The Dentist

[chloe]

I have a big fear of the dentist and dread it when I need to go. Anyway I took my kids to a new dentist for teeth cleaning and my oldest daughter has to go to an orthodontist and also have some kind of dental surgery because she has some baby teeth that she never lost and there is an adult tooth is attached to her bone or something, Now its going to cost me tons of money but if I dont do it he said its a serious problem, he also had a baby grand piano in his office and would come out of the dentist exam room and play his piano a few minutes then go back into the exam room. I wonder if he is an ex smoker and so he takes a 5 minute ex smoke break by using the piano LOL.:laugh2:

[Kathianne]

I've always hated the dentist too! I need to go, but alas the $$$ keep me from going, which of course only makes it more expensive in the long run.

[chloe]

I've always hated the dentist too! I need to go, but alas the $$$ keep me from going, which of course only makes it more expensive in the long run.

I know I took both my daughters and he said my youngest had a very bad decayed tooth and good thing I brought her because it could have been a root canal which is expensive. He was very fascinated with my other daughters teeth because she still has some baby teeth and has adult ones grown into her jaw bone I think I dont know but he was very excited looking at her x-rays, all I saw was dollar signs. But hey maybe I can forget my problems when he comes out to play fur elise or moonlight sonata.....LOL

[SassyLady]

When my mom was 34 she all her teeth pulled because she had a disease of the gums. Her false teeth never did fit right and consequently she would not put them in, so at an early age I had a toothless mother who I was embarassed to introduce to my friends (there were a vast number of things but this was the most obvious in my memory).

When I was 12 I fell down and broke my front tooth and it eventually had to be pulled and I had to wear a retainer thing with just one tooth on it. When I was 16 I got a stomach flu and threw up and flushed the toilet and realized that I had just flushed my tooth/retainer down the sewer. So, I then had to have a bridge put in. Over the last 42 years I've had that bridge replaced twice and I'm due for another replacement. I have a long and intimate history with dentists and I've never feared them.

Anyway, I have made it my lifelong goal to take care of my teeth. I get them cleaned every four months and I've had a great dentist. We met when we signed up to bowl on a bowling league and were put on the same team. He's been my dentist for over 30 years and is getting ready to retire. He has some new, young thing in there and he's looked at my teeth just once.

My daughter's father-in-law is a dentist and her sister-in-law is an orthodontist so I know that my kids will have healthy, beautiful smiles. I would use them for myself except that driving over 1,000 miles to see a dentist is just a tad bit expensive!!!

Anyway, good luck Chloe with your dentist.

[chloe]

When my mom was 34 she all her teeth pulled because she had a disease of the gums. Her false teeth never did fit right and consequently she would not put them in, so at an early age I had a toothless mother who I was embarassed to introduce to my friends (there were a vast number of things but this was the most obvious in my memory).

When I was 12 I fell down and broke my front tooth and it eventually had to be pulled and I had to wear a retainer thing with just one tooth on it. When I was 16 I got a stomach flu and threw up and flushed the toilet and realized that I had just flushed my tooth/retainer down the sewer. So, I then had to have a bridge put in. Over the last 42 years I've had that bridge replaced twice and I'm due for another replacement. I have a long and intimate history with dentists and I've never feared them.

Anyway, I have made it my lifelong goal to take care of my teeth. I get them cleaned every four months and I've had a great dentist. We met when we signed up to bowl on a bowling league and were put on the same team. He's been my dentist for over 30 years and is getting ready to retire. He has some new, young thing in there and he's looked at my teeth just once.

My daughter's father-in-law is a dentist and her sister-in-law is an orthodontist so I know that my kids will have healthy, beautiful smiles. I would use them for myself except that driving over 1,000 miles to see a dentist is just a tad bit expensive!!!

Anyway, good luck Chloe with your dentist.

Wow you have had a lot of trouble with your teeth, When I have gone to the dentist he said my teeth are remarkable especially since I don't even go regularly, the only time I remember having a bad teeth time was when I was a little girl I was on a teeter tawter and some kid jumped off it when they had me high up in the air and I flipped off it and fell on my face and had a bloody mouth. I was Rushed to dentist but after that I got scared of dentist. Mainly I feel bad that my kids had cavities. I didnt always have insurance and since the ex never had insurance and he doesnt have a job or pay child support anymore, I havent afforded to go, but my daughter had a toothache so I took them both and thats how we found out about the baby teeth thing. Anyway this dentist is very nice he is a piano playing jokey dentist.

