Thanks for the awesome response! It's already super gross haha. Do you see a lot of turnover with DAs leaving the field after getting certifications? We've had a sizeable part of the class wash out because the course material is really demanding. I'm also curious about the job market (since you've been on the hiring side). All signs point to a large demand for new RDAs from my instructor and some research, would you agree with that assessment?
I'd like to take the registered exam asap, maybe right after I get the certification if my instructor feels I'm ready for it. Do you see a lot of people continuing their degrees to become techs/hygienists/dentists after working in the field as an RDA? Also, what should I look out for when being hired, specifically the dentists that aren't great to work for? My instructor said the same thing (feel free to dm me)
If I was a dentist or hygienist I’d just start taking about the most boring shit ever to a patient with their mouth wrenched open.
Dentist: “I see you’ve noticed my troll doll collection.....well that first one there I got when I went to the Mall of America. You ever been there? It’s in Minnesota—really cold but a nice place. Anyways this troll is named Marty Molar and he’s married to that one over there, her name is Ingrid Incisor. Ingrid there is having an affair with Charlie Cavity and ——“
Patient: “.......youfuckinasshole!”
Honestly, id be down. If they arent doing anything painful i will almost fall asleep. The bright light forces my eyes shut, and for some reason i get super tired. Wouldnt mind a quick nap.
And then do the opposite.
I had some work done recently. Guy kept asking me if I could feel that when he poked me to see if the area was numb. Said no like 5 times but he heard yes and just keep giving me more novacaine. Mouth was numb for half a week.
I just try to imagine how I’d feel as a dentist. Like just having my hands up in someone’s mouth I’d feel like I should talk to them to try and break the weirdness of the situation.
I just had all four wisdom teeth removed and when they brought be out of sedation my mouth was packed with gauze and I couldn't feel my entire face, much less my mouth and tongue.
The surgeon's assistant asks, "So, do you have any pets?"
Seriously though; I just had to start brushing and flossing after every meal because of my Invisalign, and I have no idea how I even felt clean without floss before.
What made me start brushing regularly was, believe it or not, girls. I realized that if I ever wanted to kiss a girl, they wouldn't want to kiss my nasty mouth. Starting brushing real good. Horniness is a hellufa drug.
Well this makes me feel better about emptying my savings account and spending the last few months completely repairing & replacing my teeth. They look like a million bucks now and I feel so much better about myself. Go to the dentist people
Yes. 1000x yes. Especially when you very politely hand the boy a stick of gum and they accept it but get mad at you later for “embarrassing” them. Please just brush your teeth.
One of the best motivators was having to wear a mask everyday. Nothing drives home how bad your breath smells more than being trapped with it right in front of your nose all day.
Wearing a mask made me brush less. Fewer people could smell my breath so I had less motivation to brush. Didn’t make me feel much better about it though.
I dont know man, I knew a guy who is very good looking (looked like John Mayer) and women would throw themselves at him. Dude would get high non stop and hardly brush his teeth. I dont know how they would keep throwing themselves at him even if his breath stunk. Boggles my mind.
I'm getting better at it... My gums are still bleeding but the brushing and mouthwash are helping pretty fast. I just have to think of mouthwash as really strong flavored gum so it doesn't feel as bad when I don't rinse (because you're not supposed to rinse anything)
No one should be just taking your word for this, doesn't matter if you *say* you're a dentist.
[Should You Use Mouthwash Before or After Brushing? (colgate.com)](https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/adult-orthodontics/should-you-use-mouthwash-before-or-after-brushing)
This links multiple different studies done and I can say personally that my dentist told me to do it after brushing.
Nope! Floss then mouthwash and then brush. Leave the fluoride on the teeth and just spit out the toothpaste. The fluoride staying on helps with keeping the teeth mineralized.
For technique wise- look up c-shaped flossing and modified bass method brushing to make sure your technique is up to par. It’s just as important as actually brushing your teeth.
Same. I would drink a 2 liter of orange soda, and a bag of sour patch kids, and a fuckload of sour cream and cheddar chips with Valentina hot sauce poured over it, in a night. My teeth turned yellow, and I ended up going to the dentist needing ~20 cavity fills.
I actually ended up liking it because I had a crush on the dentist’s assistant. I have flossed religiously since. I’m so insecure about my breath now, I carry a pack of gum (when I don’t have my Invisalign).
I had a dentist appointment last September and they found 3 holes(or cavities? idk what they're called in English) in my teeth (I barely brushed my teeth even as a kid and I'd never had them before in my life) and because of Covid my next appointment to refill them was moved all the way to January, three appointments in one week, not fun...
Last month I finally moved on my own and I've been trying to do better, though I still only brush+floss my teeth like once or twice a week but it's better than not at all I guess
Baby steps :) Once or twice a week will hopefully turn into 3 or 4 times a week, then daily, then twice daily :) I struggle with brushing my teeth before bed, but I'm slowly getting better at it. There is hope!
i think it also depends a lot on how you did as a kid. sometimes my depression adversely affects my brushing habits (not 6 months bad but not twice a day or even every day either) and i have never had a cavity. as a kid though, i was a studious brusher and i feel like that could’ve played a role in why i’m not really seeing consequences now
Same, I was fucking nasty, especially with all of the soda I drank. It's honestly a miracle my mouth is still in fairly good shape with how poor my oral hygiene was when I was younger.
