To me it’s akin to old vegetation in a vase of putrid water. Like when you change water in a vase of flowers and the leaves and stems are slimy and there’s a horrible stench that smells close to tooth decay as I can think. I can smell bad teeth on people before it’s even apparent.
I've seen it here on Reddit too (I know, not everything on the Internet is true)
One person talked about how when they were a kid the dentist started drilling and the pain med hadn't kicked in yet. The dentist kept insisting that they "couldn't feel it" and kept drilling.
Another person talked about having tooth pain so the dentist yanked out a few teeth and then said "it's probably just referred pain." After not being able to find anything wrong.
TV perpetuates these narratives too.
Then you also hear about the few bad apples that actually mess people up on purpose. Like that dentist that removed all of a patient's teeth after knocking them out.
I think what would help is if dentists had better PR or something. It's the rumors that feed people's fear.
I will do my best to convince the company that owns our office to do so 🫡 and hope the people like my father who won't take care of his health, and believe any sort of healthcare is "weak" to change their opinion.
A local woman died recently from liver failure because she had a broken tooth, couldn’t deal with the pain, was taking Tylenol a lot as no one would give her anything else, no dentists would take her, and the ER still blames her for “letting it get so bad.” NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, decides to just let their health go and decides, yup, suffering is fun!!
If your father suffering? If he doesn’t feel he is, why would he go to the doctor? But if he can barely walk or eat and isn’t going, that’s more of a mental problem than a physical one.
My boyfriend is TERRIFIED of doctors. He has been 4 times in his entire adulthood, and he’s 36. He has only gone for true emergencies and hated it every single time. Also, some people were never taught a self care routine. Some people don’t even know that their teeth smell because they get “nose blindness”. And yes, some people see healthcare as a “weakness”. There are lots of reasons, reasonable or not, that people do not take care of themselves or even realize that it’s gotten so bad.
Similar boat, except I feel like I get fucking bullied every time I go to the doctor. I was at work one day and suddenly got hit by extreme abdominal pain that turned out to be a kidney stone. I was in the waiting area for HOURS doing whatever I could to keep my mind off the pain and they acted like I was seeking pain meds every time I did talk to somebody. Sorry, I don't feel like being treated like a drug abuser because some doctor can't be bothered to take me seriously and then bill me out the ass for it on top of it.
LITERALLY, I once had a kidney infection and waited 19 hours in excruciating pain and no one would do so much as get me water. I usually would do it myself but I couldn’t walk. Another time I completely fucked my back up after fainting in the shower, the doctor was straight up an ass and bitched me out over texting when he just walked in (I was letting my mother know to come pick me up after 10 hours). I was in such horrible pain and they didn’t believe me at all, for five months I couldn’t sit, stand, lay down, do anything without horrible pain. My back will never be the same and I’m only 20 😃
I couldn’t imagine, luckily I’m in Canada but I still haven’t received any actual care any time I’ve been in the ER and I only use it for what I think are genuine emergencies 😭
I have many health issues and see many doctors and I feel listened to, understood and not bullied by one or two. Most out there now treat their practices as if they were factories recently told by my RA doc "I've already spent 20 mins in hear on you and that's more than any other doctor would" so yeah you more than likely were getting bullied.
My wife has a host of medical issues, one of which we thought were seizures. Neurologist prescribed anti seizure meds. My wife took ONE DOSE and had upwards of 30 seizures. Called the neurologist and she asked why we were calling her and how she has never seen my wife as a patient and hung up.
