Grinding My teeth
December 23, 2004 7:16 AM   Subscribe

I'm tired of having big horsy teeth. So I was going to do a Tom Cruise. How much is it going to cost me to have my front teeth ground down?

The worst part about this is that dentists in my experience never give quotes over the phone so I'd have to choose one place and that's it. What kind of office should I look for the best prices (Montreal if that helps).

I'm not crazy but where could I get a file so that I could do it myself?
posted by Napierzaza to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (22 answers total)
 
I'd strongly advise against getting a file and grounding down your teeth yourself. Exposing nerves, leaving yourself without any protective enamel, potential bacterial issues... you don't want any part of it.

That being said, use the phone book and find out if any cosmetic dentistry practices in your area do free consultations.
posted by jerseygirl at 7:59 AM on December 23, 2004


I agree with jerseygirl 100%. You can get free consultations (and cost quotes) at a variety of places. There's no reason whatsoever that you would have to stick with the first place you consult.
posted by stonerose at 8:11 AM on December 23, 2004


Along with what jerseygirl said, the dentist also won't just grind down your teeth. They will grind them down and cap them, which will be significantly more expensive. You will want to find a reputable dentist that specializes in cosmetic dentistry. Caps are not something you want an inexperienced dentist to do, especially in the front of your mouth.
posted by blackkar at 8:15 AM on December 23, 2004


Napierzaza, you don't just get the teeth filed down and that's it. A dentist will grind your teeth WAY down, and then cover them with caps. Please don't try this yourself.

On preview - what blackkar said.
posted by iconomy at 8:20 AM on December 23, 2004


I would like to add to the chorus urging you to not do so yourself. If you do, however, set up a web cam. For a procedure such as that, I can't imagine a dentist not giving you a consultation.
posted by adampsyche at 8:37 AM on December 23, 2004


So porcelain veneers now can take the place of braces?
posted by orange clock at 8:42 AM on December 23, 2004


You SO don't want to expose your dental pulp. Ever.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:46 AM on December 23, 2004


I Am Not A Dentist, but I've read more than my share of dental literature, and I really, really, really don't recommend at-home dentistry. I was about to post a link to a few choice case photos of such plans gone awry, but then I remembered it's the holidays and you probably have a lot of eating to do.

As far as best price goes, bargain hunting's great as a general consumer principle, but not for anything medical (cosmetic or not). Research who's got the best reputation and is accredited in your area and save up for when you can afford to get quality work done. You're looking for someone who specializes in cosmetic dentistry, and the link gives you some average American prices. (I'm not sure where to search for information in Canada.) If your teeth are significantly oversized, you may well not need veneers. Straightforward tooth-shaping is pretty cheap, so don't despair. Good luck.
posted by melissa may at 9:00 AM on December 23, 2004


By the way, anyone who thinks Napierzaza has been sacrificed to the demons of socialized insurance, if you are an American, you'd be hard pressed to find company-sponsored or even private insurance policies that cover cosmetic dental procedures.
posted by melissa may at 9:11 AM on December 23, 2004


If you do, however, set up a web cam.

...so that posterity may learn from your abject stupidity. There are reasons dentists have to go to college before they can start working on people's teeth. There is probably no other worse pain than tooth pain -- the nerves have but a short hop to the brain stem. Veneers from *good* dentists can run a few grand a tooth. Back teeth caps are a couple hundred if you don't mind a generic dentist.

You wouldn't cut your own appendix out, would you? And that would probably hurt less.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:14 AM on December 23, 2004


There isn't socialized dental care in Canada (except for very basic care for children). Most major employers offer dental plans as part of their employee benefits package. Rather similar to the US on this aspect, actually.
posted by raedyn at 9:22 AM on December 23, 2004


I'm not crazy but where could I get a file so that I could do it myself?
I honestly can't tell if some of these questions are serious. I'm amazed these people come to a bjorkin' website looking for legal, medical, dental, etc. advice -- but then I see a comment like that, and I think, "This must be a joke. Nobody's that stupid."
posted by cribcage at 10:13 AM on December 23, 2004


.
posted by abcde at 10:26 AM on December 23, 2004


The end of one of my fronth teeth is chipped from an old skiing accident, a pathetic attempt to impress someone named "Jennifer" who I hope is really fat now, d*mn her.

Anyway, I was told by various dental school roomies that they can shorten them somewhat and use composite (dental spackle) and don't necessarily have to cap the suckers.

And if it is a repair (nudge nudge) it is covered by insurance.

I may be completely wrong about all of this.
posted by mecran01 at 10:31 AM on December 23, 2004


I recommend getting a professional to do it. My friend (who had very "English" teeth went to the NYC School of Dentistry where they performed the magnum opus operation pro-bono as long as they were allowed to use him as a before-and-after photo series in the yearbook.

They now look awesome.
posted by longbaugh at 11:05 AM on December 23, 2004


Response by poster: I'm sorry about the filing my own thing. No one here has enough material from me to know when I'm joking. Seemed to please a few people anyhow.

Thanks I'll take a look for a COSMETIC dentist instead of regular. I had to get some stuff recently and they refused to give quotes over the phone.
posted by Napierzaza at 11:28 AM on December 23, 2004


Response by poster: Tom Cruise in Legend had big long front teeth. But somehow after that....


I live in Montreal Canada
posted by Napierzaza at 2:15 PM on December 23, 2004


Just for god's sake don't get confused and ask for a `Gary Busey' look.
posted by tomble at 3:27 PM on December 23, 2004


No one will give quotes over the phone. It's impossible to quote someone with even near accuracy without looking at what's to be repaired.
posted by jerseygirl at 4:51 PM on December 23, 2004


I got some work done at a dental school (for what it's worth, much different work: a root canal and a crown on a molar), and it took one year and a thousand dollars for really iffy work (he re-did moulds for the crown three times, for example). I had to have the crown fixed a bit, a year later (and the "real" dentist who did the work said the reason it'd chipped was because the dental school was focusing on cosmetic dentistry, rather than function, despite the totally non-visible location). So be sure to check the reputation of student work, and find out exactly how much time the overseeing dentistry profs spend with the student&patient. It may take a long time, and may be worth it to shell out extra money for a professional with plenty of practice.

Also, front-caps are not long-term solutions (think 20 years, max, if you have very good dental hygiene and don't eat taffy or chew hard things ever). I'd get over the goofy teeth and spend the money on month in Lithuania or Russia or something, where everyone will have worse teeth than you and you'll get a million better memories.
posted by soviet sleepover at 9:21 PM on December 23, 2004


s. sleepover -- That's a brilliant idea!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 2:53 AM on December 24, 2004


They may not quote over the phone, but they will schedule a session where they can estimate the cost.

Ask around. I'm sure there is someone at work or your favorite hangout who knows a good dentist.

As for doing a Cruise, you could try here.
posted by ?! at 10:47 AM on December 24, 2004


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