Well, it might be a good advertisement for the dentist: "My client likes me so much, he doesn't want to leave, ever!"
Can you trust your dentist?
- Thread starter Protimenow
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
slipkid
Well-known member
They converted an exam room into an apartment for me. So yeah, I live there now. I have a crush on my hygienist who is very cool so this has given me more opportunity to get to know her!
perrybucsdad
Well-known member
Not much to add that others haven't already said, but I have only had to have one tooth extracted since my heart valve in 1997 (thankfully). Apparently, the first root canal that I had done, the dentist that I had been seeing at the time left a small piece of something that shouldn't have been left there and it caused all kinds of havoc... but years later. My current dentist advised that I either get this procedure that would go in through my gums and get to where the tip of the tooth is to extract that piece of something. Or... I could have an extraction and then an implant. I went the extraction route as the former sounded even more painful.
I had very little bleeding. I was a bit worried I would be asked to stop the warfarin, but they didn't. He just said to keep it under 3.0 I believe. He packed it with gauze after the extraction and told me to leave that alone for quite a while. He also told me to suck on a Lipton tea bag (basically black tea) with it on the site of the extraction, and I didn't have many issues. I had never heard of the tea bag thing before, but, if you wet a tea bag and place it on the wound, it acts like an astringent, constricting blood vessels and tissues. Something to do with the tannins in the tea.
I had very little bleeding. I was a bit worried I would be asked to stop the warfarin, but they didn't. He just said to keep it under 3.0 I believe. He packed it with gauze after the extraction and told me to leave that alone for quite a while. He also told me to suck on a Lipton tea bag (basically black tea) with it on the site of the extraction, and I didn't have many issues. I had never heard of the tea bag thing before, but, if you wet a tea bag and place it on the wound, it acts like an astringent, constricting blood vessels and tissues. Something to do with the tannins in the tea.
Always try to have a cleaning every 6 or 8 months and since the AVR always take the 2mg amoxicillin 1 hour before the procedure; dont like antibiotics but in this case the endocarditis concern is a reality; i remember the day i left the hospital my surgeon told me 3 times, "before u go to a dentist u must must must take antibiotics" because u dont want to see me again.....; now i am changing dentists and my first visit next week is just an evaluation, i assume the dentist will move her tools around to look, etc, QUESTION, should i also take the antibiotics for that ?, i have checked all my resources including the 12 doctors in the family and they all said the same thing "ask your dentist" 
, any body knows what is best to do ?
, any body knows what is best to do ?
In the scenario you describe, I would ask the dentist. Their response and their reasons for their response would help me evaluate their ability to properly care for me ....
Next Thursday my oral surgeon will be checking on an implant he installed a week ago. Wednesday I will ask them if I should take amoxicillin Thursday before the appointment. If they plan to only shine a light in my mouth and use a mirror to see the implant area, then I expect I don't need amoxicillin.
Note: I had endocarditis 2 years ago which is why I now have an On-X aortic valve. Therefore, I am a high-risk dental patient.
Thank you for your message; yes, any heart implant requires the antibiotics if for example a cleaning, that is all i have done past 9 years; but will ask the dentist before going to my first visit and will post here the answer. It may take a while because the person on the phone will not have the answer and my cardiologist told me 3 weeks ago, "ask your dentist "
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
Hi
for just an evaluation and a poke around I don't think I'd bother.
agreed
... now i am changing dentists and my first visit next week is just an evaluation, i assume the dentist will move her tools around to look, etc, QUESTION, should i also take the antibiotics for that ?, i have checked all my resources including the 12 doctors in the family and they all said the same thing "ask your dentist"
for just an evaluation and a poke around I don't think I'd bother.
