Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dentists

Options for teeth discouloured by childhood antibiotic usage

JoannaC — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:14:31 -0800

What tooth whitening options will a dentist recommend for someone with discolourations from childhood antibiotic usage? I have not been blessed with perfectly white teeth, but lately have noticed a few greyish patches that are more noticeable on two of my front teeth. I am a non-smoker, don't drink cola or anything like that, and they did not hurt, so I was baffled and a little alarmed. Showed them to my stepfather, who is a retired dentist, and the first words out of his mouth were 'did you take antibiotics as a child a lot?'

It turns out I did; I had chronic ear infections as a toddler, culminating with tubes in my ears which ultimately solved the problem. But apparently antibiotic usage can discolour the teeth and the damage can take years to manifest. He said that over the counter products are not going to fix it and I need to see my dentist because he has been out of the game too long and doesn't know what new options there might be.

So, I plan to do this. But I am a very nervous dental patient (I have a very strong gag reflex) and before I go, I want some idea of what she's going to tell me so I can do some research first and greet my dentist with the appropriate questions here. What kind of timeline might I be looking at to get something like this done? What options might she suggest---veneers, or lasers, or something else? How much is this likely to cost and is it the type of thing insurance typically would cover? Would most dentists be amenable to working out some sort of installment plan if not?

Obviously, You Are Not My Dentist :) But as I said, I do plan to see one. I just want some info on what sorts of schemes she is likely to propose so I can go in a little bit prepared for this appointment. I have two teeth I definitely want to fix, and perhaps three other possible ones.

Great dentists in San Francisco?

needs more cowbell — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:21:18 -0800

Good dentists in San Francisco? Specific needs/neuroses inside. I haven't been to a dentist in far too long, partly out of fear and partly out of being pretty deeply squicked out by the thought of tooth decay. I have no idea what kind of shape my mouth is in currently. I think I can get over the dental phobia, but now my worry is that I'll end up with a dentist who sees dollar signs instead of being objective, or otherwise won't do a fantastic job with any work I need done.

I've heard of people having problems where:
1) dentists see cavities/drill where it isn't absolutely necessary (and I'm acutely aware that once you drill into a tooth, that bit of tooth is gone forever and possibly more open to decay in the long term around a filling)
2) dentists don't fully remove decay, and then teeth rot from the inside out beneath fillings

I think the only way to know if a particular dentist is good in these respects is to get a recommendation from someone who's been going to the same dentist for a long time. So, SF-area mefites, can you recommend anyone good? Other factors are:

-I don't want any hard selling of tooth whitening or cosmetic procedures. My concern is ONLY that my teeth be in the best possible shape from a health/longevity standpoint. (And I'm totally willing to do whatever is necessary in terms of flossing or waterpiking or deep-cleaning or newfangled technology to get my teeth in great shape.)
-I need a dentist who will be kind/gentle with me (mentally/emotionally) and not make me feel shitty about having put this off. I have a bizarre tendency to equate dental decay with being disgusting and having some huge moral failing.
-And lastly (but less important than the above), I'd like someone who's good about pain management and physical comfort. Sedation is not necessary, though.

If you'll all indulge me, I'd love to hear how any particular dentist you recommend ranks on each of the above things - quality of the work in the long term (over/underdrilling), hard sell of cosmetic stuff, kindness, general savvyness to ways to help my teeth be in great shape, and pain management.

I don't have dental insurance, so that's not a factor. While it would be nice to find someone who gives a discount for paying cash, my absolute #1 priority is the quality of the dentist's work and how comfortable I will feel mentally and physically.

Whew. I'm finally (sort of) dealing with this. Thanks in advance!

One Dental Issue, Two Solutions - Apicoectomy Redux or Extract/Implant (with picture!)

soulbarn — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:36:07 -0800

(Technical material ahead!) Differing advice from dental specialists for an urgent procedure. Situation: Failed apicoectomy (10+ yrs) that has developed an active and gross fistula. My current endodontist wants to do a repeat procedure, adding bone graft. Says there's a good chance of saving tooth, for "at least five to ten years." (Direct quote. If the tooth is cracked - xrays can't tell - it might require extraction.) At same time, I'm having an implant (unrelated, different doc.) The implant guy thought that, given that this was a repeat procedure, I was likely to lose the tooth in question, and sooner rather than later, and that I should just do the extraction and begin the implant right away.

