[quote]sen say wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Chances are, your build up is present right in front of one of your salivary glands.
Yup. Thanks Prof.
This is the best thread ever…thanks JFit.[/quote]
Just curious if yeast cultures have any effect on the buildup? uh-huh I said it.
[quote]Eielson wrote:
Are braces and/or wisdom teeth removal being overrated? [/quote]
I’m sure PX might have a more technical answer, but braces aren’t overrated if your kid and/or you has crooked ass teef that will make you self-conscious/ugly when you’re older.
I have seen some people that put their kids baby teeth in braces…they told me the orthodontist said it would help in the long run when their adult teeth came in…I thought it was goofy.
My oldest son was recommended for braces when he was like 8 and we didn’t have them put on…he’s 14 now and teeth are close to perfect…dentist agrees we don’t need an ortho’s opinion for him at this point.
My second son had them recommended at around 9 and we waited until he was 12 to put them on…his teeth were really crooked and he had a bit of a lithp.
[quote]Eielson wrote:
Are braces and/or wisdom teeth removal being overrated? It seems as if they are trying to do both those things to every kid the can. Is it more about concern for our teeth or for profit? Do braces have a big effect on things other than your smile? If somebody would rather not deal with braces and pay the money wouldn’t it be fine to leave the teeth where they are?[/quote]
Many people are being born lately without their wisdom teeth entirely. I believe Asian women are at the top of the list when it comes to ethnic groups that are being born with them the least. Getting wisdom teeth pulled is due to many reasons:
-crowding
-poor oral hygiene - if someone does not take good care of their teeth, they usually take even worse care of their wisdom teeth. Due to the position of those teeth and the HUGE variability in shape when compared to other teeth in the mouth, most dentists will recommend removal if decay becomes rampant. It is not rare for a wisdom tooth to be so variable in shape that a root canal could only be completed by a specialist with a microscope…if at all.
-partial impaction (meaning the teeth are half in/half out of the gums meaning they can not be brushed but can still get cavities and infection.
I still have my wisdom teeth, however, I also have a wide jaw so there is enough room for them and they came in straight. If they hadn’t, I am sure mine would have been pulled as well.
As for braces, yes, very poor occlusion can be a problem if for no other reason than long term it could lead to the presence of even more decay if teeth are overly crowded.
You thought braces were being done for no reason? Most people would like straight teeth and I doubt many docs are FORCING braces on anyone.
[quote]Testy1 wrote:
sen say wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Chances are, your build up is present right in front of one of your salivary glands.
Yup. Thanks Prof.
This is the best thread ever…thanks JFit.
Just curious if yeast cultures have any effect on the buildup? uh-huh I said it.
[/quote]
Yeast (candida albicans) can cause dental infections but mostly of the soft tissue of the mouth, not the teeth themselves. This yeast is present on our bodies and in our mouths all of the time. The decrease in active competing bacterial cultures due t overuse of antibiotics or a compromised immune system can cause overgrowth of this organism leading to acute/chronic infection.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
I also have a wide jaw so there is enough room for them and they came in straight.
[/quote]
X,
Can you recommend any specific set/rep/exercise schemes that would help me develop a wider jaw?
Also, what do you eat that I should also, in order to widen my jaw?
How long should I widen my jaw before I cut?
Thanks.
[quote]sen say wrote:
Professor X wrote:
I also have a wide jaw so there is enough room for them and they came in straight.
X,
Can you recommend any specific set/rep/exercise schemes that would help me develop a wider jaw?
Also, what do you eat that I should also, in order to widen my jaw?
How long should I widen my jaw before I cut?
Thanks.
[/quote]
Step one: Buy tennis balls
Step two: Fit one ball in your mouth and bite
Step three: Continue this activity until you can chew the tennis ball for “reps”.
Step four: Scare small children with your freakishly large masseter muscles
Repeat as needed.
On a serious note, I have always been interested in how jaw muscles seem to grow slightly with an individual once they get to a certain size. My thoughts are that this is due in part because of overall adaption to stress on the whole body (leading to full body growth) along with the larger eating requirements to get that big in the first place.
Chew more sugar-free gum.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
You thought braces were being done for no reason? Most people would like straight teeth and I doubt many docs are FORCING braces on anyone.[/quote]
I’m not saying they are being forced on anybody. I’m just saying that when a doctor says “You need…” people tend to listen. So when a doctor goes to a kid’s parents and say “Your child needs braces,” people tend to listen. It isn’t necessarily presented, “If your child would like straighter teeth for a few thousand dollars, please consider braces.” I’m not saying that I regret it, I’m just saying that some people don’t look like they really need it, and it seems that most people that don’t get it can’t afford it financially.
Anyway, I know of a couple people who had to get braces twice. Something like from 8 years old to 10 years old, and then again from 12 years old to 14 years old. Is that for people who have extra jacked up mouths?