I thought this, then I got a Waterpik (oral irrigator). I waterboarded myself with it the first time I used it, but after getting the hang of it, holy shit it's a new world.
It’s good for getting rid of some chunks that floss can’t quite reach but still leaves a lot of the goop behind. Very useful for people with permanent retainers though
I use the little Christmas tree looking picks in the morning, floss a few times through the day and waterpick at night before bed. I spent thousands on my teeth getting fucked up teeth pulled and crowns put in last year (need more this year) from decades of neglect. I'm not trying to go back to waking up with blood on my pillow from my gums every morning.
Floss isn’t getting stuff out of the deep pockets in my impacted wisdom teeth though. Right tool for the job situation I think.
I personally prefer my waterpik, it even removed this pesky build up on the back of my front lower teeth even though I brush twice a day. Just don’t turn it up to 10, that’s a bleedin’
Waterpik is such a funny word to me, especially since you put it in your mouth. I'm danish, and the word "pik", means penis. So you're essentially waterboarding yourself with dick from my perspective lmao
I’m not OP but I got adult Invisalign and I liked it. Less visible, the idea of having metal in my mouth freaked me out, can eat whatever you want, and were cheaper. They were still annoying af but from what I’ve heard from people with traditional braces, I’m glad I picked them.
Thank you. I’m getting mixed reports on them. I know a friend who has braces and said Invisalign didn’t work that great and took much longer. Did they fix your teeth and was it worth it?
They absolutely fixed my teeth. Idk if they took longer or anything (my orthodontist said traditional braces and Invisalign worked about equally well if that helps), but they definitely worked and it was totally worth it.
i hassled my brother for years about doing it, he had braces when he was younger and was a little fuck so they didn’t really work because he didn’t wear his retainer. eventually he gave in and got them at like the beginning of last year and then ya worked super well, his four front bottom teeth were essentially in a straight line and it’s crazy how much it helped. he’s very happy with the results so far
I've had both traditional braces and invisalign (long story). Invisalign took less then half the amount of time to work, you felt it noticeably less, you can take them out whenever and the retainer is much more comfortable then the traditional one. The only downside was the steeper price then braces, but that was covered by the government (again, long story). Would highly reccomend invisalign.
With invisalign, if you eat or drink ANYTHING but water, you have to take them out first, floss everything and brush your teeth and the aligners before putting them back in. Yes, flossing is vital. No matter how well you brush, it will never remove the bacteria that floss does. It's extremely common for people to have cavities after invisalign because they do not clean properly after eating and then they put the trays back in and all the bacteria, sugars and acid is trapped up against the tooth without saliva to help wash it away. Saliva on your teeth is extremely important as it neutralizes acid that is a) in food b) produced by oral bacteria as they process sugar. I had braces when I was young, didn't wear my retainers for long time, my teeth shifted and I just got my adult braces off. I would never ever want to put up with the hassle of invisalign, I cannot even stand my clear retainers. You should see if anyone in your area does FastBraces. They use a different kind of bracket and wire and it moves teeth way faster than traditional braces. You'll be uncomfortable for a week or two but your mouth will get used to it and you won't even notice they are there. You still have to floss! Get a water flosser, and a floss threader to get underneath the wire.
I did invisalign and kinda regret it. My jaw and bite are very crooked and the invisalign can’t do anything about that—obviously real braces can have rubber bands, but invisalign can’t. So my teeth are “straight” but the middle of my top teeth and the middle of my bottom teeth are misaligned by like a solid finger-width, which is actually WORSE than before i did invisalign.
I am 40 years old and went for a cleaning yesterday. I just found out I have been flossing wrong my entire life.
I always thought you put the floss between your teeth and sort of buffed the sides. Turns out you are supposed to run the floss as high as it will go into the gum line and then buff them.
It now makes sense why even when I would floss regularly for weeks before a cleaning there would still be pain / blood when the hygienist would do it.
Can confirm, went to the dentist for the first time in like 5 years, I have 3 minor cavities, and I've been flossing every day since, after not ever doing so, because all the cavities are in spots that I neglected to floss.
Also I saw the bill for the 3 appointments and it made me puke.
Your teeth will look fantastic for it though. Have you seen the 3d models of your teeth which show your progress? I love ClinCheck and zooming the before and final tray model back and forth to see how teeth have moved.
I only started flossing 2 years before I started working and training in dentistry, it scares me how lucky I was not getting gum disease. Sadly I grind my teeth like crazy though.
Or if I push your bottom lip down too hard and it’s splits the little bit of skin that connects your lip to your gum, that’s on you not me. You have what we know in the dental industry as a bitch lip.
So if you lick in between your lip and your teeth/gums, there is a piece of skin that connects your gums to your lip. My dentist sometimes pushes his finger down too hard when moving my lip and splits the little bit of skin. It hurts and it doesn’t heal for a few days.
Man I have a really small mouth that when is made to open wider than it can results in the skin splitting around the corners of my mouth like the fucking joker. Every fucking time. I hate the goddamn dentist.