To some extent, each guy is playing to his speciality, I know, and I trust that both are good dentists in that regard.

Some possible criteria:

- Money matters. Both procedures are expensive (about the same, ultimately) and I'd don't want to pay twice.
- I know saving a tooth is important, but it seems like I'm going to lose it anyway. I'm 47. Given the time-span estimate by the endodontist, am I really "saving" anything?

For those so inclined, here's the xray of the tooth.

Should I get upper dentures?

Shoeburyness — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:34:20 -0800

I am thinking of getting an upper denture. I'm 37, and have always had problems with my teeth. Frequent cavities as a child, no matter how diligently I brushed and flossed, braces as a teenager (I had mine through senior year of high school and freshman year in college-- for some reason my orthodontist wanted it that way) and surgery at 17 for four impacted wisdom teeth and to correct a severe underbite. As a young adult, I couldn't afford the dentist, even when I did have dental insurance, and we are still having a hard time affording the dentist, again despite having dental insurance.

My top teeth are worse by far. I think the problem is that either a. I'm too stuffed up to breathe through my nose, in which case I breathe through my mouth and it gets dry when sleeping, or b. when I take enough decongestants that I can breathe through my nose, then I grind my teeth while I sleep. (My family doctor has given me some anti-depressants to help with the stress and anxiety that may be leading to the tooth grinding, but I've only been taking them since Saturday, so understandably I'm not seeing a lot of results on that yet.) I've always had a dry mouth problem, because I'm rarely able to breathe through my nose-- swollen adenoids until I was 12 and got them removed, and allergies thereafter.

A couple years ago, I got a tooth pulled due to abcess (#3) and root tips removed where one broke off (#15). Over the weekend, I had an excruciating abcess in tooth #2. My dentist said Monday it couldn't be saved even if I wanted to, so I'm having it pulled soon, probably this week, along with the remains of #12, which the back has cracked off of. I try to brush my teeth at least twice a day--although, in all honesty, sometimes I forget. I have a hard time flossing, so I use a Waterpik instead.

This is the first time my missing teeth are really going to show under normal circumstances, and I'm really starting to feel like a toothless old crone. Of course I can get bridge work, but there are some snags: the dentist said that on the x-ray, #13 & 14 have infection behind them, and although they aren't painful now, it's just a matter of time. They probably can be saved with root canal, but I'm wondering if it's worth it, because my four front teeth have root resorption, probably from my braces. I've been told that one day I'll just bite into something and leave one of my four front teeth behind. So I wonder if a bridge could even be attached to these teeth.

I'm thinking it will be cheaper and easier to just get rid of my top teeth and get an upper denture. Implants would be lovely, but they are out of the question right now because insurance will not pay for them and there is no way we're affording them out of pocket. My bottom teeth will be okay with a cleaning and a few fillings, but it just seems like my top teeth are a lost cause at this point. Am I wrong?

Also, I'm not very comfortable with my current dentist, he has an abrasive manner (well, basically I think he's a... nickname for Richard), and the god-awful country music they play at their office is torture to me. (Like being at the dentist isn't bad enough, I'm forced to listen to KYGO as well?) If anyone knows a good dentist with a nice manner in/near North-East Denver metro who takes CIGNA, please let me know.

This won't hurt a bit!

spicynuts — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:44:06 -0800

Let's say I want to go to Dental School. At age 38. With no medical or dental background at all. Is this foolish? I'm thinking of drastically changing careers. Lately I've met a couple of dentists and every time I turn around I read or hear something about how dentistry has a great future and is recession proof, etc etc. One particular friend is a surgical dentist (I don't know the official word is..he does root canals and invasive stuff like that ) and from the way he talks about it - a degree of artistry, working with your hands, immediate, tangible results, good salary, possibility of being your own boss - I think it might be perfect for me. So, questions:

- what kind of bio/chem/anatomy background do I need for dental school?

- is coming out of dental school in my early 40s going to make it very difficult to get hired?

- how long is dental school?

- to the dentists out there, what does the business environment look like now and maybe on a 10 to 15 year horizon?

Thanks!

Asking for a friend: Recommendations for dentists in San Diego?

Mookbear — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:59:06 -0800

My friend is looking for a dentist in the 858 area code of San Diego area. Any recommendations? He signed up for a metafliter account, but was whammied by the 7 day waiting period. He's looking to get in relatively soon, as he is trying to get things done before he goes off of his dad's insurance in November.

