Gold Tooth Stigma?

Off Topic
1

Do you judge a person by their appearance? I guess we all do, to some extent. It’s human nature to do so. In particular, what does a gold tooth say to you? Do you determine a person’s couth, intelligence, diligence, trustworthiness, or other personality characteristics to be deficient or substandard if they display a gold tooth in their smile? How about their culture? Is the wearer of a gold tooth a member of a culture so foreign to you that you would choose to stay away from them?

I need a crown for one of my upper eye teeth. The dentist started talking about color match, tooth whitening, and the like. I interrupted, saying I’d like to consider a gold crown. She was a little shocked by my suggestion. But after a few miniutes of conversation, she was quite engaged by the idea. As it stands right now, I’ll let her know at my next appointment what type of crown I want.

At home the story takes a hard left, headed straight for the ditch. My wife had an immediate, vigorous, vociferous, and (need I say?) negative reaction. In her estimation, a gold tooth is definitely not for a person like like me (or more properly, like her husband). She says a gold tooth is only for the socially low, the culturally bereft, the ignorant, and the slovenly. She won’t be seen with me in public or in company of her relatives if I’m sporting a gold tooth. She can’t imagine me giving my daughter’s hand in marriage or attending my son’s doctoral award ceremony if I’m flashing a gold tooth. Why would I do this to myself? How could I do this to her?

As far as I’m concerned, one gold eye tooth is an adornment akin to a piercing or a tattoo (of which I have neither). What’s the big deal?

2

Everyone makes snap judgments about people based on the way they look or way they dress, you just have to figure out if a gold tooth is going to create too many hassles for you or get in the way of your career. In the end just do whatever makes you happy.

3

I was thinking this same thing last week. I have since decided that if I ever need a crown or replacement tooth, it will be solid gold. Go for it, and tell me how great it feels.

4

[quote]Skip Toids wrote:
Do you judge a person by their appearance? I guess we all do, to some extent. It’s human nature to do so. In particular, what does a gold tooth say to you?

Do you determine a person’s couth, intelligence, diligence, trustworthiness, or other personality characteristics to be deficient or substandard if they display a gold tooth in their smile? How about their culture? Is the wearer of a gold tooth a member of a culture so foreign to you that you would choose to stay away from them?

I need a crown for one of my upper eye teeth. The dentist started talking about color match, tooth whitening, and the like. I interrupted, saying I’d like to consider a gold crown. She was a little shocked by my suggestion.

But after a few miniutes of conversation, she was quite engaged by the idea. As it stands right now, I’ll let her know at my next appointment what type of crown I want.

At home the story takes a hard left, headed straight for the ditch. My wife had an immediate, vigorous, vociferous, and (need I say?) negative reaction.

In her estimation, a gold tooth is definitely not for a person like like me (or more properly, like her husband). She says a gold tooth is only for the socially low, the culturally bereft, the ignorant, and the slovenly. She won’t be seen with me in public or in company of her relatives if I’m sporting a gold tooth.

She can’t imagine me giving my daughter’s hand in marriage or attending my son’s doctoral award ceremony if I’m flashing a gold tooth. Why would I do this to myself? How could I do this to her?

As far as I’m concerned, one gold eye tooth is an adornment akin to a piercing or a tattoo (of which I have neither). What’s the big deal?[/quote]

There is no big deal if you truly don’t give a shit what people think. I do have detailed conversations with patients who ask for them because I want them to be sure they won’t want it replaced in a year down the road.

I have tattoos…but they can be covered easily be any shirt with sleeves (short or long). My ears are pierced but I usually don’t wear them at work.

My guess is, unless you are independently wealthy, a rap star or both, you will have to get a job that relies in some part on your appearance.

Gold teeth are no different than braided hair, dreadlocks, or tattoos. They are a personal preference and you won’t find me judging someone negatively based on that alone…but we live in a world full of morons, most of which are dumber than the people they are judging as beneath them.

You can either manipulate the system (my personal preference), fight the system, or conform to the system. Your choice.

I do know one thing…if I do get married, there is no way that this conversation would need to occur. If it did, I would be thinking whether I married the right one.

