[MERGED] Taking Care of My Teeth (The General Dentistry Thread)

[wAgKaNgMaKuLiT]

hde ba nakakasira din ang sobrang fluoride sa ngipin?

[The genuine Kal-El]

question, is it okey if my all of my endteeth(so called wisdom
teeth) are already showing? i'm 17 years old. and i think it's because by my brushing, i push the gums of my endteeth to uncover them. please help. and what could be the problem if i have a lump in my upper gum? tnx!

[Honeyyy]

i know its not related to this topic but just wndering how much would braces cost nowadays? m just pretty interested to have them on my teeth....btw, does the dirt remains on the teeth after removing the braces coz that's what i've noticed and that's why im afraid to have them. can they still be removed?

[Ira]

Paging Misa Hayase...let's hope she sees this thread.

[Misa Hayase]

LOL, Ira.. di pa naman ako dentista talaga, try ko ha... If anyone else has answers, post away.

Lemme see...

Genuine Kal-el...your wisdom teeth/3rd molars erupted pretty much on time actually... (they usually erupt 17/18-early 20s). Most of the time, the lower wisdom teeth erupt first, tapos yung sa upper na. If it's erupting normally (upright, hindi nakahiga), magpupush-through talaga yung crown through that layer of gingiva (or the gums). I don't see any problem with this, actually. Just brush gently on that area next time. It's bound to be a bit sore kung lumalabas na siya.
As for the lump, can you please specify pa...where is it exactly located? Is it painful or not? and when you press it, matigas ba, or parang may fluid ba sa loob?

Honey: I don't know how much braces usually cost now....nung mid-late nineties parang 30-something thousand and higher eh. Sa UP-College of Dentistry Post-Graduate Building...where they teach orthodontics...it's cheaper (kasi teaching institution yon eh)..in the 20-something thou range last time I checked.

When I had my braces removed, I didn't have any staining. Madalas kasi, the "cement" used to adhere the brackets onto the tooth surfaced get stained by food, coffee, etc. Tapos when the brackets are removed, the orthodontist has to clean and polish the surfaces of the teeth to remove debris ( like the piece of beef stuck behind that wire all this time), superficial stains and traces of cement. Siguro sa mga cases na nakikita mo, na-neglect siguro sila sa cleaning and polishing part.

[Ira]

That was fast. Thanks, Misa Hayase!

[illuminatty]

Hi there.

I am not a dentist but since I'm going to have braces installed in a few days maybe I can share some info. =) My dentist charges reasonable rates, within 40-45 K range. But I read this feature on the Philippine Ortho Society (Philippine Daily Inquirer some 2 weeks ago) and the president says their members charge around 50-80K depending on the case (the harder to fix, the more expensive!). BTW the feature dentist has a clinic in one of the malls--for the life of me, I can not remember the name of the clinic, nor the mall (Healthway? Duh?).

Hope that helps. =)

[stnickmt]

I don't know this for sure, but here in the states I notice that dentists recommend that you have your wisdom tooth/teeth to be pulled out maybe it has something to do with overcrowding your teeth, maybe.....well I don't know

[Misa Hayase]

Originally posted by illuminatty
Hi there.

I am not a dentist but since I'm going to have braces installed in a few days maybe I can share some info. =) My dentist charges reasonable rates, within 40-45 K range. But I read this feature on the Philippine Ortho Society (Philippine Daily Inquirer some 2 weeks ago) and the president says their members charge around 50-80K depending on the case (the harder to fix, the more expensive!). BTW the feature dentist has a clinic in one of the malls--for the life of me, I can not remember the name of the clinic, nor the mall (Healthway? Duh?).

Hope that helps. =)

I do know the name of that orthodontist. She teaches in UP. She is Dr. Jocelyn Tan. Sabi niya sa article that orthodontists are trying to standardize their rates na daw.

[Misa Hayase]

Originally posted by stnickmt
I don't know this for sure, but here in the states I notice that dentists recommend that you have your wisdom tooth/teeth to be pulled out maybe it has something to do with overcrowding your teeth, maybe.....well I don't know

Sometimes kasi, the jaw doesn't have enough space for the tooth to erupt into. Also, most wisdom teeth do not erupt upright.

[stnickmt]

There you go, that's what I'm trying to say......

[Sacrosanct]

stnickmt - actually my dentist is recommending i have my wisdom teeth taken out, too. and im kinda afraid to do it

[Lolita]

I had braces before and now I am wearing retainers.

It has been a problem for me for years already that my gums bleed. They bleed whenever I brush my teeth and when I floss.

Sometimes they bleed on their own accord. Meaning, kahit na di ko sila ginagalaw. Syempre nakakahiya kasi sasabihin nalang ng kausap ko, "Dumudugo gilagid mo." Does this mean I have gingivitis already? What can I do to stop the bleeding?

[Misa Hayase]

Originally posted by Lolita
I had braces before and now I am wearing retainers.

It has been a problem for me for years already that my gums bleed. They bleed whenever I brush my teeth and when I floss.

Sometimes they bleed on their own accord. Meaning, kahit na di ko sila ginagalaw. Syempre nakakahiya kasi sasabihin nalang ng kausap ko, "Dumudugo gilagid mo." Does this mean I have gingivitis already? What can I do to stop the bleeding?

