The Dentist

[coffee_girl]

I go to the Dentist twice every year for a cleaning and learned that drilling can cause tinnitus spikes, previous to this I never had issues with dentist visits even with tinnitus and have even worn my ear plugs while in the process (never had spikes and my tinnitus did no worsen). Now that I have learned better I was reading some of the posts here about dental work and got a little confused:

1. Should I do manual teeth cleaning and does it have the same result as the drilling? Do most places offer this?

2. Are there people out there who don't get spikes after going to the Dentist and going through the "normal" procedures?

 

[john paul]

You should be fine at the dentist as long as they are not doing any grinding prior to filling a cavity. Cleaning, scaling, polishing tools hardly make any noise.

I still use my electric toothbrush with no problems also.

 

[coffee_girl]

You should be fine at the dentist as long as they are not doing any grinding prior to filling a cavity. Cleaning, scaling, polishing tools hardly make any noise.

I still use my electric toothbrush with no problems also.

I don't need any fillings or anything removed, just basic cleaning...they don't do drilling for this right?

 

[Tinker Bell]

I don't need any fillings or anything removed, just basic cleaning...they don't do drilling for this right?

Are you confusing drilling with ultrasonic cleaning? They do not drill out cavities if you do not have a cavity.

 

[coffee_girl]

Are you confusing drilling with ultrasonic cleaning? They do not drill out cavities if you do not have a cavity.

Yeah I think i got a little confused there, thanks for pointing it out. I was talking about cleaning.

 

[john paul]

I don't need any fillings or anything removed, just basic cleaning...they don't do drilling for this right?

No, you will be fine, cleaning tools really dont make much noise at all. I went a few months ago and was like oh no please don't clean them or anything, but then when he showed me how quiet they are i was like oh yeah why was i so worried. Its just the grinder they use for doing fillings, thats the loud one.

 

[Starthrower]

@coffee_girl as fearful as I am of the dreaded dentist...I get my teeth cleaned and checked twice a year. The cleaning never really bothers my tinnitus. It isn't exactly a wonderful experience but necessary and pretty much painless. It is a bit annoying - but this is so important for your dental health.

Some people prefer the manual like myself and some recommend ultrasonic cleaning.

 

[coffee_girl]

Thanks guys! Really appreciate it.

 

[Bill Bauer]

A number of people on this forum had their tinnitus go into debilitating territory after an ultrasonic cleaning (if you want to read their horror stories, just search this forum). There is no reason to do it, as manual cleaning is just as effective, costs the same, and takes the same amount of time. No dental hygienist will refuse to clean your teeth manually, if you ask them.

Consider having your teeth cleaned once every 3-4.5 months (to reduce the need to do any dental work in the future), and having a dentist look over your teeth to catch any cavities early on (so that a quiet laser drill could be used, and if that will not be possible, at least the drill will be used for a shorter amount of time).

 

[DT_N_DA_CLUB]

I had a really bad spike from ultrasonic cleaner. For me it wasn't loud until they were cleaning my molars. Other fillings and drilling I had done didn't effect my tinnitus.

 

[housemzk]

This should be a poll. How many people get a manual cleaning at the dentist vs the ulstrasonic cleaning...

Since tinnitus I get the manual cleaning. After I told my youngerish dentist I have tinnitus and need the manual cleaning now, he mentioned he has mild tinnitus too and that his dad and uncle both have Meniere's...

 

[Tex]

Ultrasonic cleaning kills me!!!

 

[Sean]

A number of people on this forum had their tinnitus go into debilitating territory after an ultrasonic cleaning (if you want to read their horror stories, just search this forum). There is no reason to do it, as manual cleaning is just as effective, costs the same, and takes the same amount of time. No dental hygienist will refuse to clean your teeth manually, if you ask them.

Consider having your teeth cleaned once every 3-4.5 months (to reduce the need to do any dental work in the future), and having a dentist look over your teeth to catch any cavities early on (so that a quiet laser drill could be used, and if that will not be possible, at least the drill will be used for a shorter amount of time).

Hi Bill... hope you are well. I went to the dentist and they did manual scaling yesterday. Towards the very end she was like let me scrape off the plaque with an ultrasonic cleanser. She did it with a very very long setting for about 2 minutes. Saliva suction was continuously on. I have a tinnitus spike now. Doesn't make sense, this much noise would cause a tinnitus spike? Makes no sense.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Doesn't make sense, this much noise would cause a tinnitus spike?

Unfortunately these things cause serious spikes all of the time. Hopefully it will eventually come back to your baseline. Temporary spikes can take longer than three months to go away (the fading usually begins by week 3-6).

 

[Bill Bauer]

having a dentist look over your teeth to catch any cavities early on (so that a quiet laser drill could be used, and if that will not be possible, at least the drill will be used for a shorter amount of time).

Turns out that just asking a dentist to look at your teeth when you have your teeth cleaned isn't enough (as I found out the hard way). They need to see an x-ray image in order to catch cavities early...

 

[Sean]

Unfortunately these things cause serious spikes all of the time. Hopefully it will eventually come back to your baseline. Temporary spikes can take longer than three months to go away (the fading usually begins by week 3-6).

I have had tinnitus for I think 9 -10 years and have had plenty of spikes.
It still scares me! This really beats me though. How can just a 1-2 minutes of cleaning at a low setting cause a spike?

