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So a week ago I was posting in a thread about Shmorky's ex-fiance and her horrible hell mouth and I was encouraged to start a thread here. I am a student of dental hygiene, graduating and getting certified in 10 months. So far I have worked with over 30-40 patients with a very wide variety of dental health, and get new ones all the time. I won't be able to answer everything, as I am still going through the program yet but I have an extensive knowledge already and can answer most questions. Also, if any other goons work in dental fields, feel free to answer questions. I don't know everything about teeth and greatly appreciate more dental goons helping to spread the knowledge! So here's a couple of commonly asked questions I get: Q: What is a dental hygienist? A: Most people think of a dental hygienist as a nurse for a dental office. Most people are wrong and you shouldn't listen to them. A dental hygienist does about 95% of the work in a dental clinic, and will be the person working on you almost every time you go to a clinic. The hygienist does everything except for a tiny number of very specific things that legally only the dentist can do. In general, if the actual structure or placement of the tooth is not being altered then the hygienist is doing the work. Things that I do in my college clinic: Take x-rays, examine and assess the condition of the patient's oral cavity (I'll get to the specifics of this part in a later post), screen the patient for any possible signs of cancer that manifest in the head or neck, clean the teeth (an extremely involved process, I'll get to the details later), administration of local anesthetics and nitrous oxide, sterilization of instruments and the work station, and take extremely detailed notes on everything. Q: I read this article about fluoride and it says... A: Listen here, buddy. Fluoride is good for you and the people who keep writing those articles are idiots and are hurting people by talking crap about things they don't understand. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that the body cannot produce on its own. Fluoride bonds to the surface of the tooth and helps to remineralize the enamel that covers the crown of your tooth. Without it cavities will form far more easily. I love fluoride and I will not hear any of you disrespect it. Q: But I heard its turning the frogs gay! A:  Q: What's wrong with my teeth? A: STOP! I cannot legally give you advice or diagnosis. Not only am I a student at the moment, but even if I was licensed right now I could not legally give advise or diagnose anyone who is not my patient. Lastly, be patient when waiting for me to answer questions. I am lazy and will often take a while to even see your post so don't expect too much of me. I will try to answer within a couple of days but no promises.
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Oct 12, 2017 22:52
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Reserved for more information about dental hygiene as I get around to posting it.
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Oct 12, 2017 22:53
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Also here is the post that I made that got this thread requested, slightly edited for more accuracy. This one is about the mouth of Shmorky's gross ex-fiance. Everything in brackets was added later for accuracy: The Skeleton King posted:As a hygienist I can tell you what I see wrong in her mouth just by looking at the picture in the OP. This will get detailed, so take a seat. The Skeleton King fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Oct 12, 2017 |
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Oct 12, 2017 22:53
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For years I've been using the rubber brush toothpicks to floss, because I can't use thread on my molars without choking myself. An acquaintance recently told me that thread is much better, but refused to elaborate on why it's better. Is there actually a "best" floss? Also what tooth is the One Tooth, because there's two-three candidates in that hosed up meth mouth.
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Oct 12, 2017 23:31
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Psychedelicatessen posted:For years I've been using the rubber brush toothpicks to floss, because I can't use thread on my molars without choking myself. An acquaintance recently told me that thread is much better, but refused to elaborate on why it's better. Good question. There isn't a best floss for everyone. Thread is the most universally effective, but if its difficult for you to use then there are alternatives that work. You can use interdental brushes (they're like pipe cleaners for teeth) or a floss holder, which is exactly what it sounds like (it's some kind of Y shaped thing that holds floss between the prongs). Know that floss holders and floss picks are different. Floss picks have the floss built in and are generally inadequate for a really good flossing. Holders have you put the floss in it so you can use fresh floss throughout the flossing. There's also water picks that are like tiny fir hoses that blast out the plaque under your gums. Reaching molars is always tough if you're holding the floss with your fingers, especially if you have your wisdom teeth, so these alternatives might help.
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Oct 12, 2017 23:59
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My most recent new fidget is flossing. This is particularly funny given the thread title, but can you actually floss too much?
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Oct 13, 2017 06:03
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What is the fastest cost effective or next up in cost whitening solution? I use floss picks to get matter out and it fits my needs. I also have a water pik that I haven't used yet. I'm going in for a cleaning with floride on Monday and will see if I can get a copy of my rap sheet to share.