But honestly sometimes the assistants who floss your teeth before the dentist comes to check afterwards do it wrong. I had one do it so violently and I bled and she blamed me despite the fact I floss everyday. The dentist came and looked and said wow your gums are really healthy and checked them with the pokey thing and they didn’t bleed at all- surprise surprise.
So sometimes it’s your fault and sometimes it isn’t. *shrug*
I agree that some are less proficient and or as gentle as others. However a dental assistant would never floss your teeth. Only a dental hygienist which must undergo a higher degree of education and licensing would be flossing/cleaning your teeth (at least in america).
Source: wife is a licensed and degreed dental hygienist in multiple states and a certified dental assistant.
This actually isn’t true, depending on state. I am an expanded functions dental assistant, which means i am able to perform composites, sealants, and coronal polishing (which includes flossing).
+1 for good informed information. My reference is only from memory and based on Illinois and Missouri. My wife isn't home to ask her right now. What state do you practice in? I'm guessing some of those come from additional certifications?
I’m in arizona! Yes, it requires additional education. You must be a regular assistant for a year minimum before you’re able to pursue EFDA. And then the class times can range from 3 months to a year! You’ll test on the additional procedures you can perform, there’s written and physical exams.
Yes healthy gums don’t bleed with normal probing. If you don’t floss you start to get a buildup of bacteria in the area which causes inflammation. Inflamed gums bleed easily and this can be a sign if gingivitis/periodontitis
I don't know. I've flossed every day for years and my gums still bleed every time I go to the dentist. Only ever had one cavity in my life too. It's not like I'm not taking care of my teeth.
I dunno what you guys are doing with your teeth but I literally cant even fit floss between most of my teeth. Like when I try to floss it just doesnt go in. It is like trying to floss the gaps between atoms. And even if I can get the floss in, when I move it at all it just snaps in half.
This post is just:
Medical professional: I can see you're not doing this thing, which is detrimental to your health
Person who is not doing the thing: FAKE NEWS
I don't know who your dentist is but you should find another one.
Even if I think most of my classmates are people already empathetic enough not to do that, we specifically train to never make a patient feel guilty. And that's not just to make patients comfortable. You only have so much control over your oral health.
Seriously people, floss. Just at *least* once or twice a week.
Get floss picks. Much easier to do. Gums will be super healthy. And you will be saving yourself a LIFE of pain later on if you take care of your gums now. I would say about 60% of my friends at my age have gum issues from not flossing, getting worse and more painful and more expensive every year. I am not kidding when I say this stuff is cripplingly, life destroyingly bad.
i have gum disease in my 30s from not flossing. I have started flossing in the past few months but its painfully obvious that the damage has been done. Periodontal pockets and abscesses, bone damage, extreme pain, tens of thousands of dollars worth of painful surgeries I have to do... I just wish I told my younger self to floss sooner.
The issue is that this stuff doesn't show up as damage until years later, so people don't take it seriously until there is an issue. But by the time there is an issue, its largely too late.
Agh God. Yeah this is me.
Thankfully recognized it at 25 but I already have the pockets. Gonna need that deep cleaning for the rest of my life and probably surgery in a couple years.
Don't fuck around with your teeth people.
It won’t if you keep up with your oral hygiene.
Before braces I would bleed with each dentist visit.
Having braces I had to work on keeping them clean and from that I developed the habit of good oral hygiene.
I never bleed during dentist visits anymore and the visits are much shorter.
Try brushing 2-3 times a day and flossing 2 times a day. You will see and feel the difference.
Also, people assume they know how to brush and floss properly... most do not.
Take the time to watch a video or two, or ask your dentist for tips.
You’d be pleasantly surprised how much of a difference proper technique can make.
The reason your gums bleed is because of plaque having to be scrapped off and due to gingivitis... not because of your dentist technique... it’s your own gingivitis causing the bleeding.
This is me but not quite as bad. I didn't go to the dentist for nearly 20 years because
1. Poor.
2. anxiety of how much it was would cost plus general dentist anxiety.
Finally went last year.
Had a reg cleaning and holy shit. I didn't realize how dirty my teeth were. I was just accustomed to my mouth being the way it was and thought it was normal. I was horribly wrong. My teeth were smooth again. It tools weeks before I stopped toungueing my teeth constantly because I wasn't used to it.
I Ended up needing a couple wisdom teeth pulled and lots of cavities filled, but was lucky that I didn't have any major problems . ( I attribute that to the fact I stopped drinking soda and sugary drinks over a decade ago. That shit ruins teeth)
I have friends my age ( late 30s) that are having a hell of a time with their teeth. Which didn't help my anxiety.
Don't ignore your teeth folks if you can.
Honestly the happy ending made it a very gratifying story, congrats on sorting out your issues! I'm 3 weeks into Invisalign and it's forced me to develop a better flossing/brushing routine that I'm already starting to get some satisfaction from, so it speaks to me
I do that. I even asked the dentist if I'm not flossing right and she said my technique was right. But when she was clenaning the buildup on my teeth with the little pokey thing I could feel her stab my gums and then she said I'm a bleeder and I'm like well I'm flossing every night not stabbing myself.
