Anyone else here cant stand going to the dentist?

[utmt40]

So today I go to the Dentist for the first time in a while and had my teeth cleaned. I mostly went there because I chipped a tooth playing b-ball a while back but its ok cause the tooth is in the back of my mouth (molar). Now I am getting it pulled and I cant freaking stand needles so whats my play? I have to get it taken out and I dont want to fork out the extra 200 bucks to be put to sleep. Should I just suck it up and get it over with or pay the extra money?

[STLantny]

I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth pulled, I didnt go to sleep. I dont like needles like you, so I just told em to gas me up. It was really really cool actually, most messed up Ive ever been, and I personalyl believe I healed faster. I had them pulled on a friday at 3, and was out lifting christmas trees at 6 on sunday.

[touchfaith]

Hate it. I have bigtime needle issues.

Luckily though, me and my dentist have an understanding...He doesn't hurt me, I don't hurt him. This is basically the first conversation I have with a new dentist following an incident about 10 years ago when a random dentist I went too decided to check for infection in a tooth by [censored] POUNDING ON IT WITH THE LITTLE MIRROR THING.

I woke up the next day with a golf ball sized lump in that spot (from the infection).

Now I warn them.

[peachy]

ive had 4 impacted wisdom teeth for 7 years...its something i need to get taken care of...but have never had the time and since ive gone thru a few surgeries its not something im looking foward to.

When i was a kid my dentist was real rough with needles so for a cavity i opted for no shot and no gas...as he drilled he goes "well its alot deeper than i thought it would be, its almost to ur nerve" it wasnt SO bad...but it wasnt pleasent /images/graemlins/frown.gif

its all about how high ur pain tolerance is....if u can take it then i guess dont do it

[razor]

Suck it up.

I tense up when I go to the dentist. But it never turns out to be that bad.

[MrMon]

Needles generally don't bother me, but the ones at the dentist are HUGE and freak me out. Fortunately, my dentist hides them. When it's time for one, I just close my eyes. Simple, but it does the trick.

One other trick. Find a GOOD dentist. Most are not that great, find a good one and you'll have no problem dealing with whatever they need to do. Go regularly, and giant problems are less likely to develop.

If you do need major work, and still can't stand the idea of all the things they have to do, some dentists specialize in sedation dentistry. They do it via pill. Ask around.

You can pay the dentist now, or you can pay him later. One is easy, the other hard. Your choice.

[Eurotrash]

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ive had 4 impacted wisdom teeth for 7 years...its something i need to get taken care of...but have never had the time and since ive gone thru a few surgeries its not something im looking foward to.

When i was a kid my dentist was real rough with needles so for a cavity i opted for no shot and no gas...as he drilled he goes "well its alot deeper than i thought it would be, its almost to ur nerve" it wasnt SO bad...but it wasnt pleasent /images/graemlins/frown.gif

its all about how high ur pain tolerance is....if u can take it then i guess dont do it

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peachy, if they're really this bad you should look into getting them out as soon as possible. I had my wisdom teeth removed a lot later than most usually do, and there was almost complications because the roots had grown so close to one of the nerves in my jaw.


i was dreading the surgery, but overall it wasn't so bad. plus, I got some nice vicodin afterwards.

[peachy]

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peachy, if they're really this bad you should look into getting them out as soon as possible. I had my wisdom teeth removed a lot later than most usually do, and there was almost complications because the roots had grown so close to one of the nerves in my jaw.


i was dreading the surgery, but overall it wasn't so bad. plus, I got some nice vicodin afterwards.

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i know /images/graemlins/frown.gif i just never have the time either...i do a ton of things and alot of people rely upon me to organize some of this stuff...and i had traveled alot recently, plus i have another health complication - my wisdom teeth were last on the list b/c they dont bother me...im gonna try and do it over the beginning of xmas break or maybe over thanksgiving - they arent BAD...they just need to come out hehe

hahaha when they told me i needed to get them out at 17 i didnt go back to the dentist for almost 3 years...im such a tard


people always talk about all the complications and the dry socket BS stuff /images/graemlins/frown.gif its not something im looking fwd to

[Los Feliz Slim]

Tough it out and keep the Vicodin prescription for other, more fun, uses.

[tdarko]

i actually have never minded injections, shots or anything but of course nobody likes going to the dentist. it's terrible and awkward.

just a little advice though, if you are put to sleep the swelling will be worse, your body reacts better when it is "awake" rather than in a "hypnotic" state, meaning that if you were to be awake while this happened the recovery time will be a lot faster than if you are put asleep.