5

You never said why YOU wanted a gold tooth?

Is this some kind of midlife crisis because you have no tattoo’s or ear piercings. Fact is a gold tooth screams stare at me more than tattoos and ear piercings, even more so nowadays.

It’s like a collard stuck on a tooth, you just find yourself staring at it. If I see somebody with all white teeth then ONE gold tooth, it will catch my attention.

6

[quote]Professor X wrote:

There is no big deal if you truly don’t give a shit what people think. I do have detailed conversations with patients who ask for them because I want them to be sure they won’t want it replaced in a year down the road.

I have tattoos…but they can be covered easily be any shirt with sleeves (short or long). My ears are pierced but I usually don’t wear them at work.

My guess is, unless you are independently wealthy, a rap star or both, you will have to get a job that relies in some part on your appearance.
[/quote]

Truth is, I’m only about three years out from retirement!

[quote]
Gold teeth are no different than braided hair, dreadlocks, or tattoos. They are a personal preference and you won’t find me judging someone negatively based on that alone…but we live in a world full of morons, most of which are dumber than the people they are judging as beneath them.[/quote]

Amen.

[quote]
You can either manipulate the system (my personal preference), fight the system, or conform to the system. Your choice.

I do know one thing…if I do get married, there is no way that this conversation would need to occur. If it did, I would be thinking whether I married the right one.[/quote]

We’ve talked about the Big D, including in the conversation about the bling tooth.

7


Seems to be working out well for this guy, of couse he’s in a band. I vote no to gold teeth, maybe in 1970 but in 2008 it’s just no longer cool.

8

[quote]Skip Toids wrote:
Professor X wrote:

There is no big deal if you truly don’t give a shit what people think. I do have detailed conversations with patients who ask for them because I want them to be sure they won’t want it replaced in a year down the road.

I have tattoos…but they can be covered easily be any shirt with sleeves (short or long). My ears are pierced but I usually don’t wear them at work.

My guess is, unless you are independently wealthy, a rap star or both, you will have to get a job that relies in some part on your appearance.

Truth is, I’m only about three years out from retirement!

Gold teeth are no different than braided hair, dreadlocks, or tattoos. They are a personal preference and you won’t find me judging someone negatively based on that alone…but we live in a world full of morons, most of which are dumber than the people they are judging as beneath them.

Amen.

You can either manipulate the system (my personal preference), fight the system, or conform to the system. Your choice.

I do know one thing…if I do get married, there is no way that this conversation would need to occur. If it did, I would be thinking whether I married the right one.

We’ve talked about the Big D, including in the conversation about the bling tooth.

[/quote]

If I was about to retire, I wouldn’t give a shit at all. I would get the damn gold tooth if I wanted it. I would then get dreadlocks and tattoo my entire left side on my way to pick up my gold watch at the job.

9

Also worth mentioning: Every implant I’ve seen that is supposed to look ‘natural’ always looks a bit off. At least the gold tooth would be purposely so.

I really like the idea. X, what is the best way to remove a tooth at home? String and doorknob? Pliers? Insult a meathead’s mother? Bench pressing over my face?

10

[quote]Vicomte wrote:
Also worth mentioning: Every implant I’ve seen that is supposed to look ‘natural’ always looks a bit off. At least the gold tooth would be purposely so.

I really like the idea. X, what is the best way to remove a tooth at home? String and doorknob? Pliers? Insult a meathead’s mother? Bench pressing over my face?[/quote]

You don’t. I hate it when patients come in like this. They are almost always ex-military or aging truck drivers who tried grabbing the pliers at home but fucked up the job and now need professional help.

Leave the tooth extraction for the professionals. I mean, not only do we numb the area up so you barely feel a thing…we actually know what the hell we are doing.

11

[quote]Airtruth wrote:
You never said why YOU wanted a gold tooth?

Is this some kind of midlife crisis because you have no tattoo’s or ear piercings. Fact is a gold tooth screams stare at me more than tattoos and ear piercings, even more so nowadays.

It’s like a collard stuck on a tooth, you just find yourself staring at it. If I see somebody with all white teeth then ONE gold tooth, it will catch my attention.
[/quote]

The first reason I’m consideriing gold is the flash factor, pure and simple.

