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I am not sure. I think it is a solid white block. My dentist extracted my 4 molars in Dec 2014 (#2, #3, #30, #31). In June 2015 he put in 4 dental implants. In Oct 2015 he put in 2 bridges (bridge for #2 to #3, bridge for #30 to #31). Both of them were made by porcelain fused to metal.
Bridge for #30 to #31 broke partially in Dec 2016. It actually broke in Dec 2017. He said that he could make a new PFM or a new Zirconia (without any labor cost). If I want to upgrade I only have to pay the the difference in material. I upgraded both of them to Zirconia in Dec 2017.
I would say Dentist 1 is shady as hell. Number 2 seems to be a little more honest in terms of diagnostics, but still looking to make a buck.
You probably should find another dentist for another opinion regarding the abnormality, and you might have to go through many before finding one that is an honest one.
Dentistry...is basically the auto mechanics of teeth. Most of them are their to make money off of your misery and poor diet.
After you get your fix, you must change your diet. If you eat grains, eliminate them completely if you can. Eliminate fruit juices, sodas, etc. Anything that is sweet with the exception of some solid fruit or sweet potato, end consumption. Starches for the most part, eliminate.
Since you already have osteoporosis, your food consumption and habits must be adjusted to help maintain the bones. A mixture of vitamins and minerals are needed. Obtaining vitamins D and K2 are needed. A diverse diet with calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron etc also helps. A simple combination is "Oily fish" like wild sardines or wild salmon and nutritious cheeses like Kerrygold or Old Croc cheddar with K2. You might want to google Steven Lin and Ford Brewer.
Xylitol and Kefir might have antibacterial properties for the bad bacteria.
If you have period, you will need a deep cleaning to remove the plaque under the gums.
Quite frankly, the biggest F U you can do to a dentist trying to make a buck is tell them to just extract the tooth. They make less that way, although then they might try to sell you implants.
You can do your own teeth inspection. If your gums aren't a consistent pink and you see your teeth receding, that's a sign you have perio. I've checked it myself as a 33 year-old male with it. My diet changes were done precisely because I didn't want to deal with any further trouble.
Thank you so much for taking the time to give your opinion.
I agree that Dentist #1 is shady, but just to clarify, he made the comment that I have good dental work as soon as he walked in the door and before he looked in my mouth. He did do the periodontal probing of my gums and checked my jaw joints, but he never used a tool or specifically looked at #18.
Dentist #2's treatments total $4,020, but $655 of that is for quarterly regular and deep cleanings (I haven't asked if that's $655 total for the year or x 4). His chart notes also contain false information just like Dentist #1's so neither rank highly in my book.
I am considering going to a third dentist. I wish I could wait until I move away from this area, which is also a priority, but I'm worried about delaying the #18 crown even longer.
I want to strongly emphasize that I only eat nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, sunflower kernels, chia and flax seeds, hard boiled eggs, no processed foods and next to never sweets. I don't drink soda or juices. I eat wild sardines and wild salmon several times a week, but no meat. I occasionally eat and love cheese, but I'm going to look into the brands you mention. I even make my own healthy greek yogurt so it doesn't contain the sweet junk people buy.
Why do you say to eliminate grains? I do eat one piece of whole grain bread, quinoa and oatmeal every day. When I eat pasta, it's only whole grain.
My blood work is always perfect, but I was low on Vitamin D last year so my PCP prescribed Vitamin D2 50,000 IU, which I take once a week.
My diet can't possibly have anything to do with my osteoporosis. My diet and oral hygiene is also why I question Dentist #2's claim that I have periodontal disease for the first time in my life.
I'd find it hard to be believe and I'd be devastated if that tooth had to be extracted. BTW - I didn't know it when I first went there, but Dentist #2's biography says that he "practices all aspects of dentistry with a strong focus on dental implants." The name of his practice even includes the word "implants."
Quite frankly, there are a lot of very elderly people in this area, and I truly believe that dentists here sadly take full advantage of them! My gut tells me that these older people believe and agree with whatever these dentists say because they're brainwashed into thinking that they have bad teeth just because they're older. These dentists aren't used to someone like me questioning what they say.
