121–130 of 168 posts
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As usual, too much of anything is bad for you. Chewing gum all day leads to many other (severe) issues.
Don't chew all day = have one set of problems Chew all day = another set of problems We can't win, can we?
"All day": There's your problem.
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Most people using stone grinding wheels throughout history has the same issue, from the beginning of farming up until a couple hundred years ago in Europe say. Archeologists use the amount of wear on a skeletons teeth to determine their age quite accurately.
This is also part of why white bread was historically considered healthier - removing the wheat germ and bran kind of faked the look of stone-grain-free bread.
The standard approach to orthodontics is to extract teeth to make room and then move the remaining teeth into place. There is an alternative approach which involves enlarging the jaw, either through expanders, surgery or a combination of both. Unfortunately this is an area where the patient or parent often has to make the decision because specialists only know about what they do. As a related example, I asked a denti…
I think the reason you didn't get a straight answer on the "invisalign vs. braces" is that they do such their jobs so similarly that the biggest factor is really what you want. Do you want a slower and more expensive treatment with less pain, greater dental hygiene convenience, and that less visible to people who see your teeth? Can you put up with a little pain and inconvenience, don't mind the aesthetics, and want…
Semi-related: When I was in the canyons of New Mexico learning about various tribes and their lifestyles, I learned that many died from tooth-related infections. This is because the mortars they used were made from softer stone that crumbled in the grinding process (when they grind maize). These tiny pieces of stone essentially ground down their teeth. If I remember correctly, because of this their average lifespan w…
Individual life expectancy changes each year of your life based on how many years you have already survived. (See: actuarial life tables)
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How many dentists have you gone to? Regularly changing dentists is just a bad idea. Get a recommendation from someone you know who says they were nervous, chose a particular dentist and now would go to no one else and give that dentist a decent chance. You need to develop a relationship with one dentist and over time you will become more comfortable with them and they with you. Everyone can be a little nervous in a n…
Any advice for finding a good dentist? I'm severely in need of a dentist after years upon years of neglect, mainly due to not being able to afford it, but now I'm in a position where I can at least work towards something proper. Yet, I've got no idea where to start. Thoughts?
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Sounds like you have some gum recession ('sensitive teeth'). Brushing vigorously can erode gums, exposing the sensitive parts of teeth. It's very important to brush gently (but thoroughly); not back and forth, rather up and down. Flossing isn't particularly good for gums, either, so best to do it sparingly.
Excuse me? Flossing is critical for gum health.
We probably should floss because it's probably helpful, even if the evidence is weak, it has a plausible mechanism of action, it's low cost, low risk, and teeth feel good after a proper flossing.
A big issue is many people have poor flossing technique though, which is (probably) not great for gums and may actually cause problems. Flossing shouldn't hurt and you should talk to your dental hygienist about proper (recommended) technique. Also have him or her actually floss your teeth if they don't already during a cleaning (mine does) so you can get a feel of what the recommended technique feels like. Also try different types of floss. My hygienist can floss me just fine with the "normal" type floss but I can't replicate that for some reason, I need to use the "glide" type floss.
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-evidence-for-flo...
It always struck me as funny that if you want to get into Medicine you can either do the normal MD course that covers 95% of the body (obviously, you may be able to specialize much later on) OR you can do the other 5% as a Dentist (and again, you may chose to specialize later). Teeth suck, I'm hanging out for "I can't believe they're not teeth" implants so I can stop worrying about the damn things.
I have an "I can't believe it's not a tooth" implant, after I lost a front tooth when I crashed a tiny motorcycle. They drilled a hole in my jaw, beefed it up with a "cadaver bone" from a pig, threaded a titanium bolt into the hole, and then threaded a tooth-lookalike into the titanium bolt. The installation is a bit... industrial, but you'd never know it wasn't a real tooth. It cost £3,000 though.
Semi-related: When I was in the canyons of New Mexico learning about various tribes and their lifestyles, I learned that many died from tooth-related infections. This is because the mortars they used were made from softer stone that crumbled in the grinding process (when they grind maize). These tiny pieces of stone essentially ground down their teeth. If I remember correctly, because of this their average lifespan w…
Just a reminder that low life expectancy is largely the product of high infant mortality rates bringing down the average. If you were to survive to adulthood in the ancient world you would probably not die at 30, but something more like 60.