Are dentists even worth it?

>>18532915
I go to the dentist every 6 months for a cleaning because my parents make me. I brush twice a day and feel like going to the dentist is a waste of time and money. Just brush thoroughly everyday.

>>18532915
dental assistant here.

some people are prone to cavaties no matter how well they care for their teeth. I have a lot of knowledge about dentistry yet the majority of my teeth have fillings. This is because my teeth have deep grooves and I have a chronically dry mouth.

Tooth decay can be caused by diet as well, all carbs will rot your teeth eventually. plaque forms within 24 hours which is the first step towards tooth decay.


I will answer some of your other questions as well

>I received a filling and the tooth just became more sensitive after

fillings typically DO make teeth more sensitive. This is caused by the material of the filling conducting heat and cold while you eat hot or cold things. Your teeth can also be "shocked" if you chew on something metalic if you have metal fillings. My teeth are all very sensitive because I have many metal fillings. The doctor did not make your teeth worse, if you didnt fill your cavities you could be at risk for heart disease and death believe it or not.


>Additionally I have a slightly discolored tooth

Not sure why they told you that a filling could get a better color over time.. this is false. There are different 'shades' of fillings that can match your tooth structure but it is not fool proof and you cannot change the color by brushing. Do you mean that there was decay under your filling that they neglected to treat right away? That would be bad. Sometimes fillings get further decay under them as time goes on, this is inevitable.

Dentistry is not a perfect science by any means, but it is necessary to keep getting your teeth checked out at LEAST once a year because having poor oral health can actually kill you because infections in the mouth go directly into the blood stream which can travel to the heart and infect it.

>>18534135
I appreciate your response. I wish the dentist I went to would have explained these things to me.

As for the discoloration (guess I shouldve explained better) it wasnt the color in itself was problematic - it was that they had to keep a watch on the filling in case it cracked, etc. I wanted to prevent it from getting to the point of needing another filling (asked "how do I prevent it from getting worst so I dont need a filling?" and got the take care of your teeth response, but they just kept putting a watch on it until the last appt., said it was a cavity).

Some concerns are legitimate. If a cavity is still very shallow (= hasn't broken through the enamel yet), it doesn't have to be filled because as long as your diet is good your body can still repair it. Only after a certain depth within the enamel it is a real cavity that cannot be fixed on its own and needs a filling. There's dentists who fill these sort of pre-cavities anyway to make money. Be wary if you ever have much more cavities than you used to (eg you always had none or one, and suddenly a new dentist tells you there's six) especially if there's a lot in between the teeth (it's normal for some damage to occur and be repaired there). In that case get a second opinion.

Otherwise, dentists are absolutely worth it. Yes stuff can go wrong and it is really hard to judge whether you have a good one, also because reviews tend to focus on service and practical matters and not on long term results from treatment. But let me tell you as someone who has shit teeth, if shit actually goes down with your teeth (eg inflammation of nerve endings) you are in A WORLD of pain and putting off treatment can absolutely worsen a number of issues.

>>18532947
If you're paying for health insurance that covers cleanings and checkups every 6 months and you DON'T go you're wasting money.

>>18532915
>was told to keep up good hygiene every time, and now it's a cavity too... seems like they knew it would become a cavity and literally just waited for it to actually become one.
My dentist has pointed out a few spots in my teeth that look like they COULD become cavities. Each time I go he checks to see if it's gotten worse. It's not waiting for it to become a cavity, more like, trying to prevent having to do a filling if it's not necessary. If it became a cavity after all then you weren't brushing/flossing as well as you thought. I've had these "problem" spots for a few years now and they haven't developed into cavities yet.

>>18535105
Got it. Sounds like responsibly going to the dentist is the best option. I just wish dentists would do more to give a why explanation (as y'all have) as this is really helping to clarify a lot.

Dude I'm like 34 and know enough people who didn't take care of their teeth when they were younger to say that you should go to the fucking dentist every 6 or 12 months as required. Teeth wear out naturally and having someone check them out for problems means you can get treatment at the stage before it potentially becomes a much larger problem. Yes you might focus on the dentist and decide they are the reason why you've got problems when previously you had none, but more likely you were in the early stages of developing problems and they'd have been more destructive, painful and expensive if left untreated until the point you need to have them treated.

I've been pretty religious with my teeth and even so I've got several fillings. I broke a tooth when I was 17 and the pain was completely horrific. Dental pain doesn't abate, it ruins your life and I'd do whatever I need to to avoid being in the state of constant pain awaiting treatment.

I've got friends who have missing teeth, multiple crowns, root canals etc, they've spent tens of thousands trying to fix their teeth because they neglected them in their 20's instead of just visiting the fucking dentist.

One thing is sometimes you get botched work, like everything sometimes they do bad work and you suffer for it, but you can't apply that logic to say you should therefore never go to the dentist. You should get a good dentist and get good work done.

