Ask a future dentist your tooth questions (pic)

[akalarry]

dat score? what year are you?

[MCG14Lifter]

my dentist told me i have calcifying pulp cavities, what does this mean? And i have no pain in my wisdom teeth don't bother me or anything, and my dentist told me to remove them, is he just tryna make money off me? ALSO, i had severe tooth pain when i was on a plane once, when the plane was descending it was excruciating, apparently this was due to pressure changes and air expanding. What are the chances of this happening agian?

Calcifying pulp chambers can be a natural result of aging, or a result of insult to the pulp. Coupled with the plane experience, chances are you could have a form of pulpitis. If it was on your upper teeth, though, it could be referred pain from your maxillary sinus and have nothing to do with your teeth at all. That, and your wisdom teeth, is a case by case basis, and wisdom teeth removal should be done after careful consideration from both parties.

[akalarry]

Congrats OP. I am applying this Cycle. DAT in a month. Oh lawd. Angus is peppered.

same. did my dat last november. got your letters of rec planned out?

[MCG14Lifter]

I haven't been to a dentist in 20+ months. How bad is this? Long term effects?

Its not ideal but not uncommon at all. The main reason for the 6 mon. recalls is to check how you are doing with your oral hygiene so if you are doing well then great. But I would go see one if you can.

[eriksatie]

Ask away, and I'll do my best to answer.

For your time


EDIT: lots of questions, will answer them all though

Is it completely necessary to get your wisdom teeth pulled?

What is your opinion on using hydrogen peroxide as mouth wash to whiten your teeth?

[VBogdanovic]

i had my first session of a root canal due to an abscess on my lower right part of my jaw. He got all of the excess filling out (the filling went bad) and filled my tooth up with a "medicine". It didnt take long at all. What can i expect on my 2nd visit to finish up the root canal? How long will it take? Do i have to be numbed again? Dosent he put some rods in my tooth?

[MCG14Lifter]

oh shiz one more. for the past few months it's been difficult to completely open my jaw/mouth on the left side. if i try to open and close fully 5 times, maybe only 2/5 will allow me to open fully. the majority of the time, the jaw gets stuck and doesn't open more than a few inches. if i try to force my mouth open it feels like im breaking my jaw. whats wrong with me?


oh and for flossing, is it okay to use those little things and just push them through my teeth after brushing?

The TMJ is complex and its problems are not very clear-cut. Could be a disc issue or could be trismus due to your muscles not relaxing. There are TMJ specialists out there that could narrow it down for you

[BeastMode101]

how much does reconstructive gumline surgery cost? I think my lower gumline is receding because of brushing too hard.

or should i wait up and only get it done when new advanced reconstructive gum tech is produced?

also, because of the lower gum issues, placque issues are reoccurring for me? anway to fix?

[MCG14Lifter]

got a bud who is going to be a future dentist. Biggest a-hole i know. are all dentists like this?

Some are, some aren't. Kind of like with any group of people

[MCG14Lifter]

how much is your tuition?

my instate tuition would be 25K/yr.. but i wont be getting in there.

In the neighborhood of 30-35K

[babolimp]

how long can you leave half gum covered molars without issue? i know this causes a bit of bad breath due to foodstuff being caught under the gum, but will it be detrimental to the other teeth or not really?

[raunchybrah]

Why are oats so bad for your teeth?

[MCG14Lifter]

What's your opinion on the 35% Carbamide Peroxide kits available on ebay? Do they work? Any drawbacks?

Personally, I dont trust them, because unless they are ADA approved, you are not sure what exactly you are getting and whether or not the dosing schedule is right for your particular case. Drawbacks can be tooth sensitivity and enamel loss if done incorrectly

[jamesggg]

how long can you leave half gum covered molars without issue? i know this causes a bit of bad breath due to foodstuff being caught under the gum, but will it be detrimental to the other teeth or not really?

in after babolimp

[alphaInthemakin]

uhm OP I have a tooth, it's black at the bottom (I'm about 90% sure it's rotten) I'm gonna go visit the dentist soon how bad will it fukc my teeth up? I'll probably need to get it removed but if I don't have an adult tooth behind it(I'm only 17, I don't think I do, inb4 teen misc) will I have to get a fake tooth? and how much does it hurt/cost? any info would be appreciated ty.

edit: inafter babo

[MCG14Lifter]

I got my wisdom teeth out two weeks ago. the swelling was almost completely gone after a week. a few days ago the swelling has slightly returned on my left cheek. what do?


