school, and looking for a job, do not have a lot of savings).

I am tired of living like this and really need some help. Any thoughts, directions, or services you can point me to would be really really really appreciated.

Holy Rotten Baby Teeth, Batman

swilkerson — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:50:39 -0800

My three year old just had his filling break off (or fall out) his front tooth a mere seven days after having a dental procedure. Needless to say, it looks AWFUL. Is there some dental technique I should ask my dentist about to get something that will provide a more permanent(ish) solution until his adult teeth come in? Lots more below. We had been giving our son on-demand Milk + Carnation Instant Breakfast as a weight-gainer of sort since he was about 18 months old -- on our doctor's recommendation. Apparently all of the sugar hit his front teeth constantly because he was taking it through the sippy cup resulting in - yep, a handful of cavities on the front teeth and incisors. The pediatric dentist said he needed fillings, and he ended up undergoing a fairly length dental procedure that involved sedatives, nitrous, and being strapped to a papoose (and heartbreaking crying and screaming). We were not told that there were any restrictions on regular eating habits or that the fix had been anything less than successful.

Four months later, when my son was eating carrot sticks, I was horrified to find that one of the fillings had broken out, leaving two huge holes in the front tooth and incisor (the filling had been between the two teeth, and apparently they did a fair amount of drilling to make a place for it, as the cavity itself was very small from all outward appearances when we took him in initially). We took him back to the dentist again and went through the whole ordeal of sedatives/papoose/etc again. This time, he also got a root canal, a new filling, and a crown. The dentist (a different dentist from the first go-round) told me that he shouldn't eat whole apples/carrots/other hard foods that put a lot of pressure on the front teeth and indicated that there was a good chance that the filling could break out again, because it was hard for a filling to bond to the smooth surface of the front teeth.

Seven days later, we're back to a broken filling and a huge hole. We've been very diligent about not letting him bite into hard things with his front teeth (or at all, for that matter). Is there really no good way to fix baby teeth in the front?

(FYI - I'm waiting for a call back from the dentist now ... as it's a Saturday, all I could do was call his answering service)

PS - I'm not interested in "they're just baby teeth; ride it out" types of advice. Kids can be cruel, and I'm not sending my kid to preschool with a rotten broken tooth right in the front. You can disagree with that decision, but I'm not looking for advice on it.

Should I be worried about getting a glass ionomer filling?

Kirn — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:56:00 -0800

Should I be worried about getting a glass ionomer filling? I have previously had a whole bunch of composite resin fillings. My new dentist says I need another new filling, and that one of my existing fillings is cracked. I am down to receive 'glass ionomer fillings', though I wasn't asked for a preference as at my old place.

This website says "Traditional glass ionomer is significantly weaker than composite resin. It is much more susceptible to wear and prone to fracture." This doesn't sound that good to me. I've also seen this website which indicates medical problems arising from glass ionomer fillings, although not sure whether it should be taken seriously.

Does anyone have any experience with these types of fillings, either as a patient or a dentist (or an informed other)? Should I be concerned?

My teeth just took over my life.

springbound — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:35:04 -0800

ThinningToothEnamelFilter: So my latest trip to the dentist (three weeks ago) was a bit of a nightmare, in which I was told the enamel on my teeth is "very thin". Looking for advice on anything I can do to keep what's left, and (dubious) whether there's any way to get it back, as well as what I can expect from here on just generally. A few questions inside for those who have experienced the same thing, or others who genuinely know anything about the problem. 1. From most of what I've read, it's impossible to get back enamel that's gone. I've come across the odd website created by people I suppose are probably quacks, telling me this isn't the case if I take their super special blend of exclusive herbs and spices or whatever; that's bullcrap, right? Or can anyone tell me is there anything I can do to make it, uh, come back?

2. I read something about synthetic enamel having been developed by dentists in Japan but it not having been released. The article I found online was dated a few years ago, though. Does anyone know anything about this?

3. I'd like to keep what enamel I have left by paying attention to the acidity of the foods I eat, but lists I come across starkly contradict one another. The list my dentist gave me said that cauliflower and broccoli and mushrooms are "very high" in acid, for example, but other lists I've seen online indicate that these are fine. What gives? How do I know what I need to avoid if I can't find two lists that agree with one another? Basically I trust my dentist, but the list she gave me doesn't contain *everything* that I'd like to eat, so I need some way of working out if I need to be finding substitutes for stuff, and it's alarming and confusing to come across things online indicating quite the opposite to what she's said.

4. Is there anything else I could be doing that you've had success with? Any other advice? Stories? Anecdotes on what to expect? How they fix this if it degenerates further? Are my options for dealing with this the same everywhere in the world? Are my odds such that I should be getting me some private health insurance right about now? Anything else you can offer?

I'm 30 years old, for what it's worth. Female. Vegetarian. Living in a city that has fluoride in its water, but only as of early this year.

What I'm doing at present:

* Giving up all soft drinks, entirely. (I was having 1-3 a day before this, for much of my adult life.)
* Limiting my eating as best I can to three meals a day (eliminating all the snacking I've always done in between) so my poor abused enamel gets a chance to reharden (remineralise?) between meals. If I want a chocolate now, I eat it at the end of a meal and not between meals. Mostly cutting out the snacks entirely though.
* Rinsing my mouth with water at the end of every meal.
* Drinking more water generally to get more saliva happening in my mouth. (I've always been bad with drinking enough water.)
* Becoming a gum addict for the same reason. (But not chewing 'til 30-60 minutes after I eat, so that no enamel gets polished off by my chewing!)
* Brushing twice a day, gently (apparently I've been brushing too enthusiastically all along), with Sensodyne, and not 'til 30-60 mins after I've eaten. Flossing once a day.
* Using Tooth Mousse morning and night.

Please ask about anything else that might be relevant. Thanks!

Kitty teeth

greta simone — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:40:54 -0800

Cat filter: Do I really need to get her teeth cleaned? I just got back from my yearly vet check-up, and they recommended a teeth cleaning for my cat, stating that she has some gum disease. They showed me what indeed looked a little nasty, and then told me that a cleaning would cost from $250-350. I am very broke, getting ready to finish grad school, look for employment, and move to a large city. I cannot feasibly afford this, and probably won't be able to for quite some time.

I spoke with my mother shortly thereafter, and she said that I didn't need to get a cleaning, with her rationale being "they are animals. Their teeth get dirty. The cleaning is a vet racket". Now, I tend to be one of those cat-mamas that leans toward over-care and protection of my dear feline.

My questions are these: Have you, Mr. or Ms. Cat owner, gotten this recommendation from a vet and not gone ahead with the cleaning? Did you have negative consequences because of your decision? Is this neglect if I don't do it? Should I just bite the bullet and put this expense on my credit card?

Any and all experiences are welcome.

Thanks.

Why does only Cool Whip make my teeth throb?

setanor — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:34:25 -0800

Why does only Cool Whip make my teeth throb? I used to have a little bit of cold sensitivity, but not so much anymore. Also, I used to eat Cool Whip more frequently (my Grandmother made pies with it) but whenever my mouth comes into contact with it, the same thing happens - my teeth throb as if I had cold sensitivity and was drinking or eating something ridiculously cold. I've been able to identify the presence of this whipped topping at least twice where it was pretty well hidden due to this.

No other product (though I suppose generic "whipped topping" might do the same - I've never had it) does this, nor does the temperature of foods affect my teeth in any significant way.

Also, I've seen the post regarding aspartame and artificial sweetener and I have never encountered the same thing, as much as I try to stay away from the stuff altogether.