I’m a dentist - AMA

[ginplease8383]

As above!

Hi gin

I have a Maryland bridge which replaces one tooth and is bonded to one tooth, it was fitted in 2012. How much longer will it last? If it falls off can it simply be readhered? Does the bridge need replacing at any point? I know you may not know the answer as you specialise in implants.

I think it does have to change for dental nurses though, plenty other jobs now can progress with further training to degree level.

Do fluoride supplements work?

Ninkynonk1- because more often than not, the tooth is causing the infection!

Donutsdearest- what sort of things would you expect nurses qualified at degree level to be able to do?

I am very nervous about going to the dentist but mine is usually quite gentle. Last visit she kept my mouth open for a long time while filling and this caused me use problems for a couple of weeks. She seemed quite abrupt which was unusual. She did no polishing and said I needed to see the hygienist. The thought of seeing a hygienist terrifies me..half an hour and I know it will hurt and cause me has problems keeping my mouth open so long. I bought an oral b electric circular toothbrush and disclosing tablets. Will any toothpaste help remove the plaque?

Gin I think I have different perspective as I work in a teaching hospital so there could be stuff we could be doing i.e. teaching, research assistants, lab results etc, so although not something practice nurses would maybe be keen on it would be nice to have the opportunity. We have had managers before who have tried to get us involved but we are always blocked because of our level of training. Very frustrating. Orthodontics is changing first, we have a few nurses doing ortho therapist training now so there is hope.

Gin thanks for this thread. Good timing! My son is nearly 18. He lost some front teeth in a playground accident about 10 years ago. His NHS dentist said he's a good candidate for NHS implants. He has a denture at the top and a bridge at the bottom.
What sort of things should we be looking out for or what questions should we ask? If the NHS say no we would consider going privately. Thanks.

Speakout- yes when used appropriately. Not commonly used in the UK though.

Donutsdearest- I personally don’t think dental nurses need to be degree qualified or the profession needs to change, they are there to assist the dentist and the patient. If they want progression and to do clinical work then they can train either as a hygienist or a dentist.

Donuts- overlap there sorry! sounds good. Not i don’t think general practice would be ready for it though.

THanks OP.

I gave my kids daily fluoride tablets from the age of 18 months to 6 years ( on the advice of my dentist).
They are now 20 and 18- their teeth seem impervious to decay. Not a filling or mark between them.
I guess a good diet helps too- they don't like sweet food very much.

Hi OP, is there any type of home whitening that you would recommend?

I'm taking my 3yr old for the first time tomorrow, and I KNOW I should have been before, but I'm terrified myself and I am very very on it with his teeth brushing, am I going to get in trouble for leaving it so long though?

PeonyTruffle I am sure things will be fine.

I do think that it's never too early to start taking a child to the dentist- from the age of 6 months- my dentist would always want to " check" my children's teeth, I think just getting used to the idea of the chairl, having a gloved finger in the mouth etc.

My 10 month old is teething.
He has his bottom central incisors but in the top he has only one lateral incisor coming through.
Is that ok/normal?

Speakout- good to hear. Diet and good brushing helps too.

Lobster- no sorry if it doesn’t have peroxide then it doesn’t work. Peroxide should only be administered by a dental practitioner. I’m uk based so I can’t speak for US products

Peonytruffle- no you won’t get in trouble but of course I advise people to take them as soon as they have teeth. To get them used to it if nothing else.

Hopefullymoving- yes. It’s normally the front 4 teeth but it’s ok if it’s not. My kids upper second teeth came through first.

Oooh! Also ()...
I have all four wisdom teeth coming through and my dentist tells me they are impacted and I will need them out at some point. But she's waiting for as long as I can bear it before referring me to the hospital.

Day to day I don't get pain, but every couple of months it does hurt. My face really throbs and sometimes I get earache too (often I notice the ear pain first, then I get a couple of weeks of sore gums and throbbing). I don't go to the dentist about this because I know what it is and is managed at home with normal pain relief.

Should I be keeping my dentist informed of these episodes for a quicker referral? I don't want to waste her time, but neither do I want her to think they aren't bothering me.... what would you want your patient to do?

I have recently had a large upper molar extracted after it cracked due to teeth grinding.
I am considering an implant, as even though the gap is not visible it feels large to me and I am concerned about other teeth moving (I already have naturally large gaps between my front teeth) or the opposing tooth in the lower jaw over erupting.
How real are these risks? I have talked to lots of other people who have gaps and say you get used to it, they seem to think I am crazy to spend all the money!
My dentist says theCT scan will determine if an implant will be easy or not anyway depending on depth of bone up to the sinus. So that might decide for me.
If I can't have an implant, or the implant fails, should I leave a gap or have a bridge? My other teeth are healthy.
And finally, is it worth changing dentist (different practice) to someone who does nothing but implants, or sticking to mine who does around 50-60 per year (has good reputation/won awards in general dentistry)
I hope that is not too many questions, sorry! Thanks v much

Thank you for responding!

Yes, it would be good. The problem is the bulk of nurses are practise so we don't have the numbers to push change like what happened in general nursing years ago. I've been lucky I did sedation training and earn the same as a staff nurse.

Have you ever been bitten by a patient? [Grin]

Thanks Gin

We've been told that our 6yo needs braces for an overbite. He already doesn't sleep well. What age would you recommend for getting braces, and do the alternatives like Invisalign work for kids?
We don't mind paying for the right thing, but don't want to throw money away either.

Thank you so much