Should I Wear Earplugs at the Dentist?

[Ed209]

Yes, oral health is linked to cardiovascular health, but this is because of the plaque, gingivitus, etc, that accumulates on the teeth as they degrade. Extractions circumvent this do they not? Tooth decay and gum disease are associated with cardiovascular problems. But having decaying/gingivitis/gum disease is not the same as having no teeth at all.

How can you have cavities/plaque/gingivitis, the things that accumulate on the teeth that are toxic to the system, if you have no teeth?

This is even more bizarre. You should clean them? Why would you want to let your teeth rot, or even worse, have them all extracted?

The link to cardiovascular health is based on bad oral hygiene. The bacteria that causes inflammation can cause problems with the blood vessels in your heart and brain.

I can't believe some of the things I read on here sometimes.

 

[Foncky]

@Foncky you can be healthy without teeth. I believe you could get sufficient nutrients and diet without teeth nowadays, even without dentures, but I appreciate you taking my joke so literally. In reality some people may have to take their hearing into account when choosing a procedure versus an extraction. Extractions are less expensive too. You can meditate without teeth too, seen many Zen/Daoist masters? I know of a Taiji practitioner who has no teeth, and is the epitome of health.

Desperate or scared people will take your jokes literally.

Procedure versus extraction ? Tell me about it. I had to have one removed last year : a new crown was needed but I couldn't stand the drilling on metal. Do I miss a tooth now ? No, I got an implant. Is it perfectly healthy to have titanium in your body ? No.

But if you miss one tooth, or several, you have to replace them, otherwise the ones around will fail too. The whole balance of your jaws will be ruined and you might get troubles because of it (including worse T).

If you have no tooth left at all, well... Good luck surviving our modern world.

 

[Lex]

@Foncky I have a missing inner molar. For someone with T and H, which is the best option, bridge, denture or implant?

 

[Foncky]

The bridge is the worst option as they need to drill the two teeth around. And from a dental point of view, it's not great either.

A denture, well, I guess it's not noisy at all. But it doesn't stimulate your bone and it must be uncomfortable and barely reliable.

Implant is great but it's surgery. There is a bit of drilling but it's very short (2-3 minutes in my case) and not that loud (the bone is easy to drill so they use a slow rotating tool, it's very different from drilling a tooth). And they must not overheat it, so they go slowly anyway.

You have to take antibiotics (amox), for like 10 days. And maybe painkillers and prednisone.

I'd say an implant is worth it. Once it's done it's a relief, it's very much like a real tooth. You just have to be careful (brushing, flossing, no smoking) so it doesn't get infected.

There is a crown on top of the titanium root. If the crown needs to be replaced one day, there is a bit of drilling needed to reach out the screw

 

[GregCA]

Is it perfectly healthy to have titanium in your body ? No.

Can you explain that statement?
I have a titanium prosthesis in my middle ear (stapes replacement) and wonder why you say that, as it was explained to me as being one of the best choices in terms of longevity, sturdiness, effectiveness, and safe interaction with the body (essentially could last for life).
The only thing I was worried about was the impact on future MRIs since it's metal, but it's rated for 3 Teslas, and the doc told me it's safe even for much higher magnetic field intensities.

 

[SilverSpiral]

This is even more bizarre. You should clean them? Why would you want to let your teeth rot, or even worse, have them all extracted?

The link to cardiovascular health is based on bad oral hygiene. The bacteria that causes inflammation can cause problems with the blood vessels in your heart and brain.

I can't believe some of the things I read on here sometimes.

I have had all my wisdom teeth extracted, and this does not represent bad oral health. I also have had all my premolars extracted prior to having orthodontic work, again it has nothing to do with health, in fact, having these extractions done made it easier to clean my teeth, since there is less crowding and they are straighter.

My point was that it is cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease that cause the toxic reactions to the body. Tooth extractions are not hazardous to the cardiovascular system in the long term. I don't know why you guy's are all scare mongering over tooth extractions.

 

[Foncky]

@GregCA Yes it's the best material for body compatibility we have today. But it's not 100% compatible.

I don't know about middle ear prosthesis, but a dental implant is very likely to become infected at one point, even if you're careful. The natural root of a tooth can fight bacterias, a titanium root can't.

There are many things that can wrong, especially if the surgeon is not skilled enough. But a natural tooth can go wrong too, otherwise we wouldn't need implants.

It's just to say that what we have in our body at birth is the best we can have and we should try to keep it intact as long as possible.

 

[Ed209]

I have had all my wisdom teeth extracted, and this does not represent bad oral health. I also have had all my premolars extracted prior to having orthodontic work, again it has nothing to do with health, in fact, having these extractions done made it easier to clean my teeth, since there is less crowding and they are straighter.

My point was that it is cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease that cause the toxic reactions to the body. Tooth extractions are not hazardous to the cardiovascular system in the long term. I don't know why you guy's are all scare mongering over tooth extractions.

That's not what you originally said though. I've had tooth extractions because of overcrowding, but that's entirely different to what you were suggesting before.