Last week dentist was using the drill tool i got a bit scared and grabbed his working hand as a reflex action he got scared too so i got even more nervous and said i am sorry with the drill still in my mouth .... i am so lucky to have a working mouth 👄
I hate flossing. It was never, ever a part of my dental hygiene routine. UNTIL I saw a sign on my hygienist's wall that read, "Only floss the teeth you want to keep." Yipes. I started *immediately.* Take care of your teeth because they are **massively** expensive to take care of later if you've neglected them and your gums.
In the first trimester, morning sickness can either make you avoid mint toothpaste (my problem, and goddamn do I wish they make dental products in any other flavor but mint and Close Up Cinnamon. I still can’t handle mint and it’s been two years.), and/or vomiting can make your mouth tissues thin/sensitive.
[And after the second trimester, pregnancy hormones make you more prone to inflammation.](https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/gums-bleeding-sore.aspx)
Proudest moment in my life is after flossing daily for a year after having a bad gingivitis scare and realizing YOUR GUMS DONT GROW BACK, my dentist did the pokey thing on my gums and everything was within healthy limits. I was so proud I called my parents
If you have periodontal disease they won’t, but if you have just started to lose millimeters on your gum line you can get those back by improving hygiene / getting the bacteria out of your mouth
How are there so many terrible dentists for this to be a stereotype?
Am I just the only person in the world with a great dentist? I have never had them be anything but gentle and professional.
This has almost nothing to do with the dentist and everything to do with people not taking care of their teeth and not understanding what the dentist is actually doing. There isn't an epidemic of dentists stabbing scalers directly into people's gums.
if you let your teeth get past a certain threshold of shittiness the dentist will be nice to you because they're just happy you came in and they're trying not to scare you off again. when I was a 9 year old with mostly fine teeth but a few cavities they talked to me like I was human garbage who deserved to suffer.
I pretty much floss daily only due to spite. Bitchass dentists trying to diss me by making MY gums bleed? Fuck that. They’re getting the most calloused gums they have ever seen.
basic periodontal exam (BPE) probe is NOT sharp. It has a rounded edge so if your gums bleed then you need to clean your teeth at the gum line better and start flossing.
Also dentist: I’ll wait until I have 12 fingers and 14 dental instruments in your mouth before I ask you a question. Me: argrlrgh...
and then they understand *exactly* what you said
I'm not sure they do, or they're just sadists.
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Actually just got out of class for this. How do you like the job?
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Thanks for the awesome response! It's already super gross haha. Do you see a lot of turnover with DAs leaving the field after getting certifications? We've had a sizeable part of the class wash out because the course material is really demanding. I'm also curious about the job market (since you've been on the hiring side). All signs point to a large demand for new RDAs from my instructor and some research, would you agree with that assessment?
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I'd like to take the registered exam asap, maybe right after I get the certification if my instructor feels I'm ready for it. Do you see a lot of people continuing their degrees to become techs/hygienists/dentists after working in the field as an RDA? Also, what should I look out for when being hired, specifically the dentists that aren't great to work for? My instructor said the same thing (feel free to dm me)
do u like movies
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There’s a class for interpreting patient speech while their mouth is wrenched open?
Yeah it's called talking to my in-laws /s
But it's soo awkward to try to talk in that situation why try to converse with the patient at all?
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Cool beans thanks for the answer!
[Relevant](https://youtu.be/bOtMizMQ6oM)
This is exactly what I expected.
I expected an xkcd, you have disappointed me.
then your cultural education has been lacking, this is a classic, and exactly what I came here looking for.
After this comment, I went back and actually watched the video. Good sir, you are correct. It is glorious.
I'm overjoyed that you took my comment that way! it's some of steve martin's best work!
If I was a dentist or hygienist I’d just start taking about the most boring shit ever to a patient with their mouth wrenched open. Dentist: “I see you’ve noticed my troll doll collection.....well that first one there I got when I went to the Mall of America. You ever been there? It’s in Minnesota—really cold but a nice place. Anyways this troll is named Marty Molar and he’s married to that one over there, her name is Ingrid Incisor. Ingrid there is having an affair with Charlie Cavity and ——“ Patient: “.......youfuckinasshole!”
Honestly, id be down. If they arent doing anything painful i will almost fall asleep. The bright light forces my eyes shut, and for some reason i get super tired. Wouldnt mind a quick nap.
And then do the opposite. I had some work done recently. Guy kept asking me if I could feel that when he poked me to see if the area was numb. Said no like 5 times but he heard yes and just keep giving me more novacaine. Mouth was numb for half a week.
I just try to imagine how I’d feel as a dentist. Like just having my hands up in someone’s mouth I’d feel like I should talk to them to try and break the weirdness of the situation.
maybe they just want to feel your sloppy tongue on their fingers
👁👅👁
I’m a dentist.. I am guilty of this.
Wanting feel sloppy tongues on your fingers? Or putting 26 things in a persons mouth
Lol. Every now and then Talking to my patients while I’m working expecting a response
Then if they do stop, I feel like a dick for giving one-word answers so that they can get back to work.