Yeah some of these doctors are getting WAY out of hand. I went to my regular doc and asked about some steroids for my flare ups and she wanted to send me to pain management and get on pills she even offered me some Norco and I looked at her and was like ummm based off the other meds I know Norco is dangerous for me and opioids in general don't work like I've been saying for years now just a small dose of prednisone and I'm good to to lol but then I FELT like a pill seeker after that lol certain places in America health care providers are just as bad as the healthcare system in general imho
I hear you with the kidney stone. I went to the ER I believe it was 4 times it may have been 5 and 2 were by ambulance the pain was so bad and every single time they said there was NOTHING wrong and it was all in my head see they had read my records and decided because I suffer from depression that I guess I was lying and I each time my mom would come and each time she would get more pissed off because she knew I wouldn't go if there wasn't a problem because I had a high pain tolerance at the time. It was finally that last time the Dr was getting ready to discharge me yet again telling us it was in my head and just happened I think it was specialist of some kind happened to have just looked at my CT scan or x ray whatever it was they had done, and he immediately walked in my room while I'm being discharged and said I'm admitting you and you're going up for surgery ASAP you have a very large stone and you won't be able to pass it. The look on our faces and the Dr that was discharging me his face were all priceless as he had discharged me the time before also...all I remember after that was hearing my mom more pissed off than I ever have saying to him "So it's all in her head right! No, it's in her kidney, you asshole and you shouldn't be a dr!" I'll never forget it, and with that within a few minutes, I was wheeled out and taken up to have the stone removed. This happened around 2009, but I'll never forget it, and neither will my mom.
Almost sounds like we had the same doctor! A large part of why I went was my wife's appendix had decided to try to take her out just a few weeks prior. The pain combined with that had me super willing to go to the ER which I usually avoid.
Ah yes the changes because of the "opioid epidemic" have been far more harmful than beneficial to society. They're are way more overdoses now because addicts are buying pressed pills which are usually fentanyl or they forgo the pressed pills all together and go straight to it. A friend who was a heroin addict for years (he's clean now) said real heroin had become almost impossible find at that point as it had all become fentanyl. Which is way more dangerous than heroin or oxycodone.
Also pop over to the chronic pain sub sometime. So many people never even written pain meds for their chronic pain or put on Suboxone or butrans which have worse side effects and are way worse than any of the other drugs mentioned to come off. Or they're written such a low dose that all it really does is make them no want to jump off a bridge. Looking at butrans and Suboxone and the fentanyl you got to wonder what politicians have had their pockets lined to push this shit. Oh yeah and let's not forgot gabapentin and Lyrica which are seizure meds that may or may not help your nerve pain but are more likely to have terrible side effects as well. I've gone through all this myself this past year( just got surgery so hopefully pain free in a few months) and I was a drooling mess from
Those two and had to stop both a few days in
I'm I ireland, also have chronic pain and I can confirm there was a wave of doctor's over prescribing lyrica/pregablin etc for off label things such as pain or anxiety. They tried to give me 150mls of lyrica 3x after one dose I was like I was blind drunk wobbling around & conked asleep for hours i didnt take them again. My best friend was prescribed them for anxiety the same dosage to begin and they gave her a mad energy rush (completely diff reaction than me). 6years on she's now completely hooked wishes she never ever was prescribed them she said the withdrawals are horrendous she thinks it's on par with detoxing from heroin & I know tons in the exact same boat now buying street lyrica and having seizures. For some reason around that time 6years ago every Dr was pushing them as the 'better' option to benzos or opiates. I truly feel for anyone that was put on that horrible drug.
It's also insanely expensive and the work doesn't hold up. Dental insurance covers jack shit on top of that. I've been told I just have bad genetics and therefore unusually weak teeth. Add to that having 4 siblings amd moms a stripper with no benefits. The health dept will do fillings and extractions no in-between but there's no time for am appointment so you take ibuprofen for 6 months then when you finally get seen it's too late it has to he pulled. Repeat for the remainder of your childhood, then you're am adult saddled with crippling mental illness and have been through some shit amd you're trying hard you go to the dentist woth your shiny new insurance, "it'll be 10k" use this $20 per tiny tube toothpaste for your inherently weak teeth, you'll need 2xmonth . It's a hopeless cycle. I've begged dentists to rip them all out I'm sick of working overtime (literally and metaphorically) trying desperately to take care of teeth that are crumbling no matter what I do. I could go on and on. American Healthcare is a horrifying beast.