[SassyLady]

Wow you have had a lot of trouble with your teeth, When I have gone to the dentist he said my teeth are remarkable especially since I don't even go regularly, the only time I remember having a bad teeth time was when I was a little girl I was on a teeter tawter and some kid jumped off it when they had me high up in the air and I flipped off it and fell on my face and had a bloody mouth. I was Rushed to dentist but after that I got scared of dentist. Mainly I feel bad that my kids had cavities. I didnt always have insurance and since the ex never had insurance and he doesnt have a job or pay child support anymore, I havent afforded to go, but my daughter had a toothache so I took them both and thats how we found out about the baby teeth thing. Anyway this dentist is very nice he is a piano playing jokey dentist.

The good thing is that because I get my teeth cleaned so often I don't have other problems......just the broken tooth at an early age and replacement every 15 years or so. I don't think of that as a lot trouble........just preventative maintenance I guess. My mom's mouth was problematic because she grew up during the depression and never went to the dentist.

I think it's interesting that your dentist plays the piano.......maybe he plays it to calm him down because he's afraid of patients! :laugh2:

[chloe]

The good thing is that because I get my teeth cleaned so often I don't have other problems......just the broken tooth at an early age and replacement every 15 years or so. I don't think of that as a lot trouble........just preventative maintenance I guess. My mom's mouth was problematic because she grew up during the depression and never went to the dentist.

I think it's interesting that your dentist plays the piano.......maybe he plays it to calm him down because he's afraid of patients! :laugh2:

:laugh2: maybe but he was a very friendly dentist he put his arm around me like we were old friends he he, sorry I got you mixed up with your moms teeth problems. I forgot to mention that he wore a surgical mask the entire time, even when he played the piano, and he told me it was because he had a bruise below his eye. So me and my older daughter were making up stories to each other about his puffed up purple bruise under his eye, she said his wife beats him and he tells people he ran into the wall, I said or he didnt numb his last patient before the drill and the patients knee jerk reaction was to sock him just below the eye....we had a lot of fun, his eccentric behavior made us feel right at home....it was like family !!!!!

[Gaffer]

When I was a kid we went to a dentist that didn't believe in using Novocain for drilling and filling teeth. So I always had a dread of going to the dentist after that. I always had bad teeth many, many toothaches. About five years ago I finally went in and had all my teeth pulled. Didn't bother getting false teeth as I can't stand the mold making process. It makes me gag. My gums have toughened up and I can eat most anything except peanuts.

It's nice being pain free, it's worth the price of being toothless.

[Mr. P]

When I was a kid we went to a dentist that didn't believe in using Novocain for drilling and filling teeth. So I always had a dread of going to the dentist after that. I always had bad teeth many, many toothaches. About five years ago I finally went in and had all my teeth pulled. Didn't bother getting false teeth as I can't stand the mold making process. It makes me gag. My gums have toughened up and I can eat most anything except peanuts.

It's nice being pain free, it's worth the price of being toothless.

A bit of aid on the gag thing...Cloroseptic..or anything that you can get in the drug store that's an oral topical anesthetic that spays. Typically used for sore throat pain relief. Shoot that in the back of the throat and roof of yer mouth a minute before that mold...It works pretty good.

EDIT..Go get some teeth..you'll be glad you did.

[Gaffer]

Thanks for the tip Mr. P, I'll keep that in mind.

[chloe]

When I was a kid we went to a dentist that didn't believe in using Novocain for drilling and filling teeth. So I always had a dread of going to the dentist after that. I always had bad teeth many, many toothaches. About five years ago I finally went in and had all my teeth pulled. Didn't bother getting false teeth as I can't stand the mold making process. It makes me gag. My gums have toughened up and I can eat most anything except peanuts.

It's nice being pain free, it's worth the price of being toothless.

yeah as long as your pain free, I have all my teeth but I do dread going to the dentist and not only that its very expensive too. But my kids they should go for regular check ups I feel real bad that I haven't afforded it. But Im really on a tight budget the dentist bill yesterday took all of my paycheck that i had to work for two weeks to get. So I can understand your decision Gaffer.