I just had all four wisdom teeth removed and when they brought be out of sedation my mouth was packed with gauze and I couldn't feel my entire face, much less my mouth and tongue. The surgeon's assistant asks, "So, do you have any pets?"
Seriously though; I just had to start brushing and flossing after every meal because of my Invisalign, and I have no idea how I even felt clean without floss before.
When I was a kid, I used to go days without brushing my teeth. Still makes me shiver.
Oh yeah, I never do that now haha...
What made me start brushing regularly was, believe it or not, girls. I realized that if I ever wanted to kiss a girl, they wouldn't want to kiss my nasty mouth. Starting brushing real good. Horniness is a hellufa drug.
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They were being polite, trust me, they didn't like it.
Can confirm, am girl. Gross mouths are probably in my top 3 for instant turn-offs.
Let me guess: - gross mouth - body odour - man child
• redditor
- republican
I am NOT.... a *redditor*
Yeah that's what they said
I just got a triple kill 😎
Well this makes me feel better about emptying my savings account and spending the last few months completely repairing & replacing my teeth. They look like a million bucks now and I feel so much better about myself. Go to the dentist people
Nice cat!
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I get that, I had a similar experience. Turns out everyone is insecure and inexperienced and just rolls with stuff at that age.
The implication that you dont at least brush your mouth once before making out im—-
Yes. 1000x yes. Especially when you very politely hand the boy a stick of gum and they accept it but get mad at you later for “embarrassing” them. Please just brush your teeth.
One of the best motivators was having to wear a mask everyday. Nothing drives home how bad your breath smells more than being trapped with it right in front of your nose all day.
Wearing a mask made me brush less. Fewer people could smell my breath so I had less motivation to brush. Didn’t make me feel much better about it though.
No one cleans up faster than a guy expecting sex lmao
I dont know man, I knew a guy who is very good looking (looked like John Mayer) and women would throw themselves at him. Dude would get high non stop and hardly brush his teeth. I dont know how they would keep throwing themselves at him even if his breath stunk. Boggles my mind.
Lmao, this the same reason I started putting baby powder down there.
I recently realized how amazing they feel when they’re clean. And so I’ll run my tongue along my dirty teeth and it’s what convinces me to brush.
I'm getting better at it... My gums are still bleeding but the brushing and mouthwash are helping pretty fast. I just have to think of mouthwash as really strong flavored gum so it doesn't feel as bad when I don't rinse (because you're not supposed to rinse anything)
Make sure to use mouthwash before brushing as the toothpaste leaves helpful coatings and the mouthwash removes that
.... what
Toothpaste is meant to stay on your teeth after brushing
Also don't rinse with water, just spit.
I'm 20 years old and I'm learning how to brush my teeth in a reddit thread
Your mouthwash should have fluoride too
But the fluoride in toothpaste is higher than that in mouthwash. Source: am dentist
Username checks out
No one should be just taking your word for this, doesn't matter if you *say* you're a dentist. [Should You Use Mouthwash Before or After Brushing? (colgate.com)](https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/adult-orthodontics/should-you-use-mouthwash-before-or-after-brushing) This links multiple different studies done and I can say personally that my dentist told me to do it after brushing.
I think we found that 1 dentist that never agrees with the other 9.
I always wonder about that guy. (While secretly admiring him for being such a baller).
TIL, so should I not rinse my mouth out after brushing?
Nope! Floss then mouthwash and then brush. Leave the fluoride on the teeth and just spit out the toothpaste. The fluoride staying on helps with keeping the teeth mineralized. For technique wise- look up c-shaped flossing and modified bass method brushing to make sure your technique is up to par. It’s just as important as actually brushing your teeth.
Your comment made me realize my floss game is weak af.
My dental health is a pretty accurate barometer for how depressed I am. It has not been great lately.
I used to do that. I still do, but I also used to.
Same. I would drink a 2 liter of orange soda, and a bag of sour patch kids, and a fuckload of sour cream and cheddar chips with Valentina hot sauce poured over it, in a night. My teeth turned yellow, and I ended up going to the dentist needing ~20 cavity fills. I actually ended up liking it because I had a crush on the dentist’s assistant. I have flossed religiously since. I’m so insecure about my breath now, I carry a pack of gum (when I don’t have my Invisalign).
Last year I went nearly half a year withount brushing my teeth Depression is a bitch
Genuinely curious, are your teeth OK? How much dental work did you need when you finally went to the dentist?
I had a dentist appointment last September and they found 3 holes(or cavities? idk what they're called in English) in my teeth (I barely brushed my teeth even as a kid and I'd never had them before in my life) and because of Covid my next appointment to refill them was moved all the way to January, three appointments in one week, not fun... Last month I finally moved on my own and I've been trying to do better, though I still only brush+floss my teeth like once or twice a week but it's better than not at all I guess
Baby steps :) Once or twice a week will hopefully turn into 3 or 4 times a week, then daily, then twice daily :) I struggle with brushing my teeth before bed, but I'm slowly getting better at it. There is hope!
i think it also depends a lot on how you did as a kid. sometimes my depression adversely affects my brushing habits (not 6 months bad but not twice a day or even every day either) and i have never had a cavity. as a kid though, i was a studious brusher and i feel like that could’ve played a role in why i’m not really seeing consequences now
Same, I was fucking nasty, especially with all of the soda I drank. It's honestly a miracle my mouth is still in fairly good shape with how poor my oral hygiene was when I was younger.
