That's freaking nuts. Xrays and deep cleanings are covered by my insurance. I had an extraction and a couple of root canals but they were definitely necessary.
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Dental Question
- Thread starter pimentoLoaf
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Thanks all who answered! I have identified another dentist who I believe accepts my insurance, based on a friends recommendation that he has been seeing for years. I will be contacting him today.
I did not know about periodontist! I will have a discussion about this! Thanks.
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As I recall the last dentist who pushed deep cleanings on me, it was mostly covered by insurance, there was a smalll copay or additional charge as I recall. I have since changed dental insurance, so will be looking into this. Codes can be confusing as in there are hundreds or thousands of them, with different varieties.
These deep cleanings included a “laser” treatment to “kill bacteria”. They printed out a page with codes which will be helpful when I talk to my insurance. It was $90 a quadrant, plus other goodies.
I have identified another dentist who I’ll talk to today. I find it suspicious that both times I’ve run into this, deep cleaning hard sell, it was a corporate chain, not a private practise. The first time, both my wife and I felt it was just a ploy to increase their income stream.
Yeah the deep cleanings are worth it but they really only get done once in a while. It takes a while since they kinda lift your gums up and clean under all that. There's probably a medical term for it.
I checked the codes provided by this dentist with my insurance and found this kind of cleaning is only covered by insurance once every 2 years, yet they proposed doing this every 3 months at $700 a pop. No thanks. I have found another dentist to give a try. As suggested in this thread, I’ll ask about a periodontist. I’m also stepping up my water pik sessions to 2 a day instead of one.
Yeah hell no. It was offered to me by my dentist but not necessary. My dentist did point out some issues with my gums and other things, but deep cleaning was only talked about once.
I want to ask something a bit different here — it’s about teeth.
I’ve always wanted to get braces because my teeth aren’t very straight, and I don’t feel confident about how they look. That’s actually one of the reasons I don’t like smiling in photos.
But I’ve also heard people say that wearing braces when you’re young can make your teeth loosen more easily when you get older, and that you’ll regret it later in life. I’ve heard this many times from different people, so I’ve been hesitating and going back and forth about it.
Are there any professional dentists here, or anyone who has had braces before, who can share some real experiences or reliable info? I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!
I’ve always wanted to get braces because my teeth aren’t very straight, and I don’t feel confident about how they look. That’s actually one of the reasons I don’t like smiling in photos.
But I’ve also heard people say that wearing braces when you’re young can make your teeth loosen more easily when you get older, and that you’ll regret it later in life. I’ve heard this many times from different people, so I’ve been hesitating and going back and forth about it.
Are there any professional dentists here, or anyone who has had braces before, who can share some real experiences or reliable info? I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!
My daughters got braces, largely against my desire. i didn't forbade it but I was rather cool to the idea.
Here's my problem with braces, your dentist recommends you go to an orthodontist, a dentist who's livelihood depends on getting customers and you ask do you need braces - of course they'll say yes. Its like going to a car salesmen and asking should they buy a car?
Second problem, teeth are sunk into bone, so while you can gently with consistent pressure adjust the teeth placement, you're not going to get miracles and you have to wear a retainer for the rest of your life, or your teeth will slowly revert back.
Third problem, they made some of my daughter's biting issues worse, not better and they both regret getting them.
I dont floss regularly but I am a habitual toothpick user. This stems from braces - it was easier to get in between the wire with toothpicks for me so I rarely floss but always use toothpicks to get in between my teeth. I had braces as a kid and your teeth will move after they come off. Eventually my retainer broke which I never replaced and then the metal bar on the back of my bottom teeth broke off and never got that glued back on. Regardless of this, the net result for me was positive as my teeth and bite pre braces was very bad - although I cannot fathom the small fortune my folks put into my mouth over the course of 3-4 years.
Yeah, my dentist has suggested braces to me many times, but honestly, my desire to get braces has nothing to do with what dentists say — I’ve wanted them since middle school.