[gmrankin]

with all the technology in the world, why is the dental industry still using toture like, midevil tools? I hate the dentist. makes my skin crawl just thinking about being in the chair.

[Sponger15SB]

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Anyone else here cant stand going to the dentist?

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No. I love going to the dentist. Its the coolest thing in the world.

[touchfaith]

Oh and another tip for choosing a dentist...

I actually called 1-800-Dentist after the episode noted above. They are great and have tons of info, certainly more then you'll get from the yellowpages or a ever a personal reference...

But if you don't like pain (and tend to punish those who put you in it), ask for a dentist that specializes in children, but also serves adults.

That's right, I said it...

[dibbs]

Amen. Havent been in about four years. Really smart.

[4_2_it]

I just got a molar filled for the second time. The first time my (former) dentist didn't use enough Novocain and started drilling. I would have 10 ACJr kicks in the nuts then deal with that again.

I told new dentist my story and as he is giving me the Novocain I didn't even feel the needle going in. Two Novocaine shots and 20 minutes later I have tooth filled.

Renting Little Shop of Horrors or Marathon Man before your visit is recommended.

[Eurotrash]

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people always talk about all the complications and the dry socket BS stuff /images/graemlins/frown.gif its not something im looking fwd to

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well, I fortunately didn't have any dry sockets because I kept my mouth cleaned and followed their instructions, but the complications are not necessarily something you can avoid. if the roots of the teeth grow too closely to the nerve in the jaw, there is a chance it can get nicked during the surgery and you might have lingering numbness, etc.

i'm not trying to scare you into doing this, but just be aware that this is a good reason to get yourself into the oral surgeon and have it done sooner rather than putting it off.

[peachy]

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people always talk about all the complications and the dry socket BS stuff /images/graemlins/frown.gif its not something im looking fwd to

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well, I fortunately didn't have any dry sockets because I kept my mouth cleaned and followed their instructions, but the complications are not necessarily something you can avoid. if the roots of the teeth grow too closely to the nerve in the jaw, there is a chance it can get nicked during the surgery and you might have lingering numbness, etc.

i'm not trying to scare you into doing this, but just be aware that this is a good reason to get yourself into the oral surgeon and have it done sooner rather than putting it off.

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see!!! now i dont wanna go /images/graemlins/frown.gif lkfjdalkfjdkfa

i heard they can use "water drills" now for cavities...anyone heard of this or experienced it? postives? negatives?

PS i have to go to another dentist on wed b/c my other dentist drilled and resealed a tooth before i went to Guatemala - and now any form of pressure on the tooth is excrusiating (sp?) and out fo NOWHERE...its super odd - im praying that its just the sealant is loose cause if i have to have a root canal b/c the other one didnt do it right im gonna cry /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[-Skeme-]

I have about 3 decayed and rotting teeth. I refuse to go to the dentist. I have no problem with receiving shots of novacaine, other than the fact they never help ease the pain. I've taken 4 shots on each side of my mouth, but the pain was still there. I cannot imagine how bad having teeth pulled would feel.

Does nitrous oxide help?

[STLantny]

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I have about 3 decayed and rotting teeth. I refuse to go to the dentist. I have no problem with receiving shots of novacaine, other than the fact they never help ease the pain. I've taken 4 shots on each side of my mouth, but the pain was still there. I cannot imagine how bad having teeth pulled would feel.

Does nitrous oxide help?

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see my post, i was very happy with hte nitrous

[-Skeme-]

What were you having done? I usually have tons of drilling done and frequently receive fillings. This time I imagine I'll receive both of the aforementioned procedures, and probably crowns or total removal.

[youtalkfunny]

A lot of needle-phobes. For me, the needle is the only thing that DOESN'T bother me. Again, being the old man here, I can tell you that todays needles are downright unnoticable compared to the inch-thick needles of 30 years ago. Now, when they say it's "just a pinch", it really is.

So it's not the needles that bother me.

The SMELL of the dentist office scares me.

The SOUNDS terrify me.

Every time anything of his (fingers, instruments) comes into contact with any part of the inside of my mouth, I'm fighting the urge to jump out of the chair.

Put me to sleep. I can tough out the recovery. It's the abject terror that keeps me away.

(Why do they always want to argue with me, when I say, "Put me to sleep."???)