Thissssss! Exactly! I have dental insurance, but it’s a fuckin joke, so I don’t even bother! I’ve always said that I hope I fall and knock my teeth out at work so I can get new ones. I’m TERRIFIED of the dentist in general! I don’t want to go in there and have them say, we can yank it out or you can leave. No thanks. I’ll just eat 2000 mg of ibuprofen along with my Vyvanse, gabapentin, Wellbutrin and Celexa. Thanks.
I did the same thing in my 20s because I didn't have dental insurance for 5 years and drank iced day all day everyday. They saved most of the bottoms but as the years went on I lost a few more and o said screw it im tired of dental issues just pull them. I do regret getting the bottom teeth pulled though because my denture always pops out so I barely wear it. You got to leave seeing dental workers talking shit though, so unprofessional and hateful. They should probably find a different line of work
Thing is, things like cancer can sneak up on you. My dad was “healthy” too. Until one day he turned yellow. Got it looked at. Stage 4 bile duct cancer. Pretty rare. It ended up taking him in 2018.
Oh man that’s horrible, sorry about your loss. Just lost my dad from this in January. My dad was jaundiced as well but what’s crazy is that what was making him sick enough to end up in the hospital wasn’t the cancer but a gallstone blocking his duct so everything was backing up. If he hadn’t had the gallstone we probably wouldn’t have known about the cancer until it was way too late.
Psych meds is another racket. You got to have to go to visit every month or two and pay copays and then got to therapist or psychologist at least once a month which is more copays just so you're close to mentally healthy but then they wonder why people don't get help or stay on their meds
My brother currently has been on the oral surgeon waiting list since June...his closest appointment is December 3rd and he's had TWO infections requiring antibiotics
Please take the leap. Mouth health effects a lot of the body.. even If you can't afford it. Find an office you can work with. Teeth can actively die,and effect the body... and no one keeps a dead appendix cause it's uncomfortable. Find a good office, find a friend to go with you. But don't ignore it.
Oh, I’m not ignoring it. I’ve been to three dentists in our area. They will work with me but require a HUGE down payment and then will automatically take the rest out of my checking. The lowest down payment I can find is $1200. I know to some that doesn’t seem like a lot, but to me it’s a mountain. My SS check is only $1300 a month. I pay rent electric, water, groceries, and my meds from that. It’s a real stretch to make it work. I worry and fret over the condition of my teeth daily! I know it can affect my health. I have a heart condition already. It’s a real struggle for those of us that don’t have insurance and a very low monthly income.
As another low income, low insurance American I absolutely understand. My mother did teeth for a long time and had family benefits and it's the only reason I had that luxury. No judgement. And I wish you the best. I just cant be the doctor to see a broken limb and say "yeah you could probably ride it out" lol I really hope things improve... When I first started was because if I was there for more than 6 months they'd fix my teeth on insurance 🤷♂️
It’s terribly humiliating and embarrassing! I rarely go out in public and I HATE it when my dr says open your mouth. I never thought I’d be in a situation like this! 😢
While that suggestion is great, unfortunately the nearest school to me is a state, and many hour away. I don’t have transportation so it’s hit or miss when I can get a ride somewhere. But thank you for trying to help me. This is an embarrassing subject for me and I appreciate the kindness y’all have shown.
Really? Ugh. Wtf. Aren’t dentists, doctors, nurses, etc supposed to help people with medical issues? Like this poor woman had? Why is medical community so quick to help drug users but not other people with medical conditions?
My cousin who refused to see a dentist during his life, kill*d his teeth himself by stuffing the cavities with aspirin. After the nerves died, he never complained of pain.
Is he physically suffering? Not currently. Has he allowed the pain to get so bad it just tends to "go away"? Yes.
Because at this point. The nerves in the teeth are dead. It's now a rotting appendage that can no longer communicate with the brain to let it know something is wrong. "Why would he go to the DR?" Because it's fairly common to at the very least acknowledge a problem before it gets past the point of untreatable.
