Calling all dental staff

Toothsmith · 4 August 2005 at 8:51PM

George,

This is indeed a money saving website.

I consistently encourage people to find a decent dentist, go regularly, get things done properly in the first place, and not to muck about with their teeth. These are the best monysaving hints I can give

My primary thoughts on your first post were No1. You were a nutter, No2. you were doing a wind up.

There were brief hints though, that maybe you were just wanting to construct something to keep your teeth a bit cleaner in between dental visits. Never mind that Sonicare and Braun already have decent products on the market, and the cheapest of the Brauns start at about £20. A pot of dental polish generally costs more than that.

For some reason you have been on Corsodyl long term (Yet only managed to get through 3 bottles

)

Corsodyl is excellent for helping to sort out short term gum problems, but it stains the teeth like mad. I rarely recommend it for longer than a couple of weeks and make sure patients have a hygienist appointment afterwards.

So, I asked when you last went, and why you were on Corsodyl.

You haven't been to a dentist for 3 years.

Therefore, you don't want something to keep your teeth a bit cleaner between visits do you? You want something that will save you £15 for a check up and clean up, and the cost of putting right anything else that may be going wrong.

You want to wait until you have a toothache before going to a dentist again, and I bet it hasn't occured to you how having to deal with you might throw out your chosen dentist's day or which other patients it might inconvienience.

I am very sorry if I haven't helped you in your quest.

Nile · 5 August 2005 at 8:42AM

In respone to George's question about the rechargeable versus manual toothbrush.......

You know that 'coated' feel to your teeth you can get? When I use the rechargeable toothbrush, my teeth feel clean for longer. I also got favourable feedback from my dentist when I started to use a rechargeable toothbrush. He noticed an improvement and it also coincided with reduced scale and polish treatments. So, the initial outlay for the rechargeable toothbrush will reap dividends in improved dental health and save you money on the scale and polish treatments too.;)

It is noticeable that the manual toothbrush I use on holidays doesn't keep my teeth as clean for as long.

Regarding the whiteness of teeth, that has never really concerned me......and I think that some celebrities look ridiculous with their brilliant white teeth.:eek:

Some people are prepared to risk causing permanent sensitivity to their teeth in their quest for a brilliant white smile.......I'm not one of them.

George_Bray · 5 August 2005 at 9:16AM

Toothsmith wrote:

So, I asked when you last went, and why you were on Corsodyl. You haven't been to a dentist for 3 years. Therefore, you don't want something to keep your teeth a bit cleaner between visits do you? You want something that will save you £15 for a check up and clean up, and the cost of putting right anything else that may be going wrong. You want to wait until you have a toothache before going to a dentist again, and I bet it hasn't occured to you how having to deal with you might throw out your chosen dentist's day or which other patients it might inconvienience.

Your aggressive comments remind me of the type of language used by barristers in a court of law. But I'm not on trial. Why are you being so nasty? When you say things like: "you don't want something to keep your teeth a bit cleaner between visits do you?" you are putting words in my mouth. They are not true. I've made negligible claims on the NHS, have never inconvenienced a dentist, and hope I never do. What's wrong with asking about professional polishing pastes? You have effectively ruined this thread. I'm not saying it would ever have been of great interest to many people but if you didn't have much to say, beyond a health warning, then you needn't have taken up so much web space. My opening message was polite, I hope. You have been rude repeatedy and have goaded me in to an argument I did not seek. Perhaps I should not have responded in the first place. As a result, I now view this forum as not such a pleasant place as I did a week ago, and my opinion of dentists is somewhat reduced.

Regards
George

Ted_Hutchinson · 5 August 2005 at 10:05AM

George_Bray wrote:

I now view this forum as not such a pleasant place as I did a week ago, and my opinion of dentists is somewhat reduced.

I'm sorry if you have been upset by any of the comments here. But I do think that people who post to the internet do have to develop fairly thick skins. It is very easy to misinterpret posts and the use of smilies to indicate the tone in which a sentence is to be understood is not nearly as good as face to face conversations.

Regular readers of forums soon learn to understand particular contributors manner and style, though regulars will note I felt it necessary to include a signature now to explain (though not justify) my sometimes insensitive remarks.

When responding to a post it is necessary for the poster to realise that for every poster there will be up to 50 readers and although the reply has got to fit the question, the effect this may have on other (the majority of) readers has also to be considered.

I feel the potential dangers to health and the long term consequences which could arise if a professional dentist or dental health worker, appeared to be encouraging or enabling DIY dentistry are so great as totally justify the approach adopted by toothsmith. I'm sorry your pride has been somewhat dented, but I hope you continue to visit and contribute to the forum. You should be pleased that this discussion has enabled a lot of useful information about the costs and training involved in dentistry to be made available and we are all a lot the wiser.