(not sure those years make any sense, but they got braces twice)
Just want to say thanks to PX for giving his professional advice of which was not cheap money/time wise to obtain
I’m pretty sure only one of my bottom wisdom teeth came through. Will this be a problem in the long term?
Great thread too, I just started using a hard toothbrush recently but I guess I’ll be going back to the soft before I fuck things up. I love my teeth.
[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Just want to say thanks to PX for giving his professional advice of which was not cheap money/time wise to obtain[/quote]
I thought he learned how to be a dentist just by taking steeroids for a couple days…
[quote]Eielson wrote:
As for the wisdom teeth, I have basically have the same questions. Is it necessary? I had mine taken out last year, but I never had any problems with them when I had them. Also, if they move on their own until they hit something, why couldn’t they take the ones out right in front of them? My wisdom teeth had been used nearly as much and were in much better condition.[/quote]
[quote]Professor X wrote:
I still have my wisdom teeth, however, I also have a wide jaw so there is enough room for them and they came in straight. If they hadn’t, I am sure mine would have been pulled as well.[/quote]
Apparently, a lot of black guys don’t ever need removal of their wisdom teeth. I read this study that some scientist did, and he was analyzing transverse cross sections of people’s heads and comparing them across genders, races, nationalities, etc. One thing they found is that while black men and white men have the same total cranial volume, white guys’ cranial cavities tended to extend inward, into the head. Black guys’ tended to expand outward, out the back of their skulls. They theorized that it was probably one of the more recent evolutionary adaptions, to make way for our enormous brains, and the change just manifested itself differently in each race.
So the researcher leading the study concluded, among other things, that this difference accounted for why a lot of white people need their wisdom teeth plucked, while black people don’t. Now, I don’t know how true this is, the study was done like 10 years ago, but it’s just one interesting way to look at it. I know all of my black friends never got their wisdom teeth out, they just had space for them. Mine were going to come in impacted, so I had mine out. Not fun.
Question regarding mouthwash:
Most mouthwashes (i.e. Listerine) say only to use twice a day, which is normally done during one’s first and last brushing of the day. So, would it be possible to use just a simple anti-bacterial rinse during the rest of day, saving the Listerine for the first and last sessions only?
Prof X
I began rinsing with hydrogen peroxide several years ago. People started asking if I had done whitening. When I went in for a check up and cleaning, I was often told I needed virtually no cleaning. Gums stay healthy. I have been told this in not healthy, only by those with no hard science to back it up. What do you think. It seems to be working for me.
Bump
[quote]Professor X wrote:
grettiron wrote:
Professor X wrote:
DO NOT USE A MEDIUM OR HARD BRISTLE TOOTHBRUSH. Use a soft toothbrush or (like I usually recommend) buy one of those spin brushes or the Sonicair. You can damage the enamel on your teeth by brushing too hard.
If you lift weights, you may also grind your teeth…which may require a nightguard to protect your teeth in the long run.
well i guess i’ll get a soft bristle brush then.
my dentist told me grinding can also work the teeth up out of the jaw, exposing the softer tooth surface that would normally be below the gum line. they mentioned this because i had 2 small cavities right at the gum line, and they know i grind.
can you comment on whether dental and mouth health can affect heart and body health? i always thought that was interesting.
Bacteria under your gums (especially deep under) can get into your blood stream. This is one reason people with valve disorders are instructed to premedicate with antibiotics before any procedure that could push bacteria beneath the gums.
People with diabetes are more prone to cavities and mouth disease. There is less repair of minor damage and less blood supply. If you have diabetes, you should be seeing your dentist more often, not less.
The issue you spoke of used to be largely theory (abfraction)…which basically means that forces on the tooth surface cause flexural damage over the long term. To my knowledge, this has not been proven as fact yet but I do believe personally it is a combination of tooth wear from brushing as well as forces from grinding and chewing.[/quote]
According to my Dentist and Maxofacial surgeon, they stated that is it no longer required to take antibiotics for people with minor valve problems such as myself.
Have you heard anything about this?
[quote]Professor X wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Hey PX… what’s new and exciting in the world of dentistry? With all the advances in medicine how do you see the future of your profession?
They’re talking about regrowing organs thru stem cells on Oprah, any chance of something like that with teeth.
I try to keep good care of my teeth, but damn if I don’t have a lot of cavities that have been filled (and 1 root canal as you may remember).
I don’t look forward to my later years and needing all out dentures, any good news for those that aren’t “old” yet?
obviously prevention is a good idea 
One of the professors in my university was working on a research project with the goal or trying to regrow enamel. To my knowledge it is still ongoing and nothing has panned out…but I am sure in the future it will be possible.
As of right now, the biggest change is that many docs no longer even use amalgam (metal fillings) as many now use composite (tooth colored) material instead.
