Calling all dental staff

sad_gills_fan

Thanks Toothsmith, best laugh I've had in ages reading your reply to George Bray.

Both of my sisters work in dentistry and the horror stories they tell me are enough to make me visit my own dentist every 6 months and not contemplate starting DIY stuff.

They work for Dentaline in the evenings (emergency dentist normally at local hospital for those who don't know) and some of the people they see need brain surgery, not dentists !!
Thanks again.

Bendybops19

I really dont think that the OP posted this thread to make himself the ridicule of other people...

I agree that DIY in this case really is not the most clever of things...! But i think that Toothsmiths reply was verging on the rude.

Ok, so tell the OP you dont think it would be safe do it, but dont make a jke of him.

Dont want to offend anyone, its just my opinion.

George_Bray

Bendybops19 - thank you for your comments. I agree with you that "DIY in this case really is not the most clever of things...! But i think that Toothsmiths reply was verging on the rude". I asked dental staff to warn me of any pitfalls but there has been minimal serious debate, just people falling around laughing, largely at my expense. I suggest it's worth thinking outside of the box.

Toothsmith set the ball rolling in the direction of ridicule and, because he's no doubt (normally) a 'good bloke', he's rightly popular and other people weighed-in to support his point of view against mine. Someone else said (almost) that I am the village idiot. Toothsmih called me a 'Troll'. I'd never heard that term before. My suggestions may be unconventional but they are 100% serious. I never make postings as any kind of 'wind-up'. I think it's a shame to hear comments like that, at this great forum. Other people warned against DIY dentistry in general, as if I was suggesting DIY fillings, DIY extractions or suchlike. I know these people take me for a fool. I've now discovered there are DIY bleaching kits although I'm far from certain these would be a good idea. And there is a wide range of dental cutting pastes in various grades. Perhaps I could use a mild one, with a piece of cotton cloth. I simply don't know if there's any mileage in the idea until I get more information, hence my starting this thread.

My idea came from the fact that my teeth are far from white. I think this stems partly from drinking a lot of tea and coffee and partly from frequent use of Corsodyl mouthwash, to keep my gums in good condition. It says on the bottle that tooth discolouration may occur. I assume that, if I go to the nurse for a 'scale and polish', then my teeth will be a bit whiter again. But within a few days, I guess the discolouration will return, so I wondered about gentle DIY polishing in the interim, say once a month. Is it feasible? Is it safe? Or would DIY or professional cleaning as often as once a month, go straight through the enamel in no time?

Regards
George

robnye

i am sure i read somewhere, of someone using sodium bicarbonate to clean their teeth.... probably on the old style saving board.

if you check mosts 'Teeth Whitening' toothpastes, they do have a form of Sodium bicarbonate in them.

I have tried and it does work (noticable after a couple of weeks)..... not brilliantly , but enough to change the whiteness shading a couple of levels.

also it tastes disgusting......

Toothsmith

George_Bray wrote:

If a nurse can learn to clean teeth, so can I.

The nurse would do it by first of all, being a qualified dental nurse (A process that takes a couple of years) and then going to a dental college for another couple of years and being taught in a closely supervised environment.

They're then called hygienists

They don't learn by trial and error!

I'm sure you could do it, but not quickly, and your way, youd have run out of teeth by the time you got there.

OK, I'll try to be more helpful. I've been in Yorkshire too long and we call a spade a spade up here.

Firstly:-

When did you last go to a dentist?

And secondly:-

Who recommended you use Corsodyl so often, and why?

George_Bray

Toothsmith wrote:

When did you last go to a dentist? And secondly:-
Who recommended you use Corsodyl so often, and why?

Thank you for your latest message. I know I'm going to be rightly criticised now in terms of my poor record regarding dental care. I haven't been to a dentist for at least three years and it may be longer. Even on the NHS, it's simply too expensive. I can't afford it. I was intending to wait until I next have toothache or something. In my experience, my dentists always do 1 or 2 fillings whether I go every 6 months or only once in 5 years. So I have less treatment, and spend less money if I go less often.

