# "Fun" Dental Appointment!!



## Ruthanne (May 17, 2016)

I finally went to the dentist after about 5 years of not going.  Yeah, I know, not a good thing to do.  I kept procrastinating.  Ever do that? lol

Found out I may have to have a root canal.  The dentist is going to make a decision about that next time I go.  Oh, glory be!

My partial broke and I am getting a new one and I look so cute with a tooth missing in the front of my smile!  lol

I had a crown replaced today.  The old one broke off lately.  He injected some novicane and that kind of hurt at first.  

I also will get a teeth cleaning which I badly need.  I have lots of plaque on my teeth.

Anybody like going to the dentist?  Not me!


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## Butterfly (May 17, 2016)

I do not like going, but I faithfully go every six months because I learned long ago that the results of NOT going are a heck of a lot worse than going when I"m supposed to.


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## Falcon (May 17, 2016)

I'm like Butterfly.  Twice a year unless something's wrong.


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## tnthomas (May 17, 2016)

I went for 10 years(yes, TEN years!) without visiting the dentist.  I lived to regret that, when I finally did go, it took 4 separate visits to complete my plaque removal...:nightmare:   

I now visit the dentist every 6 months... religiously.  My next appointment is this  coming Thursday.


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## Ruthanne (May 17, 2016)

tnthomas said:


> I went for 10 years(yes, TEN years!) without visiting the dentist.  I lived to regret that, when I finally did go, it took 4 separate visits to complete my plaque removal...:nightmare:
> 
> I now visit the dentist every 6 months... religiously.  My next appointment is this  coming Thursday.


I see I'm not the only one who put it off.


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## fureverywhere (May 17, 2016)

Nitrous Oxide..."Happy Gas", our many years dentist got rid of it. Until I have dental coverage with said Happy Gas I gotta pray for the best.


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## Ken N Tx (May 18, 2016)

Ruthanne said:


> I finally went to the dentist after about 5 years of not going.  Yeah, I know, not a good thing to do.  I kept procrastinating.  Ever do that? lol
> 
> Found out I may have to have a root canal.  The dentist is going to make a decision about that next time I go.  Oh, glory be!
> 
> ...





Butterfly said:


> I do not like going, but I faithfully go every six months because I learned long ago that the results of NOT going are a heck of a lot worse than going when I"m supposed to.



Please continue to go!!

I neglected my dental care for years and years and now am paying the price ($8400) for extraction and upper and lower dentures!!!!!


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## Ameriscot (May 18, 2016)

I'm not fond of going to the dentist but I go every 6 months.  I had all my crowns put in during the 90's while I was still in the US.  $$$$ even with dental insurance.  My dentist was great about getting me high on nitrous oxide even before the novacaine as I'm a wuss.  Glad I don't need anything now as you can't get the option of nitrous.  There has be to an anesthesiologist to adminster it, not just the dentist.


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## Ken N Tx (May 18, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> I'm not fond of going to the dentist but I go every 6 months.  I had all my crowns put in during the 90's while I was still in the US.  $$$$ even with dental insurance.  My dentist was great about getting me high on nitrous oxide even before the novacaine as I'm a wuss.  Glad I don't need anything now as you can't get the option of nitrous.  There has be to an anesthesiologist to adminster it, not just the dentist.



For my back 4 molars I had oral sedation surgery!!


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## Ameriscot (May 18, 2016)

Ken N Tx said:


> For my back 4 molars I had oral sedation surgery!! View attachment 29456



I didn't mind any work done on my mouth when they got me high on nitrous.  In fact, it often just made me want to go to sleep.  Fortunately I don't anticipate any work on my teeth as all molars are crowns and I only have one filling left.


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## Don M. (May 18, 2016)

I lost 3 or 4 back teeth years ago when I was too "busy" to go to the dentist.  Now, I go every 6 months for a good cleaning, and any minor cavities that might need attention.  The minor pain of the needle is a nit, compared to the pain of letting a tooth go bad.  The expense and aggravation of having to get false teeth is something I hope to put off for as long as possible.  I checked into getting some implants for those missing molars, but the expense of that is hardly worth it.


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## Ruth n Jersey (May 18, 2016)

I don't go to the dentist unless I am in absolute pain from a toothache.At that point I want the tooth pulled. Around here it seems dentists will try to save a tooth no matter what condition it is in. That requires many appointments, time, pain, and a tremendous amount of money. I have done this in the past only to have to have the tooth removed in a year or two anyway. One time it was within 6 months. One didn't want to pull a tooth that was badly decayed because the root was good. I brush my teeth 3 times a day. Before and after drinking coffee when I can because of the acid possibly eroding the enamel. I use mouth wash quite often also. So far so good.


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## Ameriscot (May 18, 2016)

I don't ever want dentures so I take care of my teeth and go to the dentist twice a year.


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## Ruthanne (May 18, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> I don't ever want dentures so I take care of my teeth and go to the dentist twice a year.


Sometimes a person can't avoid getting dentures.  My partial plate is not a result of how I took care of my teeth but an accident where I got hit it the mouth.


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## Ameriscot (May 18, 2016)

Ruthanne said:


> Sometimes a person can't avoid getting dentures.  My partial plate is not a result of how I took care of my teeth but an accident where I got hit it the mouth.



True, there are other reasons.  The biggest reason is not taking care of gums.


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## Ruthanne (May 18, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> True, there are other reasons.  The biggest reason is not taking care of gums.


Trying to make people feel bad for not taking care of their gums?


