The key to longer life costs about $1

[Fielder 3,673]

People read stuff like this and then forget about it. Which is sad.

https://www.studyfinds.org/gum-disease-health-brushing-teeth-long-life/

 

 

 

 

[bic 44]

Wife is learning this now...  She always had cavities and lost a couple teeth and now has issues eating because one or two have not been replaced ($5k per tooth).    I told her she should brush after every meal.  She rarely flosses too.  I wish she had taken care of her teeth like her face / skin.  First periodontal cost was around $2k out of pocket (that was the "cheap" option, but may have to do additional more expensive work) and will be on going now.  She was in pretty bad pain for about two weeks and could only eat soft foods.  Something like dentist and periodontist every two months, rotating between the two.  I can think of better ways to spend time and money.

[stans 703]

Overall health starts with a healthy mouth. 

[charliearon 3,024]

It was about 32 years ago, my dentist recommended root planing, done in 4 sessions.  Luckily I had dental insurance from work.  He then warned me that if things did not improve, I would need gum surgery.  Now that scared the bejezers out of me!  After that, it was floss every time I brushed.  Minimum 2 times a day and 3 if I remember to!  Checkups have been fine ever since.  Cleanings with the hygienist twice a year! 😁

[birdguy 3,943]

I must be an anomaly.  I have not seen a dentist in 20 years or so.

I'm terrified of them.   

I still have all but three of my original teeth.  As long as I can still chew steak no dentist is going to look into my mouth unless a tooth is hurting me more than the dentist is going to hurt me.  I know, I know it's painless with modern dentistry but I don't believe it.

When I was in Korea I had a Navy dentist look at a tooth that was hurting.  A molar way in the back.  He started drilling with a corpsman on a bicycle device peddling to run the drill and it kept getting stuck.  I sked him for Novocain but he said they were short and he was saving it for extractions.  So I told him to give me some Novocain and just pull it.  He gave me a shot but didn't wait long enough and yanking the tooth hurt more than the drilling.

I hate dentists.  A bunch of sadists.

Noel

 

[stans 703]

13 hours ago, birdguy said:

When I was in Korea I had a Navy dentist look at a tooth that was hurting.  A molar way in the back.  He started drilling with a corpsman on a bicycle device peddling to run the drill and it kept getting stuck.  I sked him for Novocain but he said they were short and he was saving it for extractions.  So I told him to give me some Novocain and just pull it.  He gave me a shot but didn't wait long enough and yanking the tooth hurt more than the drilling.

I hate dentists.  A bunch of sadists.

Noel

Things have changed quite a bit since then and not all are sadists.

[Fielder 3,673]

I think I don't feel pain as much as some people do. I did not feel any need for even a single aspirin or substitute after a root canal followed up later by a bridge.

Meanwhile some local dentists advertise they use sedation instead of an anesthesia shot. They put you to sleep with laughing gas or an IV. No way I'm paying for that for what to me is a very trivial annoyance of a slight toothache for a couple hours.

 

[Fielder 3,673]

On 7/31/2022 at 12:41 PM, charliearon said:

After that, it was floss every time I brushed.  Minimum 2 times a day and 3 if I remember to!  Checkups have been fine ever since.  Cleanings with the hygienist twice a year! 😁

On average you are probably adding a couple years to your life. 

[bofhlusr 453]

On 7/31/2022 at 1:25 PM, birdguy said:

I must be an anomaly.  I have not seen a dentist in 20 years or so.

...

 

How do you take care of your teeth?

[bofhlusr 453]

On 8/1/2022 at 3:08 PM, Fielder said:

I think I don't feel pain as much as some people do. I did not feel any need for even a single aspirin or substitute after a root canal followed up later by a bridge.

That's incredible. Lucky you. I'm wondering if the high tolerance to pain runs in your family.

A dentist once told me he had a patient in for gum surgery. She insisted on not getting anything for the pain and he very reluctantly agreed. He said she practiced some kind of meditation or religion, and was amazed at how she remained still, very calm, and peaceful through out the procedure..

[Fielder 3,673]

I felt almost no pain after the procedure. Novocain during. They were going to write a prescription for double strength Motrin. But I don't want that stuff in my house. 

[bofhlusr 453]

Kudos to you for enduring a few hours of pain instead of taking prescription. Not too many would do that.

[birdguy 3,943]

On 8/3/2022 at 3:58 PM, bofhlusr said:

How do you take care of your teeth?

RELIGIOUSLY!

I brush twice a day with an Oral-B toothbrush making sure I massage the gums both front and rear.

After each brushing I swish mouthwash around in my mouth.

And after eating I use one of those toothpick brushes to clean between my teeth.  Even after eating an apple or finishing a bow of popcorn I clean between my teeth.  I don't let any food particles linger between my teeth.

If I have very large lunch I'll brush after that too.  But usually I just have a snack for lunch and use the toothpick brushes.

I'll do whatever it takes to keep out of the dentist's office let alone his chair.

When I was a pre-teen back in the late 1940s I had orthodonture work done.  It was kind of primitive back then and after I turned 50 the teeth started getting a bit crooked again.

But they can still chew a steak and as long as they can do that and they don't hurt more than I remember a dentist hurting me I keep away from them.

Noel

[martin-w 3,235]

34 minutes ago, birdguy said:

 

After each brushing I swish mouthwash around in my mouth.

 

 

Some mouthwash neutralises the fluoride in toothpaste. That's if you regard fluoride as important. 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/how-to-keep-your-teeth-clean/#:~:text=Should I use mouthwash%3F,toothpaste left on your teeth.

 

 

Quote

 

Using a mouthwash that contains fluoride can help prevent tooth decay, but don't use mouthwash (even a fluoride one) straight after brushing your teeth or it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste left on your teeth. 

Choose a different time to use mouthwash, such as after lunch.

Don't eat or drink for 30 minutes after using a fluoride mouthwash.

 

 

[birdguy 3,943]

I don't care if it has flouride or not.  I'll just go one doing what I've been doing for years.  While I use ACT mouthwash I use whichever name brand of toothpaste is on the shelf.  I just read the labels of what's there now and they both contain flouride.

I was once told by a dentist I had the hardest teeth he'd ever seen.  My main goal is keeping food particles from between my teeth.

Noel

Edited August 6, 2022 by birdguy