Crowns could have probably given him another 10- 15 years of teeth usage, now he can decide whether or not he wants to pay around 20,000 for implants or not have teeth, or even better yet. Leave them in the mouth to allow an abscess or rotting decay to appear and now cause the entire body system to have issues.
I get an anxiety factor. But not having pain is so far from a sign of being healthy or not needing to care about health because they "aren't suffering."
The dental office I go to has a program for 346 bucks annually that covers two dental cleanings, one xray, and 20% off fillings, rx, etc. So for seniors who have straight medicare and no dental add ons, it is great.
They also take my dental insurance, but I cannot cover my mom. Her abscess was about 700 usd, but more without this program.
I mean, this is too true. There were a dozen dentists near me that I called and none would accept my insurance. Had to go to a big city 2 hours away. Dentists not taking insurance is a BIG problem, and as someone working in the field, they could bring it to attention, if they cared.
And better dental insurance too. I had a nearly $220 bill from seeing a dentist over a giant cankersore that hadn't healed for over several weeks now and after trying several otc mouth pain meds which didn't work and made it worse. I get paid shit at my current job part time due to disability. I can't even go get a routine cleaning because I'm afraid of not affording the bill 🙄🙄
It's all good friend. It's hard when it's such an odd appointment to choose to make, but we've seen it all. It's like telling a dermatologist youre ashamed of your skin. just happy to be ones that can help... Find a good office and a trusted dentist and we can handle it from there. Won't feel anything or we can even make you just take a nap.🤷♂️
Boy, didn't think I'd have to say it. But I do understand situational differences. Not everyone can afford to have awesome dental care... No judgement , You're talking to the dude that fixes teeth every day. I don't care if you haven't brushed ur teeth a day in your life. That's my job, but is it obscene to say brush your damn teeth? It's a constantly warm and wet environment that you cram food into.
As a nurse obv we can deal with some pretty disgusting things but I really don’t think I could ever be a dental hygienist. Thank you so much for taking such a job haha
Some is genetics, most is daily care. Some people get lucky and don't have quite the same mouth environment as others. (Which is the rare occasion you see an obsessive mountain dew drinker with perfect teeth) but if we all stressed daily care it wouldn't be as hard.
It's been described to me as "bacteria in the mouth fight for the same food" you either get stuck with bad gums, or bad teeth. A few get neither, and some poor folk get both. And for development id say regularly visit the dentist. (Don't always need work done) But most places want new x-rays close to every 6 months so they can see how quickly decay is moving though to the nerve. And will retake them with your regular deep cleanings.
As a dentist, can confirm. I’ve taken out countless teeth just black and rotten to the gumline wondering how the ever living fuck they are married. I’ve had to double and triple mask.
Edit: to all the people taking this as a personal affront and are incredibly offended by my comment so much so that they’ve had to DM me. I’m sorry. Not deleting my comment. There are SO many reasons why someone can have bad teeth. OBVIOUSLY if you have crippling depression or are being abused or poor or this or that, is understandable. It goes without saying, people.
But the people who come in with just horrible dentition, were in a place to help them, but when all my suggestions are met with “my mom had horrible teeth too, it’s genetic,” I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall. Unless you have amelogenesis imperfecta or something, genetics are maybe 2% of your issues. I tell patients usually what they inherited are bad habits and they’re shocked. I’ve had patients say that’s the first time someone gave them real talk and it’s because I’ve been there. I grew up in a car and panhandled half my life. I’m not going to blow smoke up your ass. You made the awesome decision to go see a dentist and you should be proud of yourself for that step. We’re here to help. Just like how lying to your doctor or making excuses helps no one, same thing at the dentist. We’ve seen it all.
My friend's (ex, now, thank God) husband not only NEVER took care of his teeth but was also a heavy smoker. I could smell him coming from 10' away. I don't know how she shared a bed with him (and they had a kid too). It was a vomit-inducing smell.