The “practical” (though minor) consideration is that a color-matched porcelain tooth won’t be color matched for long. Teeth change color over time, and whitenening is an imprecise process. My dentist agreed that I’d be chasing the color match for the rest of my life.

Midlife crisis? It is my life, and I’m pretty much in the middle, but I wouldn’t classify this as a crisis. Those of us who get this far have to cope with it in our own ways.

12

Professor X,

Could you elaborate more on gold teeth, specifically crowns. I had a root canal one year ago and my dentist keeps insisting I get a crown for it. This isn’t a cash grab on my dentists part since I had the root canal done while on a business trip.

It’s based on the fact that I grind my teeth and have a very strong bite. He recommended a gold crown since it’s $150 cheaper, stonger and lasts longer than porcelain.

I trust and respect my dentist. He did my wisdom teeth 7 years ago and I’ve quit smoking that same day to not get infected post op. So I may be over trusting.

By trade I’m am an accountant so a business image is a bit of an issue, wife loves me for me and not for my teeth.

What are your thoughts on this?

Crown Yes/No?
Gold/Porcelain?

13

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Vicomte wrote:
Also worth mentioning: Every implant I’ve seen that is supposed to look ‘natural’ always looks a bit off. At least the gold tooth would be purposely so.

I really like the idea. X, what is the best way to remove a tooth at home? String and doorknob? Pliers? Insult a meathead’s mother? Bench pressing over my face?

You don’t. I hate it when patients come in like this. They are almost always ex-military or aging truck drivers who tried grabbing the pliers at home but fucked up the job and now need professional help.

Leave the tooth extraction for the professionals. I mean, not only do we numb the area up so you barely feel a thing…we actually know what the hell we are doing.[/quote]

I was kidding, of course. People really try pliers at home? I suppose I’m not surprised…

14

[quote]TKOWKD1 wrote:
Professor X,

Could you elaborate more on gold teeth, specifically crowns. I had a root canal one year ago and my dentist keeps insisting I get a crown for it. This isn’t a cash grab on my dentists part since I had the root canal done while on a business trip. It’s based on the fact that I grind my teeth and have a very strong bite. He recommended a gold crown since it’s $150 cheaper, stonger and lasts longer than porcelain.

I trust and respect my dentist. He did my wisdom teeth 7 years ago and I’ve quit smoking that same day to not get infected post op. So I may be over trusting.

By trade I’m am an accountant so a business image is a bit of an issue, wife loves me for me and not for my teeth.

What are your thoughts on this?

Crown Yes/No?
Gold/Porcelain?[/quote]

Your doc is right, especially if you grind your teeth. After a root canal is done, you are basically walking around with a weakened tooth. The filling on the inside is meant to keep bacteria out and will not help much with stability or strength against harsh forces (very important the further back in the mouth you get).

Gold teeth are more durable, require less removal of original tooth structure and are cheaper. The only negative is the social stigma attached…which makes little sense to begin with.

Waiting too long to get a crown on a tooth that needs one is like asking for it to fracture on you and require removal.

15

[quote]Vicomte wrote:

I was kidding, of course. People really try pliers at home? I suppose I’m not surprised…
[/quote]

Yes, they do…and many are not very successful at it.

16

[quote]dday wrote:
Seems to be working out well for this guy, of couse he’s in a band. I vote no to gold teeth, maybe in 1970 but in 2008 it’s just no longer cool.[/quote]

I have a gold crown, it’s two teeth back from my eyetooth (2nd bicuspid) so you can only see it when I smile big, so it’s not too flashy. With the price of gold today, I could hock it for a new bass, if I had to.

And don’t get any ideas. I can spot you coming at me with pliers at 100 yards.

17

anytime i hear about people with gold teeth, i think of the bad guy from home alone,

18

[quote]Skip Toids wrote:

We’ve talked about the Big D, including in the conversation about the bling tooth.

[/quote]

Dude. Get the divorce. Get the gold tooth.

Live the good life as easy-going Gold Tooth Willy.

19

Get the gold tooth and buy a boat.

And a parrot.

Awww yeeeeah.