Has anyone had really good experiences with a particular dentist in that general area? There is only one post that I could find that deals with dentists in San Diego, but... more specific recommendations would be awesome! Thanks! :o)

P.S. He has his insurance through United Healthcare, in case that bit of info helps at all.

What websites are popular with doctors and other medical professionals?

bingo — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:43:17 -0800

What websites are popular with doctors and other medical professionals?

Braces: Are dental surgeons adequate, or do I need an orthodontist?

mjao — Mon, 28 May 2007 03:28:41 -0800

Is there a significant difference in quality when it comes to getting your braces put on by a dental surgeon as opposed to an actual orthodontist? I had a consult with an orthodontist on the weekend, and afterwards I cried because my dentist had led me to believe braces would cost in the ballpark of 2-3000$. I was quoted $5000.

I have now realised that my dentist must've been mistaken, because anywhere between $3500-6000+ is standard in Australia.

However, I e-mailed a few other orthodontists to ask if they offered even slightly lower prices. I got one phone call from one ortho who assured me that $5000 for fully fixed braces on top and bottom teeth (ceramic on top) was reasonable. She also told me that my dentist might have said $2000 because some dentists may have done a few courses in orthodontics, but weren't anywhere near as qualified as an orthodontist -- and that if I got my braces done by a dentist, I would notice the difference.

Mefites, do you know if this this true?
Is it worth footing 1-2 extra thousand dollars for this difference in quality?
Will I regret letting a dental surgeon do this work?

Because I got a phone call just now from a lovely sounding dental surgeon who has been working in private practice for 24 years (checked his website) and he said he was happy for me to come in for a quick (free) consult where he would check if he could save me any money.

In case it's relevant to whether a dental surgeon would be sufficient, my bottom teeth are moderately crowded, my top teeth are only slightly crowded, and my molars are almost perfectly aligned. The orthodontist who quoted me $5000 said I would wear the braces for 18 months or possibly less.

How to undo youthful idiocy in the form of an ugly smile?

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:41:48 -0800

Gross-ness-filter: My teeth are in pretty bad shape in terms of stains and fillings, what are my options? A childhood of despising and evading oral hygiene whenever possible coupled with braces and liberal consumption of caffeine, whether coffee or caffeinated soda, have led to a rather abysmal set of teeth. I've had numerous fillings, and a few teeth are starting to feel sensitive in a rather ominous way. Right now there are decalcification stains, on the parts of my teeth that weren't obscured by braces, as well as coffee stains. They're a rather ugly shade of yellow, as well.

Being slightly less obstinate and stupid now, I've been trying with moderate success for the past two years or so to brush more. I've never really developed the habit, so sometimes I genuinely forget at the end of a long day, or when I'm rushed in the morning, rather than just skip it and chew some sugarless gum like I once would have done. I'm trying, and it's improving, slowly but surely.

What I would like and need is to do something about the stains. Get them professionally laminated/whitened, maybe? And take care of cavities in the meantime. A sort of fresh-start, if you will, and an incentive to keep them fresh.

I'm on a very limited budget, being a student, and the monthly dental visits added to dentists (in the best of intentions, to be fair) scolding me about my dental hygiene have made me despise and avoid them at all costs.

I'm fully aware that it's disgusting. Shame is half my hindrance. But please, keep your judging to a minimum. I would like AskMe's input in terms of whitening options, a ballpark figure of how much it costs and how to approach talking to dentists about it before I actually brave a dental office.

Random: Parentals are thinking of pulling me to China (where I'm from) next time I visit, as it will supposedly be cheaper there. I will also need to get an artificial implant there, as I was born without one of my adult teeth. Thoughts?

“Dentist, n.: A Prestidigitator who, putting metal in one's mouth, pulls coins out of one's pockets.”

mjao — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:01:47 -0800

SE Queensland Dentist Filter: I need a dentist. But I want a nice one, or at least a non-judgmental one—I've had mean dentists! Needless to say, this has stopped me from going for quite a long time. I have decided to get braces though, so I need to have my teeth given the all-clear before approaching an orthodontist. I also need a recommendation for the orthodontist! Brisbane / Gold Coast area. Anywhere really is fine. Bonus points if it's within walking distance of a train station in Brisbane, but I'm sure I can get a lift if it's a good dentist worth going to. It also needs to be cheap-ish -- do such dentists exist? Surely some are less expensive than others. I'd like to know about them.

