Alright, this question of the day was submitted by a forum member.
The question is, Do you go to your dentist regularly, and if not, why not?
Is it fear? Is it that youthful feeling of invincibility? Is it that you don't have a phone to call and schedule the appointment? Perhaps a bad experience?
Whatever the reason, please answer the poll and give us the details in a post
I do not get to the dentist on a regular basis. The biggest reason is laziness. I have no fears or issues. They are always busy and they only work two Saturdays a month. Sometime it can take four months to get an appointment. I hate taking off from work during the week to take care of these things. It is worse now since I moved six months ago and I am even further away form the dentist - at least an hour and twenty minutes. Like I said - pure laziness.
-- Edited by confuzzed at 10:10, 2005-06-02
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Stop trying to be what you see. Be what you ought to be.
I have not been for about 10 years, I should really go and get some stuff sorted out but I dont know about over there but here it aint a cheap trip out, I know thats no reason not to go really, I will go soon I promise.
I was in the "No Pain, All is OK!" camp until I had kids. When we got dillegent about getting them in my wife made appointments for us. They caught a cavity that was pretty well along but the tooth wasn't bothering me! That woke me up and I've been serious about my choppers ever since. Some old damage has reversed and my long term dental health is looking good. It's a bother, but get to your dentist!
Well, I don't go on a regular basis and I know I should have. I'm sure I'll pay a price when I'm older.
The last time I went was when I had an abscessed tooth (I know, horrible spelling), and one side of my face puffed up HUGE.
I was gonna try to tough it out and see if the swelling would go down on it's own, but it was eventually too painful to bear. I went to SEARS!!! They were the only dental service open on a Sunday afternoon.
I wound up having the tooth yanked out and the releif was almost instantaneous.
I swore then that I'd be back every six months, that was almost two years ago and I haven't been back since:
I go every 6 months. Well the whole family goes every 6 months. Thank God for dental insurance!!! My oldest, Britt is going study dental hygiene in college. She will need guinea pigs so I'm sure I'll be in the chair more often over the next three years. If anyone wants to be a guinea pig let me know!!!!
I was really lax before I had kids, like WFTR... now with the tyke getting into braces, etc., I seem to have appointments every MONTH. My dentist is good, but you get overwhelmed by her because she wants to do a million things to your teeth, which I think makes a lot of people run away after the first appointment. It's almost as bad as the auto repairman, "Well, you've got a loose muffler, your shocks are shot, the fluids need replacing and spark plugs are burnt out, $800 please." I just put her off with my cafeteria money excuse until I feel like getting things done. With ortho bills now, my teeth will probably fall out before I go and get the cap here and there she recommends... And I'm a horrible flosser, so yes, I see the dentist every 3 months. I could graduate to 6 months if I'd just floss regularly, I'm sure.
I used to go every 6 months, but I've only ever had one cavity, so they said I could wait 9 months if I wanted to (especially since I didn't have insurance at the time).
And then I moved 4 hours away, and I share Confuzzed's laziness. I don't want to go through the hassle of finding a new dentist, and then leaving work in the middle of the day to go. I probably should go now, though, to keep my teeth as good as they are.
Well, I can see that I am in the minority. For me it is a time issue. I have not had a cavity for years while going to the dentist, have several crowns and just do not make the time. In fact, I was on a business trip and was eating something, when I felt this crunch. I looked at it, and it took me a second to figure out that I had pulled my crown off. I just went to my room, brushed it really well, brushed the empty space really well, yes it hurt. Walked to the gas station next door, bought some super glue and just shoved it back in place. so far so good.
I go every 6 months, I was just there in May. The first time I ever went to the dentist I was about 12. I used to only brush once a day. I still have all my toofs and no cavities.
How much did you get from the tooth fairy when you were a kid?
For me it was a quarter a tooth.
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Sometimes, when i'm lonely... i crawl into a laundry basket and tickle my ears. But, Some times I don't...
I had the same Sparky--but was in trouble for my daughters first. All I had was a 20. I did not think she would remember, so the next one was a dollar. She remembered.
My daughter gets two gold dollars per tooth... it worked well until she found a couple gold dollars in dad's coat pocket. I told her it's real money and everyone has them here and there, you just don't see them often. Then, on a day when she had a tooth pulled I was in the other room when my cell phone rang. She rummaged through my purse to find the phone and found a side pocket with gold dollars in it. She came into the room and said "I was trying to answer your phone in your purse and I found these! I'm getting a little suspicious..." and then exited the room before I could even reply. She's 7 now, just about that age... So, fyi, if you use unusual coinage, make sure it's either well-hidden or used frequently, like quarters.
Also, what do you guys do with the teeth? My mom kept all of mine and gave them to me along with baby albums later. You know there are research facilities out there that want your old baby teeth from the 60's and 70's to determine child health then and now? I think one of the Baldwin brothers was advocating for that a year or so ago...
Christmas is tough, we're divorced and she makes out like a bandit, and Santa shows up everywhere... we both figure last Christmas was the last year for that. They also issued some study talking about child intellect/IQ relative to length of time believing in Santa. I thought that was kind of crummy, now all kinds of parents are going to go out and make earlier non-believers out of their kids so they're in the "high IQ" range.
Zim, that's ok, we all read all of the posts anyway. Besides when we start a topic about limberger cheese by the end we are talking about bi-polar roller skaters from the 7th street all mens chorus group.
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Sometimes, when i'm lonely... i crawl into a laundry basket and tickle my ears. But, Some times I don't...
I guess I am pragmatic- if somethings not broke I'm not going to take the time to fix it. I've got nice pearly whites thanks to years of braces, retainers, jaw expanders and what not. I brush 3 times a day, and nothing is black or about to fall out!
I think dentistry is sort of a racket. I'm not saying that its not good to go; but that's their business, to make you think your teeth will fall out if you don't go every 6 months. It's like the whole 3 months 3000 mile rule that the minute-lubes of this world proclaim; while if you look at your maintenance manual tho- most car manufactuers are saying change the oil every 5000 or even 7500 miles- which is ok because more and more are providing a 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty!
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"And like Web, I enjoy throwing JR under the bus. Problem is, it's usually under the special bus that I ride every day". Ghostdancer 12-18-09
(These emoticons are going to get beat to death!)
I'll have to remember that when my daughter is old enough to have teeth!
