American Dentistry

[kenny]

Kenny, It is really great to hear that your dentist and dental hygienist have had and still does have a great impact on your oral health care. Unfortunately, you are part of a minority. Yes, gum disease affects ALOT of ppl. Oral diseases are preventable but like most things with health, ppl ( I generalize and I know that some ppl are not like this) tend to ignore it till it is too late. When it is too late, there usually are not a lot of options to treat it easily.

I want to thank you for sharing your general dental knowledge to this group.

Yes Yes.
I hear you.

I'm not sure why I care.
I'm a lazy slob about many other things in my life

It just seems like an easy and important crusade to champion.
Daily flossing/brushing IS a hassle but is kind of like saving for retirement.
A little daily pain now yields a HUGE payback later.

 

[kenny]

Nothing personal.
With half of Americans failing I never miss a chance to preach dental health.
Sorry if I'm annoying, but maybe one poster will read my posts and start flossing or floss more often.



I've lived in other countries for 5 years, so I know a bit about how Americans are viewed.

Kenny, you need to come do my job! Btw, almost every one of my adult patients needs a NG because they grind their teeth. Another way to lose perfectly healthy teeth.

What's your job, sorry for my crappy memory.

YEs I wear a custom-made night guard too. Only $1,100 each and two have been chewed up by our dogs.

I discovered I have bruxism, grinding of teeth, when I had a sleep study for sleep apnea.

Years prior my wonderful dentist told me that I grind my teeth and should get fitted for a night guard, he could tell by the wear and cracks, but I ignored him for 25 years, to my peril as I ground away nightly, cracking my teeth, loosening crowns and fillings.
DUH!

About night guards, aka dental splints, my dentist told me to wear it Mon-Thurs nights.
Do not wear it Fri -Sun nights.
This change prevents the brain from getting used to it and telling the jaw to just keep grinding away if the guard is worn every day.

My dentist is a leading professor at one of America's leading University's Dental schools and specializes in TMJ.

 

[Smith1942]

With the length of floss I've used, I reckon I could tie one end to a lamppost in Brighton, one end to a lamppost in Boston, and feel my way home!

I know how you feel; it's a chore too, isn't it?

It is a different outlook. British (lack of) dentistry did come in for some deservedly negative attention but I've noticed in the past several years that Brit smiles have improved a lot. But others too -- when I lived in Holland, we Yanks all went home for a dentist visit. My husband is Dutch & had never had his teeth cleaned (other than scraping with a pick) before he came to the States. Makes him sound gross -- he must have had good toothpaste because he smiled a lot, brightly. lol).

Britain can't compare with Japan, however. I've NEVER seen such bizarre things in people's mouths as there, and folks walking around with black dead teeth, broken teeth, well, I won't go into more detail. Much decay due to carbohydrates (rice) in the diet & no teeth cleaning, according to my dentist.

How one's nationality is seen from the outside is always startling -- fun, isn't it? Living & working all over Europe & Asia, I had a great time pricking those balloons. Hope you do too -- how about some stories, Smith?

--- Laurie

Do you mean stories of how I've pricked those balloons, or stories of xenophobia? Re. the latter, I did once get called a "British snob" for disliking the taste of peanut butter. And at a party once, seconds after being introduced to this guy, he was on about the Revolution and "people like you". I resisted the urge to inform him that I am not hundreds of years old and that I had not personally colonized America. 99.9% of people have been really friendly to me but I've met three people (only three, in six years) who seemed to have a real problem with the fact that I was British. They seemed to feel intensely threatened in some way - really odd.

If you meant the former, I am naturally very friendly and smiley and open, which I guess puts paid to the stereotype of the stiff British upper lip.

 

[AprilBaby]

I am a Dental Hygienist. I can't tell you how many people grind and break teeth. Our NG runs $445. Cheap in comparison to a new crown or two! Grinding also causes gum recession and those divots you can feel with your fingernail at the gum line of your tooth. As the gum recedes away from the stress of the grinding the bone recedes also so you can lose the tooth from having no support. We call this occlusal disease. I'm sure your dentist is right on top of it but many are not.

 

[JewelFreak]

Do you mean stories of how I've pricked those balloons, or stories of xenophobia? Re. the latter, I did once get called a "British snob" for disliking the taste of peanut butter. And at a party once, seconds after being introduced to this guy, he was on about the Revolution and "people like you". I resisted the urge to inform him that I am not hundreds of years old and that I had not personally colonized America. 99.9% of people have been really friendly to me but I've met three people (only three, in six years) who seemed to have a real problem with the fact that I was British. They seemed to feel intensely threatened in some way - really odd.

If you meant the former, I am naturally very friendly and smiley and open, which I guess puts paid to the stereotype of the stiff British upper lip.

The British upper lip is far less stiff than it was a couple generations ago. I meant balloon-pricking, really, and people's crazy impressions of other nationalities. The Revolution, really? That fellow had a loooong memory; maybe HE was hundreds of years old. In England, where I spent a few days per week for many years, people often told me I didn't seem American at all. Why? "Because you're quiet and polite." Oh. Also that they could always tell an American by his or her shoes -- I'm still puzzling that one out. Can you enighten me, Smith?

My favorite was in Japan, schmoozing with a bunch of Japanese businessmen after I gave a talk on int'l business -- their first questions concerned what sort of man my husband was, that he allowed me to travel so much & leave him to take care of himself. Took all my self-control not to break up into hilarious laughter!

--- Laurie

 

[ksinger]

Well, I'm something of an anomaly then.

I haven't had a cavity since I was a kid. From 26 to 40 I didn't go to the dentist at all. When I did finally go, no cavities, and no gum disease.

At age 47 I finally lost one of the 3 baby teeth I still have/had. (I held my dentist's office record for number of baby teeth still in) Two were ankylosed baby teeth that have no permanant teeth (genetic), so one finally gave up the ghost. The other 2 will be with me until I die, I'm sure, the dentist certainly thinks so.

I just went to the dentist about 3 weeks ago. Again, no cavities, no gum disease.

And I don't floss. Never have. Hate the stuff.

(I do brush within 15 minutes of almost every meal, and I am a huge fan of Rota-point interdental cleaners, and toothpicks in general)

 

[kenny]

Lucky you!

I remember my dentist saying besides maintenance the most important thing you can do to have healthy gums and teeth is to choose your parents carefully.
Some people are just blessed with good genes.

We need to take your blood and make a dental vaccine.

 

[ksinger]

Lucky you!

I remember my dentist saying besides maintenance the most important thing you can do to have healthy gums and teeth is to choose your parents carefully.
Some people are just blessed with good genes.

We need to take your blood and make a dental vaccine.

I suspect you're right on that - I probably won the genetic lottery (on teeth at least). I do take reasonably good care of my teeth, but not so much more than some people, and I know some who are just rabid about it - and do everything "right" all the time, and still have bad teeth and gums.

If I thought a blood sample would help, I'd give it.

 

[kenny]

I know some who are just rabid about it - and do everything "right" all the time, and still have bad teeth and gums.

Imagine how much worse their teeth and gums would be if people with bad dental genes (like me) were not rabid about doing everything right all the time.
I'm certain I'd have dentures by now if I never flossed.

Yet again, people vary.