I am aware of the “lifetime retainer” part, and even without ever having braces, I can already feel that my teeth shift a little every day. I guess it has a lot to do with the strength and balance of the muscles around my mouth.
I’ve had an improper bite for a long time, and the muscles around my mouth have adapted to that pattern. So when I look in the mirror and try to hold what I think is a proper, good-looking bite, I can’t maintain it for very long — those muscles are just too weak to support it.
By the way, is your kid already done with braces, or are they still wearing them right now?
I wonder if people sometimes rely entirely on the braces themselves. I personally feel that the most important part is training the mouth muscles to adapt to the corrected alignment — otherwise it won’t stay that way. The braces are supposed to guide the change, but your muscles need to adjust too.
How old are you now, by the way? And how many years did you wear your retainer?
From what you described, it sounds like you’re not wearing it anymore, right?
I’m also a bit worried about the cleaning-between-teeth part. I’m honestly not very good at it. Sometimes I use a toothpick, but I always wonder if I’m making the gaps between my teeth even wider by doing that.
I had braces at 16-17, zero issues with loose teeth at any time, but acknowkedge this is just the testimony of one person. Use a Water Pik!! ☺️
My experience, neither my teeth nor my wife, who had a huge snaggle tooth, did our teeth drift back after braces. And she got her braces as an adult, late 20s. At this point, I can’t remember how long either of us wore a retainer. But they say a retainer at night, especially later in life keeps you from grinding your teeth, at least that’s what our dentist keeps trying to sell us for $500*
No insistence though that post-braces drift is not a thing. *You can buy a self molding (in hot water) anti-grind guard for about $40.
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I have a bite plane that I wear while sleeping. The difference between a dentist-made bite plane and a drug store mouth guard is that a properly made bite plane corrects your bite and reduces stress on your teeth, gums, and jaw from grinding and clenching. A mouth guard only reduces wear on your teeth.
If you can afford one, a bite plane is a better choice—and an investment of sorts—because it corrects activity that, over time, can lead to periodontal problems that will be painful and expensive to repair.
My problem is I’m a mouth breather, especially at night, so I wonder how often I actually grind my teeth.
I had braces from 4th grade through 8th grade. I wore a removable top retainer through HS & into young adult single life. It broke in my late twenties. The bottom metal permanent retainer popped off in my early thirties. I never bothered to have it reattached or to get a new top retainer and while my teeth have shifted very slightly over the years, my bite is fine & they still look great.
From what you described, it sounds like you’re not wearing it anymore, right?
I’m also a bit worried about the cleaning-between-teeth part. I’m honestly not very good at it. Sometimes I use a toothpick, but I always wonder if I’m making the gaps between my teeth even wider by doing that.
I’m 48.
The cleaning in between part is best done with a water pick/flosser. They really do a fantastic job getting the in between spaces clean. Use it filled with a gum health rinse/mouthwash. I also recommend taking with you some dental picks for on the go as you’re probably not going to take a waterflosser around with you. Dental floss is pretty useless with braces lol.
It's not regularly, but the best thing I've done is to keep flossers in my car. I have a 30 minute commute and at least twice a week, I'll decide to floss while driving to or from work. I used to not floss at all. I also keep some in my desk in case I need to floss after lunch. I just did actually.
Interesting discussion. I used to be more casual about dental hygiene. But with slightly bleeding gums and warnings from the dentist many, many years ago, got serious. I know poor dental hygiene can cause heart problems, such as heart valve failure due to travel of bacteria from gum disease or infected tooth through the bloodstream to the heart. Happened to an acquaintance.
Now flossing every morning and evening. Then twice daily brushing with Oral b electric toothbrush using Crest Pro Health Advanced toothpaste. Before spitting out the foam from brushing, flossing again to get the toothpaste's flouride and antibacterial properties at and below the gum line of each tooth.
A friend, in addition, is rinsing with ACT flouride rinse and am considering this too. But so far no issues on semi-annual dental and hygienist visits.