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## SeaBreeze (May 18, 2016)

I absolutely hate going to the dentist, have had a lot of fillings since I was a kid and my mother never even allowed us to eat many sweets or drink soda on a regular basis.  I go once a year and pay everything out of pocket, only health insurance, no dental since retirement.


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## Butterfly (May 18, 2016)

My parents both lost their teeth when they were quite young, from some kind of gum disease, I believe.

I go  to the dentist every six months, and pay out of pocket, too.  My dentist assures me that if I continue to do what I am doing, "they'll bury you with those teeth."  A bit of a grim way to look at it, but a good result.


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## Sweetpea (May 18, 2016)

Butterfly, we must have the same dentist.  That is similar to what mine tells me.  Just had the appointment today and got a good report.   When I was young my Parents didn't have the money for dentist, so the first trip to,the dentist he said I would have false teeth by the time I was 21 hrs.   I'm 73 and still have them.


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## Ameriscot (May 19, 2016)

Ruthanne said:


> Trying to make people feel bad for not taking care of their gums?



Naw, just a reminder.


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## Don M. (May 19, 2016)

Another good habit to get into is to rinse the teeth and gums a couple of times a day with a good Fluoride based mouth wash.  It's easy to miss something with the toothbrush, so a good mouthwash is a practical, and inexpensive way to help insure that the teeth and gums stay in good shape.


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## Ken N Tx (May 20, 2016)




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## Ameriscot (May 20, 2016)

I use interdentals at least once a day, something my dentist recommends - massages your gums.  I floss once a day as well.


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## exwisehe (May 24, 2016)

I don't know which I'd rather do:  (I have done all of these recently) 1. Have a colonoscopy (the preparation is much worse than the event   2.  Have 4 root canals at the same time (about 3 hours in the seat - awful! Dentist asked why I had lost all nerves in them and if someone had slugged me in the mouth - I told him not that I couldn't remember, but they may have in my youth - a few fights in the playground and on the football field) or 3.  Have a prostate operation (I have had three! one of which was laser surgery - aaaghhh!! I hope you don't have to do that)


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## exwisehe (May 24, 2016)

Oh! I forgot to mention.  I had to have a deviated septum repaired.  Please pick a week when you don't have to have much activity!  You have to wear a large bandage over you nose and you are NOT allowed to sneeze or blow your nose.  (My EMT has a Japanese man who said: "Now Mr. ****, do not sneeze or blow your nose - very very important.  You may not make it to the emergency in time to stop the bleeding, you may very well die!) Well, he only had to say that once.


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## Guitarist (May 24, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> I'm not fond of going to the dentist but I go every 6 months.  I had all my crowns put in during the 90's while I was still in the US.  $$$$ even with dental insurance.  My dentist was great about getting me high on nitrous oxide even before the novacaine as I'm a wuss.  Glad I don't need anything now as you can't get the option of nitrous.  There has be to an anesthesiologist to adminster it, not just the dentist.



I had gas last time I had a tooth pulled (about 4 months ago). I don't know what kind of gas, but just the technician administered it.  It made me feel worse than the last time before that, which was more than 40 years ago, so maybe it was a different gas this last time.  I've never been to a dentist who has a special anesthesiologist.  Hmm .... maybe I better look for a different dentist!

A lot of tooth and mouth health is hereditary.  My parents both went to the same dentist regularly.  My dad never had a cavity, never had a tooth break 'til he was up in his 80s. My mother had root canals and crowns from maybe mid-40s on.  Same dentist, same care, same good dental practices; different teeth and gums.


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## Ruthanne (Jun 6, 2016)

I have been to the dentist to get fitted for my partial plate.  It wasn't too bad.  I have to wait about 3 weeks for the next step.  They didn't even set me up for teeth cleaning.  I want to get a electronic tooth brush and dental pic for the gums.  I have gum disease, too.


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## WhatInThe (Jun 27, 2016)

I've gone years without a visit. I rarely did the check up because I was there often enough. I went through a one year period where I had over a dozen visits not including consults. That work didn't last. My mouth has been as pain free as it has been in decades. Except for one tooth every single problem I had were the same teeth that started giving me trouble in teens. I had one tooth with 2 root canals, 3 crowns and bridge, no more I'll breakdown for implants or dentures. I've found flossing and/or using tooth picks daily, water rinsing and don't panic if I miss a brushing(keeps mouth moister) as effective as most other regimes. Over brushing & medicated rinsing was a big mistake in my younger days, especially before meals because  a drier mouth allows food to stick easier. one dentist said don't worry about not eating sweet stuff or drinking tea they said worry about the particles of food that stick or get caught in between.


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## Ruthanne (Jul 3, 2016)

WhatInThe said:


> I've gone years without a visit. I rarely did the check up because I was there often enough. I went through a one year period where I had over a dozen visits not including consults. That work didn't last. My mouth has been as pain free as it has been in decades. Except for one tooth every single problem I had were the same teeth that started giving me trouble in teens. I had one tooth with 2 root canals, 3 crowns and bridge, no more I'll breakdown for implants or dentures. I've found flossing and/or using tooth picks daily, water rinsing and don't panic if I miss a brushing(keeps mouth moister) as effective as most other regimes. Over brushing & medicated rinsing was a big mistake in my younger days, especially before meals because  a drier mouth allows food to stick easier. one dentist said don't worry about not eating sweet stuff or drinking tea they said worry about the particles of food that stick or get caught in between.


Well, that is news to me.  I guess I have been doing what your dentist said all along them.  LOL


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