My gums are pink from what I can tell. I do have some recession on a couple teeth, but I didn't think that has anything to do with periodontal disease.
I am not sure. I think it is a solid white block. My dentist extracted my 4 molars in Dec 2014 (#2, #3, #30, #31). In June 2015 he put in 4 dental implants. In Oct 2015 he put in 2 bridges (bridge for #2 to #3, bridge for #30 to #31). Both of them were made by porcelain fused to metal.
Bridge for #30 to #31 broke partially in Dec 2016. It actually broke in Dec 2017. He said that he could make a new PFM or a new Zirconia (without any labor cost). If I want to upgrade I only have to pay the the difference in material. I upgraded both of them to Zirconia in Dec 2017.
Thanks for this additional information. Sorry you've had to go through all that. What baffles me is that I have PFM crowns that I've had for decades, and I've never had a problem with them (except for #18 by that new dentist). I find it pretty suspect that newer PFM's started to chip or break after dentists discovered the Zirconia material.
Thank you so much for taking the time to give your opinion.
I agree that Dentist #1 is shady, but just to clarify, he made the comment that I have good dental work as soon as he walked in the door and before he looked in my mouth. He did do the periodontal probing of my gums and checked my jaw joints, but he never used a tool or specifically looked at #18.
Dentist #2's treatments total $4,020, but $655 of that is for quarterly regular and deep cleanings (I haven't asked if that's $655 total for the year or x 4). His chart notes also contain false information just like Dentist #1's so neither rank highly in my book.
I am considering going to a third dentist. I wish I could wait until I move away from this area, which is also a priority, but I'm worried about delaying the #18 crown even longer.
I want to strongly emphasize that I only eat nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, sunflower kernels, chia and flax seeds, hard boiled eggs, no processed foods and next to never sweets. I don't drink soda or juices. I eat wild sardines and wild salmon several times a week, but no meat. I occasionally eat and love cheese, but I'm going to look into the brands you mention. I even make my own healthy greek yogurt so it doesn't contain the sweet junk people buy.
Why do you say to eliminate grains? I do eat one piece of whole grain bread, quinoa and oatmeal every day. When I eat pasta, it's only whole grain.
My blood work is always perfect, but I was low on Vitamin D last year so my PCP prescribed Vitamin D2 50,000 IU, which I take once a week.
My diet can't possibly have anything to do with my osteoporosis. My diet and oral hygiene is also why I question Dentist #2's claim that I have periodontal disease for the first time in my life.
I'd find it hard to be believe and I'd be devastated if that tooth had to be extracted. BTW - I didn't know it when I first went there, but Dentist #2's biography says that he "practices all aspects of dentistry with a strong focus on dental implants." The name of his practice even includes the word "implants."
Quite frankly, there are a lot of very elderly people in this area, and I truly believe that dentists here sadly take full advantage of them! My gut tells me that these older people believe and agree with whatever these dentists say because they're brainwashed into thinking that they have bad teeth just because they're older. These dentists aren't used to someone like me questioning what they say.
My gums are pink from what I can tell. I do have some recession on a couple teeth, but I didn't think that has anything to do with periodontal disease.
Most grains, especially "flour products" contain many digestible carbohydrates that enzymes like salivary amylase start breaking down practically immediately. I suppose quinoa or unprocessed barely are still okay due to their low GI. https://med.libretexts.org/Under_Con...ir%20sweetness.
So, a meal of grains ultimately becomes a giant amount of glucose that can get stuck between or under the teeth. Bacteria that eat this glucose will generate lactic acid, which wears down the enamel and can cause cavities.
It's also really tough to clean out the pieces of starch that gets stuck unless you clean almost immediately after a meal. I haven't always practiced what I preach and have eaten some grain foods over the past year; sometimes it's just tough to resist. When I do eat them, I Waterpik immediately after eating them. Even so, it just doesn't feel "enough" and string flossing is needed as a followup. The flossing also feels inadequate. If I wait even 20 minutes, the grains are no longer solid and is "filmy", so the cleaning is harder.