>>18532915
I only go to the dentist when I have a toothache. Last time I went was 7 years ago and I'm fine. My teeth look fine.

On the other hand I know people who avoid the dentist and have teeth rotting out of their heads. At this point I think it might be genetics. Some people are probably more prone to cavities.

I've had two root canals. look after your teeth. I thought I did but I was a bit ignorant.

One was because I cracked my molar and left it to worsen One was because a tooth started to slowly decay/grow a cavity and I left it AGAIN. Ended up paying £2000 last time I went which im still paying off. Still have to get a crown at some point.

What I wish I did is go to Thailand, would've cost probably a third and they are just as skilled. I just see the Dentist as something that you just gotta suck up and do. You don't want a root canal though I was in absolute agony, had to sleep upright with a pillow

Buy an electric toothbrush. One of the expensive ones. They'll keep your teeth in great condition, and you can practically tell dentists to fuck off for the rest of your life.

>>18535122
It doesn't

Dentists give fillings. If you need fillings but don't get them promptly then dentists give root canals. If you ignore that too then you're just going to have a rotten jaw getting steadily worse over time, have fun with that.

>why isn't everything free in life?
>/int/ faggotry inbound

>>18535834
>I don't floss

Fixing the cavities from not flossing involves drilling straight down through the side of the tooth. If you're on commie healthcare then you get silver fillings which turn coal black instead of porcelain fillings.

Honestly I have only been to the dentist only a handful of times. I've had 3 cavities that have been taken care of and I am currently dealing with my 4th that I have neglected. I recently went to the dentist because I cracked the tooth I neglected and now I will need a root canal. My insurance only covers $1k and I have to pay just over $2k out of pocket for all the stuff they want to do (deep cleaning, root canal, and a crown) but I'm going to do it. Last time I went to the dentist was about 15 years ago.

My father never went. He had mouth cancer that was discovered by a dentist. He thought he had a really bad tooth ache for 2 months and once it hurt so bad that he couldn't eat, he finally got it looked at. He saw 3 dentists and it was the 3rd one that told him he mostly likely had cancer. My dad saw a doctor, they took a sample, he was diagnosed with cancer, and died 10 months later. Before he went in for the 1st (of many) surgery he told me to start going to the dentist.

>>18535094
they should of replaced your filling right then and there, especially if they were the ones who did the filling for you. The doctor I work for would of replaced it for free.. You sound like you need to find a doctor who actually sees patients as people rather than a paycheque.

>>18534135
can you describe the process of being a dental assistant

>>18534135
Can you tell me why i have a molar that is rotted out and broken off and has a hole going up it and yet has no pain and never has had any pain since it started fucking up a decade ago?

>>18537322
the nerve in your tooth may be completely rotted out which causes death of the tooth. Tooth death makes it impossible to feel pain in the area. I suggest going to the dentist immediately because having an infection like that will kill you eventually.


>>18537115
I basically do the doctor's dirty work and clean all dental tools and procedure rooms. I assemble everything he is going to use and pass it to him doing procedures. I am the one who talks to the patients to calm them down and provide a friendly and safe atmosphere. I do all the x-rays so the doctor can see whats going on in the mouth. I can also do less invasive procedures like teeth cleaning and making temporary fillings. Just nothing surgical.

>>18532915
Yes, they are worth going to every year.

I've had plenty of cavities filled, though they've never been serious at all. I do, however, know people personally who let cavities get to such a poor state that it required extensive dental surgery (ie their teeth were rotting, and it almost affected their jaw bone).

Just look after your teeth, anon.

Went to the dentist for the first time in 8 years. Still no cavities. Feels good.

Still, I wish my faggot ortho didn't file down my bottom incisors. It's still sensitive to hard foods from time to time

>>18537969
Shoutout to the busty dental assistants who gave me my first feels of titty on face years before i got laid

>>18537969
they wont touch it until i pay like $2500 for cleanings and shit

>really bad neglected teeth
>years of soda drinking
>look like a meth head
>wish I could use that as an excuse instead of being a lazy soda chugging NEET
>go to dental office out of town 'cause so embarassed
>hygiene lady is really nice
>was going to schedule me for an expensive 4-part cleaning
>but because I kept up to well between the first cleaning, she was able to get it done with 2 regular cleanings instead
>then they start on my cavity work
>that doctor was that kind of smart ass funny doc
>cracking jokes at my expense, but I deserved it
>if House worked on teeth and was chubby
>he hooks me up, does some really bomb ass fillings
>look brand new
>smiling eveywhere I go now

Really boosted the ol' confidence, there's no replacement for good dental hygiene, but if you suck at that, at least there's dental professionals.

>>18538340
word and to the one who was petting me on the head while I was on nitrous getting my wisdom teeth pulled

that shit was actually so soothing

>>18538658
sounds like you have an awful infection then. This means it has the increased risk of spreading to your heart so yes they HAVE TO clean it out. Try to go somewhere else to get a second opinion and see if they will charge less. Different offices have different prices.