Other advancements would simply include how things are done and even the anesthetic used. All of the x-rays in my clinic are now digital which means far less radiation than regular x-rays along with being able to see details that you can not see in a small film. That makes diagnosis easier and also we can pick out problems long before they become real issues as they would if we were still using regular films.
As far as holding onto your teeth, quit drinking sodas. I drink mostly green tea and water now. I may have a rootbeer every now and then, but I have quit even buying sodas unless I am out of choices.
Get regular checkups. I get patients all of the time apparently surprised that they have cavities…even though the last time they saw a dentist was 1982.
DO NOT USE A MEDIUM OR HARD BRISTLE TOOTHBRUSH. Use a soft toothbrush or (like I usually recommend) buy one of those spin brushes or the Sonicair. You can damage the enamel on your teeth by brushing too hard.
If you lift weights, you may also grind your teeth…which may require a nightguard to protect your teeth in the long run.
If I think of more I’ll post it.[/quote]
Good post.
However I see dentists as the new chiropractors. Years ago chiropractors had the image of using all sorts of gimmicks to trick a person out of money, give unecessary treatment and keep them coming back forever. Now , whenever I go to the dentist they try to get me to buy all sorts of crap and receive all sorts of procedures. I hate going to the dentist - largely because I will be subjected to their sale pitches of all the ways my life will be better with this appliance, or this procedure etc. I dread their sales pitches - they are the new chiropractors.
I’m impressed by how much dentistry has advanced…
I went a couple weeks ago for a root canal. We all know the stereotype about root canals…so painful that the term has come to be equated with torture.
The sounds were horrible, there were an ungodly amount of instruments used, and a horribly bitter disinfectant was continuously sprayed on my hollowed-out tooth…but no pain. Zero. Even the anesthetic injection didn’t hurt. The dentist did such a good job resculpting the tooth that it now feels completely natural.
[quote]Zack Nelson wrote:
Good post.
However I see dentists as the new chiropractors. Years ago chiropractors had the image of using all sorts of gimmicks to trick a person out of money, give unecessary treatment and keep them coming back forever. Now , whenever I go to the dentist they try to get me to buy all sorts of crap and receive all sorts of procedures.
I hate going to the dentist - largely because I will be subjected to their sale pitches of all the ways my life will be better with this appliance, or this procedure etc. I dread their sales pitches - they are the new chiropractors.[/quote]
What are they trying to sell you? Cosmetic procedures?
Its been said a million times but there are good and greedy and its not limited to dentistry or chiropracting. Getting your car fixed…getting a suit made…you name it and someone will be out to supplement their income through a.) marginally useful “extras” or b.) outright lies.
I see and hear about this a lot with Ontario doctors. GPs there used to have a salary cap which has been lifted, and everywhere you go doctors are recommending useless vaccinations, charging outrageous cancellation fees, making orthotics out of former janitor closets and even charging 100 dollar “New Patient Enrollment” fees.
They’re just humans and unfortunately some humans care too much about making money.
[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
Zack Nelson wrote:
Good post.
However I see dentists as the new chiropractors. Years ago chiropractors had the image of using all sorts of gimmicks to trick a person out of money, give unecessary treatment and keep them coming back forever. Now , whenever I go to the dentist they try to get me to buy all sorts of crap and receive all sorts of procedures.
I hate going to the dentist - largely because I will be subjected to their sale pitches of all the ways my life will be better with this appliance, or this procedure etc. I dread their sales pitches - they are the new chiropractors.
What are they trying to sell you? Cosmetic procedures?
Its been said a million times but there are good and greedy and its not limited to dentistry or chiropracting. Getting your car fixed…getting a suit made…you name it and someone will be out to supplement their income through a.) marginally useful “extras” or b.) outright lies.
I see and hear about this a lot with Ontario doctors. GPs there used to have a salary cap which has been lifted, and everywhere you go doctors are recommending useless vaccinations, charging outrageous cancellation fees, making orthotics out of former janitor closets and even charging 100 dollar “New Patient Enrollment” fees.
They’re just humans and unfortunately some humans care too much about making money.[/quote]
Well, good points and well taken. I am not saying Dentists are as worthless (or potentially harmful) as psychologists, just that I dread going to them and having them try to sell me gadgets and gismo’s. I had a crown recently and they did a decent job, it was fairly painless and done in 2 visits. I now chew much more comfortably - YAY dentists.
[quote]Zack Nelson wrote:
I am not saying Dentists are as worthless (or potentially harmful) as psychologists, just that I dread going to them and having them try to sell me gadgets and gismo’s. I had a crown recently and they did a decent job, it was fairly painless and done in 2 visits. I now chew much more comfortably - YAY dentists.[/quote]
As worthless and potentially harmful as psychologists, huh? Why, did one try to sell you a gadget or gizmo for reducing paranoia?
Great thread idea, JF. Sen say’s just jealous that he didn’t think of it first.