I dont trust the dentist to answer to your question
, BUT, my Cardiologist when i asked him he said "ask your dentist" he is the one who knows. But i also think like you that for just poke around it may not be a must will tell you what dentist saysi found the cardiologist answer "strange" but other than that he is a very bright young doctor, ( i changed cardiologist this year ); and the one thing i really like him is because one day just talking during last minutes of the visit; he told me, you lucky you choose a mech valve; then i opened my eyes since this is the first cardiologist in canada that tells me so ( in other countries yes people know mechs for me are better ); i told him that sometimes i ask myself if it was the right thing to do, he told me , dont you ever ask yourself that question again, the tissues are great in some conditions, but they do brake sooner or later, more sooner than later in most cases ,
so , i do like my new cardiologist
, and the dentist, also new i'll be seen her next week already sent her a question about what is the best antibiotics and if i could use DICLOXACILLIN instead. waiting to hear her answer. i got that from the attached Australian info for our cases Attachments
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
I dont trust the dentist to answer to your question
Well, that's what my dentist said ... and as it happens I trust him. Like yourself I take 2grams of antibiotic 1 hour before a clean.
You should of course ask.
You should not "trust" me but use whatever I say to feed into different angles on research.
Best Wishes
Lisa from LJ
Well-known member
I had endocarditis with rheumatic fever in 1976. Until about 1986, I took prophylactic antibiotics daily because that's how they treated patients who'd had rheumatic fever. Then the thinking changed and I stopped. Since then, I've taken antibiotics every single time I've gone to the dentist, reason being that you just never know and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've never had a consult except once with an oral surgeon, but I had several X-rays, which often leaves me with small cuts from the stiff plastic/paper on the films they put in your mouth, so again, I felt it was right to take them. My dentist gives me a prescription for 12 each year - 4 for each cleaning and 4 for an extra visit. If I don't need the extra, I take them before my first visit the next year.
oo0My_Valve0oo
Well-known member
... i am changing dentists and my first visit next week is just an evaluation, i assume the dentist will move her tools around to look, etc, QUESTION, should i also take the antibiotics for that ?, i have checked all my resources including the 12 doctors in the family and they all said the same thing "ask your dentist"
If I am going to be in the patient chair I am going to be subjected to a sharp and pointy probe. If this is strictly a conversation in an office I would not bother.
I have had routine exams where the dentist has used just as much force as any hygienist during a cleaning. Seems like a dentist cannot resist an opportunity to remove something present when it can be done with a quick and simple flick of the spike. If they see a potential cavity they sometimes jam a spike into it with great force to test it beyond their naked or magnified vision and X-rays.
Thank you for your message, will just ask the new dentist if instead of Amoxicillin i can use Dicloxacillin as has less interaction with Warfarin, but when i asked the cardiologist told me to ask the dentist
, all i got from the gang of doctors in my family is that yes, Diclo..... has less interaction with Warfarin, but they do not know about it profilactics vs endocarditis; This is all coming from the fact that during my last cleaning i had more bleeding than usual, true i was sitll taking aspirin daily, and the gang says that is the reason. will see next timeI am going to jump on this thread because I need to get dental clearance before I have OHS imminently. It says that I need to have had a cleaning within 6 months which is fine. But also no loose teeth. One of my front teeth has been loose for a couple years, not an abscess but the gum tissue has receded and there’s not a lot of bone there so it is wiggly. I have a consult with my dentist on Monday but I am feeling nervous about the dentist deciding whether I can be cleared for heart surgery or not. Maybe they consult with cardiology? Has anyone experienced issues with dental clearance that they can share?
oo0My_Valve0oo
Well-known member
@darnole,
Try not to worry about it. Just wait until you hear directly from your dentist Monday, a couple days from now. I suspect they will green light it unless there is infection. They would probably just treat the infection.
The dentist I had at the time of my OHS was surprisingly knowledgeable about heart problems. I suspect it is emphasized how important it is for a dentist to have an eye out for risk factors. He was more on top of it than my cardiologist. A murmur was detected 15 years prior. All new to me. He said climb Mount Everest if I wanted, as an example. I anticipated merely having a murmur the rest of my life. But he never warned me about taking antibiotics before seeing a dentist.
The dentist wasn't perfect about this either though. I had informed them of the murmur at my very first exam by filling out a health status form. They did not get on the ball for a couple of years and I had several appointments during that time. They also did not tell me they had reached out to the cardiologist and were having trouble getting a response until they made the decision to stop me. They did not even call me in advance. I was at the door walking in for an appointment and they said they could not proceed. Nothing had changed regarding my health. They just suddenly addressed my heart murmur. I did not need heart surgery until many years later. And then it was very sudden changes and prompt scheduling for surgery.