Now flossing every morning and evening. Then twice daily brushing with Oral b electric toothbrush using Crest Pro Health Advanced toothpaste. Before spitting out the foam from brushing, flossing again to get the toothpaste's flouride and antibacterial properties at and below the gum line of each tooth.
A friend, in addition, is rinsing with ACT flouride rinse and am considering this too. But so far no issues on semi-annual dental and hygienist visits.
My dentist and hygienist recommend a similar routine: at night after brushing normally, spread a small amount of CariFree Gel 1100 toothpaste around teeth and gums with a manual toothbrush. Don't rinse. The benefit, they say, is that CariFree has a type of fluoride that is especially effective for remineralizing teeth.
And for anybody interested in flossing—whoo hoo!—they used to tell all their patients to use woven floss. But now they've moved to Cocofloss.
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Wow, so that means your lower permanent retainer really can’t be removed? I always thought that after the first few years of wearing braces, the retainers you wear later on were supposed to be removable during the day. And you haven’t worn any removable retainers for about 18 years now, but your teeth still look fine? That actually gives me a lot of hope. I’m guessing the muscles around your teeth have just adapted to your current alignment, which sounds like a really positive sign for me—so thank you for sharing that, haha.
As for myself, I haven’t used a water flosser yet. I’m just brushing with an electric toothbrush twice a day. I think I might also have a bit of a mouth-breathing issue, because every morning I wake up with a really dry mouth and an uncomfortable throat. My roommate even told me that I grind my teeth at night sometimes. So after putting everything together… I’m starting to realize I might have more dental issues than I thought, lol.
During my last dental visit (couple weeks ago), my hygienist also strongly recommended Cocofloss. First time hearing of it - have to look for it. She also said thicker floss is better for cleaning than thin versions.
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Maybe but my teeth placement is such that even regular floss is difficult to get between the teeth. Instead I use a water pik as that does a better job for me, imo
Yes, the lower retainer is meant to be permanent (doesn't come out) and is cemented and runs along the back of the lower teeth - specifically in two places - the lower cuspids on each side. You do not see it from the front but it makes flossing those teeth even after your braces removed very difficult, hence the water flosser. It can be and should be done from time to time, but you need to use these flossing leads that look like a needle to get the floss through the incisors and under the retainer. Its a big PITA lol so I rarely did it.
To maintain muscle health, I chew[ed] sugar free gum all the time LOL. It also helps keep your teeth clean & obviously helps with freshening ones breath too. But yeah, despite not using any retainers for a long time now, my teeth really haven't moved too much, they spread out a bit I suppose, but you cant tell visually. I notice it when I do floss though. Its a lot easier to get the floss in between my teeth now, especially the lower incisors.
I think mouth breathing is pretty common. I slip into mouth breathing from time to time, especially if I'm sick and cant breath through my nose well. I always sleep with a water bottle on my side table, so if/when I wake up, I drink some water to combat dry mouth. My Dad uses those nose strip things to help open up his nasal passages to reduce mouth breathing.
I used to be really skinny when I was younger, and I would eat very slowly—chewing forever before I finally swallowed. My mom used to nag me about it all the time. Later on, I started eating faster, and sometimes I barely chew before swallowing. Now I’m definitely heavier than before, and my body fat is around 28%.
After reading what you shared, I’m starting to think maybe I should go back to that slow-eating habit from when I was a kid. It’s better for digestion, and it might actually help strengthen the jaw muscles too. Eating in big bites and swallowing quickly probably isn’t great for my jaw development… and it definitely doesn’t help with keeping weight down either.
More likely that you're giving your stomach time to signal that its full. The vagus nerve typically sends a full signal to your brain 10-20 minutes. Eating slow can translate into eating less. Second issue is portions have changed these past few decades - at least in the US. The quantity of food was on an upward trek, though this may be changing due to "shrinkflation" If you're used to eating larger meals your stomach has likely stretched and you're now used to eating larger meals (translate more calories.)