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Oct 13, 2017 07:16
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What's your opinion on when to actually get wisdom teeth taken out? How often do you encounter breath so bad you want to retch?
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Oct 13, 2017 09:01
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Canine Blues Arooo posted:My most recent new fidget is flossing. This is particularly funny given the thread title, but can you actually floss too much? havent heard a peep posted:What is the fastest cost effective or next up in cost whitening solution? Kritzkrieg Kop posted:What's your opinion on when to actually get wisdom teeth taken out? Bad breath isnt too often a problem. It takes some especially bad stuff to get to me. We sometimes give people a toothbrush and tell them to go brush if they have bad enough breath. Also, please brush before going to a dental clinic. Its just rude to show up with bad breath. The Skeleton King fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Oct 13, 2017 |
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Oct 13, 2017 20:09
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My dentist in California insists on cleaning my teeth with the metal spike herself. Is that something hygienists aren't allowed to do in every state or is she just being old and picky?
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Oct 15, 2017 03:33
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Last time I had work done, it involved getting an inferior alveolar nerve block done by the hygienist and um, it didn't go so well. On top of getting some "shock", the injections themselves REALLY REALLY loving HURT. I'm no stranger to dental procedures but this was perhaps the most painful I've ever had. I wept afterwards. What I'm asking is, would it be considered offensive if next time I needed to be anesthetized, I ask for the doctor to do it instead?
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Oct 15, 2017 03:42
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The Skeleton King posted:Q: I read this article about fluoride and it says... What is the source if this anti-flouride movement? Growing up in California all I remember is hearing that for some reason the city of Santa Cruz opposed water flouridation, but that was like 25 years ago and I don't remember the reason and just assumed it was typical Santa Cruz hippy poo poo. Is there some bigger movement pushing this mentality, what is their agenda?
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Oct 15, 2017 12:54
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I'm a lazy rear end and I know that I should floss more, I've seen these water pick and air flossing machines out there that I think may making flossing less like a chore. What's your opinion on these and if you have any recommendation on which to get?
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Oct 15, 2017 15:27
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr2bSL5VQgM
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Oct 15, 2017 16:29
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symphoniccacophony posted:I'm a lazy rear end and I know that I should floss more, I've seen these water pick and air flossing machines out there that I think may making flossing less like a chore. I'm not the OP or a dentist but I got one of those water picks (some waterpik cordless variant) and it's changed my life. It's so nice to be able to blast out all the crap that settles in hard to floss places, and my teeth feel cleaner than they have in years.
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Oct 15, 2017 18:28
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Hobologist posted:My dentist in California insists on cleaning my teeth with the metal spike herself. Is that something hygienists aren't allowed to do in every state or is she just being old and picky? A metal spike? Like a sickle-scaler? Those are perfectly normal and used in all offices for removing calculus (the science word for hardened plaque) from the tooth surface above the gingival margin (where the tooth passes beneath the gumline). Lareine posted:Last time I had work done, it involved getting an inferior alveolar nerve block done by the hygienist and um, it didn't go so well. On top of getting some "shock", the injections themselves REALLY REALLY loving HURT. I'm no stranger to dental procedures but this was perhaps the most painful I've ever had. I wept afterwards. I don't think its offensive, though the person you are asking might. They must have really messed it up for it to hurt so bad. Also, here's a secret: a lot of dentists are more poorly trained in local anesthesia than the hygienists. Sadly most programs for both hygiene and dentistry don't put much priority on anesthesia. I'm lucky that the program I am in is putting a lot more time into practicing anesthesia than most. The Inferior Alveolar nerve block is a bitch of a block to do, by the way. Most people mess up on those once in a while simply because they are so easy to mess up due to anatomy making it tough. You will have a hard time finding anyone in the field who doesn't mess those up once in a while. Earwicker posted:What is the source if this anti-flouride movement? Growing up in California all I remember is hearing that for some reason the city of Santa Cruz opposed water flouridation, but that was like 25 years ago and I don't remember the reason and just assumed it was typical Santa Cruz hippy poo poo. Is there some bigger movement pushing this mentality, what is their agenda?