[peachy]

im not scared of the needles...i get blood taken almost weekly...i opted not to have the shot when i was younger b/c of how rough my detist was...the shot he gave me hurt more than the drilling without the meds - he would pull on my lip real hard and move the needle around INSIDE me etc etc - NOT pleasent, thank god i only associated this with the dentist though and not other medical stuff

[Ulysses]

I am getting all 4 wisdom teeth extracted next week. The last dentist I went to said that they were all fine, 3 were out. The fourth started coming out recently, though, at a weird angle and w/ a cavity.

So, I went to the dentist after not going for a long, long, long, long, long time. Partially it was because I hate the dentist, partially cause I just never make time, and partially cause the longer I went, the more scared and embarrassed I was to go. Anyway, I lied and told him I had not been in a little over a year. After the cleaning, everything was fine except for wanting to replace a couple of fillings at some point that were like 20 years old. He said that had I not told him, he would have guessed that I had not been to the dentist in about 9 months. Sonicare and brushing multiple times daily rules.

Anyway, went to oral surgeon to get wisdom teeth looked at and he said that only this last one of my wisdom teeth really needs to be removed, but the others could possibly become a problem years from now, so might as well get them out. Since oral surgeons are hurting for dough, I decided to just get them all out.

Trip report next week!

[Voltron87]

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people always talk about all the complications and the dry socket BS stuff /images/graemlins/frown.gif its not something im looking fwd to

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well, I fortunately didn't have any dry sockets because I kept my mouth cleaned and followed their instructions, but the complications are not necessarily something you can avoid. if the roots of the teeth grow too closely to the nerve in the jaw, there is a chance it can get nicked during the surgery and you might have lingering numbness, etc.

i'm not trying to scare you into doing this, but just be aware that this is a good reason to get yourself into the oral surgeon and have it done sooner rather than putting it off.

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this will show you not to take such a big bite next time.

[InchoateHand]

Yeah, I go about every four years.

Brushing and flossing makes them redundant.

[irishpint]

i applied to dental school this year

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
So today I go to the Dentist for the first time in a while and had my teeth cleaned. I mostly went there because I chipped a tooth playing b-ball a while back but its ok cause the tooth is in the back of my mouth (molar). Now I am getting it pulled and I cant freaking stand needles so whats my play? I have to get it taken out and I dont want to fork out the extra 200 bucks to be put to sleep. Should I just suck it up and get it over with or pay the extra money?

[/ QUOTE ]

Get put to sleep. Who cares if you're a pussy? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

FWIW, I did it and worked just fine. One problem is that I was one of the last appointments of the day and I came out just as they were finishing up. Therefore I ask you to tell them to ENSURE that you're unconscious for the ENTIRE proceeding. Boy was I pissed (indignant) at waking up in the middle...

Totally worth the extra money.

However, if you haven't been knocked out before (via drugs) I warn you, I was fairly disoriented after surgery and I was very very groggy for the rest of the evening.

I was lucky: my parents paid for it.

Given my current situation (no dental insurance, parents not likely to pay for this sort of thing -- nor should they), I would definitely be willing to pay the extra costs myself... As a Canadian, I think that I'm talking something like 4-800 extra... not sure exactly though... but I'd do it.

--Dave.

Edit: FYI, I feel pain still when given needles during dental surgery... so I do need to be knocked out: I hate pain and worse is being unable to do anything about it while it's happening!

[diebitter]

I like my dentist, she's pretty, she snaps on those latex gloves like a master, and I like it when she forces me back in the chair, puts large vibrating devices in my mouth while I lie back helpless, and afterwards says, 'you've been a good boy, die, you can spit if you want to' as she gives me a little cup.

I think I need a check-up.

[WackityWhiz]

Listenin to the music
hearing people scream
sitting in the waiting room
reading crappy magazines
with a toothache
this is it pal
roooooot canal

my molars are impacted
I'm gettin gum disease
gonna need some fillings
got 12 cavities
Can you help me?
Have mercy!
Doctor PLEASE!

[Ulysses]

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I have about 3 decayed and rotting teeth. I refuse to go to the dentist.

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I usually have tons of drilling done and frequently receive fillings. This time I imagine I'll receive both of the aforementioned procedures, and probably crowns or total removal.

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How often do you brush your teeth? How often do you go to the dentist? Do your teeth hurt?

[Ulysses]

Bump, just cause I'm really curious about Skeme's teeth.

[Boris]

Bro. You have to hook me up.

[EMcWilliams]

I hate it so much that I had to go to an emergency room on Easter Sunday cause my tooth ache was so bad and I just ignored it cause I didnt wanna go.