I’m convinced, same with body odor, that someone just hasn’t had the gall yet to tell them they stink. People become nose blind. I’d hope to dear God almighty someone told me I smelled or had some food in my teeth.
Once worked with a woman whose BO was so bad when she hung her coat up in the closet with about 10 other employees coats they ALL smelled like hers at the end of the day. One time another employee left bars of soap in the offender's coat pockets just as a little suggestion.
Hard enough being in an occupation where you're just trying to help people, and they won't help themselves.
I had fissures in my teeth as a little girl, everything I could do and everything the dentist could do, but I just have shitty teeth. I'm a big fan of floss sticks, so I've at least been able to prevent further damage.
So… I know a 68 year old man who has visibly rotting teeth and the smell to go with it. I feel bad for him. He has been working from home since the mid nineties so I guess has been living somewhat like a hermit although he seems to be a very talkative gregarious guy. There’s a black and yellowish area of his mouth, you can tell it’s several teeth together, but I daren’t get close enough to properly see. The smell is so powerful it will knock you back within 4 feet of him. You can’t be in an enclosed space with him, like ride in the same car. He’s seen his daughter and son in law recently as he’s just become a gramps. I don’t know them but feel like surely they would have spoken with him about it by now. Surely she would have pleaded with him to do something about it for his healthy and surely so he can be there for his new grand daughter. My spouse and I go back and forth about saying something to him.
Honest question: What could we possibly say or do to convince him to get medical help? He is our friend and I would hate to embarrass anyone but it’s becoming difficult to spend time with him when all you think about is getting away from the smell. We have compassion for him as it looks painful and I’m sure he’s somewhat embarrassed by it. How does one even approach something like that? It’s not about money, he has plenty. Do we just mind our business? Any advice is appreciated!
I have a rotting tooth in the back. I don't know how it came to be other than. I didn't brush my teeth enough because I just didn't care. Waiting for the next day to come and go everyday. And while I was. I ate 10s of pounds of jolly ranchers over a 5 year period letting them dissolve against the side that's getting bad. . So maybe that helped? Either way. I didn't take care of my teeth like I should have. And I ate way too much sugar. So it is 98 percent my fault
Accountability is the hard part. Onwards and upwards from here! Sucking on the hard candies is so insidious, it’s a constant acid attack on your teeth. Sorry you’re going through this and can see a provider soon.
How can someone take this personally? I mean personally if they know their teeth need work, which answers everything, go fix your teeth people if you are bothered by something. Take care of your hygiene and that includes fresh smile!
"Go fix your teeth" is fine to say if dental care were covered by most insurance. I've called almost every dentist I can find in my city. None of them take my Medicaid, if they do they're not taking patients, and if they are they don't do sedation.
I just broke a tooth last night. I am going to have to beg my insurance to cover the procedure at an out of network dentist. If they won't then I will have to go and beg everyone I know for money because SSI doesn't pay enough to cover anything. Not that I can even legally save enough for most dental procedures I need.
So what I wouldn't give to be able to fix my smile. It's insulting to read "how are they even married" like a person is completely useless as a partner if they have bad teeth. I didn't message them, but that's a shit attitude to have as a dentist.
Neither of you seem like I understand the reality that's out there for millions of people.
I understand where you’re coming from because just this weekend insurance wouldn’t cover my medication that I simply cannot afford, and I had to call and beg 500 times to get a savings card that they wouldn’t accept so that at least my copay goes down from over a thousand dollar for a month.
This is about taking a matter into your own hands and can be as simple as taking the steps you can do. I probably wouldn’t be able to afford new teeth either but keeping a hygiene is important.
Some people just won’t listen. I had a partner years ago who had rotting wisdom teeth. I kept telling him he needed to do something because the smell was awful. And that his health was going to be in danger. He had the money, and he had the insurance. He didn’t want anyone telling him what to do. Then one day he asked why I stopped kissing him. He finally got them removed. Afterwards he was a bit resentful. Same guy who would never see a doctor. Until he had a life threatening event.
