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My Dentist Visit

#1
Zinjanthropos Offline
Just got home from the dentist. My face is somewhat numb from the freezing and I only had a cracked filling replaced. What exactly is amalgam and how does it work? I heard it has mercury in it, is that so? 

My dentist records everything he says while plying his trade and I wonder if that's common practice? I keep thinking someone must have sued him once. This guy is a dentist I just started with last year. Never before have I been offered sunglasses to wear while the dentist is working on or examine my inner mouth. 

There must be an incredibly big tool industry backing up this profession. Quite an assortment of utensils were placed inside my yap this morning. I found it intriguing that someone could become very good at dentistry while looking in a very tiny mirror most of the time. Must be an acquired skill.
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#2
stryder Offline
If you have a dentist doing their work by the book, then they are obviously interested in building up a decent reputation. I had a rather iffy experience some years ago when a dentist I moved to didn't spot the level decay at the back part of my upper incisors. So they drilled in one and promptly caused it to collapse. They then decided to fill the other too, which likely suffered from the same problem, but instead of being wary about how they progress based upon the previous tooth, they did exactly the same.

They put the equivalent of two slugs worth of amalgam in both, within one day (and one sandwich) both fillings fell out. There was a lot of questions that could be raised about their particular capabilities, since they were taking mobile phone calls half way through while speaking completely in Polish and then tried chasing me for payments when the state was covering it at the time and if I'd had the option I would of withheld payment for pretty much not being particular good (since I ended up needing more work afterwards compared to when I went in)

Unfortunately I've just learnt to live with the slowly decaying holes and all the troubles they bring rather than try another NHS Dentist. (UK's Dentists are piss poor)
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#3
Zinjanthropos Offline
(Oct 31, 2016 10:00 PM)stryder Wrote: If you have a dentist doing their work by the book, then they are obviously interested in building up a decent reputation.  I had a rather iffy experience some years ago when a dentist I moved to didn't spot the level decay at the back part of my upper incisors.  So they drilled in one and promptly caused it to collapse.  They then decided to fill the other too, which likely suffered from the same problem, but instead of being wary about how they progress based upon the previous tooth, they did exactly the same.

They put the equivalent of two slugs worth of amalgam in both, within one day (and one sandwich) both fillings fell out.  There was a lot of questions that could be raised about their particular capabilities, since they were taking mobile phone calls half way through while speaking completely in Polish and then tried chasing me for payments when the state was covering it at the time and if I'd had the option I would of withheld payment for pretty much not being particular good (since I ended up needing more work afterwards compared to when I went in)

Unfortunately I've just learnt to live with the slowly decaying holes and all the troubles they bring rather than try another NHS Dentist.  (UK's Dentists are piss poor)

Actually the filling he was replacing today was one that he had completed earlier. It had broken. He told me going in today that this one was going to be more intensive. Time will tell. 

Get those teeth looked at. Nothing worse than a toothache.
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#4
scheherazade Offline
I am in the process of getting my fangs back up to speed. On Oct 17th, we did a root canal on a top left front tooth, second from center. I too was offered glasses for the first time and I gather that is to protect one from the glare of the light as well as potential of flying bits of tooth when they are using the high speed drill. The root canal went well and I am back in a couple of days for some minor touch ups around teeth that were filled with amalgam decades ago.

Cannot complain about my dentists of the last decade or two but my first experience was in Germany without freezing so it has left me somewhat apprehensive of dentists until I develop a relationship of trust with them.
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#5
Secular Sanity Offline
I had to have one replaced a few years back.  The dentist was really rough.  He was pushing the suction down so hard that he cut an area under my tongue.  It hurt more than the dental work.    I thought nothing of it.  Everyone was talking about this new dentist in town.  They said he was gentle and very competent.  I switched and he did a thorough exam.  He said that there was a black area under my tongue that looked like oral cancer and wanted me to see my doctor.  Scared the crap out of me.  My doctor said it looked bad and sent me to a specialist.  It turned out to be an amalgam tattoo.  The amalgam dust had settled in the cut.  It’s fine.  Nothing to worry about but the specialist was expensive.
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#6
Zinjanthropos Offline
My wife went to an orthodontist today for a consultation. She was told she needs braces to fix some trouble one wisdom tooth is giving her. They gave her an estimate of $6000 with only $1000 covered by insurance. My wife, the smart lady that she is, asked that since the wisdom tooth was causing the problem then why not take it out? The orthodontist eventually told her that having the extraction was an alternative, not guaranteeing a complete fix but at least covered by my insurer. What a racket. Her next visit is to the dentist.
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