[Unabridged]

http://www.pixunlimited.co.uk/sys-images/Film/News/Pictures/1999/10/23/MarathonMan.jpg

[Ulysses]

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Bro. You have to hook me up.

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I'm honestly not sure if you're asking for a dentist recommendation or painkillers.

[-Skeme-]

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How often do you brush your teeth?

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Not often, every few days for sure because they plaque builds up and annoys me. Once in a while I’ll get in a cycle of brushing them every day. This is usually because after prolonged periods of not brushing, the dirty feeling in my mouth irritates my teeth and affects the way I talk. I’ve lost all hope for a decent set of teeth.


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How often do you go to the dentist?

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I think the last time I went was 3+ years ago, but maybe only 2.


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Do your teeth hurt?

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Meh. Not really. Sometimes cold food bothers them, but that’s about it. If I touch the decaying sections, yes. They’re not bad for having holes in them, and I’ve only had 1 actual throbbing toothache.

[Ulysses]

How old are you?

I hate going to the dentist, but enjoy brushing my teeth. I like the feeling of clean teeth and a fresh mouth. It was so long since my last visit that I was really terrified to go, but it turned out OK, I'm sure in large part due to my frequent brushing.

One thing you might want to consider is investing in a Sonicare toothbrush. I find it easier to brush for two minutes with that than with a regular toothbrush and I think it works really well. Who knows, maybe it'll help you get in the habit of more frequent brushing.

[peachy]

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How often do you brush your teeth?

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Not often, every few days for sure because they plaque builds up and annoys me. Once in a while I’ll get in a cycle of brushing them every day. This is usually because after prolonged periods of not brushing, the dirty feeling in my mouth irritates my teeth and affects the way I talk. I’ve lost all hope for a decent set of teeth.


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How often do you go to the dentist?

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I think the last time I went was 3+ years ago, but maybe only 2.


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Do your teeth hurt?

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Meh. Not really. Sometimes cold food bothers them, but that’s about it. If I touch the decaying sections, yes. They’re not bad for having holes in them, and I’ve only had 1 actual throbbing toothache.

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this is just almost beyond comprehensiable to me...are u being totally seroius?

i brush mine after every meal and twice a day even if i dont eat

[peachy]

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This is usually because after prolonged periods of not brushing, the dirty feeling in my mouth irritates my teeth and affects the way I talk.

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b/c LARGE pieces of food are visibly hangin from ur teeth???

if u r serious....get them ALL pulled and have fakes put in...jeez

[321Mike]

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Now I am getting it pulled and I cant freaking stand needles so whats my play? I have to get it taken out and I dont want to fork out the extra 200 bucks to be put to sleep

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I'll take the needles, pain, and discomfort over being put to sleep any day. I was supposed to have my wisdom teeth out a year ago, but my dentist's office (which includes an oral surgeon) won't do it unless I'm put to sleep. I've been meaning to find somebody else who will do it with just novacaine, but I just haven't gotten around to it. It's amazing how easy it is to procrastinate on stuff like this.

Anyway, I heard about some really good guys down at the flea market. They've got a sweet setup in the back of their station wagon. And the best part is they just use whiskey for pain relief.

[JMP300z]

OoOKKKkKKK a lot of dental phobias, needlephobias and missconceptions.

As a 2nd yr dental student who has already been operating on patients I feel qualified to answer some questions. I will open up another thread for it.

As for the needles, procedures and what not. You should not experience serious pain while at the dentist (pressure, uncomfortableness etc). If you are, they arent giving you the right/enough injections. The injections should not be painful (with the exception of the greater palatine, and naso palatine injections), if they are, the dentist is injecting TOO fast, injecting intraosseous, spiking a nerve, not drying the area and applying topical anesthetic etc. Its mostly mental. As a class we gave each other a [censored] ton of shots b4 going to patients. Just imagine the shakiest f'n hands youve ever seen...it didnt hurt. Dont fear the needle (though it is pretty big and we do bury the thing sometimes). Most of the injections given (at least in the max arcH) however are infiltration type where the needle enters only a few mm. You will prob experience some soreness afterwards due to tissue trauma and generally keepin your mouth open for a while w/ pressure and stuff depending on the procedure. The dentist wil prescribe you something if your a big pussy.