Re: the orthodontist / braces -- it would help me a lot if anybody could point me towards an orthodontist that is known for being sympathetic to students or people who need some kind of payment plan. I can't afford to waste too much money on this. Does anyone know what the going rate is for braces these days, also? I know it's dependent on how crooked your teeth are etc (mine aren't overly) but a ballpark figure?

How to help...

RandlePatrickMcMurphy — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:30:50 -0800

How do I help an Iraqi dentist friend? I worked for about a year in Iraq, for a private contractor trying to strengthen institutions of local government. Noble work in some ways, but ultimately misguided and outrageously mismanaged.

Anyway. The guy who was my assistant, translator and friend, like a brother practically, began getting death threats and being harassed by militia, this escalated into other bad things happening to him and his family and a couple of months ago he fled to Syria, where he (like thousands of other Iraqis) is now living illegally. But he can't work, is running out of money and getting a little desperate. While he worked for a US organization and was targeted because of that, there's little hope of a refugee visa to the US, since that would mean the administration would have to admit that things aren't quite going according to plan.

How do I help him? I could send him some money, but that's not going to help for long. He's a dentist and would love to work as a dentist; can I help him get into a dental school somewhere? He's a male in his early 30s with no family in the US, so a regular US visa is going to be unlikely. Are there other countries more ammenable to Iraqi refugees? Any ideas?

More info on Iraqi refugees:
http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/mena/iraq021203/4.htm
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070205/lam

Gum and bear it?

rob511 — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:30:07 -0800

My tooth doc suddenly urges me to get a frenectomy. Cause for suspicion? I like my dentist, who's skillful and friendly, but sometimes I get the feeling he's a bit too enamored of getting the latest gizmos and practicing trendy procedures. A little background: I've always had lots of plaque in my lower middle teeth, but not much gum damage. Now the dentist wants to sever and reattach the frenum there to reduce the pull on my gums, and urges me to have this done within two months. He never mentioned this concern before. He's quoted me a fee of about $250 (US), and says it's a quick, relatively painless procedure.

I don't know much about frenectomies. Googling has revealed little apart from dental q+a sites, so I'm asking in the green. Should I get a second opinion? Anybody care to comment, either about my dentist or the op itself?

Help me help my bad tooth?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 23:25:25 -0800

I'm in NYC, don't have much money, and need to see a dentist. What are my options? Had a root canal about six years ago on a back tooth, the nerves are completely dead so I didn't worry too much when the filling fell out at some point last year. It's beginning to hurt now though (I think maybe my gums are growing through?) and so I'd like to see a dentist and get it taken care of, have the tooth extracted if that would be easiest, but I'm kind of broke right now. Are there free/affordable dentists I can see other than the ones listed here? I would go to Lutheran except I don't have proof of income, NYU used to have a special deal for alumni but it doesn't seem to be on the site anymore and again, I'm pretty broke right now. Alternately, if anyone knows a dentist I could barter with for web/print design or computer work, I'd be much obliged!

What are the costs, benefits and drawbacks to cosmetic dentistry?

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 13:31:32 -0800

I have terrible looking teeth and I'd like to fix them and finally have a nice white straight smile for the first time in my life. After doing research, it seems my options are braces (ugh, I'd be one of those dorky 35 year olds with braces), veneers, and caps (are there any other options?). What I'm curious about is the ballpark costs, benefits, and drawbacks of veneers and caps. All info online seems to be tainted by cosmetic dentists looking to make a buck. About me and my yellow country teeth: I never had a dental plan until I was about 25, so I went to a dentist only twice in my life before that age. I found someone I liked and got my teeth and gums healthy again, but since then I've lagged a bit and my wisdom teeth (finally coming out soon) pushed my front teeth all over the place. I've cracked a lower front tooth and there is a hairline crack on one of my front top teeth from all the pushing and movement.

I'm thinking that capping everything in front of my molars top and bottom is going to be the way to go, but I'm curious what quality of life issues might arise. Will I be able to chomp into apples? Is it harder to floss capped teeth in the front (it seems harder to floss a molar I cracked 5-6 years ago and capped)? Will I constantly be worrying about losing a cap or chipping them? Does it hinder future dental work at all?

Also, what sort of ballpark cost range and time am I looking at? 5 grand? 10 grand? 20 grand? Will it be over in a matter of weeks or will the process take months?