People who wear braces should really take extra extra extra care in cleaning their teeth. The wires and brackets create extra surface area for food and plaque to cling on to, kaya it's really important to floss kahit may braces ka.
I'm assuming you have gingivitis, though I can't tell how it is... kung mild, moderate or severe. May mga markers kasi yan eh, like if the more your gums are swollen or irregular in color, and how your gums bleed. A visit to the dentist will determine this. If the surfaces of your teeth have hard deposits ("tartar" ) , the dentist will have to remove them by scaling (using a curved instrument to remove the hard debris) because you can' t remove them by brushing anymore. These deposits make gingivitis hard to heal. Kung wala nang deposits na kailangang tanggalin, usually proper brushing and flossing will resolve your gingivitis. Also, if you smoke, you'd have to stop smoking na. Hope this helps.

[MeAko]

Whenever you or your dentists have doubts about whether or not this or that wisdom tooth is growing the right way. Heed my advice, get a paranormal x-ray (cost about 5-600), with this, you can see a full view of ALL your teeth, including the positions of all your wisdom teeth. Based on the x-ray results you and your dentist can now make a judgement on whether some or all of them should be pulled out.

My advise: When in doubt, have them pulled out. Don't wait till your wisdom teeth crowds your 2nd and other mollars, then cavities and decay may set in, which would cause more trouble.

Last advise: Have your wisdoms taken out by a SURGEON who specializes in teeth extractions. I have had ALL four of my wisdom teeth pulled out. I first one, I had this novice dentist named K_____ G_ pull out my first wisdom...it took her 4 friggiiiin hours. Her associate had to sub her to pull it out, coz it seemed like she couldn't find the last piece (it was divided into 4 pcs). Subsequently, I had my 3 other wisdoms pulled out in one sitting, it took the surgenon all of 1 hour!!!!! Not to sound sexist, but I will...wisdoms have to be pulled out by MALE surgeons...hirap talaga ang female dentists dyan, believe me.

[harley quinn]

One of my upper molars has had a porcelain cap for the past year or so. Recently, it's been starting to ache, especially with mastication. Occasionally, hot food or liquid precipitates an ache as well. I've had a root canal done recently on one of my other molars and the symptoms I had that precipitated that procedure are fairly similar to the ones I'm having now. Anyway, I'm trying to avoid having to go through another root canal procedure in 3 months so I'm currently taking a course of antibiotics in an effort to treat whatever infection might be brewing under my tooth. The pain has eased somewhat since I started the antibiotic 2 days ago but has not completely gone away whenever I chew.

Does anyone think I'd be able to completely avoid another root canal procedure?

What are the indications for a root canal anyway?

Thanks. I'd appreciate your input.

[Misa Hayase]

Originally posted by harley quinn
One of my upper molars has had a porcelain cap for the past year or so. Recently, it's been starting to ache, especially with mastication. Occasionally, hot food or liquid precipitates an ache as well. I've had a root canal done recently on one of my other molars and the symptoms I had that precipitated that procedure are fairly similar to the ones I'm having now. Anyway, I'm trying to avoid having to go through another root canal procedure in 3 months so I'm currently taking a course of antibiotics in an effort to treat whatever infection might be brewing under my tooth. The pain has eased somewhat since I started the antibiotic 2 days ago but has not completely gone away whenever I chew.

Does anyone think I'd be able to completely avoid another root canal procedure?

Thanks. I'd appreciate your input.

Seems to me that your condition is just acute and reversible... there's hope!--> no need for RCT, basta get that tooth re-filled (recapped/recrowned shempre) before the extent of damage worsens such that RCT or extraction na lang sagot diyan. Antibiotics won't help here. Analgesics will help stop the pain for a while, but eventually, you'll really need to see a dentist.

[melrosegirl]

Do I need to wear braces if may wide gaps lang yung teeth ko kahit na wala naman akong "sungki"? Also, I have a tiny gap in between my 2 front teeth, but tiny gap lang so I'm thinking if it would be wise to get braces or is there another way to fix them?

Thanks

[The genuine Kal-El]

i'm wearing braces too and my four wisdom teeth are showing, pwede bang ihila nalang lahat ng ngipin ko sa gitna?

HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU:
i can't sleep at night and was up the whole night because my 3rd to the last molar was aching so severely that i had to suspend cold water in my mouth to subsidize the pain, after about a minute, my teeth would ache again and i have to suspend water again!!! ****!!! it happened to me twice and the pain was unbearable, i drank ponstan already yet it had very minimal effect.
I'D RATHER BE DEAD THAN EXPERIENCE THIS EXCRUCIATING PAIN AGAIN!!! BELIEVE ME, IF YOU'D GO THROUGH THIS, YOU'D WISH YOU'VE NEVER BEEN BORN!!! THIS IS THE WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD!!! okeylang *** mga paheadache headache pero ito,

those teeth have fillings and i think that the pain is coming from inside the teeth, that i should have my fillings be replaced. o God, i wish it would never happen again, i feel that i'm the only person in the world who has experienced this kind of happening. i'd like to know, has anyone of you felt this way?

to MISa hayase, i think na upright naman *** wisdom teeth ko kasi i can feel *** parang butas ng molars. and the lump is quite soft but hard on the inside.

what do ya think?
HOW I WISH PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TEETH!!!
tnx!

[Misa Hayase]

Originally posted by melrosegirl
Do I need to wear braces if may wide gaps lang yung teeth ko kahit na wala naman akong "sungki"? Also, I have a tiny gap in between my 2 front teeth, but tiny gap lang so I'm thinking if it would be wise to get braces or is there another way to fix them?

Thanks

Well, about those wide gaps, kung hindi ka naman bothered you don't have to. Regarding the gap between your two front teeth, depending kung how wide the gap is.. kung minimal lang, you can get the dentist to close the gap through laminate veneers or composite restorations. Parang sasalpakan ng tooth-colored substance yung space...imagine mo parang tataba yung width ng tooth mo sa harap, tapos ila-light cure yon, then closed na yung gap.