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Oct 15, 2017 21:38
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Lareine posted:Last time I had work done, it involved getting an inferior alveolar nerve block done by the hygienist and um, it didn't go so well. On top of getting some "shock", the injections themselves REALLY REALLY loving HURT. I'm no stranger to dental procedures but this was perhaps the most painful I've ever had. I wept afterwards. If you're nervous about it in the future, get nitrous oxide. It's wonderful and it wears off quickly, so it's not like sedation dentistry which is expensive and you'll be out of it for a day or so. I request it for any work when freezing takes place, because although I'm not overly anxious, I figure why the hell not make it a little bit more enjoyable for myself?
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Oct 15, 2017 22:51
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Why are floss picks inadequate compared to other kinds of floss? What's the best (most effective, least barfy) way to get the crap off the back of your tongue?
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Oct 15, 2017 23:51
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The Skeleton King posted:There's also water picks that are like tiny fir hoses that blast out the plaque under your gums. I still can't decide if buying a water pick is good or not? I thought about it, but upon research get "Dentists say water picks are a waste of money" thrown in with "Dentists love water picks!" So, as a studying professional, what is the verdict?
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Oct 16, 2017 00:44
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FWIW last month my dentist said "they're slightly better than nothing if you absolutely can't or won't floss your molars, but if you don't actually floss your molars then I'll be making money off you for years to come and water picks won't change that."
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Oct 16, 2017 00:47
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Eric the Mauve posted:FWIW last month my dentist said "they're slightly better than nothing if you absolutely can't or won't floss your molars, but if you don't actually floss your molars then I'll be making money off you for years to come and water picks won't change that." Ugh, I really need to use a water pick because I have a small mouth and somewhat crowded teeth and can never really get into between my back molars and especially my wisdom teeth (still got all 4 of 'em). And of course as a result of lovely dental hygiene flossing is quite painful and often results in bleeding so the water pick at least feels like I'm not torturing my mouth. I have been avoiding the dentist for 2 years now and finally set up an appointment and I'm terrified of what I'm going to find. My teeth don't hurt (unless I'm flossing them) and they look nowhere close to the Hellmouth above but my gums are definitely in trouble. 
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Oct 16, 2017 04:57
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Here's a mundane, vague question - I use an electric toothbrush with three modes that seem like the same movement at low/medium/high intensity. Is there any downside to just using the highest setting all the time, since that presumably gives the most vigorous brushing? It's not like I'm ripping my gums open every time. Slightly less mundane - where do extracted teeth end up? Great, now I've thought about dentists too much and I'm paranoid about cavities.
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Oct 16, 2017 09:35
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Related to the odor question: Could you tell if I went into the clinic that I just performed oral sex?
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Oct 16, 2017 11:53
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Earwicker posted:What is the source if this anti-flouride movement? There's 3 main mindsets against this, it's a perfect storm. It started in the cold war as fear of a communist plot (seriously, the Dr Strangelove clip) and government mind control device. This persists. Then there's the libertarian view of "the GOVERNMENT can't force me to drink MEDICINE" Then there's the god drat "toxins" neo-health idiot view. It's all these groups together. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_controversy
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Oct 16, 2017 13:04
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Scudworth posted:There's 3 main mindsets against this, it's a perfect storm. These groups comprise approximately 1%, 4% and 95%, respectively, of the anti-fluoride movement in the US. Mostly it's a weird alliance of Green Party supervegans and Christian private school/homeschool moms.
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Oct 16, 2017 14:58
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How do you respond to studies that suggest flossing actually does nothing? https://apnews.com/f7e66079d9ba4b4985d7af350619a9e3 quote:National Institutes of Health dentist Tim Iafolla acknowledged that if the highest standards of science were applied in keeping with the flossing reviews of the past decade, “then it would be appropriate to drop the floss guidelines.”
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Oct 16, 2017 16:55
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batmansdrawers posted:I still can't decide if buying a water pick is good or not? I thought about it, but upon research get "Dentists say water picks are a waste of money" thrown in with "Dentists love water picks!" They are drat good. You don't NEED to get one, as standard dental floss will do the job adequately, but water picks are really drat good.
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Oct 16, 2017 18:24
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Jiminy Christmas! Shoes! posted:How do you respond to studies that suggest flossing actually does nothing? Yeah I was in that Shmorkey thread saying floss and someone posted this. The way it reads is that there isn't any good/high volume studies done, not that it doesn't work at all.