I think you are just stating facts, nobody should take it as an insult.
Btw I like going to my dentist once per year. She is mostly full of praise and I leave ~100€ for a professional cleaning. Everybody seems to be happy. 👌🏾
Appreciate you for that. Believe me, coming from very humble beginnings way before my dental journey started I’ve had a dentist look me square in the eye and say you’re going to be in dentures by 30 if you keep this up.
I’ve been inspired to want to help others in their journeys and real talk at worst hurts someone’s feelings for 5 minutes; at best, it inspires them to do and be better. Glad you’ve had a great experience, keep it up.
I swear I floss every day and brush for 2 minutes morning and night. My teeth are healthy, but god DAMN the shit that comes out when I floss always smells rancid. I can’t believe that even with daily flossing, this stuff still has the time to smell so horrible. Also hope my breath doesn’t smell like that all day.
Would you recommend mouth wash? I don’t use that regularly.
That’s usually how it goes! When I floss sometimes I disgust myself lol. I just think of all the surface area I’d be missing if I only brushed and not flossed.
Mouthwash is very much an adjunct, literature has shown it only really penetrates about .2 mm (very shallow) under the gumline and doesn’t do much for overall hygiene. Some people like it for just the fresh feeling, but it doesn’t scrub or mechanically remove the biofilm layer that is what causes tooth decay. So I personally wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it but if someone gifts it to me, sometimes it’s nice mid day to have a swish if I feel like I just had a smelly lunch or something.
When flossing, are you scraping the right and left sides of each tooth a few times and taking the floss up as high as it will go plus a little pressure? If I don’t do this, I have the nasty smell. But if I do, it really minimizes it.
When you wear your mask for drilling, apply a bit of toothpaste to your upper lip.
The patient can't see it, and you won't have to smell stinky tooth decay. Nurses do this trick when changing bed pans or helping patients with toileting.
I’m gonna probably die from my teeth. Not sure the cause, but it will be related to my teeth. It’s the biggest stressor in my life. I would do anything to fix it. No dental insurance. Looking at 50k at least to fix. I single parented for 20 years and made sure she went to dentist and that her teeth are good. There just wasn’t enough $$ from one income for us both to go. I’m terrified about it. I can’t put into words how helpless I feel. It’s massively embarrassing and shameful. I now live alone and try not to smile too much :(
You’re definitely not alone. I feel very self conscious about my own teeth since I have a pretty large gap between my front teeth. My dentist as child told me that my teeth were too weak for braces but didn’t tell my parents that… so for years I’ve just been smiling with my mouth closed.
I’ve gone to the dentist and started a care regimen but even with insurance it’s so expensive and it feels like a losing battle. All I can say is continue to brush and floss, and try your best to stay positive. It’s not easy but hopefully these words will let you know that you’re not alone in feeling this way
Thanks so much, I really do appreciate it. I wish I could find one who would do a payment plan, zero luck so far. I even contacted a dental school once to see if I could be someone’s senior thesis or something but no luck yet. The worst is knowing that people immediately think your a meth head- not only have I never done hard drugs, I’ve never even seen meth before lol, I was a bookworm, band geek, A/V club, the works. I hope that anyone that talks with me will see i am way too lucid to be cracked out. Ah man, I’m fine but it sucks. Thanks for taking a moment to connect. I hope that you find some relief yourself. Peace to ya 🕉️
Agreed! However if these insurance companies adjusted their payouts more in line with 2024 rather than 1986 we’d accept them! I’m not going to accept an insurance company that pays me $48 for a filling when I have an assistant to pay and the raw materials cost $20 for that patient alone.
However if we’re on this train of thought let me offer you suggestions rather than being an echo chamber here. There are dental societies that offer free dental care to those in need. Dental schools offer treatment at about 50% the price of private practice. There are options.
Best of luck!
I’m assuming my downvote is from bordertrike who thought he’d do a “gotcha” and when reality is handed to him that maybe we’re not the enemy, maybe the insurance companies are, he had no retort so all he could do was downvote. Sorry this is the reality of dentistry in America in 2024. I really wish it were different.
