ladyofthelake

...that English people have bad teeth. Sorry

Last week I went to a newly opened dentist coz he's closer to home, and my kids hated the last bloke we saw.
So, the first thing he said to me was......... I need jaw surgery :scared:
I have a really bad overbite, no news there, I've always had it. But apparently it's causing me to grind my teeth at night and they are literally being worn away.

Went to the orthodontist today, and he said the same thing. Braces, jaw surgery and more braces. :scared: :scared: WTF!!??

Has anyone else had extreme procedures recommended or done on their teeth? I do get the impression this is more of a necessity than the 'lets just give you the perfect american smile' attitude you might get. I'm just crapping myself about the thought of surgery, not to mention the cost of it all if the insurance won't cover part of it.

Still, looking on the bright side, I don't have any cavities.

Irn-bru

always feel they scam you more over here. so have any work done when I go back to UK as they still have my last address and if I go every 2yrs they won't 'cancel' me out of their patient list.

Kate2112

Have they suggested that you try using a mouthguard at night? That would be the first thing to try before surgery, which is a bit drastic as a first solution. Are you having headaches in the morning? is your jaw sore from teeth grinding? If not then it may not be as severe or serious a problem as they suggest. Get another opinion from a specialist in this area.

Elvira

Both my sons have the same problem, and both were told that they need orthognathic surgery. One son may decide to have it (he is currently undergoing preparatory orthodontic treatment), the other son said no thanks.

As an adult, the issues may be different though. I don't know what age you are, but if you are (say) 40ish and do not have any cavities, I would ask myself whether such drastic surgery is really necessary. Anyway, here is a discussion forum which may be of interest to you:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group...urgerysupport/

BTW, would your insurance cover the cost? It is mega-expensive. Our previous insurers considered the treatment cosmetic and refused. We had to switch to a different insurer solely for this reason, which is a real bore.

If you do decide to go ahead, make sure you investigate your surgeon's track-record.

gruffbrown

She wants her teeth done, not an egg and spoon race.

Elvira

And what do you want, Sweetheart?

cinnabar

I had a root canal done back in England years ago; it's never caused me any bother, but my US dentist is obsessed with it. He's forever x-raying it, convinced it's going to explode or something. Even though there's nothing wrong with it, he really wants to give it a "do-over" so he can be sure it's been done properly.

That's stupid enough in itself, but he wouldn't even be the one doing the job: they farm it all out here, and "ordinary" dentists aren't allowed to do fancy stuff like root canals - for those, you have to be be referred to a dental "surgeon" (which is what ALL dentists are in England anyway).

When I first got here, they gave me a list of all the stuff they'd like to do to my teeth; it wasn't life or death stuff, just what they'd do if they had free rein and I had unlimited funds (health insurance barely covers check ups, never mind fillings. It certainly doesn't extend to cosmetic madness). The whole lot came to $7,000.

Yeah, right.

Women here with no insurance have to have their babies at home with no medical supervision. But it's of vital national importance that our teeth look gorgeous.

gruffbrown

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.

gruffbrown

Is anyone going to own up to using whitening strips, gotta love sucking on that Hydrogen Peroxide

Elvira

I had exactly the same experience when I first came over. $7000 seems to be the magic figure they quote to newbies - perhaps not quite enough to be considered outrageous, but enough to make it worthwhile for them to line their pockets...

Elvira

What have you been up to to be concerned about those two lovely little biters then?

Irn-bru

well at least your intestines will be sparkling then

ladyofthelake

It has been suggested in the past to use a mouthguard, I just never got around to getting one.
If I tell you that I can still easily touch the roof of my mouth behind my incisors when I bite together, it may help show how serious it is. Also, because my teeth have worn away, my front incisors are now rubbing on the roof of my mouth. Jesus, I sound like a complete freakazoid

If the insurance views it as just comestic, then I won't be having it done.

gruffbrown

You never see a poor Dentist, without it sounding like an Anti-America gripe, perfect teeth does seem to be a national obsession.

Irn-bru

If you are in pain or discomfort from it then I don't see how it could be cosmetic and your insurance should pay for it? But if you are happy with your smile then tell them to shove it