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Oct 16, 2017 18:51
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The Skeleton King posted:They are drat good. You don't NEED to get one, as standard dental floss will do the job adequately, but water picks are really drat good. I add a small amount of mouthwash to the tank before power-washing between my teeth. It makes my gums feel extra fresh.
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Oct 16, 2017 19:02
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SamDabbers posted:I add a small amount of mouthwash to the tank before power-washing between my teeth. It makes my gums feel extra fresh. use ACT to get extra bonus govt levels of flouride
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Oct 16, 2017 19:09
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Burt Sexual posted:Yeah I was in that Shmorkey thread saying floss and someone posted this. The way it reads is that there isn't any good/high volume studies done, not that it doesn't work at all. Agreed. I can tell when a patient doesn't floss for long periods of time. Calculus builds if it is not disrupted, and flossing is how you disrupt it. A toothbrush cannot reach those critical areas between the teeth the way floss can.
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Oct 16, 2017 19:25
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uvar posted:Slightly less mundane - where do extracted teeth end up? I got my four wisdom teeth pulled last year and they let me keep em 
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Oct 17, 2017 02:10
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a while ago I switched from traditional floss to those little y-shaped floss pic things. I find them much easier to use. any reason thats a bad idea?
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Oct 17, 2017 10:28
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Jiminy Christmas! Shoes! posted:How do you respond to studies that suggest flossing actually does nothing? Yeah, that's bullshit. I know because I can tell you what happens when you DON'T floss. You get cavities between your loving teeth and they sometimes even need to drill through healthy tooth to reach the cavity properly. It loving sucks. I mean, what... they gonna argue that leaving food between your teeth to rot doesn't actually cause problems?
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Oct 17, 2017 12:38
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Lareine posted:Yeah, that's bullshit. I know because I can tell you what happens when you DON'T floss. You get cavities between your loving teeth and they sometimes even need to drill through healthy tooth to reach the cavity properly. It loving sucks. lazy? Earwicker posted:a while ago I switched from traditional floss to those little y-shaped floss pic things. I find them much easier to use. any reason thats a bad idea? its been argued here that youre using dirty floss over and over and spreading plaque around vs winding some fresh floss around your finger every few times. idk about that though.
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Oct 17, 2017 14:31
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I use thread floss, and I can't reach to the back of mouth. What's the best way to position my fingers so I can reach back there?
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Oct 17, 2017 17:31
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Burt Sexual posted:lazy? It's better than nothing, for sure. The importance of flossing isn't just to get rid of the plaque, but also to disrupt the process by which bacteria anchors to the tooth and invites all of its friends to build a colony with it (this is actually what it does and is the main reason for flossing so often). Most bacteria that is harmful to the tooth isn't able to attach on its own, and instead seeks out bacteria that is already there and attaches to them, building a colony of multiple bacterial species. This colony eventually traps calcium, which hardens the colony surface and makes it much harder to remove, like a barnacle. Flossing wipes the early colonists off of the tooth along with their friends and forces the colony to start over. Using fresh floss for every few teeth will help disrupt them further by removing some of it from the mouth entirely. Y picks are usually best when only used for one or two specific teeth that you have trouble reaching with your fingers. Yes, plaque is trying to put barnacles on your teeth. And it looks like barnacles too.
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Oct 17, 2017 20:46
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What are some good practices for care after teeth whitening? Assuming 35% hydrogen peroxide with trays
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Oct 18, 2017 12:23
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I was never taught about flossing when I was a kid, so I'm not really practiced with it and don't know much about it. That story about barnacles on your teeth sounds pretty scary though. Is flossing something I should be seriously concerned about? I've never had any issues with my teeth and dentists have never mentioned anything, although I've never mentioned my lack of flossing to them. I've tried flossing before, but I think my teeth might be too close together for it to be an easy thing to do.
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Oct 19, 2017 01:37
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Chatrapati posted:I was never taught about flossing when I was a kid, so I'm not really practiced with it and don't know much about it. That story about barnacles on your teeth sounds pretty scary though. Is flossing something I should be seriously concerned about? I've never had any issues with my teeth and dentists have never mentioned anything, although I've never mentioned my lack of flossing to them. Other than genetics, one thing to consider is your diet. If you have a clean diet (low in sugar and/or acidic foods) it could be why you haven't needed to floss up until now. Otherwise, flossing is pretty high on the list of good general health advice (the others being diet/exercise and don't smoke cigarettes).
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Oct 19, 2017 04:37
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