Are veneers worth looking into? I assume they are probably cheaper, but are there more drawbacks of just having the fake front part showing?

Am I being lazy by wanting to just revamp my entire smile all at once? Is going with braces the best long-term life option that I should just suck up and endure for the next few years?

Lastly, I'm terrible at spotting fake cosmetic things in general. I can't spot a toupee, I usually believe 60 year old men still have jet black hair, and I've never noticed anything fake in hollywood smiles (aside from the whiter-than-white trend lately on TV hosts). Will my smile look fake to people?

How can I learn to stop worrying and love the dentist?

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 09:35:45 -0800

Help me not be terrified of the dentist. I know plenty of other questions like this have floated across Ask MeFi before, but I think my case is probably unique. Or at least I'd like to think so.

I'm 22 years old. By my own admission, I take pretty bad care of my teeth; generally I brush once a day, in the morning, but on weekends or vacations or other occasions where I don't have class (or some other thing that I have a routine in preparation for) I tend to slack off and not bother. Also, I don't floss. Ever. (The hygienist at my most recent dentist visit a few months ago actually recommended against it due to the current state of my mouth.)

The first time I ever saw a dentist was when I was in sixth grade, which is about 10 years ago now. I had to have some fillings (which wasn't too bad) and then in a visit a few months after the first, a root canal. Except for an abortive attempt at a tooth-cleaning a few months ago, I haven't been back since.

I say "abortive" because they had barely cleaned one tooth before I wussed out. The tooth-scraping and gum-poking and blowing-air-on-my-teeth was too much for me to take. (I realize much of the discomfort was likely because my teeth and gums are in shambles from not having seen a dentist in a decade.)

I told the hygienist who was cleaning my teeth that I was extremely uncomfortable, couldn't stand the scraping, etc. (I'm sure I had a white-knuckle grip on the armrests, and I know she kept having to ask me to open my mouth wider because I kept trying to close it, probably because I wanted to reflexively grind my teeth in terror or something.) She stopped and got the dentist, who made a cursory examination of my mouth, told me it was in pretty bad shape but there was still hope, and furthermore told me that we could reschedule my appointment for another time and they'd use novocaine the next time (although it would actually end up taking two appointments because they can't numb my entire mouth at once). This is the option I chose, of course, but obviously I haven't been back or I wouldn't be making this post now.

Injecting my gums with novocaine is all they're willing to do. I asked them; they will not gas me, nor will they prescribe me any drugs. I'm afraid that local anaesthetic will not be enough, because I'm sure I'll still be able to feel the scraping resonating through my skull, a sensation which I found incredibly unpleasant the first time around, and even if I can't feel it, I'll still be incredibly anxious, because I'm not a real big fan of needles either (though I'd definitely choose getting a shot over seeing the dentist; too bad I'd be getting both in this case).

I guess basically my questions are thus:
Should I see if another dentist will drug me, or should I try to face my fear without the aid of pharmaceuticals? If the latter, what can I do to ameliorate the mix of sheer and utter terror and dread that a visit to the dentist (let alone the actual procedure) fills me with? And how can I make myself be less slack about taking care of my teeth?

how to find a really good dentist

scazza — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 16:16:12 -0800

Is word of mouth the only way to find a dentist? For every other kind of doctor there are hospital directories online, and everything else it seems like you have to pay for the results. I haven't stayed in the same state for more than a couple years and can never find a really good dentist. They all end up being mediocre, and I would like to see a rock star dentist for a change.

Orthodontics for slackers

IshmaelGraves — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 10:40:35 -0800

Orthodontics for slackers; I have a lower retainer (metal wire affixed at each end to a tooth with a metal band, behind the teeth) which was installed around the age of 14. It was supposed to be in place for six months or a year, something in that vicinity. My family moved and it was never taken out; I'm now 21. Is this harmful or just annoying? How painful and expensive will it be to have it removed?

Dental Insurance

badstone — Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:48:19 -0800

I'm looking for advice on dental insurance. My girlfriend's employer does not provide it and she generally doesn't need it because she has magic cavity-preventing saliva. seriously, she's never had a cavity, never goes to the dentist! But now, she can feel one of her wisdom teeth starting to act up and probably needs an extraction. (others should probably be extracted while she's at it.) Should she go with bargain insurance (and can anyone recommend a good dental insurance company), or should she just get the work done without insurance and pay it back over time? If it makes a difference, we're in the Bay Area.