ThatDamnPanda
Junior member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2023
- Messages
- 7
- Location
- Georgia, USA
Whew. Just got back from my appointment. It went amazingly well, considering what I've been dreading.
Long story so
sorry
A little background: My previous practice I went to was horrible. My first visit was great, perio numbers were 2&3s (with an occasional 4 on the bottom wisdom teeth), radiographs good, went home. 2 months later, I was flossing and a chunk of tooth flies right out. So I go back to the dentist, and this time they send me to a new one. Dentist looks at the old radiographs for a moment and says "Huh. I wouldn't have seen that either unless I was specifically looking for it." Well okay fine. (they used old fashioned film images so, I'm pretty sure digital would have shown better...)
I come back 4 months later for my cleaning. The hygienist there starts with mapping my numbers and holy crap was it painful, she was jamming and stabbing under my gums, and giving me numbers like 8&9s and told me I have significant bone loss and periodontal disease and would need an SRP and Arrestin, and that my insurance wouldn't cover it. Well be being phobic already, I agreed and got it all done. I see the dentist, he said I have 2 cavities that need to get filled. So he schedules me for a few weeks later. I get there for my appointment, he looks at the radiographs they took then my teeth, and is bewildered as to why I'm marked for 2 fillings since he can only see 1 that needs to be done. After getting it filled, he also wanted me to get my bottom wisdom teeth extracted because I've "Already got a filling in one of them" and clearly wasn't good at keeping it clean (mind you that filling was from 8 years prior and the other 4 teeth are in perfect shape)
Well, 5 months later. I was chewing some toffee and suddenly felt a hole in my tooth.......it was the other tooth that was originally supposed to be done which the dentist said I didn't need doing. So I go to another practice for an emergency exam and long story short, I ended up needing a crown on that tooth because it was so badly decayed under the enamel that a regular filling would likely have failed.
I went to my next appointment with the new dentist who did my crown and when I did my perio numbers they were 2&3s across the board, I asked about the deep-cleaning I got at the other practice and the dentist literally said, "You don't have periodontitis or even gingivitis, your gums are healthy and pink and there was no reason you would have needed that, the hygienist had no business diagnosing you with that." On top of that... I find out that my insurance DOES in fact cover SRP and that the other practice just didn't want to go through insurance so they could get the money right away and without the contracted rate. So they absolutely scammed me. Oh and my wisdom teeth are doing perfectly fine.
Today
I missed my 6month appointment last year due to covid which I got 5 days prior to my appointment (admittedly I was both 'happy' and annoyed at this) since it meant I could put off going to the dentist for a bit longer
Unfortunately when I recovered from covid after 2 weeks (required a negative test to go back to work since I'm in healthcare), I get better, go back to work and do ONE SHIFT... the next day I feel sick again and lo' and behold, it rebounded, so I got sick again with covid and this time I took 3 weeks to test negative (so I've literally lost a month of pay since my job doesn't offer sick pay)
Anyways, I figured as last 2 times I had to go to the dentist, it was quite costly; needed a crown, then a filling and then inlay. So I kept pushing my appointment back a few months until I could make up the month of pay I didn't get, just in case I had to pay dental bills. 3 months turned into 4, then into 6 before I finally pushes myself to go. (to be fair, I did want to start the new year off fresh to build it towards my yearly deductible, early rather than later)
Despite having to drug myself (clonozepam) to go to the dentist, and it was clear I was having an internal minor panic attack, even though I was masking it well; (BP was 188/96 and my heart rate was 132). Everything came out clear, got compliments from the hygienist for being a great flosser. Only thing the dentist noted was some of my old composite fillings (20some years old) are starting to wear down a little, so they'll likely have to be re-done sometime in the future.
Only curious thing is they didn't do my perio mapping this time, only thing I could assume is that the hygienist was using an explorer along my gumline and didn't feel the need to map them?
. So for the next 6 months I'm stress free. Of course I going to keep up my oral hygiene regimen like my life depends on it, since I'm obviously doing something right!
Current regimen
Morning: Antiseptic Mouthwash, Brush with n-Ha toothpaste (Always at least 2 minutes and never rinse!)
Afternoon: Rubber dental picks after meals
Night: Dental pick, floss, Brush, intradental brushes. Wait 30+minutes, fluoride mouthwash), then right before bed, antiseptic mouthwash if needed.