Oh yah, to all you who dont go to the dentist, youll suffer more later. A carious lesion discovered early is a mild procedure that can be treated in many non invasive ways. Given time, it can penetrate the enamel, into the dentin of the tooth, spread around and reach the pulp. At certain stages, the restorations become more extensive, until were looking at large amalgam's/composites, inlays or crowns. The closer the decay is to the vital structures of the tooth (the pulp, consisting of nerves/bloodvessels), the greater the risk of it causing an infection that will spread down the root/nerve of the tooth into the underlying tissues/bone and cause an abscess. This means rootcanal. When you get a rootcanal, you have to have a crown too. If the infection reaches the nerve of the tooth, you will have pain...im not talkin like how a stubbed my toe, im talking so much f'n pain you wont be able to sleep or think or anytyhing. My dad is an endodontist, that means he does rootcanals all day, he deals with people in pain and then relieves them of the pain. Its incredible how much pain these people are in that theyll wake him up in the middle of the night, but they were so afraid of him that they waited until things got real bad. Then when the procedure is over, you should see how thankful people are (even after being gouged for a ton of money).

Crowns + rootcanals= $$$$$ lots of money. Depending on your region and the tooth involved, but I can tell you my dad charges 1200$ for a rt canal and a crown can run you just as much. So your looking at 2k $ procedures for something that started out as a sub 200$ filling that you were afraid to get fixed. That may seem extreme but im trying to make a point.

Oh yah, and El D....ORAL SURGEONS MAKE A KILLING! I dont know who told you otherwise but the ones in my area are f'n loaded. Poppin wisdom teeth at several thousand a pop?! Doing several a day?? They dont make much anymore doin the big procedures like oral maxilofacial surgeries, trauma etc but they certainly are doing well. Def one of the top speciatlies. You have to be top in your class to get into oral surgery and go to school another 4-6 yrs (some places get an md/dmd), noone would do this if oral surgeons werent making piles and piles of money, a lot.

Most people have no idea how hard dental school is (godawful 4 yrs, id give anything to have it as easy as my med student roommate right now), how well trained most dentists are, how hard dentistry is (it is microsurgery for sure, working in fractions of mm's with a high speed diamond or carbide drill), how shoddy the work most do is compared to what they were originally trained, and how much friggin money they make.

Answering all spec q's to the best of my ability in another thread.

Oh yah and good luck to the sorry soul who said they are applying to dental school. Its a great profession.

-JP

[peachy]

i just went again for the 3rd time in a week to try and fix a "pressure" pain in a tooth /images/graemlins/frown.gif

i had a tooth drilled before going to Guatemala and it looks like my other dentist [censored] up and if it doesnt stop in the next few weeks im gonna have to have a root canal /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[-Skeme-]

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How old are you?

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18.


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I hate going to the dentist, but enjoy brushing my teeth. I like the feeling of clean teeth and a fresh mouth.

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Ditto. I have floss picks that I use once in a while, and gargle with mouth wash frequently.


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One thing you might want to consider is investing in a Sonicare toothbrush. I find it easier to brush for two minutes with that than with a regular toothbrush and I think it works really well. Who knows, maybe it'll help you get in the habit of more frequent brushing.

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Perhaps, but I'm thinking one of these would be at least 100BBs for me.


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this is just almost beyond comprehensiable to me...are u being totally seroius?

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Yes, peachy, I'm being serious.. mah teeth are bad!


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b/c LARGE pieces of food are visibly hangin from ur teeth???

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wtf No, because they're just dirty and plaque-y. How the hell would I have large pieces of food hanging from my teeth? This isn't even possible.


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if u r serious....get them ALL pulled and have fakes put in...jeez

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Right, I'll get ALL my teeth pulled because about 3 of them are rotting. They rarely hurt me, are not visible unless I open up my mouth, and my fronts look decent enough.

[peachy]

if 3 are rotting at 18...u dont harely ever brush and only do when it affects ur talkin...the rest r going to rot out as well...go ahead and have them taken out.

How can girls kiss u?????!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[theben]

me. every single time i go, i gotta get light drilling and then more epoxy coating

[andyfox]

I generally don't mind the dentist, it's the hygienists and the assistants that are the worst. "Are we flossing?" they ask. "I don't know about you, but I'm not," I reply. "You're bleeding too much," she says, "That's the beginning of gum disease."

"Really," I say. "Let me tell you something: if I started pricking you in the arm with those picks you're sticking into my gums, your arm would bleed too. Would that mean you have arm disease?"

When I had my wisdom teeth removed, the dentist was in his office arguing over his Mastercard bill on the phone. The nurse came in and gave me a pill to take. "What is it?" I inquire. "Valium," she says. "To calm you down."

"I'm calm," I tell her. "Give it to the dentist."

Plaque bastards.