[TMA] Dental hygiene

[GiDiYi]

Introducing statement: I am dentophobic (I made that word up). What I want to say is that my worst fears in life evolve around the thought of visiting a dentist. Because of that, I haven't been to one in more than 20 years. I very much intend to keep it that way.

Now to the point:

Because of my above posted fear I am rather obsessed with my teeth and their state of cleanness. Whenever I can I brush my teeth after eating, I regularly use dental floss and I gargle dental fluid at least once a day.

Now comes the but:

But, I am a rather heavy smoker (about a pack a day) and I pour coffee in cans during the day. Therefore my lower front teeth are picking up a bit of a brownish color. Not much, really, but way enough to annoy me.

Therefore I need your advice:

What do to keep teeth white?

Only nonoption: DENTIST!

Possible options: Sulfuric acids, white wall paint, nuclear toothpaste, anything that gets the job done.

TIA.

[Daneel Trevize]

If the only non-option is the dentist: give up the smoking and coffee. Will do wonders for your whole self, not just the teeth.

[GiDiYi]

Damnit, I knew I had forgotten something.

I know that you are correct, but it's fun.

[SAI Peregrinus]

There are whitening toothpastes and whitening kits out there. You can bleach your teeth with one.

[Fara]

yeah theres some withening paste especially for smoker to keep it white and shiney.

[Aurora148]

don't use a home whiting kit, if you fuck it up you will have to go to a dentist

whitening toothpaste is just about your only option, other than conquering your fear.

[Tellenta]

You could man the fuck up and overcome your fear. Sadly it is going to hurt the first visit to the dentist most probably. I went on an almost ten year period of not going to the dentist simply because I didn't think about it, then I chipped a tooth. fixing the tooth didn't hurt, but the initial cleaning did because they needed to do the dental equivalent of a deep cleaning. They however only needed to do that once, and all followups have been just quick cheap cleanings.

The question you have to ask yourself is whether you wish to have dentures when you get older. If you really do desire dentures then by all means continue what you are doing. If you want to keep your teeth, well then man the fuck up. If you can manage it find one with a hot dentist so you can stare at her tits while she cleans your filthy mouth.

[GiDiYi]

...but the initial cleaning did because they needed to do the dental equivalent of a deep cleaning.

Well, shit. I think it might have been a mistake to make the thread. Brb, curling up in a fetal position in my panic room.

My father is well above 70 years and I never had any second thoughts about his teeth. Then, one day, I realised that his teeth had basically begun to shine when you switched the light off.

Turns out, he had a complete makeover and his new teeth are all implants that get literally screwed into the bone of the jaw like a screw. The shivers, they won't stop.

[Tellenta]

...but the initial cleaning did because they needed to do the dental equivalent of a deep cleaning.

Well, shit. I think it might have been a mistake to make the thread. Brb, curling up in a fetal position in my panic room.

My father is well above 70 years and I never had any second thoughts about his teeth. Then, one day, I realised that his teeth had basically begun to shine when you switched the light off.

Turns out, he had a complete makeover and his new teeth are all implants that get literally screwed into the bone of the jaw like a screw. The shivers, they won't stop.

If you don't want screw in teeth go to a dentist once every 6 months or so. If you want your nightmare to come true continue doing what you are doing. This is one case where avoiding mild unpleasantness almost invariably leads to an even greater unpleasantness. Going to the dentist most of the time doesn't hurt, and when it does it really isn't that bad. Contrast that with the pain you'll feel when you most likely will need bad teeth torn from your mouth and false teeth screwed in to your skull... well you can see the better option.

edit: for example I had to get a massive filling from a cavity that developed when I was slacking off going to the dentist. I had pain for maybe half a second while the dentist was prepping for the filling. What I found more annoying was the local anesthetic trying to drink anything when you have no feeling in your cheeks or lips is hilarious.... for other people to watch.

[Aurora148]

A dentist will not judge you if you bring somebody along to support you (a SO, mum, ect), if you mention to the dentist that you have a phobia then they will help you through it.

[Al Simmons]

don't use a home whiting kit, if you fuck it up you will have to go to a dentist

Really? I bought one of those cos i'm way too lazy about brushing my teeth and they are yellow as fuck. I haven't used it yet because the process with mixing the two pastes seems a bit involved and tricky, but how badly could you fuck it up? You just shape the molds to your teeth like you used to do with mouthguards for school rugby, and put some paste in them and bite down and leave it for 5 minutes or something.