Edit: Also my canine teeth are still baby teeth and haven't fallen out. Dentist did an x-ray and said there are no adult teeth behind them, and that i would need fake teeth inserted there. how bad does it hurt to get them inserted in.

Sometimes it does return, but if the pain gets worse then it could be something else like dry sockets or pericoronitis (but doubtful)

It depends on what they do to replace them. Implants: yeah it will hurt some, its surgery. RPD: no FPD: could hurt some after crown preps Maryland Bridge: no

[knicksrbake]

do u even multiquote

[VBogdanovic]

Personally, I dont trust them, because unless they are ADA approved, you are not sure what exactly you are getting and whether or not the dosing schedule is right for your particular case. Drawbacks can be tooth sensitivity and enamel loss if done incorrectly

pls respond to my ?

[MCG14Lifter]

damn i think ill just keep wearing it every day. my retainer looks super dirty tho and idk how to clean it

you can use a denture tablet every so often to freshen it up, and use a soft toothbrush with non abrasive toothpaste

[adolfhitler69]

i was told i should have my wisdom teeth x-rayed by my dentist, it has been 8months and i've still not done it. Did i dun goof?

[Surive123]

same. did my dat last november. got your letters of rec planned out?

How'd the DAT go for you? Yep, everything is set except for my Personal Statement and DAT. What state are you out of?

[MakeABanana]

How can I tell when I get alveolar osteitis? Last month, I had both my #1 and #32 teeth pulled, and I had some of the worst pain I've ever experienced at the #32 extraction site so I thought I had dry socket. I toughed it out with a crap load of ibuprofen without going to the dentist, but that was some awful, awful pain. However, the dental hygienist told me the severe pain was from the fracturing the dentist had to do to remove the bony impacted tooth and that I would have been in a lot worse pain and would have been put on stronger meds were it actually dry socket. Is that true?

Also, any tips to prevent dry socket or at least the severe pain from wisdom tooth extraction? I'm getting another two taken out next month.

[timestretch]

my front top right tooth is a little crooked, what would be the best way of going about fixing it until its straight? my bottom ones are straight but just a tiny bit forward (not very noticable but i hate it) how would i go about fixing these too

[MyBodyIsRdy420]

My mouth is very dry, is that a bad thing? Constantly, like, I can drink a glass of water and my mouth will feel dry within minutes. I don't have any pain or anything, it's just always dry. Yes, I smoke (cannabis) and I do understand that it has an impact on dry mouth. I am just curious whether or not it is harmful.

[MCG14Lifter]

I went to the dentist because of an increasing tooth sensitivity in my front teeth, and he told me that because of some tooth trauma (got my teeth broken with a beer bottle when I was 16), my front teeth are dying. That was 16 years ago, is it possible that trauma from 16 years could cause my teeth to die now?

Sounds like internal resorption of the roots. Thats kinda like the ****ing magnets of dentistry- "How do they work?!" but srs, yes it could be from trauma from long ago. In some people the resorption/pulpal trauma happens quickly, and in others it doesnt

[CreoleFever]

I have braces and I was diagnosed with aggressive periodontal disease..... feelsbadman

brb, getting dentures fitted

[Schwatz]

as a dentist you have a general knowledge of the tongue as well am i correct? if so would you be able to answer questions about certain tongue syndromes?

[akalarry]

How'd the DAT go for you? Yep, everything is set except for my Personal Statement and DAT. What state are you out of?

california. i did good on the dat 22/23. i'm pretty confident getting into the private schools such as usc and nyu. schools like ucla and ucsf are a complete tossup.

[Ketnar]

I have dipped chewing tobacco every single day of my life for the last seven years, what kind of negative side effects will this have on me?

[artDDP]

Just used a teeth whiting pack.
Teeth are much better.



Will they go back to the "before" way If I don't use whiting strips again?


I try to bush at least 3 times a day. Some days ( mostly on my days off) I brush after every meal, 5-7 times a day. I floss once a day before bed.

I used Crest Whitestrips twice in the last five years and my teeth have remained a much brighter shade for several years. My dentist liked the color of them on my last visit.