Long story so
sorryA little background: My previous practice I went to was horrible. My first visit was great, perio numbers were 2&3s (with an occasional 4 on the bottom wisdom teeth), radiographs good, went home. 2 months later, I was flossing and a chunk of tooth flies right out. So I go back to the dentist, and this time they send me to a new one. Dentist looks at the old radiographs for a moment and says "Huh. I wouldn't have seen that either unless I was specifically looking for it." Well okay fine. (they used old fashioned film images so, I'm pretty sure digital would have shown better...)
I come back 4 months later for my cleaning. The hygienist there starts with mapping my numbers and holy crap was it painful, she was jamming and stabbing under my gums, and giving me numbers like 8&9s and told me I have significant bone loss and periodontal disease and would need an SRP and Arrestin, and that my insurance wouldn't cover it. Well be being phobic already, I agreed and got it all done. I see the dentist, he said I have 2 cavities that need to get filled. So he schedules me for a few weeks later. I get there for my appointment, he looks at the radiographs they took then my teeth, and is bewildered as to why I'm marked for 2 fillings since he can only see 1 that needs to be done. After getting it filled, he also wanted me to get my bottom wisdom teeth extracted because I've "Already got a filling in one of them" and clearly wasn't good at keeping it clean (mind you that filling was from 8 years prior and the other 4 teeth are in perfect shape)
Well, 5 months later. I was chewing some toffee and suddenly felt a hole in my tooth.......it was the other tooth that was originally supposed to be done which the dentist said I didn't need doing. So I go to another practice for an emergency exam and long story short, I ended up needing a crown on that tooth because it was so badly decayed under the enamel that a regular filling would likely have failed.
I went to my next appointment with the new dentist who did my crown and when I did my perio numbers they were 2&3s across the board, I asked about the deep-cleaning I got at the other practice and the dentist literally said, "You don't have periodontitis or even gingivitis, your gums are healthy and pink and there was no reason you would have needed that, the hygienist had no business diagnosing you with that." On top of that... I find out that my insurance DOES in fact cover SRP and that the other practice just didn't want to go through insurance so they could get the money right away and without the contracted rate. So they absolutely scammed me. Oh and my wisdom teeth are doing perfectly fine.
Today
I missed my 6month appointment last year due to covid which I got 5 days prior to my appointment (admittedly I was both 'happy' and annoyed at this) since it meant I could put off going to the dentist for a bit longer
Unfortunately when I recovered from covid after 2 weeks (required a negative test to go back to work since I'm in healthcare), I get better, go back to work and do ONE SHIFT... the next day I feel sick again and lo' and behold, it rebounded, so I got sick again with covid and this time I took 3 weeks to test negative (so I've literally lost a month of pay since my job doesn't offer sick pay)Anyways, I figured as last 2 times I had to go to the dentist, it was quite costly; needed a crown, then a filling and then inlay. So I kept pushing my appointment back a few months until I could make up the month of pay I didn't get, just in case I had to pay dental bills. 3 months turned into 4, then into 6 before I finally pushes myself to go. (to be fair, I did want to start the new year off fresh to build it towards my yearly deductible, early rather than later)
Despite having to drug myself (clonozepam) to go to the dentist, and it was clear I was having an internal minor panic attack, even though I was masking it well; (BP was 188/96 and my heart rate was 132). Everything came out clear, got compliments from the hygienist for being a great flosser. Only thing the dentist noted was some of my old composite fillings (20some years old) are starting to wear down a little, so they'll likely have to be re-done sometime in the future.
Only curious thing is they didn't do my perio mapping this time, only thing I could assume is that the hygienist was using an explorer along my gumline and didn't feel the need to map them?
. So for the next 6 months I'm stress free. Of course I going to keep up my oral hygiene regimen like my life depends on it, since I'm obviously doing something right!Current regimen
Morning: Antiseptic Mouthwash, Brush with n-Ha toothpaste (Always at least 2 minutes and never rinse!)
Afternoon: Rubber dental picks after meals
Night: Dental pick, floss, Brush, intradental brushes. Wait 30+minutes, fluoride mouthwash), then right before bed, antiseptic mouthwash if needed.