[Aurora148]

don't use a home whiting kit, if you fuck it up you will have to go to a dentist

Really? I bought one of those cos i'm way too lazy about brushing my teeth and they are yellow as fuck. I haven't used it yet because the process with mixing the two pastes seems a bit involved and tricky, but how badly could you fuck it up? You just shape the molds to your teeth like you used to do with mouthguards for school rugby, and put some paste in them and bite down and leave it for 5 minutes or something.

As they are unregulated some of the brands include much higher concentrations of bleach than is required, if you apply it wrong and get it on your gums then it can cause burns which lead to bad abscesses/infections.

[Rans]

I'm one of those people who brush/use floss/use dental wash/visit dentists regularly and I still have to pour money into them every year. My dentist say that it's genetic, my teeth are just weak and they crack. fml

My dentist would laugh at me if I brought someone to support me, he laughed when I asked for more anaesthetic.

[Varcaus]

I fucking hate the dentist so damn much BUT I can stand the dentist more that cracked/broken/holed teeth fuck that. Go man not going gets nasty shit going on in your mouth.

[indi]

Here there are dentists who specialize in the treatment of patients with (phobia type) fear. You might want to check into that, GiDiYi. They tend to be a lot more focused on decent 'bedside manner', explain what they're going to do and might sedate you for even simple procedures. I've heard good stuff about them; there are a lot of people like you out there.

I think your only other option is the toothpaste. Some of the real bleach - I've heard, I don't KNOW this, but it doesn't sound far fetched - can cause actual damage to your teeth. Well, and you could stop smoking of course.

[Hast]

I went to the dentist for the first time in ten years a month ago, due to the same reasons as you. I was careful when selecting my dentist and even though I had to extract a wisdom tooth and fill a cavity in the worst place possible the end result was worth it. It wasn't actually *that* bad, and it feels much better now. I can eat a piece of chocolate without worrying about getting chocolate next to a tooth that would make me go into the foetal position.

[Helen]

Going to go see a Dentist next week after 6 years of putting it off due to this thread and the horror stories of screw in teeth...

[bundus]

Screw in teeth sound cool tbh

[Mynxee]

Here there are dentists who specialize in the treatment of patients with (phobia type) fear. You might want to check into that, GiDiYi. They tend to be a lot more focused on decent 'bedside manner', explain what they're going to do and might sedate you for even simple procedures. I've heard good stuff about them; there are a lot of people like you out there.

I think your only other option is the toothpaste. Some of the real bleach - I've heard, I don't KNOW this, but it doesn't sound far fetched - can cause actual damage to your teeth. Well, and you could stop smoking of course.

There are also dentists who specialize in sedation dentistry so you take a nice nap, they do their thing, you feel nothing, and wake up with improved dental health. Worth it if you are that fearful, because fear will magnify everything by 10x and there's no point suffering through that. I used to be pretty uptight about dentists thanks to an extremely painful experience when I was 7 or so thanks to a sadistic old fuck of a dentist who didn't believe in administering novocaine to drill out cavities and fill teeth. I only got over it in my mid 30s after finding a dentist who was extremely considerate and fear-aware. I found him because when I was calling around to dentists I just straight up told them I was terrified and what was their approach with people like that. When I found one who gave me what sounded like a sympathetic and accommodating answer, that's who I made the appointment with and it worked out great. Was very sorry when that guy retired.

As for teeth whiteners, I thought the active agent was peroxide, not bleach. That's what is in the very effective kit my dentist sold to me...which cost like $500 (only found out later that my fucking shit insurance woudn't pay for it *grumble*). But the cost included custom-molded dams for tops and bottoms to put the paste in, which then get worn overnight, every night for two weeks. It works well. My teeth always feel really weird the next day...dried out, essentially...dentist said that was normal; they rehydrate during the day. The kit came with a lot of the whitening paste; I use the kit fairly regularly; yet two years later still have a full tube of the stuff. I assume I can use OTC paste when I run out of the kit stuff. Anyway, no ill effects it seems...just whiter teeth.

[Fourfingers frankie]

Recently got my teether whitened by laser. Cost £65 and was noticeably better. I dont look like Simon Cowell but was worth the money. Doesn't hurt, just uncomfortable and was 4 15 minute treatments in the same two hour period.