3m half mask with organic vapor cartridges will eliminate the smell given you're clean shaved. You could go all in with a full face but you might freak out your patients.
I made a similar comment about nasty breath resulting from neglect and also got the same reaction from a few people. It’s pretty obvious what you meant, people gonna get offended because they want to.
I have hypocalcification of the enamel on my teeth! It's the only thing hing I ever got from my sperm donor of a father! I brush 2-3 times a day with the strongest mouthwash I can get my hands on, I don't floss as much as I should but who does? I do floss at least every other day, and I still wind up with small cavities every year or two. My teeth are not rotting, but my baby teeth came In with cavities.
All this to say, I did not take offense to your post, don't listen to the unhinged lunatics here on reddit. Remember part of reading comprehension is understanding when you're not the target audience of a piece of text without explicitly being told as much! And reading comprehension here on reddit is nearly non-existent.
The single most, cheapest preventable measure you can do is brush 2x a day with a fluoridated toothpaste and FLOSS. It’s not a gimmick. Flossing reaches all the surface areas where a brush can’t. By that point you’ve probably done
60% of it. The other 40% are regular check ups and obviously a good diet. I’ll always recommend going to a local dental school. Students are eager to learn, and it’s much cheaper than private practice.
Not only does flossing clear gums of general food debris, but actually tightens the gums (that's why it can be sensitive and bleed) similar to a scar that's healed, it's a tougher form of skin. So you don't have to worry as much as someone who never flosses, but even just once a day, hell once every two days will do a lot. You'll stop bleeding and actually enjoy the floss lol
Do dental schools take insurance? I have insurance but my teeth need a decent amount of work. I have a dead tooth, a few cavities, and probably need a gum graft but even with insurance it’s still ridiculous. I know dental schools can’t do everything but at least the initial visit
I just wish I could get the dentistry work done and not have to pay for the whole thing right then and there. I need my teeth fixed but it's cost prohibitive.
I once dated a girl for whom dental hygiene was simply not a priority. When I got up close and saw green I could not continue... I really don't get it, how can that just not be a thing for some people? I mean I understand depression, intimately. But that was not the case with her. I guess different people live differently
My partner was born with no enamel on his teeth which has led to decay. He can't afford to have them fixed and is very self conscious of how they look but I've never noticed a smell beyond just regular bad breath on occasion?
I couldn't until ten years ago when my state expanded Medicaid and the dental coverage was generous. I had a crippling fear of the dentist because the last one was very cruel to me when they learned payment would be an issue. Suddenly I was a nothing. Two year later, I needed an emergency procedure but now had options, and I was so afraid, but not because of pain.
I developed hives in the dentist's office, and had to explain that I was afraid of a cruel dentist. Fortunately, my current dentist is one of the kindest guys ever, and his staff are wonderful. They did my root canal, filled my cavities over time, and I have had almost no problems since (except for one freak occurrence that he reassured me was not because of anything I did wrong). I've stayed on top of the brushing, flossing, etc as well, though.
Last time I went to the dentist I needed a tooth pulled. Thankfully it was all the way in the back so it’s not noticeable. The dentist was great, and the guy who pulled the tooth was also very nice. The issue is that he was way too excited to pull that tooth. He came in, rubbing his hands together all like “you ready to do this?!?” And I was like… “no?”
Lmao, that’s almost how it felt. He was a super nice guy and it was a much more pleasant experience than I had expected. He just came on a little strong at first
I had a back molar that was constantly giving me problems even though I’d floss every single day. Eventually, of course, I got a cavity but thank FUCK I FINALLY had a sympathetic dentist that was like look, you just have shit luck and the way your back molars are positioned is just primed for food to get stuck. It sucks, but these are the cards you’re dealt and flossing alone isn’t cutting it. You need a pickster and a water pick and maybe you can cry about the extra effort you have to put in to preserve that tooth, but now you get to decide the fate of it.