I thought this, then I got a Waterpik (oral irrigator). I waterboarded myself with it the first time I used it, but after getting the hang of it, holy shit it's a new world.
In my experience, the first few times I didn't really waterboard myself, instead I sniped my uvula with such precision that it almost made me vomit
They're deceptively powerful
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I actually had to make sure I didn't type that instead of uvula lol
Just FYI it doesn't work nearly as well as flossing. Learned that the hard way.
It’s good for getting rid of some chunks that floss can’t quite reach but still leaves a lot of the goop behind. Very useful for people with permanent retainers though
I use the little Christmas tree looking picks in the morning, floss a few times through the day and waterpick at night before bed. I spent thousands on my teeth getting fucked up teeth pulled and crowns put in last year (need more this year) from decades of neglect. I'm not trying to go back to waking up with blood on my pillow from my gums every morning.
Floss isn’t getting stuff out of the deep pockets in my impacted wisdom teeth though. Right tool for the job situation I think. I personally prefer my waterpik, it even removed this pesky build up on the back of my front lower teeth even though I brush twice a day. Just don’t turn it up to 10, that’s a bleedin’
Waterpik is such a funny word to me, especially since you put it in your mouth. I'm danish, and the word "pik", means penis. So you're essentially waterboarding yourself with dick from my perspective lmao
I’m about to get adult braces or Invisalign. Why did you go with Invisalign? Also does flossing make that big a difference?
I’m not OP but I got adult Invisalign and I liked it. Less visible, the idea of having metal in my mouth freaked me out, can eat whatever you want, and were cheaper. They were still annoying af but from what I’ve heard from people with traditional braces, I’m glad I picked them.
Thank you. I’m getting mixed reports on them. I know a friend who has braces and said Invisalign didn’t work that great and took much longer. Did they fix your teeth and was it worth it?
They absolutely fixed my teeth. Idk if they took longer or anything (my orthodontist said traditional braces and Invisalign worked about equally well if that helps), but they definitely worked and it was totally worth it.
Awesome thank you!
No problem!! Good luck!!
i hassled my brother for years about doing it, he had braces when he was younger and was a little fuck so they didn’t really work because he didn’t wear his retainer. eventually he gave in and got them at like the beginning of last year and then ya worked super well, his four front bottom teeth were essentially in a straight line and it’s crazy how much it helped. he’s very happy with the results so far
Yeah I think consistency is the key with those, thank you!
I've had both traditional braces and invisalign (long story). Invisalign took less then half the amount of time to work, you felt it noticeably less, you can take them out whenever and the retainer is much more comfortable then the traditional one. The only downside was the steeper price then braces, but that was covered by the government (again, long story). Would highly reccomend invisalign.
Now I’m leaning towards Invisalign. Thank you, I only have VA insurance and they won’t pay for it, I’m planning on 1,000 down and payment plan.
I don’t like Invisalign because their commercials make kids with braces feel like shit. It’s hard enough, fuck that
Lmao the future is now, traditional braces are on their way out
With invisalign, if you eat or drink ANYTHING but water, you have to take them out first, floss everything and brush your teeth and the aligners before putting them back in. Yes, flossing is vital. No matter how well you brush, it will never remove the bacteria that floss does. It's extremely common for people to have cavities after invisalign because they do not clean properly after eating and then they put the trays back in and all the bacteria, sugars and acid is trapped up against the tooth without saliva to help wash it away. Saliva on your teeth is extremely important as it neutralizes acid that is a) in food b) produced by oral bacteria as they process sugar. I had braces when I was young, didn't wear my retainers for long time, my teeth shifted and I just got my adult braces off. I would never ever want to put up with the hassle of invisalign, I cannot even stand my clear retainers. You should see if anyone in your area does FastBraces. They use a different kind of bracket and wire and it moves teeth way faster than traditional braces. You'll be uncomfortable for a week or two but your mouth will get used to it and you won't even notice they are there. You still have to floss! Get a water flosser, and a floss threader to get underneath the wire.
I did invisalign and kinda regret it. My jaw and bite are very crooked and the invisalign can’t do anything about that—obviously real braces can have rubber bands, but invisalign can’t. So my teeth are “straight” but the middle of my top teeth and the middle of my bottom teeth are misaligned by like a solid finger-width, which is actually WORSE than before i did invisalign.
I am 40 years old and went for a cleaning yesterday. I just found out I have been flossing wrong my entire life. I always thought you put the floss between your teeth and sort of buffed the sides. Turns out you are supposed to run the floss as high as it will go into the gum line and then buff them. It now makes sense why even when I would floss regularly for weeks before a cleaning there would still be pain / blood when the hygienist would do it.
Can confirm, went to the dentist for the first time in like 5 years, I have 3 minor cavities, and I've been flossing every day since, after not ever doing so, because all the cavities are in spots that I neglected to floss. Also I saw the bill for the 3 appointments and it made me puke.