[PostmodernProphet]

ya know, maybe you could get the dental work done cheaper by a dentist who didn't have enough money to buy a grand piano for his waiting room......

[crin63]

In the last 2-1/2 years I have put out about $25k - $30k in dental work for the family. Oral surgeries, braces, crowns, dentures, cleanings.........

I have a world renowned dentist who is a friend of mine that retired a few years ago, I consult him about all dental procedures before having anything done.

http://www.dentalplans.com/ I saved thousands of dollars on oral surgery with the discount card I got here. Its not insurance, its sams club pricing.

A dentist can give you a prescription for Valium or something to calm you for an appointment. They can numb you up to the point that you can feel anything as well or there is always general anesthesia.

[Mr. P]

ya know, maybe you could get the dental work done cheaper by a dentist who didn't have enough money to buy a grand piano for his waiting room......

:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2: Right YOU are!

[chloe]

ya know, maybe you could get the dental work done cheaper by a dentist who didn't have enough money to buy a grand piano for his waiting room......

:laugh2: he is my "in network" dentist I can't get any cheaper then that, but I only make $23,000 a yeah and I don't get child support so for me the bill was steep. To a family with two incomes it might not have been so steep.:cool:....I liked the fact that he was a weirdo piano playing eccentric dentist, it was fun !

[chloe]

In the last 2-1/2 years I have put out about $25k - $30k in dental work for the family. Oral surgeries, braces, crowns, dentures, cleanings.........

I have a world renowned dentist who is a friend of mine that retired a few years ago, I consult him about all dental procedures before having anything done.

http://www.dentalplans.com/ I saved thousands of dollars on oral surgery with the discount card I got here. Its not insurance, its sams club pricing.

A dentist can give you a prescription for Valium or something to calm you for an appointment. They can numb you up to the point that you can feel anything as well or there is always general anesthesia.

I believe you, its expensive, my daughter has something unsual that the dentist has never seen before, a different dentist wanted to break her jaw and do all sorts of expensive surgeries but this dentist wont break her jaw and he has another doctor working with us so it is a better situation for us.

[chloe]

the estimate given was around $4,000 with insurance it will get reduced to around $3,000 still steep for me.

[Kathianne]

the estimate given was around $4,000 with insurance it will get reduced to around $3,000 still steep for me.

Talk to the piano player, hopefully arrangements can be made. I know it feels awful, but you do what you have to do.

My dental covers $1500 total a year. A couple years ago, had 3 root canals, needless to say, that 1500 was only a drop in the bucket. I paid it off, haven't been back since. Not good, as I had a tooth pulled via emergency and a crown fall off. Not sure where to go at this point.

[chloe]

Talk to the piano player, hopefully arrangements can be made. I know it feels awful, but you do what you have to do.

My dental covers $1500 total a year. A couple years ago, had 3 root canals, needless to say, that 1500 was only a drop in the bucket. I paid it off, haven't been back since. Not good, as I had a tooth pulled via emergency and a crown fall off. Not sure where to go at this point.

oh he is real nice he already knocked $100.00 off part of last weeks bill, my daughter said he felt bad because the water suction tool or whatever he uses sprayed her all over ha ha, and he said oh god Im so sorry , and told the assistant to take a hundred bucks off, lol....I told her next time I hope he pulls the wrong tooth and waives the rest of the bill ( i kid I kid)

[crin63]

I believe you, its expensive, my daughter has something unsual that the dentist has never seen before, a different dentist wanted to break her jaw and do all sorts of expensive surgeries but this dentist wont break her jaw and he has another doctor working with us so it is a better situation for us.

See if your dentist is in one of those group discounts that I linked. Those discount cards can significantly reduce the amount of procedures. If they take both the discount and the insurance it might save you even more money. The card I got was $125 annually for the family and saved me about $3000 in oral surgery.

[chloe]

See if your dentist is in one of those group discounts that I linked. Those discount cards can significantly reduce the amount of procedures. If they take both the discount and the insurance it might save you even more money. The card I got was $125 annually for the family and saved me about $3000 in oral surgery.

Thanks I will check it out, you Rock !