Someone buy that reporter a 50 cent ruler, and an instruction manual to go along with it.

Posted by: Jack on September 26, 2002 08:20 PM

 

Why not promote dental hygiene instead of coming up with ways of allowing us to replace our teeth every 5 years?

Posted by: Mac on September 27, 2002 09:43 AM

 

There are too many children who go completely without dental care. If I had such a childhood, as an adult I would gladly welcome being able to undue that damage.

Myself, I have plenty of metal fillings because my teeth were never sealed as a kid and my doctor didn't use ceramic fillings. Metal fillings have the potential side-effect of eventually causing cracks in your teeth. I got a crown last month for exactly this reason. I would have loved an alternative solution of growing a new tooth instead of merely bandaging a messy situation.

(In short, my parents were taking me to a dentist who was not following or using the latest technology. He was at least 10 years behind the times.)

Posted by: Jack on September 27, 2002 10:10 AM

 

Jack, I'm in the same boat. I always get compliments on my teeth, but one of my molars has a fine crack in it. Plus, I'm sick of looking at the filling. I'd definitely replace the tooth if I could.

Plus, talk about the potential for white teeth!

What is interesting about promoting dental hygiene is the usability angle of it: when I was a kid, it was just drilled into our heads (no pun intended) that we HAD to do this, HAD to do that. Nowadays, they make fun toothbrushes, encourage kids to chew sugarless gum, and arrange rewards for brushing teeth regularly. This is a much more attractive program, and is meeting with more success.

The reason I have good dental hygiene now is mainly due to my sister, who needed braces and wore one of those scary headgear things for part of the day.

Posted by: Lydia on September 27, 2002 02:03 PM

 

My dentist did something while I was getting a filling when I was about 18 that he should have done on Day One. He handed me a mirror so I could watch him drilling a hole in my tooth. Boy did that scare the fajitas out of me.

Posted by: Jack on September 27, 2002 03:22 PM

 

I had no cavities until I became pregnant with my children. Despite drinking lots of milk, brushing and flossing, and taking pre-natal vitamins, I got cavities. My mother had the same thing happen to her when she was pregnant. Dental hygiene may not be the only indicator of tooth health; heredity may play a part.

My cavities have metal fillings. Thanks to Jack, I now know I have to worry about the fillings cracking my teeth. Still, I have to say that I'd prefer metal fillings to a live tooth grown in "blood-rich tissue near the rats' intestines".

Posted by: jan on September 30, 2002 12:03 PM

 

Ceramic fillings bond with your tooth, so it's like they're part of your tooth. Talk to your dentist (if he does ceramic). I bet he recommends eventual removal of the metal fillings. During your first visit where he assesses your mouth he should also be using a mouth cam hooked to a TV screen that gives him/her a close-up view of each tooth. If he's particularly savvy, he'll print out a color copy for your file.

Posted by: on September 30, 2002 12:24 PM