dentist

Well, I had my first dentist appointment today.  I love my dentist!     She's lovely, she listened to me, she was thorough.  She said I took such good care of my teeth that I don't even need a scaling and cleaning.  The bad news is I need a lot of work done, both NHS and private (if I want it to look good--i.e. tooth colored crowns and not hideous silver crowns).  It's going to cost me a lot. 

I had a dentist appointment yesterday and although the dentist said I have very good oral hygiene, I still need 3 fillings (although one is due to one of my wisdom teeth which has come through but not grown at all and so isn't getting cleaned when I brush my teeth - she said I can either have it filled or taken out... I'm gonna go with the filling, at least for now).

I had a dentist appointment yesterday and although the dentist said I have very good oral hygiene, I still need 3 fillings

Welcome to my world... its depressing... "Oh, you take such nice care of your teeth, but you've got 3 cavities"
But it turns out the last three I needed were due to crappy composite fillings coming apart instead of the silver ones which last forever... 

Welcome to my world... its depressing... "Oh, you take such nice care of your teeth, but you've got 3 cavities"

Yeah, it is depressing - I managed to get through the first 24 years of my life without needing any dental work at all (except for having a wobbly tooth taken out when I was 10 because it wouldn't fall out on its own), but I've needed something done during two of the three times I've gone to the dentist in the last 18 months .

Yep.  Welcome to the world great dental hygiene but expensive ongoing work needed!  

Ugh.  I floss, sometimes more than once a day.  Brush at least three times a day.  Used a waterpik (I know they are controversial) with anti-bacterial stuff in the water for years, and *still*.....

My new dentitst assured me that so much of what goes on with our teeth is from bad care when we were younger; both bad dental care and bad oral hygiene (I didn't floss for the first three decades of my life) as well as diet, genetics, etc.  I guess she didn't want me to feel that it was my own fault despite my best efforts.  She said, "I'm a dentist and I have loads of problems with my teeth!"

Anybody got a spare two thousand pounds laying around for the Fix Andee's Teeth Fund?  Ha ha....

That's really good that they would have done that for free. Atleast you had more of a choice, whether to go free or fee.  I had none.  In the States, I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed, my health insurance only covered it because there was a risk of infection. They billed my health insurance nearly $4000 and I had to pay $400.

Wow.  So how come it was $4k?  That makes $1000 per tooth, and I paid (from what I recall) about £150 for the tooth PLUS some other cosmetic work.

Vicky

I hate teeth. Ahhhh teeth.  My mom has almost every tooth filled, my dad has terrible tartar issues and needs to go every six months or bad things happen.

Hey Andee, do you use the little dental brushes?  I started using them after my last appointment and they are so much better than flossing.  Which I still do anyway. 

Wow.  So how come it was $4k?  That makes $1000 per tooth, and I paid (from what I recall) about £150 for the tooth PLUS some other cosmetic work.

Vicky

That's what DS has been quoted: $1000 per wisdom tooth.  He doesn't have dental insurance so the teeth are still there.  That would be OK except one is prone to decay already.
I think I must have spent close to $1000 this year on teeth -- his and mine -- and I have "good" dental insurance.  That includes inspections, cleaning, X-rays for both of us. I had a crown done early in '08 and then a root canal in Nov.  I have really bad bad teeth.   :\\\'(
I have to go tomorrow for the hygienist.  She thinks I should be scaled 3 times a year (bleeding gums) but the insurance covers only twice.

Hey Andee, do you use the little dental brushes? 

No, but maybe I will start.  I think I've seen them--you can get them at any drugstore, right?

Yes and they are the same brand I get at my dentist.  They are called TePe, but the ones I get at my dentist are cheaper and they seem to be less bendy so less prone to breaking. 

Yes and they are the same brand I get at my dentist.  They are called TePe, but the ones I get at my dentist are cheaper and they seem to be less bendy so less prone to breaking. 

I'll give them a whirl, thanks! 

I need two sizes.  The orange for little gaps and the blue for the bigger ones.  You might want to get a sample pack to see which ones fit the best.  You are supposed to use the largest ones that will fit without forcing them in.

I need two sizes.  The orange for little gaps and the blue for the bigger ones.  You might want to get a sample pack to see which ones fit the best.  You are supposed to use the largest ones that will fit without forcing them in.

Good to know, thanks for the info! 

*sigh* I'll still need a couple thousand pounds of work done, though no matter how much I brush, rinse, floss, TePe, etc. *sigh* 

You can get the TePe brushes at most Boots stores, if that's any help .

And Tesco.  But they were still cheaper at my dentist, I found it hard to believe myself.  Maybe that is were my money is going.

I pay a lot for my dentist, but I am a private patient (he has three levels NHS, something, and um private or something HA!) and get a special pager number.  It makes me feel all special.  Or I am easily impressed.   

Hygienist says I still have lots of gum inflammation and bleeding (obvious) so unless it improves over the next few checkups I will have to see the gum person.   :\\\'(
I brush twice a day and floss every night.  Have gotten cleanings every 6 months -- now more frequently.  So how come?