Storytime: Dental Update 🦷🪥 

You are a good story teller. Sorry about that stress/pressure 😩. Everything to God in prayer.

Hi Boitumelo 🌻 I just had to respond to this story. So I am a dentist and I think there are some things in your story that many people feel like they can relate which adds to some people having dental phobia. I just wanted to try to explain some of the possible reasons why somethings went the way they did ❤. First point, you noted that you had the filling done while you were younger. Fillings typically have a lifespan of between 7 to 15 years , this life span is determined by a number of factors such as how often you brush ,diet ( especially if you are someone who enjoys eating hard things like chewing ice or bones). Because fillings typically don’t last a life time ( unless you had a crown those usually last for life because they’re made of strong material) this is why we say you have to pay a visit to the dentist every 6 months so that any leaked or cracks in fillings can be addressed before it causes pain. Unfortunately it’s highly unlikely that the cleaning done before you left was the cause of the filling breaking, it was mostly likely fractured from the wear and tear of everyday life. Another point dentistry has to have an appointment schedule. There are procedures that cannot be done walk-in. This is because we need to prepare materials, and call labs if you’re doing external work like veneers. Most clinics do allow walk-in but unfortunately you will have to wait for those with appointments to be seen. The other point is just to remember a dental cavity takes about 4 years before it starts causing pain but in those 4 years the cavity is still there, in 4 years a lot of damage can happen to a tooth causing it to break which is normal. Some broken teeth can be taken out but some we decide to place a medicine around and ask for yoh to return in a week , the medicine helps remove any infection around the tooth and softens the bone around making it easier to extract. So one reason your last extraction went so well was because the tooth and been softened already from the previous visit. Also we cannot down play the importance of psychology in dentistry. One thing about patients seeking dental treatment is that they’re most likely in pain by the time they come to us and we all know that when we’re in pain or just not feeling well we’re extra cranky, extra irritable and in general not our best selves. It is important to find a clinician who you are comfortable with someone who makes you feel at ease, never forget a patients you have the right to refuse treatment and get a second opinion. I’m happy that the second doctor you went to have you a much more pleasant experience but also try to relax before going to the dentist, try not to come in with an me against you mindset cause at the end of the day we all have to work together. I want to help you keep your beautiful pearly whites and I need you to be comfortable and calm enough for me to help you as best as I can. Last point of my 5 page thesis 😂😂. Guys even if you do not have medical aid please get a dental checkup every six months. You can go to your local clinic many of which offer a wide variety of treatments not just extraction. I’m based in guateng and I know our district does fillings, cleanings and we make false teeth for pensioners and school children who need. Please use us , please come to our facilities, a dental check up is not just to prevent infection or pain . We are firstly doctors and there are alot of things we can learn about your health just by looking in the mouth, things like oral cancers, anaemia and believe it or not some of the early signs of HIV can also been seen from looking at your mouth. Okay sorry for the long … long message but I just wanted to give some answers so that people can learn a little more about dentistry.