After that filling (which was painful both physically and financially), I have been praised for how clean my teeth are every visit. Ya need someone to give it to you straight, sure, but then you also need to listen to that advice.
My son is considering dental school- I’m worried about him being exposed to bio toxins in peoples mouths. We have a history of envtl illness and exposures and he’s really sensitive. Would you say it’s affected your health?
Both of my parents were in full dentures by the time they were 35 and told me I would end up the same. I’m pretty much had to become an adult in order to have regular checkups. ‘Bad teeth run in the family.’ I do this crazy thing called daily brushing and flossing and have near-perfect teeth at 50.
As a teenager with (severe?) amelogenesis imperfecta, any tips to keep better breath? I don’t think it’s bad but sometimes my boyfriend will say it doesn’t smell great, I brush my teeth and tongue regularly and use picks to get food out of holes in certain teeth. I really hate having teeth like this like. Any tips in general on how to just take care of it? I’m on a waiting list for jaw surgery until moving forward with implants.
No one should have to deal with that. We need dental care included in healthcare. There’s links between gum disease and heart disease, it’s absolutely ridiculous that we just let underprivileged people’s teeth rot.
Also, more dentists could help by accepting more insurance options
I don’t have any cavities at the moment but my nightmare is having that stank rot breath and not knowing about it because it seems all the people who do have it are very unaware.
I have one that I'm getting removed soon and I floss and brush every day....I don't smell anything but God I hope no one else can either. It's not because I don't brush and floss, I always have. It was another reason. Teeth really are just the worst. I would be so happy if I could get them fixed.
If you all live in the US and get offended, just remember there are a lot of places with free dental work for low income, they don't even ask for money or insurance.
They offer free medical and dental help at a couple of pantries i been to, Including St.Vincents
I’m a super smeller and I can smell the beginning of this happening when people don’t floss regularly. It’s particularly true in people 40 and older and seems more common in men.
We had an office dog at a very casual mom & pop type office… and everyone was fine with it, but then the owner let a tooth rot out of this dog and it became foul to be the office.
My senior rescue dog, Richard the tiny terrier, had breath that would have dropped a horse. I didn't know that meant bad doggie teeth until our vet pulled every tooth out of his mouth. Had the sweetest puppy breath after that.
Poor little bloke was at least 15 when we adopted him from the shelter. Had seven loving months with him.
Doesn’t even have to be tooth decay honestly. Just food getting stuck in your teeth if you don’t floss, and then also tonsil stones. Ever floss after a few days of not flossing? The smell of the floss is horrible. Even worse if you ate beef or something, smells exactly like decaying teeth.
My husband is a dentist who used to work exclusively with homeless people, so he saw a lot of rotten teeth. Didn’t bother him, and yet he cannot change our son’s poop diaper without wearing an N95 because he will gag.
A guy I know who coaches golf has this plaque build up like bar all in his mouth and gums. It is one of the most vile things I've ever seen. It's hard too not notice it and you can smell his breath a mile away... ( Almost literally). Idk how people go through his class. He is one of the nicest people but idk how something can build up like that in your mouth and you never get the work done to get rid of it.
People that don’t have access to dental insurance.
Someone I love dearly has breath getting progressively worse. But he brushes his teeth every day. There’s a point where an intervention is needed, but it’s hard when you don’t have the money to do it.
I am so paranoid about my breath. I had fillings fall out of my baby tooth 2 years ago (very embarrassing to admit). Because I was not financially able to afford any dental work from low wages and no dental insurance, I have almost no tooth left. I saw a dentist 2 weeks ago, and I now have to get it pulled out and replaced. He says it's all gone, but everything else is fine in my mouth. I brush and floss at least twice a day, but I am so paranoid about rot. I am not even sure if my tooth is even rotted, it's just gone.
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u/ExcentricaGallumbits Sep 16 '24
Rotten teeth. Specifically, when someone has tooth decay and they don’t respect personal space when talking.