Conversations With Your Dentist (and Hygienist)

[Ben]

This cracks me up way more than it irritates me, but do any of you have dentists/hygienists that carry on conversations with you, including questions, while they have tools in your mouth? I was just at the dentist for a cleaning this morning, and the hygienist, who's really nice and friendly, talks through the whole thing with small talk that often needs answers, but I can't answer if there's stuff in my mouth, and if I answer while she repositions her tools, she gives me a look like, shut up already and let me get in there and finish. 

I've had quite a few dentists/hygienists like that, and it just cracks me up because they do it every day, so they must know it puts their patients in an awkward position.

Right before I moved here, I had a dentist who was an old guy, and it was a small practice of him and his daughter (my current dentist is a big fancy, multi-practitioner office). He would actually stop what he was doing and just have conversations like we were buddies and it was almost like the dental stuff was secondary to shooting the bull. The young gal who took over when he retired was the same way. Now I'm back to one-way conversations. 

[Brad Johnson]

Well, I get to try my technique this afternoon. Appt at 4:50pm. On the upside, the hygienist is smoking hot.

Brad

[K Frame]

Silly man. They take 4 years of "understanding your patient" while they're in dental school. It's a language to them. They're fluent.

[Hawkmoon]

Well, I get to try my technique this afternoon. Appt at 4:50pm. On the upside, the hygienist is smoking hot.

On the downside -- you went and got married.

[Kingcreek]

I don’t try to answer them. I just want them to do their thing so I can get up and out.
My dentist will have a little casual conversation when done and that’s ok but don’t ask me a question when you got both hands and a bunch of tools in my mouf

[K Frame]

My dentist doesn't use hygienists to do cleanings -- the dentists in the practice do it themselves.

First place I've ever been where that's the case.

[Ben]

My dentist doesn't use hygienists to do cleanings -- the dentists in the practice do it themselves.

First place I've ever been where that's the case.

Wow. The last time that I recall that was our old family dentist when I was a kid. Even the old fella I used in CA had his daughter do the cleanings, even if he was in the room jawing with me. At the Mormon place* I go to now, the dentist peeks in for like two minutes and charges me $40 for the "evaluation". 


*I have noticed, both here and back in CA that there are a lot of these modern, high tech dental and eye care facilities that are owned by Mormons. I know this because I have heard the staff talk about missions, and there's always something at the front desk about some Mormon charity.

The ones I have been to (vision in CA and dental here) are top notch, clean, and cutting edge technology with big staffs and everyone is on radios organizing when patients go where. The downside is that I have to continually be on the lookout for upsells, like 15 second $30 ultraviolet cancer screenings, "free" sleep apnea tests, etc. Otherwise the care is top notch.

I would have looked for smaller outfit, but ironically, this office is in my dinky little town, and I would have to drive to the city to find a mom and pop dentist.

[K Frame]

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what the hygienists do at the practice where I go. I guess they just help with procedures.

[Bogie]

Hi... I hate dentists. I want to be overmedicated, and I'll not be able to tell you when that happens, so go for that level. Okay?

[Brad Johnson]

The downside is that I have to continually be on the lookout for upsells, like 15 second $30 ultraviolet cancer screenings, "free" sleep apnea tests, etc. Otherwise the care is top notch.

Mine are always wanting to do the $28 fluoride treatment. Uh, no. If I want to Plasti-Dip my teeth, I can do it cheaper at home.

Brad

[K Frame]

Hi... I hate dentists. I want to be overmedicated, and I'll not be able to tell you when that happens, so go for that level. Okay?

Well, that's cool, because they really hate you, too.

[Ben]

Mine are always wanting to do the $28 fluoride treatment. Uh, no. If I want to Plasti-Dip my teeth, I can do it cheaper at home.

Brad

Heh, the one thing the dentist brought up this week, and it's not like he hasn't seen me a dozen times before was, "Does the gap between your front teeth bother you?" I have a small gap between my front teeth because after I got braces as a kid, I was pretty bad about using the post-braces retainer, so a small gap developed.

I replied, "Nope, no problems, I don't even notice it." However he wasn't concerned with if it physically bothered me, but about the "aesthetics" of having the gap. I told him that I'm a cranky old man now and I don't give a crap about what I look like or what people think of me. I got a laugh out of the hygienist, but I guess since he lost an orthodontic sale, he wasn't laughing. 

[K Frame]

The industrial strength fluoride treatment does actually help with sensitivity caused by receding gums. I had the treatment a month ago when I was at the dentist. They're using a new type -- it's swabbed onto the teeth and spreads over the teeth, then dries and, after about 30 minutes, falls off. It feels weird, but it's been helpful. And, my insurance covers it.