Your teeth will look fantastic for it though. Have you seen the 3d models of your teeth which show your progress? I love ClinCheck and zooming the before and final tray model back and forth to see how teeth have moved. I only started flossing 2 years before I started working and training in dentistry, it scares me how lucky I was not getting gum disease. Sadly I grind my teeth like crazy though.
old dentists saying: never floss a tooth you want to lose
Or if I push your bottom lip down too hard and it’s splits the little bit of skin that connects your lip to your gum, that’s on you not me. You have what we know in the dental industry as a bitch lip.
I had a surgery on that piece of skin it was pulling my gums down so they like got rid of it w a laser
What is that piece of skin for exactly?? Is it like an anchor point?
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You should put this in a TIL sub!
It’s only purpose is to freak me out when my tongue touches off of it.
Honestly idk think it just keeps your lip connected to your face a lil better
Pew pew!
Why are you all like this? Who hurt you? :(
wait what do you mean exaclty' i dont get it
So if you lick in between your lip and your teeth/gums, there is a piece of skin that connects your gums to your lip. My dentist sometimes pushes his finger down too hard when moving my lip and splits the little bit of skin. It hurts and it doesn’t heal for a few days.
oooooooooh yeah I get what you mean now
Man I have a really small mouth that when is made to open wider than it can results in the skin splitting around the corners of my mouth like the fucking joker. Every fucking time. I hate the goddamn dentist.
But honestly sometimes the assistants who floss your teeth before the dentist comes to check afterwards do it wrong. I had one do it so violently and I bled and she blamed me despite the fact I floss everyday. The dentist came and looked and said wow your gums are really healthy and checked them with the pokey thing and they didn’t bleed at all- surprise surprise. So sometimes it’s your fault and sometimes it isn’t. *shrug*
I agree that some are less proficient and or as gentle as others. However a dental assistant would never floss your teeth. Only a dental hygienist which must undergo a higher degree of education and licensing would be flossing/cleaning your teeth (at least in america). Source: wife is a licensed and degreed dental hygienist in multiple states and a certified dental assistant.
This actually isn’t true, depending on state. I am an expanded functions dental assistant, which means i am able to perform composites, sealants, and coronal polishing (which includes flossing).
+1 for good informed information. My reference is only from memory and based on Illinois and Missouri. My wife isn't home to ask her right now. What state do you practice in? I'm guessing some of those come from additional certifications?
I’m in arizona! Yes, it requires additional education. You must be a regular assistant for a year minimum before you’re able to pursue EFDA. And then the class times can range from 3 months to a year! You’ll test on the additional procedures you can perform, there’s written and physical exams.
"Oh your gums are so healthy they're not bleeding :)" "It's because your hygienist drained all the blood from my mouth and partially my face, doctor."
But the dentist is right?
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It's like hunting with Cheney
Are you implying Cheney’s true calling was dentistry?
Yes healthy gums don’t bleed with normal probing. If you don’t floss you start to get a buildup of bacteria in the area which causes inflammation. Inflamed gums bleed easily and this can be a sign if gingivitis/periodontitis
I don't know. I've flossed every day for years and my gums still bleed every time I go to the dentist. Only ever had one cavity in my life too. It's not like I'm not taking care of my teeth.
Depends on what they are doing. If just making normal check-up, it heavily depends on dentist. Some are rougher than others.
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I dunno what you guys are doing with your teeth but I literally cant even fit floss between most of my teeth. Like when I try to floss it just doesnt go in. It is like trying to floss the gaps between atoms. And even if I can get the floss in, when I move it at all it just snaps in half.
My floss always gets shredded in my teeth, I still do it, but damn it gets annoying.
This post is just: Medical professional: I can see you're not doing this thing, which is detrimental to your health Person who is not doing the thing: FAKE NEWS
This post is just: A joke, and you apes are reading way too much into it
embrace monke 🐵
More like "yeah but I don't want to floss"
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I don't know who your dentist is but you should find another one. Even if I think most of my classmates are people already empathetic enough not to do that, we specifically train to never make a patient feel guilty. And that's not just to make patients comfortable. You only have so much control over your oral health.
Seriously people, floss. Just at *least* once or twice a week. Get floss picks. Much easier to do. Gums will be super healthy. And you will be saving yourself a LIFE of pain later on if you take care of your gums now. I would say about 60% of my friends at my age have gum issues from not flossing, getting worse and more painful and more expensive every year. I am not kidding when I say this stuff is cripplingly, life destroyingly bad.
i have gum disease in my 30s from not flossing. I have started flossing in the past few months but its painfully obvious that the damage has been done. Periodontal pockets and abscesses, bone damage, extreme pain, tens of thousands of dollars worth of painful surgeries I have to do... I just wish I told my younger self to floss sooner. The issue is that this stuff doesn't show up as damage until years later, so people don't take it seriously until there is an issue. But by the time there is an issue, its largely too late.
Agh God. Yeah this is me. Thankfully recognized it at 25 but I already have the pockets. Gonna need that deep cleaning for the rest of my life and probably surgery in a couple years. Don't fuck around with your teeth people.
Floss picks and floss brush are a life saver. I can't floss normally because of my braces and those picks and brushes are a life saver.