Further interesting information about whats involved in the work of Dental Technicians can be heard in the Radio 4 Broadcast The Lost Smile, Listen

George_Bray · 6 August 2005 at 1:24PM

I'm pleased to report that I am well on the way to answering my own question. It seems the approach which I suggested at the outset of this thread is not wreckless at all. There are already products available to the public which assist with dental polishing and whitening, e.g.

A Dental Polisher - (Stainless, battery operated) £9.49 from Tesco
http://www.tesco.com/electrical/product.aspx?R=8067689&in_merch=1&in_merch_title=&in_merch_name=Dental+Polisher+-+(Stainless)

The instructions possibly suggest a paste to use, if not just toothpaste. And there are many different brands and grades of professional paste. One is a heavy duty cleaning and polishing paste supplied in tubs of 120 grams for only £4.48 at http://www.schottlander.co.uk, or Nupro, which is DENTSPLY's premium prophylaxis paste. I'm not sure it will be easy for a non-dentist to purchase pastes like these, but I will try.

Then there's Back2White, a "revolutionary brush-on professional home dental stain remover, home bleaching kit, smile whitener and is one of the best teeth whitening products available."
http://www.back2white.net/

Be careful, of course.

Regards
George

Turning_into_scrooge · 7 August 2005 at 1:47PM

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

I'm sorry if you have been upset by any of the comments here. But I do think that people who post to the internet do have to develop fairly thick skins. It is very easy to misinterpret posts and the use of smilies to indicate the tone in which a sentence is to be understood is not nearly as good as face to face conversations.

Regular readers of forums soon learn to understand particular contributors manner and style, though regulars will note I felt it necessary to include a signature now to explain (though not justify) my sometimes insensitive remarks.
QUOTE]

May i say here that i totaly agree with your post and that i have never once seen a post by yourself that would make you out to be a 'grumpy' person. As far as i can see all your posts have been fair minded. As for your sig. i for one would never of guessed for one min. that you have a manic depression or any other illness. Its very unfortunate that you've found the need to add this. :beer:

George_Bray · 9 August 2005 at 5:38PM

Here's two more products which are designed for DIY tooth polishing:

(a) a battery powered polishing device with a rubber cup, similar to the Tesco product, and

(b) Professional Polishing Paste.

They are American, and the explanatory text seems to make sense:

Please see: http://www.dental-mart.com/doctootpol.html

...Until recently the best you could do is use a powered toothbrush like the Oral 3D® or WaterPik Sensonic® and visit your dentist for regular professional cleanings. As you know, during a professional cleaning your dentist or hygienist polishes your teeth with a small rubber cup and professional polishing paste. Now that same polishing action is available for home use.

...Use The Doctor's® Tooth Polisher And Plaque Remover ($10.99) with toothpaste or our professional tooth polishing paste (recommended) $4.95.

Regards
George

Ted_Hutchinson · 9 August 2005 at 6:04PM

While I applaud George's efforts to keep his teeth as good as possible I would urge other readers to think about the dangers inherent in not visiting your dentist for regular checkups.

Apart from the fact that DIY plaque removal may very well not be as good as that done by a trained professional there is the question of oral cancers and other gum diseases which will only be picked up by people who know what to look for. Have a look at Mouth Cancer Awareness UK Mouth Cancer Patient Information Forum before you all follow George.

Toothsmith · 9 August 2005 at 6:53PM

George_Bray wrote:

They are American, and the explanatory text seems to make sense:

:rotfl:

There's a contradiction!

If only I'd known before getting my surgery refurbished last year that.....

"The Doctor's® Tooth Polisher And Plaque Remover gives you the same powerful plaque and stain removing results as the professional polisher your dentist uses." (Quote from website)

.......I could have saved myself a whole heap of money.

I note they don't include the batteries. They must really be some powerful AA's over there!

I do repeat though George, The abrasiveness of those pastes is not to be messed about with.

George_Bray · 10 August 2005 at 5:05PM

Toothsmith

I certainly take seriously your warning about being very careful, or avoiding all together, the use of the more highly abrasive professional-type pastes.

I know a low cost domestic polisher won't be anywhere near as rugged as the one in your surgery, and isn't made for sterilization, but it will only be used for a few minutes a month by me alone, rather than hour after hour for hundreds of different patients. I bet two AA batteries provide plenty of power to meet the objective of gentle polishing, too, if it's anything like the electric toothbrush I have now bought, after another member's recommendation.

I'd also like to say that my interest in these products is to supplement, not replace, normal visits to the dentist.

Regards
George

Calling all dental staff

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