My dentist has never tried to upsell me on anything. She did mention that she thinks it would be a good thing for me to have two implants done to replace the two upper rear molars I'm missing, but she's not pressured me about it.

She also asked if I had a night guard (I'm a big teeth grinder). I said yes. She asked if my previous dentist (same practice, he retired last year) had done it. Told her no, I made my own via the OTC drug store route. That would have been a perfect opportunity for her to launch into a spiel about how a custom made, $3,000, dentist provided night guard is so much better, but she didn't. She just said to use it regularly (I do).

[Ben]

On the receding gums: I started getting this maybe 15(?) years ago, including the bleeding that goes along with it. I was in Santa Barbara at the time and I'm pretty sure I posted about Brunhilde of the dental SS (she was actually German) who, while complimenting me on my tooth health, just laid into me about my gum health.

She browbeat me into using a Sonicare and Waterpik, and at the time, a gum massager as well. I decided to buckle down and try it so I wouldn't be punished on my next visit. It was a Festivus miracle. In six months, my gums went from Bleeding Gums Murphy to the dental SS seal of approval. I ended the gum massager, but to this day, swear by the Sonicare and Waterpik twice a day. I rarely use floss. Every dental visit, I get compliments on my gum/tooth health and lack of plaque, and the hygenists all say they just don't have anything to do cleaning-wise.

[MillCreek]

^^^I had a similar experience.  I have a 'tight mouth', making it difficult to floss and I consistently had 3-6 mm periodontal pockets regardless of my diligent home care.  I used to use an upper-level Braun Oral B rotary electric toothbrush.  A couple of years ago, I did a dental literature search and added an upper-level Philips Sonicare and a Waterpik and changed my toothpaste to Crest Gum Detoxify with stannous fluoride (as opposed to sodium fluoride).

So I use the Oral B in the morning and the Sonicare and Waterpik in the evening with the Gum Detoxify.  Using the two competing toothbrush technologies, Waterpik and Gum Detoxify has resulted in much better hygienist visits and a marked reduction in pocket depth.  A bonus of the stannous fluoride toothpaste has been a reduction in sensitivity as the gums start to recede with age.

Edited to add: many people report that stannous fluoride can discolor their teeth. My teeth and bones are permanently stained yellowish due to receiving tetracycline as a child, so I never had, and will never have, pearly white teeth.

Additional edit: as per the recommendation of my dental team, I use the Waterpik before brushing, to remove the debris and allow the toothpaste to get into the areas between the teeth.

[MechAg94]

Recalling a comment above, the normal hygienist at my dentist office is also very attractive, but she is also very professional and good at her job so I don't want to say anything to upset her.  I have had cleanings in the past where I felt like they were doing a pain tolerance test.  Even doing the depth test on the gum line, it is not too bad.  I just need to be more consistent about my own cleaning so I don't need any more crowns. 

On the conversations, the hygienist doesn't do it, but the dentist does it all the time.  I don't mind as it takes my mind off having a bunch of dental tools in my mouth. 

[K Frame]

"many people report that stannous fluoride can discolor their teeth. My teeth and bones are permanently stained yellowish due to receiving tetracycline as a child, so I never had, and will never have, pearly white teeth."

I'm in the same boat, but for a slightly different reason. When she was pregnant with me Mom contracted a nasty bladder/kidney infection that was treated with tetracycline. As such, I also have the brownish yellow teeth.

[Ben]

added an upper-level Philips Sonicare

I've actually gone back to the mid-level Sonicare. Back with Brunhilde, I got whichever one was out, and they didn't have a lot of models at the time. That darn thing lasted me until a couple of years ago, then I figured I'd go top of the line and got this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TGQP8G1

It lasted for one month past the warranty and then quit. I was pretty pissed. I also saw I wasn't the only one leaving a lousy Amazon review on it, and it appears it's common with their really expensive stuff. I replaced it with this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084TM4XKG

I've been very happy with it. It does everything I need at a reasonable price.

[K Frame]

I purchased an Oral-B Vitality back in 2015.

It lasted 4 years before the switch crapped out.

I purchased another Oral-B Vitality in January 2019.

It's still going strong.

[MillCreek]

My Amazon history tells me that I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TBGP29C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KTII31K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Both are probably considered more mid-level.

[Ben]

And holy crap, I actually just looked my purchases up. The crappy expensive one that is going for $200, I paid $140 for, and the midrange one that is going for $110 now, I paid $60 for. The current one I bought two years ago, and the crappy one, three years ago. That's one heck of an increase in a couple of years. Let's Go Brandon!

[K Frame]

I REFUSE to pay that much for a damned electric toothbrush.

I just about died laughing a couple of years ago when I saw a Braun (I think), for well over $200, that was *expletive deleted*ing WIFI/Bluetooth enabled!

Put Bluetooth in it and the nerds will beat a path to your door, I guess.