I have some huge gaps on the right bottom due to periodontal recession, so if I do eat, huge chunks can get inbetween, which I see when I waterpik them. Tooth number 29 is probably the worst tooth I have and the one I expect a dentist to suggest an extraction even I though I would not want that to happen. Being only in my 30s, that would indeed suck.
I have somehow avoided cavities for the most part. I only got one filling, and that was in fall 2021 after attempting my first dietary change, which didn't go really well. I'm not old, but I really don't feel like giving dentists any more money, so I try to eat the best I can and had to do plenty of reading of some of the science that is worth accepting.
I even have adopted a change in eating technique if there is a starch product; it's "well-mannered" with a knife and fork instead of just biting into the food. I aim for minimal chewing. If it's a pancake, I cut up the pieces beforehand and swallow whole. If it's pasta, I grab the types I can swallow easy. Preferably, I just simply don't eat them.
The combo of vitamins D, A, and K2 stimulate osteoblast activity both in bone and odontoblast activity in the teeth dentin. This is through activating osteocalcin. https://www.drstevenlin.com/vitamin-...eralize-teeth/
Green tea is a good antioxidant drink as well. Xylitol is the one sweetener that actually screws up the metabolism of streptococcus mutans.
Another interesting thing I came across is that certain bacteria in fermented foods may have a probiotic effect. Something like Lactobacillus plantarum inhibits streptococcus mutans(a bad bacteria that can form a biofilm for other bad bacteria).
As for shady sales, I've experienced it too. Dentists need obsolescence to get their money, but the way they exploit the customer can vary considerably.
My "primary", which actually was my mom's choice for me runs a low expenditure operation(she is Chinese). No panoramic x ray machine. Not even the slightest numbing up. Despite clearly seeing my perio condition, didn't even bother to give a referral or antibiotics immediately afterwards. It was only after an abcess formed and I went to urgent care, that she then gave me amocillin. But the urgent care doc also prescribed me that already. She gave me a set of refills though. Her way of doing things is just doing it "halfway" and leaving the patient so miserable they don't want to come back until it's way too late.
The other type of predation is through exploiting ambiguity. I wanted out of my "primary", so I did look elsewhere. Came across some practice with hundreds of good reviews, but he too was a predator(younger male Sikh, raised in the US as he had an American accent). I had a perio abceess but he tried to make money for his crony specialist and himself by saying I needed a root canal and then he could put a crown on the tooth(upper right). This despite me saying that the tooth wasn't painful, just there was gum swelling.
On a more positive note, my sister somehow didn't have a cleaning for over 15 years but everything apparently checked out good when she got one last year. Don't know how the hell that happened....
Thanks for this additional information. Sorry you've had to go through all that. What baffles me is that I have PFM crowns that I've had for decades, and I've never had a problem with them (except for #18 by that new dentist). I find it pretty suspect that newer PFM's started to chip or break after dentists discovered the Zirconia material.
Zirconium crowns are much better than PFM crowns, and they can usually be made in the office while you are waiting. Unless you have really bad periodontal pockets just get a regular cleaning and use a water pik. You'll be fine. PFM crowns aren't great they can cause gum recission at the point where the metal meets the porcelain. I have a mouth full of crowns and over the past 4 or 5 years had most of the PFM crowns replaced with zirconium. As far as osteoporosis, people get it as they age, I have been taking 4k units of vitamin D a day for 12 years and I have osteoporosis. Don't worry so much, go to a dentist you trust- if they're 3 hours a way the peace of mind will be worth the drive. (PS - why not get the dentist who made the bad crown to replace it for free and call it a day?)
The only useful advice you received from your dentists was to get an electric toothbrush and waterpik flosser.
Seriously, do that if you haven't.
Toothbrush: I recommend Phillips Sonicare with the uv sanitizer.