Try not to worry about it. Just wait until you hear directly from your dentist Monday, a couple days from now. I suspect they will green light it unless there is infection. They would probably just treat the infection.
The dentist I had at the time of my OHS was surprisingly knowledgeable about heart problems. I suspect it is emphasized how important it is for a dentist to have an eye out for risk factors. He was more on top of it than my cardiologist. A murmur was detected 15 years prior. All new to me. He said climb Mount Everest if I wanted, as an example. I anticipated merely having a murmur the rest of my life. But he never warned me about taking antibiotics before seeing a dentist.
The dentist wasn't perfect about this either though. I had informed them of the murmur at my very first exam by filling out a health status form. They did not get on the ball for a couple of years and I had several appointments during that time. They also did not tell me they had reached out to the cardiologist and were having trouble getting a response until they made the decision to stop me. They did not even call me in advance. I was at the door walking in for an appointment and they said they could not proceed. Nothing had changed regarding my health. They just suddenly addressed my heart murmur. I did not need heart surgery until many years later. And then it was very sudden changes and prompt scheduling for surgery.
Last edited:
My lower four front teeth were very loose for a long time…now over 15 years or more. I have receding gum disease, yet they were save by placing a wire on the back of the teeth attaching them to my canines! Just a thought!
oo0My_Valve0oo
Well-known member
I had an overbite and went well into adulthood passing on braces during childhood when parents could not afford them. Eventually I was advised that if I did not do something I would lose front teeth because top teeth had impacted lower gums and bone compromising the foundation. More than a couple new dentists or hygienists mistakenly thought the scraped away gum was from gum disease. But I even had trouble with strawberry seeds getting caught in the overbite and subsequently cutting into the lower gum. After braces and jaw surgery the orthodontist glued a permanent retainer (a band) behind the lower front teeth. It is only attached on the two ends and I can easily floss them by threading it once. I gather sometimes these are glued to each tooth. They do this to preserve smiles for celebrities because those bottom teeth commonly bunch up as we age. Johnny Carson mentioned having it done. Those may only be attached on the ends like mine as well because this would still keep the attached teeth spaced according to the band. But new hygienists have expected to have to rethread floss to get each tooth so they must see them attached like that. Those unfamiliar with me initially only see receding gums from overbite which is now corrected so they think gum disease.
In my post that started this thread, I noted that my 'new' (maybe former?) dentist told me that the current standard was to NOT pre-medicate (or post-medicate, FWIW). This dentist also had taffy candy in a bowl for patients. Presumably, this was to pull fillings out of teeth. I can't understand why a dentist would be giving out sticky candy, for any other reason).
When the dentist got the sense that I may not return, and I TOLD HIM that I DID NOT want an extraction, he hurried and had his tech do full mouth X-Rays - presumably, I'd be locked into his practice, because another set of X-Rays somewhere else may not be covered by my insurance.
So - my cavities keep growing, and I wait....
When the dentist got the sense that I may not return, and I TOLD HIM that I DID NOT want an extraction, he hurried and had his tech do full mouth X-Rays - presumably, I'd be locked into his practice, because another set of X-Rays somewhere else may not be covered by my insurance.
So - my cavities keep growing, and I wait....
Superman
Well-known member
I’ve changed dentists. My former dentist emailed my x-rays to my new dentist. No new x-rays needed.
No. and this is only recent. Dental offices have a completely different feel to them. They all try to upsell you and get you to do super expensive things you can't afford. They then push Care Credit on you. I miss the days when I trusted the dentist.
My wife was so traumatized by her dentist she walked out as they were about to root canal visit two. Why the hell they can't do it in ONE appointment anymore is beyond me. A good dentist can start and finish in an hour with nothing left except to wait for the permanent crown to arrive. She swallowed one temp crown and broke another while in her process to be able to physically go back and finish the treatment. She was in counseling for it for over SIX months. When they were selling the root canal they told her pulling the tooth would be just as expensive as the root canal because they would have to "build it up". Whatever. They also didn't have the correct tool to finish one of her teeth and couldn't even get to the second canal so then referred her to a specialist that we would have to pay on top of what we paid them.
