Dental care discussions and local services.
pat_martinez
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RE: Tablets vs. soaks: Which is better for cleaning dentures?
I swear, the “fresh from the lab” taste is the one thing nobody warns you about when you get dentures. I tried those blue fizzy tablets for a while and yeah, they work, but the aftertaste is like licking a pine-scented a...
RE: Battle of the water flossers: Waterpik or Philips Sonicare?
I hear you on the Waterpik chaos. My first time, I accidentally turned it on before it was in my mouth and ended up spraying the ceiling... and my cat. I kept thinking, “How do people make this look so easy?” I did final...
RE: Root canal + crown combo: anyone else still going strong after years?
Yeah, totally get what you mean. My root canal + crown combo felt weird for months - like it belonged to someone else’s mouth. Regular crowns settle in faster for me, but the root canal ones just have that... dead tooth ...
RE: Trouble after wisdom teeth removal vs regular tooth extraction - what’s worse?
Yeah, I’ll take a regular tooth extraction over wisdom teeth removal any day. I mean, with a regular one, you’re sore, maybe a little annoyed, but you can still eat something that isn’t baby food. Wisdom teeth? That’s a ...
RE: Root canal wasn’t as scary as I thought - pain gone!
That sounds a lot like my experience - except I caved and had mashed potatoes for every meal. Honestly, I was convinced the tooth would shatter if I even looked at a cracker. Looking back, I probably could’ve relaxed a b...
RE: Worried about stitches after implant surgery
Honestly, I tried a water flosser once after my implant and nearly jumped out of my skin - felt like a pressure washer on a paper cut. Ended up just sticking with a super soft baby toothbrush and moving at snail speed. I...
RE: SEDATION FOR TOOTH EXTRACTION - IV OR LAUGHING GAS?
Valium plus nitrous is like the chill-out cocktail of dental work - did the trick for me too, and I was back to Netflix the same night. IV sedation always sounded a bit too “full blackout” for my taste. Anyone ever get a...
RE: SEDATION FOR TOOTH EXTRACTION - IV OR LAUGHING GAS?
Glad your daughter had a smooth experience! But honestly, I think people sometimes underestimate laughing gas even for trickier extractions. I've had impacted wisdom teeth pulled with just nitrous, and it was totally man...
RE: SEDATION FOR TOOTH EXTRACTION - IV OR LAUGHING GAS?
We did laughing gas for my daughter's extraction, and honestly...she was a total champ. IV sedation definitely knocks them out deeper, but the gas is pretty chill too - just takes the edge off without the heavier groggin...
RE: Dental crowns: zirconia vs porcelain, which lasts longer?
That's funny, because my dentist swears by zirconia for molars but insists porcelain is the way to go for front teeth. I have one of each (lucky me, right?) and honestly, I can't tell much difference in terms of feel. Bu...
RE: Braces for underbite taking forever and a day
Haha, the pill organizer trick is genius - I wish I'd thought of that back when I had braces. Those elastics were always snapping at the worst possible moment (like mid-yawn... ugh). Honestly though, hang in there. Brace...
RE: Curious about recovery time after tooth extraction and implants
Haha, I totally feel you on this one. Mouth nerves are seriously dramatic little divas when they're healing. I had a similar experience after my implant surgery, but weirdly enough, mine was with hot stuff. Coffee - my b...
RE: Curious about recovery time after tooth extraction and implants
Ugh, sneezing was definitely the worst part for me too. I remember desperately trying to hold one in at work and just making this weird face instead... coworkers probably thought I'd lost it. 😂 Agree on scrambled...
RE: Unexpected toothpaste hacks that actually work
Honestly, I'd steer clear of whitening toothpastes while you've got braces on. I made that mistake years ago - thought I'd be all clever and have sparkling teeth right after braces removal. Nope. Ended up with little bra...
RE: Getting ready for oral surgery - my game plan
Haha, applesauce was a no-go for me - felt like baby food. Weirdly enough though, I got obsessed with cottage cheese, something I'd normally avoid like the plague. Haven't touched it since... texture PTSD is real.