I’ve been guzzling Pepsi since I moved to California in 1987. It got steadily worse until, at the peak in 1992-96, I was drinking two or three two-liter jugs per day. This was not good for my teeth.
Along about 2004, I got on my wife’s really excellent dental insurance plan (thank you, California Teachers’ Association) and went to my boss’s dentist — a nice fellow with a nice office and an adjunct professorship at a nearby university. He fixed me up, repairing the large number of cavities I’d accumulated over the years (eleven).
Since then, no problems. The only dental work I’ve had done was going back to him to repair the fillings (for free) when they’d fall off. This happened once or twice a year, and I chalked it up to the fact that I use a Braun electronic toothbrush, which can be kind of hard on fillings.
Last month I went in to have yet another filling replaced, and he convinced me to get a cleaning while I was there (so he could charge my insurance for something, at least). At the time, he pointed out a couple of small divots high on my front teeth, saying we should “watch those.”
Well, throughout Boomershoot last week, I felt persistent and growing pressure on the left side of my head, pretty much like a sinus infection. I’ve gotten a lot of those this past year, all on the left side. Sinus infections run in my family, so I didn’t pay much attention. I usually let minor ones run their course, and they go away in a week or so.
On the way back from Boomershoot, this one started hurting more and more. By the day after I got home, my head was throbbing. Benadryl didn’t help. Tylenol Sinus didn’t help. Then I noticed another filling was gone. Poking the exposed cavity proved in no uncertain terms that this was the source of the pain.
Was Mr. Friend-of-the-Boss Dentist available? He was not — I could come in Saturday. I cast about for another dentist, picked the closest one to the office and went in to get the filling replaced. This new dentist pointed out that I had a total of FIVE cavities on the left side of my jaw, and those divots? They were cavities, too. Hell, I didn’t know any better.
New Dentist was only too happy to give me seven new fillings ($350 copay, ouch!) and a prescription for Tylenol with Codeine. She also pointed out that the sinus infection was clearly visible in my X-ray. Off I went to the doc for some antibiotics. I’m feeling much, much better now.
Here’s the thing: One of the aspects of the Friend-of-the-Boss (and now my Former) Dentist that I liked was that he was FAST. He runs his operation a bit like an assembly line. You’re in and out really quickly. No chit-chat, no handholding — just quick dental procedures. If I want to be charitable, I could say that in his haste he simply failed to notice the cavities a month ago when he cleaned my teeth.
He also built a new house recently, and has been bitching about the cost to my Boss and other friends.
So now I’m wondering, did he see the cavities during the cleaning a month ago, and decide to ignore them as long as I wasn’t complaining about them, in the hopes that he’d be able to charge more money for more work, and maybe get some kickbacks on a root canal referral or two?
I don’t know either way. What I do know is that I have no spleen, and he’s well aware of it. Splenectomy patients are at SERIOUS risk of death from certain types of infection for the rest of their lives. This bastard either negligently or intentionally let me walk out of his office with seven rotting sources of septic bacteria in my mouth. That shit may be a minor annoyance to most humans, but for me, with no spleen, it’s life-threatening.
No, I’m not going to sue him. But lesson learned — I don’t want my medical providers to be in a hurry, whether from overwork or from the profit motive.
Gee, aren’t there a couple of political candidates running around pushing health-care schemes that would swamp providers with a shitload of new patients?
Every time I hear one of these horror stories, I am so thankful I don’t have “real” teeth!
I come from a family with historically bad teeth, so by the time I was 18, there was no saving them and out they came. I’ve never regretted it. The only thing that’s difficult to deal with is stuff like gooey caramel and most gum. But hey – no dentists, no pain and they’re easily replaced (IF) they should break, and the cost is actually minimal when you look at the expense of lifelong dental work.
I know there are lots of people out there who want to save their real teeth at any cost, but you might give the faux choppers some thought considering the life threatening potential you could have on your hands.
And just to have a little fun with the guy – I think I’d at least mention legal action, just to see him ponder and squirm a bit …………. teehee
My teeth are fine now that the cavities are all filled up. They’ll be better once I quit Pepsi for good, which is something I intend to do this year.
But yeah, I’ve often wondered whether or not it’s possible to replace all of one’s teeth with dental implants that are impervious to decay or discoloration. No-maintenance teeth, in other words. Do we have the technology yet?
“I’ve often wondered whether or not it’s possible to replace all of one’s teeth with dental implants.”
Yep. Crowns, but they can pricey, especially if you want to do your whole mouth. And if they’re not installed correctly, you’re in for a re-do. Also, I’m not sure you can find a dentist who’d yank perfectly good teeth. Hippocratic oath and all that.
yeah, they actually do complete implant surgery in Hong Kong. The only sticker is that the cost is about $10K per tooth – plus the hospital costs because it takes about a week.
WOW, there is a little bit of a rush to judgement here!
Has anyone thought that the SECOND dentist might be the one who was actually doing the gouging? (Note that I said MIGHT, not was!)
From what was written, the first guy had no shot at it while the infection was present with symptoms. From a health provider viewpoint you are often better off using a “watchful waiting” attitude than rushing to do “something”, because that something may create a bigger problem.
We constantly have bacteria in our mouths, billions of them, which our bodies generally keep in pretty good check. Dental procedures screw that up, often giving direct access to our blood stream to those bacteria, when blood vessels in the mouth are damaged during the procedure. That is why people with no spleens, prostetic knees, prostetic heart valves, etc. are placed on prophylactic antibiotics prior to procedures in their mouths.
Cavities generally are not considered reason to place someone on antibiotics, but procedures generally are.
Small cavities may or may not progress, and it often makes more sense to leave them alone than drill an even bigger hole which then becomes an even bigger surface to potentially be attacked.
And those sinus infections that you typically let “run their course”, they are at least as great a risk as a dental infection. Think about it, the only thing between that sinus infection and your brain is a paper thin bone wall, the meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid. All it takes is letting it go a little too long, and that wall ruptures and POOF, immediate infection of the meninges and brain, otherwise called meningitis! Talk about life threatening! Now, that said, actual rupture of a sinus is VERY rare, but other complications aren’t, and are at least as dangerous as a dental infection!
Finally, root canals are complications of damage to teeth, not necessarily just cavities. I have 7 root canals, not a single caused by a cavity. They were all due to the roots dying from shock, two in car accidents, the remainder in sports injuries when I got hit in the mouth in basketball, baseball, or similar situations.
The dentist makes his living doing procedures, remember, so skipping easy to do cavities, which pay well, (remember your copay!) in hopes of a referral fee for a root canal is a stretch, not to mention that referral kickbacks are illegal.
Finally, I’m not saying the first guy didn’t screw up, but I’m not saying he did, either. I’m not saying the second didn’t screw up, but I’m not saying she did, either.
I’m just trying to point out that there is more than the immediately obvious problem!
I agree with BWAITES.
Get another opinion before letting the new guy go crazy.
Pingback: Dentist Visit «