Corsodyl was recommended/prescribed to me about 20 years ago, when a dentist (overseas) noticed I had a mild touch of gum bleeding or whatever. In recent years, I know anti-plaque mouth-washes are quite widely recommended, presumably to help prevent gum disease and plaque elsewhere, rather than just cure it. I started using a little Corsodyl on a regular basis, as it's a product I know works. It's available off the shelf. But perhaps it's not such a good idea. Maybe there are better/safer products. I don't think it warns against long term use on the bottle, but maybe that remains the case. I should be grateful for any comments.

Regards
George

Nile

I wonder what toothbrush George is using?

I can recommend the Oral-B ProfessionalCare 7000 rechargeable toothbrush. When I go on holiday, I take a manual toothbrush and get poor results. I can't get the same super clean with a manual toothbrush.

I wonder whether George uses dental floss regularly?

I buy the Morrisons waxed floss which is cheaper than some well known brands.

I wonder whether George could benefit from using disclosing tablets to show how well he is cleaning his teeth? These tablets will dye any remaining plague red, so you would quickly see any areas you've missed.

So many questions to ask, but I'm hoping that they might help George. I am not trying to offer dental health advice, I am not an expert.

I would also urge George to have regular (annual at least) dental examinations..........prevention has to be better than cure, or waiting for toothache before you see a dentist.

No offence intended, I only mean to help.;)

George_Bray

Nile

Thank you for your suggestions.

My toothbrush is nothing special - a low/medium priced brand. I will check to see if there are any claims that a certain type of toothbrush is almost like a daily polish. I will look specifically at the Oral-B ProfessionalCare 7000 rechargeable toothbrush which you recommend. When you say you can't get "the same super clean with a manual toothbrush", do you mean on a scale towards a film star's super-white smile? I'm primarily interested in white teeth here, rather than yellowish. Concerns over dental floss and plaque may be valid but I don't think they impact on the colour of the enamel, do they?

I'd never heard of disclosing tablets but they sound interesting and I will try them. But my teeth are uniform off-white. It's not like I have superbright white centres, with yellow around the edge!

I know you're right about the desirability of seeing a dentist at least once a year.

Has anyone here had their teeth bleached to get a whiter result?

Regards
George

Toothsmith

George, I'm sorry, but you're a waste of time.

You have the money and time to spend dreaming up gadgets that will more than likely wreck your teeth. You spend money on a product that has probably turned them the colour of something very brown, and you wail on about how expensive even NHS dentistry is.

The sad thing is that the NHS dental system is currently being completely messed up just to give people like you a better chance of being seen by an NHS dentist when you have a toothache or cut a tooth in half with a Dremmel fitted with an Emery board.

I am currently having to explain to hard working parents, who care about their dental health, why I am recommending that their kids should have to sign up to a private dental plan so they are protected from the effects of a system designed to repair rather than prevent.

The really sad thing is that when that system goes live next April, you'll still be avoiding it whenever possible and still moaning about how expensive it is when you can't avoid it.

I am sorry if I sound like I think you're an idiot. Maybe you should try being in my shoes for a week!

George_Bray

Toothsmith

Wow, perhaps you've had a bad day and then went on the Internet to call me an idiot and a 'waste of time'. That's not very polite, is it? Please don't blame all the UK's problems with NHS dentistry on 'people like me'.

You say I have the money and time to spend dreaming up gadgets, yet you have no idea of my financial situation or other circumstances, and I don't know which gadgets you are talking about. A cleaning pad attached quite simply to an electric toothbrush? I like making things. Many people do not. I'm puzzled as to why I should come under attack for that.

You also say I have spent money "on a product that has probably turned them the colour of something very brown, and you wail on about how expensive even NHS dentistry is.". We're talking about different animals here. Corsodyl has cost me about £10 over three years. NHS dental charges are of a different order, being potentially hundreds of pounds. This is a money saving website. You have declined to provide any really helpful information on why long term use of Corsodyl might not be a very good idea. I will now ask the Chemist.

You are putting amusing ideas in people's minds again when you mention a "Dremmel fitted with an Emery board." I never suggested that, but people might go away with the idea that I did, causing more laughter and ridicule.

Regards
George