Thanks for your response and recommendation. I already bought an Oral-B Pro 1000, but I might go look at the Phillips since I haven't opened the box yet. Do you mainly like the Phillips because of the sanitizer?
I have a small mouth so the big thing for me is that I buy one that has a smaller toothbrush head. I always struggle to find manual toothbrushes that are small enough.
Most grains, especially "flour products" contain many digestible carbohydrates that enzymes like salivary amylase start breaking down practically immediately. I suppose quinoa or unprocessed barely are still okay due to their low GI. https://med.libretexts.org/Under_Con...ir%20sweetness.
So, a meal of grains ultimately becomes a giant amount of glucose that can get stuck between or under the teeth. Bacteria that eat this glucose will generate lactic acid, which wears down the enamel and can cause cavities.
It's also really tough to clean out the pieces of starch that gets stuck unless you clean almost immediately after a meal. I haven't always practiced what I preach and have eaten some grain foods over the past year; sometimes it's just tough to resist. When I do eat them, I Waterpik immediately after eating them. Even so, it just doesn't feel "enough" and string flossing is needed as a followup. The flossing also feels inadequate. If I wait even 20 minutes, the grains are no longer solid and is "filmy", so the cleaning is harder.
I have some huge gaps on the right bottom due to periodontal recession, so if I do eat, huge chunks can get inbetween, which I see when I waterpik them. Tooth number 29 is probably the worst tooth I have and the one I expect a dentist to suggest an extraction even I though I would not want that to happen. Being only in my 30s, that would indeed suck.
I have somehow avoided cavities for the most part. I only got one filling, and that was in fall 2021 after attempting my first dietary change, which didn't go really well. I'm not old, but I really don't feel like giving dentists any more money, so I try to eat the best I can and had to do plenty of reading of some of the science that is worth accepting.
I even have adopted a change in eating technique if there is a starch product; it's "well-mannered" with a knife and fork instead of just biting into the food. I aim for minimal chewing. If it's a pancake, I cut up the pieces beforehand and swallow whole. If it's pasta, I grab the types I can swallow easy. Preferably, I just simply don't eat them.
The combo of vitamins D, A, and K2 stimulate osteoblast activity both in bone and odontoblast activity in the teeth dentin. This is through activating osteocalcin. https://www.drstevenlin.com/vitamin-...eralize-teeth/
Green tea is a good antioxidant drink as well. Xylitol is the one sweetener that actually screws up the metabolism of streptococcus mutans.
Another interesting thing I came across is that certain bacteria in fermented foods may have a probiotic effect. Something like Lactobacillus plantarum inhibits streptococcus mutans(a bad bacteria that can form a biofilm for other bad bacteria).
Thanks for the additional useful information and links. I'm impressed that you know so much about this stuff for your age.
Another healthy thing that I do is drink three cups of green tea a day. I also drink the liquid whey from my homemade yogurt, which is a probiotic. My point is that Dentist #2's claim that I have periodontal disease doesn't make sense for my healthy lifestyle.
Thanks for your response and recommendation. I already bought an Oral-B Pro 1000, but I might go look at the Phillips since I haven't opened the box yet. Do you mainly like the Phillips because of the sanitizer?
I have a small mouth so the big thing for me is that I buy one that has a smaller toothbrush head. I always struggle to find manual toothbrushes that are small enough.
The sanitizer is great for obvious hygienic reasons. The brush has kept my gums and teeth in great shape for years. I used to have dental problems yearly, and gum problems starting to crop up, but none in the nearly 15 years I've been using it. It has saved me a lot of money. Had to replace the unit once a couple of years ago. I don't how much of this can be attributed to the sanitizer, but I won't risk doing without it.
My wife has a small mouth and has one too, she loves it. I actually find the brush head a bit small but it's great for getting in tight places (which was probably by design). The Philips replacement brush heads can be pricey, but we have found comparable third party brush heads at reasonable cost at Amazon. My previous dentist (now retired) advised me to get the Sonicare, and my present dentist advised me to add the waterpik. I'm so glad they did.
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