 

[SilverSpiral]

That's not what you originally said though. I've had tooth extractions because of overcrowding, but that's entirely different to what you were suggesting before.

At no point did I suggest people should not clean their teeth. I talked about how a person may have to consider an extraction versus a procedure if their hearing condition is severe enough, and they can not have the louder procedure done.

I also referenced that someone with severe hyperacusis may have to adapt an "extraction only" dental policy. This is a grim joke, but the sad thing is, it may be a reality for some, and may be a reality for me one day. Again, none of this infers lack of oral health. I still see no evidence that having your teeth extracted poses the same threat to your cardiovascular health that having tooth decay, gingivitus, and the related issues that are caused by poor dental health. These are health issues that you get BECAUSE of teeth, and you inevitably as long as you have teeth will need further work done on them at some point as you age. If you have no teeth, you get no cavities.

The composite fillings they do now a days do not last forever, the dentist says that themselves. And the metal ones have mercury which is controversial in itself.

Realistically though, I am hoping dental work is quiet and done with lasers etc. in the near future, then it would not be an issue for Hyperacusis and tinnitus sufferers.

 

[Ed209]

Yes, oral health is linked to cardiovascular health, but this is because of the plaque, gingivitus, etc, that accumulates on the teeth as they degrade. Extractions circumvent this do they not? Tooth decay and gum disease are associated with cardiovascular problems. But having decaying/gingivitis/gum disease is not the same as having no teeth at all.

How can you have cavities/plaque/gingivitis, the things that accumulate on the teeth that are toxic to the system, if you have no teeth?

Everything you said in this post, and all the others before it, suggest that it's better to extract teeth rather than have other treatments.

You also keep coming back to the point that you think it's safer to have no teeth, because there's no chance of cavities, gingivitis, etc.

This is what I mean when I say some people go too far. You said it was a joke, but then continued saying the same thing. If you want to extract teeth willy nilly, then go for it. I'd rather just keep what I've got, healthy, by brushing. And if in time something needs to be done, then I'd rather try and save my teeth than have them all removed.

 

[GregCA]

It's just to say that what we have in our body at birth is the best we can have and we should try to keep it intact as long as possible.

OK I think I understand what you mean.

 

[SilverSpiral]

Everything you said in this post, and all the others before it, suggest that it's better to extract teeth rather than have other treatments.

You also keep coming back to the point that you think it's safer to have no teeth, because there's no chance of cavities, gingivitis, etc.

This is what I mean when I say some people go too far. You said it was a joke, but then continued saying the same thing. If you want to extract teeth willy nilly, then go for it. I'd rather just keep what I've got, healthy, by brushing. And if in time something needs to be done, then I'd rather try and save my teeth than have them all removed.

dude, I don't want to extract teeth "WILLY NILLY" I JUST DONT WANT TO DIE.

I just don't want my hearing condition to get worse. If someone's hearing condition is so severe, that a worsening will result in their death, why would they not part with a tooth to prevent that worsening?

In any case like I said, we need quiet dentistry, and we need a cure for these hearing conditions.

 

[Ed209]

dude, I don't want to extract teeth "WILLY NILLY" I JUST DONT WANT TO DIE.

I just don't want my hearing condition to get worse. If someone's hearing condition is so severe, that a worsening will result in their death, why would they not part with a tooth to prevent that worsening?

In any case like I said, we need quiet dentistry, and we need a cure for these hearing conditions.

I understand you are suffering @SilverSpiral, but I think you are overthinking it. At some point during our lives there's going to be instances where other health issues arise. It will always boil down to X vs our ears, but we've got to make calculated decisions. We can't surrender everything to T and H.

 

[SilverSpiral]

I understand you are suffering @SilverSpiral, but I think you are overthinking it. At some point during our lives there's going to be instances where other health issues arise. It will always boil down to X vs our ears, but we've got to make calculated decisions. We can't surrender everything to T and H.

I've got plenty of other health issues, and none have bothered me as much as my hearing issue. I have extreme pain from another issue, and have an ultrasound at the end of the month for it. You don't hear me talking about it, it's just more pain on top of it all, but for some reason it's the hearing issue that gets me most.

There is something special about sound.

 

[SilverSpiral]

And @Ed209 @Foncky if you think it is too extreme to be concerned that dentist procedures can cause loud/vibratory sounds that can damage the hearing, why don't you argue with the members of this forum who think that running causes too much shock to the auditory system and may worsen T/H, because that is what site ambassador @Michael Leigh has suggested in several threads. running. But no go after me because I'm not site ambassador. You don't think dentistry procedure are more likely to damage the hearing than running?

We have a dentist in this very thread, who says he himself has T, and now supplies his patients with protection. I'd love to hear more of his views on this issue.