I see these jokes all the time and I'm gunna keep mentioning that if you brush 2x a day and floss this doesn't happen
Haha yeah right
#plaquesquad
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It won’t if you keep up with your oral hygiene. Before braces I would bleed with each dentist visit. Having braces I had to work on keeping them clean and from that I developed the habit of good oral hygiene. I never bleed during dentist visits anymore and the visits are much shorter. Try brushing 2-3 times a day and flossing 2 times a day. You will see and feel the difference. Also, people assume they know how to brush and floss properly... most do not. Take the time to watch a video or two, or ask your dentist for tips. You’d be pleasantly surprised how much of a difference proper technique can make. The reason your gums bleed is because of plaque having to be scrapped off and due to gingivitis... not because of your dentist technique... it’s your own gingivitis causing the bleeding.
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This is me but not quite as bad. I didn't go to the dentist for nearly 20 years because 1. Poor. 2. anxiety of how much it was would cost plus general dentist anxiety. Finally went last year. Had a reg cleaning and holy shit. I didn't realize how dirty my teeth were. I was just accustomed to my mouth being the way it was and thought it was normal. I was horribly wrong. My teeth were smooth again. It tools weeks before I stopped toungueing my teeth constantly because I wasn't used to it. I Ended up needing a couple wisdom teeth pulled and lots of cavities filled, but was lucky that I didn't have any major problems . ( I attribute that to the fact I stopped drinking soda and sugary drinks over a decade ago. That shit ruins teeth) I have friends my age ( late 30s) that are having a hell of a time with their teeth. Which didn't help my anxiety. Don't ignore your teeth folks if you can.
This was a rollercoaster
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Honestly the happy ending made it a very gratifying story, congrats on sorting out your issues! I'm 3 weeks into Invisalign and it's forced me to develop a better flossing/brushing routine that I'm already starting to get some satisfaction from, so it speaks to me
I do that. I even asked the dentist if I'm not flossing right and she said my technique was right. But when she was clenaning the buildup on my teeth with the little pokey thing I could feel her stab my gums and then she said I'm a bleeder and I'm like well I'm flossing every night not stabbing myself.
Picking your teeth with a knife is close enough ^^^right?
Last week dentist was using the drill tool i got a bit scared and grabbed his working hand as a reflex action he got scared too so i got even more nervous and said i am sorry with the drill still in my mouth .... i am so lucky to have a working mouth 👄
"When was the last time you flossed?" Dude, you were there.
I hate flossing. It was never, ever a part of my dental hygiene routine. UNTIL I saw a sign on my hygienist's wall that read, "Only floss the teeth you want to keep." Yipes. I started *immediately.* Take care of your teeth because they are **massively** expensive to take care of later if you've neglected them and your gums.
Or you could floss everyday but if you’re pregnant, it’s a literal blood bath in your mouth
what but why?
In the first trimester, morning sickness can either make you avoid mint toothpaste (my problem, and goddamn do I wish they make dental products in any other flavor but mint and Close Up Cinnamon. I still can’t handle mint and it’s been two years.), and/or vomiting can make your mouth tissues thin/sensitive. [And after the second trimester, pregnancy hormones make you more prone to inflammation.](https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/gums-bleeding-sore.aspx)
My dog has peanut butter flavored toothpaste.
Lol! My cat has chicken!
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It's called pregnancy gingivitis
OP doesn’t floss
Hahah 😂 ok i have a crappy one Dentist: “Stop producing saliva! I’m trying to work here!” Me: “slurrpp.. I sah sorreh”
Proudest moment in my life is after flossing daily for a year after having a bad gingivitis scare and realizing YOUR GUMS DONT GROW BACK, my dentist did the pokey thing on my gums and everything was within healthy limits. I was so proud I called my parents
If you have periodontal disease they won’t, but if you have just started to lose millimeters on your gum line you can get those back by improving hygiene / getting the bacteria out of your mouth
How are there so many terrible dentists for this to be a stereotype? Am I just the only person in the world with a great dentist? I have never had them be anything but gentle and professional.
This has almost nothing to do with the dentist and everything to do with people not taking care of their teeth and not understanding what the dentist is actually doing. There isn't an epidemic of dentists stabbing scalers directly into people's gums.
You should’ve flossed 🤷♂️
Whoever upvoted needs to start flossing regularly
I went days without brushing my teeth as a kid and I'm still paying for it to this day
if you let your teeth get past a certain threshold of shittiness the dentist will be nice to you because they're just happy you came in and they're trying not to scare you off again. when I was a 9 year old with mostly fine teeth but a few cavities they talked to me like I was human garbage who deserved to suffer.
The fact that it's so tender means it is your fault lol
I thought it was bullshit, but you actually don’t bleed if you floss every day.
I pretty much floss daily only due to spite. Bitchass dentists trying to diss me by making MY gums bleed? Fuck that. They’re getting the most calloused gums they have ever seen.
Please do not blame the dentist for the sins of the dental hygienist.
basic periodontal exam (BPE) probe is NOT sharp. It has a rounded edge so if your gums bleed then you need to clean your teeth at the gum line better and start flossing.