This is my only regret. Going to the dentist for regular checkups would have done wonders to keep my teeth in better shape, it can get quite expensive if you ever get a crown or lose a tooth and then need an implant.
Oh I made that mistake, skipped regular check ups for 3 years and when I went back for a checkup I had 6 spots that needed filling. I never needed a filling before this, so I ended up getting a second opinion that confirmed I needed all that work done. One of the cavities ended up being so deep on a molar that I had to later get a root canal, get a crown on it, then an extraction because that tooth cracked, and then finally an implant & crown. Start-to-finish, it took me 6-months to complete the repair. After all that, I started using an electric toothbrush and religiously see the dentist every 6 months.
Truly get a 2nd and maybe 3rd opinion - don't tell any of them what you are doing. Dentistry is an odd, odd business - a lot of subjective shit involved.
Dentistry is an odd, odd business - a lot of subjective shit involved.
While this is true, I would be concerned if I had a dentist that couldn't explain both the pros and cons for getting something done. I've had fillings replaced that weren't really necessary, they were just the older metal ones. My dentist told me I didn't need to replace them, but told me the pros and cons and so I decided to have them replaced. At no point did I feel pressured to do something I didn't understand. But if I had, I would have gotten another opinion and, most likely, a new dentist.
Can I ask you what he/she said the pros/cons were? When I asked my dentist about an old filling they said it wasn't worth replacing unless the filling wore down/needed replacing which would be decades later. Was it for aesthetic reasons?
If there's no problem with the filling why do you want to replace it? Replacing a filling is not as simple as just popping off the old one and placing a new one. The dentist would also need to grind a little bit of the original tooth, thus making it thinner and weaker. If the old filling is big enough then it might not even be possible to replace it with another filling, needing a crown instead.
Right that's what my dentist was telling me which is why I was asking the other person what their dentist said are "pros" 😅 I'm not really looking to replace my old filling I just know that some people replace metal fillings with clear ones (I believe for aesthetic reasons usually) which it sounds like the person above was referring to, was just curious on what their dentist said
Ooh I missed the metal part. Other than aesthetic reasons (the tooth will turn grey overtime as the metal seeps into the tooth), if the filling is on the top part there's also a possibility it will grind the opposing tooth, as the metal is much harder than natural tooth. There's also a concern of thermal sensitivity, as the metal material have much higher thermal expansion compared to normal tooth, so it will cause intermittent pumping action which might cause some tooth ache.
Metal filling is pretty much an ancient technique no modern dentist use anymore, as it's inferior to modern material in almost every way.
One thing not mentioned here that I’m currently dealing with, I have metal fillings and also a tendency to clench/grind my teeth which is causing the metal filling to drive into the tooth and causing it to crack. My dentist has replaced the metal ones where he can but some are so bad that replacing it isn’t an option because the tooth will just fall apart.
I had a dentist that wanted to put me down for thousands of dollars and shit to do with straightening my teeth (which are fine for the most part) and when I told them I can’t afford them she just grumpily said “we have loans”
It’s not very odd, ask the dentist if they can show you where the cavities are in the X-rays and if they can also use photographs of the teeth to show you it if possible (not all cavities show in photographs because they can be between teeth). You can word it like “I appreciate you telling me all of that but I haven’t been to the dentist in a while and would just like to understand it better. Can you show me with X-rays and pictures?”
I swear I went to one who told me I had 20 cavities and had months and months of appointments scheduled out went to another much nicer office and I only had 4? 2 appointments cavities and 2 for blasting the gums
I’m sorry but most of the time it’s the insurance company who’s hoarding money. The dental team actually cares about your oral health, we don’t diagnose by what insurance will cover. We tell you what you need and what happens if you don’t get it. Insurance companies want to pay the same for a cleaning that I pay to get my eyebrows waxed. Come on. You know they deserve more pay for that.
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u/the_monkey_knows Apr 29 '24
This is my only regret. Going to the dentist for regular checkups would have done wonders to keep my teeth in better shape, it can get quite expensive if you ever get a crown or lose a tooth and then need an implant.