As a dentist i always recommend ear protection, i came into this community early in my life and my work only to find out that dentists are exposed in sounds that in the long term cause heavy damage in their ears, we are just very tolerant in the beggning and senseless in the years to come... its been three months now after my acoustic trauma that i always wear plugs no matter what i do BUT especially for routine dental scaling with ultrasonics and the use of drills i say protect your ears, not every dentist has late modern well serviced state of the art handpieces, most of them do sound loud and most of the dentist wont even understand what you are going through cause simply cant get it (the chrinic damage i was talking about)
I always have and provide protection to my patients after my incident

Live and learn guys

@Iliasp

And by the way now since Michael has mentioned running could be bad for H, I have not been running, and also @Jurgen has considered if running is something to do I believe as well. But I don't think running is dangerous, but I hike anyways, not run. I never was a runner.

I'm just trying to understand and heal this.

 

[Ed209]

@SilverSpiral, For what it's worth I run on treadmills and I'm fine. It's a personal decision Silver, so if you want to approach dentistry that way, it's your prerogative. However, I don't think it's good advice for the wider public. It's just another thing to add to the fear tick sheet, but sooner or later we have to face these sorts of things. If it makes you happy, however, then who am I to argue.

 

[SilverSpiral]

@SilverSpiral, For what it's worth I run on treadmills and I'm fine. It's a personal decision Silver, so if you want to approach dentistry that way, it's your prerogative. However, I don't think it's good advice for the wider public. It's just another thing to add to the fear tick sheet, but sooner or later we have to face these sorts of things. If it makes you happy, however, then who am I to argue.

Nothing about this condition makes me happy man... nothing about acoustic trauma makes me happy, nothing about hyperacusis and hearing distortion makes me happy, nothing about multiple tones with unmaskable elements makes me happy, nothing developing SSNHL in my most affected ear makes me happy, nothing about having to fear further worsening from dentistry, medication, or anything else makes me happy. And I am not giving anybody any advice for the general public. I never, ever, give anybody a hard answer about anything, because I have no answers, only questions, and my question is, what is the safest approach to dental procedures for somebody with a severe noise induced hearing condition.

If your condition is such that you feel comfortable telling people that you know for certain they can have dental drilling done without worsening their condition, then good for you. I'm nobody but myself, and I know that I fear it worsening, and I've read threads on here of people who have had their condition worsen from dental work.

Thats why I'm trying to figure out what method of hearing protection, or questions you can ask your dentist to minimize the risk.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Alue]

I was actually considering getting jaw surgery before an acoustic trauma gave me T and H. I'd still like to do it, but I'm not sure if I ever will because of this stupid condition.

 

[Ed209]

Nothing about this condition makes me happy man... nothing about acoustic trauma makes me happy, nothing about hyperacusis and hearing distortion makes me happy, nothing about multiple tones with unmaskable elements makes me happy, nothing developing SSNHL in my most affected ear makes me happy, nothing about having to fear further worsening from dentistry, medication, or anything else makes me happy. And I am not giving anybody any advice for the general public. I never, ever, give anybody a hard answer about anything, because I have no answers, only questions, and my question is, what is the safest approach to dental procedures for somebody with a severe noise induced hearing condition.

If your condition is such that you feel comfortable telling people that you know for certain they can have dental drilling done without worsening their condition, then good for you. I'm nobody but myself, and I know that I fear it worsening, and I've read threads on here of people who have had their condition worsen from dental work.

Thats why I'm trying to figure out what method of hearing protection, or questions you can ask your dentist to minimize the risk.

Thanks for all your help.

I wouldn't go that far though. I would never tell people that they should extract their teeth. If anyone wants to go that route, then good luck to them, but I wouldn't push it onto others. At the best of times, there's a lot of negativity on here, and I think it slowly chops away at everyone's confidence; reading thread after thread of doom and gloom isn't great.

We are all well aware of the risks, of most things, but as always, there's got to be some balance. We simply can't live in fear of every little thing if we want to improve our outlook.

It's good to see you back and that you're ok.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I find earmuffs dangerous too with the drilling.

Did the drill sound louder when you wore earmuffs?

 

[PaulBe]

Did the drill sound louder when you wore earmuffs?

I tried this too. The bone conduction simply took over and after about ten minutes I was all "f.. this, just do it" and through the earmuffs off.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I tried this too. The bone conduction simply took over and after about ten minutes I was all "f.. this, just do it" and through the earmuffs off.

It sounded noticeably quieter without the muffs, right?

Is it the case that you didn't get a permanent spike following that dental work? Are you like me - do you get temporary spikes following relatively minor noises?

 

[PaulBe]

It sounded noticeably quieter without the muffs, right?

Really, it didn't. What happened was that the sound was simply re-presented through the magic of bone conduction, and while it was a little less high frequency, it didn't affect the actual volume. I just decided "aw fuckit, why bother" and now I just go to the Dentist and deal with it.

 

[PaulBe]

Is it the case that you didn't get a permanent spike following that dental work? Are you like me - do you get temporary spikes following relatively minor noises?

I didn't have any lasting spikes much beyond leaving the car park. I had waited a year, and maybe by the time I went my injury had finished evolving so no, I can't say it gave me a spike. I get spikes from all sorts of situations. Sometimes small sounds trigger me, sometimes big noises just wash over me. There really isn't any specific thing I can say does or doesn't spike me. Maybe time is on my side at last.