 

[Yoshi]

Ultrasonic cleaning caused me to permanently lose some hearing in both ears without a spike, but this is a pretty rare occurrence. I would highly suggest you ask in advance for a manual cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaners operate at tens of thousands of hertz, at decibels well above the recommended limit of 85 dB, and when they touch your teeth they transmit the noise directly to your cochlea through bone conduction.

 

[Sean]

Ultrasonic cleaning caused me to permanently lose some hearing in both ears without a spike, but this is a pretty rare occurrence. I would highly suggest you ask in advance for a manual cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaners operate at tens of thousands of hertz, at decibels well above the recommended limit of 85 dB, and when they touch your teeth they transmit the noise directly to your cochlea through bone conduction.

Good point. Cleaner was at a very low setting and she had done manual scaling first. Only towards the end for about 2 minutes she used the ultrasonic cleaner.

I just realized my electronic brush is much louder than the cleaner she was using. I just brushed my teeth and I just can't imagine the cleaner would have caused a spike since my brush is much louder. I am baffled!

Very strange you lost your hearing because of this! Did you lose it right away after cleaning?

 

[Yoshi]

Good point. Cleaner was at a very low setting and she had done manual scaling first. Only towards the end for about 2 minutes she used the ultrasonic cleaner.

I just realized my electronic brush is much louder than the cleaner she was using. I just brushed my teeth and I just can't imagine the cleaner would have caused a spike since my brush is much louder. I am baffled!

Very strange you lost your hearing because of this! Did you lose it right away after cleaning?

I realized my hearing was off when I woke up the morning after, got a hearing test a week later and the test showed a 5-10 dB drop in the mid frequencies for both ears, got another test but at a different location that confirmed it wasn't just a fluctuation. Ultrasonic scalers usually have different settings, and the loudness doesn't only depend on the setting, but also how closely the scaler tip is applied to the tooth. The hygienist's choice of setting and application depends on how much calculus there is and for me there was a significant amount (my fault). I use an Oral-B electric toothbrush as well, but the vibrations don't bother me at all and are nowhere close to the intensity of that cleaning session, which sounded like a circular saw in my ear for minutes at a time. Definitely try to avoid the ultrasonic scaler since it's not a medically necessary tool.

 

[Michael B]

Had a cavity filled the other day and despite using earplugs my tinnitus reacted badly through the next day. Second day in things were back to normal.

 

[PeteJ]

I realized my hearing was off when I woke up the morning after, got a hearing test a week later and the test showed a 5-10 dB drop in the mid frequencies for both ears, got another test but at a different location that confirmed it wasn't just a fluctuation. Ultrasonic scalers usually have different settings, and the loudness doesn't only depend on the setting, but also how closely the scaler tip is applied to the tooth. The hygienist's choice of setting and application depends on how much calculus there is and for me there was a significant amount (my fault). I use an Oral-B electric toothbrush as well, but the vibrations don't bother me at all and are nowhere close to the intensity of that cleaning session, which sounded like a circular saw in my ear for minutes at a time. Definitely try to avoid the ultrasonic scaler since it's not a medically necessary tool.

Do you think electric toothbrushes are okay? Don't cause spikes or hearing loss?

 

[Tybs]

Do you think electric toothbrushes are okay? Don't cause spikes or hearing loss?

My electric toothbrush generates a spike almost by default, in an area below my left ear that's usually silent. It does fade within 10 minutes though, so I don't really care much. It can have some influence, but I don't think its anything worth to worry about.

 

[PeteJ]

Had a cavity filled the other day and despite using earplugs my tinnitus reacted badly through the next day. Second day in things were back to normal.

Ear plugs don't help because the impact creating the noise is in your mouth - thus, bone conduction. In fact, using ear plugs can make it (seem?) louder.

It sounds like NC headphones might be an option, though. Are they?

 

[Bill Bauer]

How can just a 1-2 minutes of cleaning at a low setting cause a spike?

My tinnitus was likely caused by one of those ultrasonic toothbrushes coming into contact with my ear canal for a fraction of a second. Three years ago.

 

[Michael B]

@PeteJ I have noise canceling headphones. Forgot to bring them!

 

[Sean]

My tinnitus was likely caused by one of those ultrasonic toothbrushes coming into contact with my ear canal for a fraction of a second. Three years ago.

Bill, you had told me about that incident but that was a direct touch inside your ears... but you are right, vibrations can pass to hair cells via jaw bones - who freaking knows!

I am just pissed at myself because I allowed the hygienist to do the cleaning when I could have simply said no!

 

[Bill Bauer]

I just brushed my teeth and I just can't imagine the cleaner would have caused a spike since my brush is much louder.

You might want to stop using your electric brush.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Do you think electric toothbrushes are okay? Don't cause spikes or hearing loss?

I stopped using mine.

 

[PeteJ]

Can someone suggest NC headphones - that are good enough for a dental visit so not too expensive? Something under $100 is possible? Do they have to be branded "active?" I came across $67 ones on Amazon, for e.g., but I don't think I can get them before my appointment.

Is there any chance the dentist has them? I doubt my dentist has them but the ultrasonic cleaning is probably the most common and maybe they give them out for that?

 

[PeteJ]

Had a cavity filled the other day and despite using earplugs my tinnitus reacted badly through the next day. Second day in things were back to normal.

What else did you do at the dentist?

Should I only go if I have NC headphones?

A few people say to use magnesium (and NAC?) after? Do I need these?

I don't know if I should go now.