i have not been to a dentist in probably 10 years

I broke another tooth (right next to my other broken tooth) y/day, the dentist was obv shut on Sunday, and now they're not answering their phone or email. c'monnnnn

It doesn't actually hurt so it's probably not actually urgent (yet?) but I would really like not to spend too many more days being scared to eat anything and using all the mouthwash and then wondering if mouthwash is also bad for whatever is now open to my tongue and bacteria

I've also developed a weird compulsive tooth-sucking/lip-chewing habit which I've been failing to train myself out of so I guess I'd better confess that to the dentist even though I know they're just going to say "well, that's a weird and stupid thing to do, don't do that then"

(if anyone has any tips on correcting bad mouth habits please let me know but I am aware that it is so far into the category of weird and stupid that probably nobody else has ever a) done it b) been unable to stop doing it)

My dentist is always on at me to stop clenching my teeth (I have a bite guard for that now, which is honestly the greatest thing I've ever spent money on) and biting my lips and the insides of my cheeks. Obviously these things are involuntary, so it's hard to stop, but I have started chewing on toothpicks, which does actually help a bit.

Ooh. Do you have a proper fitted bite guard or did you get a home-mouldable one? I tried one of the mouldable ones but couldn't really get it to fit. Toothpicks could be good as long as I don't manage to choke on one while stabbing the back of my throat - will try it out, thanks.

I've tried gum and it helps for a short while but eventually I notice I've moved the gum aside and gone back to chewing. Plus for some reason it really annoys me watching/hearing my coworker chew gum all day so I'd rather not do the same. Also weird, I know.

I got my tooth filled and the dentist told me to see the orthodontist in case teeth breaking in weird places + jaw grinding = both caused by alignment issues, as I do have an overbite and v crooked/crowded teeth - so that's next on my list of dental appointments in my new era of actually going to the dentist. Suspect tooth breakage is just because I eat way too much sugar and didn't see a dentist for 10 years but hey.

Ooh. Do you have a proper fitted bite guard or did you get a home-mouldable one?

I have a proper one, and I'm going to have to get a second one, because my dentist now reckons I should wear it while driving as well as while sleeping. I don't mind, though. Having it properly made was expensive, but it fits really well, so it's very comfortable. Bloody thing is nearly worn down already, though, and I've only had it two years.

All my back teeth are split. They've all got heavy filling from my teenage years, and I'm about to get a second crown put in back there. The tooth I'm just about to get crowned was so badly split that we didn't even know if the root canal would work, and I was going to have it removed, but then all the force of my bite would just come down on the next tooth along, so then I'd just have to get that one root canaled & crowned instead. Ugh. Stupid jaws.

My sympathy, that sounds like no fun.

So far my 4 back lower teeth are p screwed. TBH I just hope I can keep the chaos at the back where nobody can see it.

I saw the orthodontist and I might get a splint which AFAIK is like a mouthguard which does the double duty of being shaped to make my nasty teeth line up where they're supposed to instead of just at the back. That's phase 1 of a horribly expensive 4-stage, 4-year plan which I'm really not sure about, but I might do the splint anyway and hope it gets me out of bad habits...

read this thread at lunchtime, thought "i should really do something about that." Just shattered a molar on a peppercorn :(

sorry to hear & good luck sktsh!

Just had a tooth drilled out and refilled, but at least it didn't have to come out like the one above it.
Got another being done tomorrow.
Lovely.

i would totally get veneers if i could afford it.

xps thanks!

I'm kinda grateful for the broken tooth now, because it turned out to be pretty surface level stuff that waseasily fixed, but I had a bunch of cavities that needed urgent work. Had my first bit of treatment yesterday and apart from a bit of a sore jaw and huge guilt at having let this happen (my old man was a dentist and must be rolling in his grave) I'm ok.

700 pounds though!! :(

the two most expensive things i own are both dental 8)

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/05/the-trouble-with-dentistry/586039/

I switched dentists about four years ago and lo and behold I haven't had to have a filling since. Last guy always wanted to drill out something or replace a filling, which sucks because I have the same dentalphobia that everyone else does. My habits haven't really changed much so I'm starting to suspect the other guy was maybe doing unnecessary work on me. Imagine having to get a root canal you don't actually need.

I've never had a cavity, had some orthodontics in '84-'86, wisdom teeth removed + some cosmetic dentistry in '99, and haven't seen a dentist since. I'll continue avoiding all foods with added sugars, brushing w/mouthwash every day I have to leave the house, flossing when I'm really bored, and avoiding the dentist till I actually have an issue.

I would not be surprised if preventative dentistry is much like medicine, where there's no benefit for patients with annual checkups (when assymptomatic), and remarkably little for screening. I certainly have seen no benefit and quite a bit of potential harm for the full set of head x-rays the last one needed annually.

why does this article contain a picture of space ghost

frogbs i'm sorry about you getting an unnecessary root canal, that totally sucks

mostly i just need regular deep cleaning because my gums are shit

i don't think that was a good article, there's some good stuff in there making the argument that dentistry needs to adopt more rigorous self-regulation and adoption of evidence-based standards but then it all gets thrown to shit by talking about one super-egregious fraud and then titling the article "is dentistry a science?"

but i guess the general public doesn't particularly want to read about the need for stronger self-regulation and perpetuation of evidence-based standards in the dental profession, i admit it does come off as a little dry

had a crown (the same one) come loose twice in like a month

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jswebxVzEYA

I was talking to my mum who was giving me an update on my brother who lives in Dubai. She says he has finally found a really good dentist, who has taken every single last tooth out of his head.

"i have found a good veterinarian who has put down all my cats"

my grandma had all her teeth taken out as a 30th birthday present.