Dental care discussions and local services.
daniel_smith
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RE: Why is brushing teeth with kids like herding cats?
We tried the disclosing tablets with my twins when they were five. At first, they thought it was hilarious - purple teeth everywhere. It actually made them more interested in brushing, at least for a while. Didn’t freak ...
RE: How soft is too soft for toothbrush bristles?
I get the concern about brushing too hard - my dentist’s warned me about it too. But honestly, I tried one of those extra soft “marshmallow” brushes for a few months and felt like I was just massaging my gums, not actual...
RE: Electric vs. manual toothbrushes for kids - what’s actually better?
That’s interesting - my son was the opposite at first. He thought the buzzing was “weird” and spent more time goofing off than actually brushing. It took a couple weeks, but once he got used to it, I noticed fewer missed...
RE: BRACES HURT WAY MORE THAN I EXPECTED... WHAT HELPS?
That “starting over” feeling is so real. I honestly didn’t expect the pain to reset every time I got them tightened. My first week, I thought I could handle some toast - big mistake. Ended up chewing on the left side onl...
RE: Tooth Knocked Out At Playground - What Would You Do?
Totally get the worry about messing it up - honestly, I’ve hesitated too. A few years back, my nephew knocked out his front tooth at a picnic. The advice was to put it back in, but none of us felt confident, and he was a...
RE: Why is it so hard to get consistent aftercare for a chipped tooth?
This is exactly what gets me too. I chipped a molar last year (bit down on a popcorn kernel, classic), and even as an adult, I kept second-guessing every twinge or weird sensation. My dentist just said “keep an eye on it...
RE: ADJUSTING TO A MOUTH FULL OF NEW HARDWARE: A DAILY TALE
That’s exactly what I’ve been doing - unscented soap and a soft brush. At first I was super paranoid about scratching the trays, but honestly, they still look fine after a few months. The minty-clean feeling is the one t...
RE: SHIFTING YOUR SMILE CENTER: WHO'S USING ELASTICS VS. SPRINGS?
I totally get the “trapped” feeling - my daughter had coil springs and it was like she couldn’t ever relax her jaw. She hated that there was no way to take a break, even for a minute. Honestly, elastics are annoying to r...
RE: Tackling decay in 13 teeth
I switched to stannous fluoride too, but honestly, I didn’t see a huge change at first. Maybe I was expecting an overnight fix, but it was more like a slow fade of that sharp cold pain. The straw thing is a struggle for ...
RE: Root canal retreatment: single visit or split into two?
Yeah, I’m with you on this one. I tried the all-in-one approach once and it was just... too much. My jaw was sore for days, and honestly, I started getting anxious halfway through because I couldn’t stop thinking about h...
RE: Making the switch: how I use my water flosser (and where I still mess up)
I get what you mean about the water flosser, but I’m still on the fence about whether it really replaces regular floss. My dentist keeps telling me it’s more of an add-on than a swap, especially for tight spots. I tried ...
RE: Chewing Gum That Actually Works For Gross Breath?
I actually found the opposite - swishing water and using those little brushes helped a bit, but for me, certain foods made things way worse. Garlic and onions are the obvious culprits, but even stuff like peanut butter o...
RE: Best way to get the most out of fluoride: paste or rinse first?
That chalky feeling drives me nuts too. I used to think maybe I wasn’t rinsing enough, but then my hygienist told me it’s actually better to spit and not rinse at all, so the fluoride stays on your teeth longer. I get wh...
RE: Braces day jitters: did anyone else feel like a cyborg?
I gave those silicone covers a shot during my first month - mostly because the ortho handed me a sample and I figured, why not? For me, they just never stayed put. I’d be mid-sentence and suddenly realize one had gone AW...
RE: Where do you go first in a dental crisis - ER, urgent care, or straight to your dentist?
That sounds really stressful. I had something similar with my son a couple years ago - woke up to his face all puffy and he was drooling, couldn’t really talk. Our dentist’s office was closed (of course, it was a weekend...