NationStates Jolt Archive

I just got an artificial tooth implanted into my jaw to replace the one I cracked and had removed a few weeks ago.

My god! Dentistry is expensive! Even with insurance, I am shelling out nearly $1500 of my own money on this!

I think it's time to consider some alternatives.

Like titanium. I want to figure out a way(maybe a special toothpaste) to get titanium to migrate into my teeth and strengthen them. Think of the advantages of stronger teeth. Less cavities, less dental mishaps. ANd you can chew rocks! :)

Why would you want to chew rocks?

Whoa! You had to pay? :eek:

Let me guess. You're in the US. :p

Damn those Europeans with their communist ways. :rolleyes:

Why would you want to chew rocks?

Iron and calcium deficiency.

Whoa! You had to pay? :eek:

Let me guess. You're in the US. :p

Damn those Europeans with their communist ways. :rolleyes:

You have to pay in the UK too. It's subsidised, though, so it's pretty cheap. That is, if you can find an NHS dentist.

I have a relative in the UK that is a dentist. He won't accept NHS patients.

He says they are not worth the bother.

I have a relative in the UK that is a dentist. He won't accept NHS patients.

He says they are not worth the bother.
Yeah, sadly the UK is going the way of the US, thanks to New Labour.

Iron and calcium deficiency.

OK! And a solution to lots of environmental problems. He can eat the beer cans etc..

Yeah, sadly the UK is going the way of the US, thanks to New Labour.


Actually, I think that was pretty much always his position. He's not too keen on the underfinanced classes, if you know what I mean.

Sad part is, I can'd see him actually being very good at being a dentist, because he is, after all, a bit thick.

OK! And a solution to lots of environmental problems. He can eat the beer cans etc..
I knew a guy who did that in high school...

I have a relative in the UK that is a dentist. He won't accept NHS patients.

He says they are not worth the bother.

Most now take their existing NHS patients, but as soon as they neglect to re-register...

...like me.

Not that expensive, though, anyway, with my dentist. I saw him when I got back from Tanzania, and nearly every tooth has a few little chips in it from grit in the rice. Didn't cost me much though, because there was no discomfort, so no point filling them.

I'm glad I was NHS when I fell over drunk and broke my front two teeth though. And under 19, so it was completely free!!

Ouch. A slow dentist could hurt...

I was waiting 5 years for orthodintic treatment in the UK on the NHS, then when the postgrad students finally got round to me, I had to tell them I was going to Israel for a year:

"What?! Since when? Why didn't you inform us earlier?!"
"Um, well, I've been on your waiting list since I was 12....."
"Ah, ok...walk this way"

I was then lined up against a wall and shot. Yay, no more dentistry problems. God bless the people's representative for health and all things squeezy!

Yeah, sadly the UK is going the way of the US, thanks to New Labour.
NHS dentists have been in decline for years - this is one thing you can't blame New Labour for entirely. Dammit.

Most now take their existing NHS patients, but as soon as they neglect to re-register...

...like me.

Not that expensive, though, anyway, with my dentist. I saw him when I got back from Tanzania, and nearly every tooth has a few little chips in it from grit in the rice. Didn't cost me much though, because there was no discomfort, so no point filling them.

I'm glad I was NHS when I fell over drunk and broke my front two teeth though. And under 19, so it was completely free!!

Yeah, I think this particular philanthropist has only ever taken private patients, and from what I understand he really bills the shit out of them.

Horses for courses I suppose.

I was waiting 5 years for orthodintic treatment in the UK on the NHS, then when the postgrad students finally got round to me, I had to tell them I was going to Israel for a year:

"What?! Since when? Why didn't you inform us earlier?!"
"Um, well, I've been on your waiting list since I was 12....."
"Ah, ok...walk this way"

I was then lined up against a wall and shot. Yay, no more dentistry problems. God bless the people's representative for health and all things squeezy!
My NHS orthodontist when I was younger, bless him, was called Mervyn Meggitt. He created a real camaraderie amongst his patients, through our common hatred of him. He was little too keen to treat the shit out of everybody, and then he suddenly retired out of nowhere, followed by a whiff of scandal. Can't remember exactly what the rumours said he got done for, but there you go.

I think that in general, Dentistry is in a decline. It's becoming far too expensive the world over.

Why is that, do you think? What can we do about it? Titanium toothpaste?

I think that in general, Dentistry is in a decline. It's becoming far too expensive the world over.

Why is that, do you think? What can we do about it? Titanium toothpaste?

Bulgaria. Cheapest dentism in the world, they say. Decent too. Go on a Eurotrip once a year.

Bulgaria. Cheapest dentism in the world, they say. Decent too. Go on a Eurotrip once a year.

I always said he was the Womble with the most potential. I'm in London next weekend - I'll pop over to the Common then. Thanks for the tip.

I think it's time to consider some alternatives.

Like titanium. I want to figure out a way(maybe a special toothpaste) to get titanium to migrate into my teeth and strengthen them. Think of the advantages of stronger teeth. Less cavities, less dental mishaps. ANd you can chew rocks! :)
But think what would happen if you bit your tongue? ouch!

I pulled one of my front teeth out a couple of years ago. I had a root canal years ago, followed by more surgery to cement it to the neighbouring tooth when the root canal didn't work.
Then two years ago I was eating some particularly hard toffee and it broke the bridge. It was wobbling about like crazy, and the gum was inflamed. I rung up the Dentist and asked how much it would cost to have it removed. He told me $150. So while still on the phone I yanked it out with my fingers and thanked him for saving me $150.
I did go see him eventually, to see what available options there were. Because it had grown into a tooth, pushing it slightly out (hence the need for the root canal in the first place) the only option was braces - two years and $4000! So I still have a gap in my lower front teeth.
What I really wanted was a white gold tooth with a death head stamped on it. That'd look cool. Or perhaps the biohazard symbol, or possibly a small emerald or sapphire in the middle.

Avast, maybe a good alternative would be a less rambunctious lifestyle? Seems like ye're always gluing somebody's pants to a chair with them in 'em, or pranking your mates etc., good way to lose teef we'd say, arr...

Avast, maybe a good alternative would be a less rambunctious lifestyle? Seems like ye're always gluing somebody's pants to a chair with them in 'em, or pranking your mates etc., good way to lose teef we'd say, arr...

I've been considering that. I have a kid now and I want to make sure that I can still walk when he's starting to. Hehehe.

I know I'm gonna have a bad hip when I get older. It already twinges now and then. Sometimes I think I ought to slow down and take care of myself so I can live a long and productive life.

Then again, sometimes I say, 'fu*k it!' After all, I'm going to be old and decrepit anyway. My choices are to be old and decrepit with awesome stories to tell, or old and decrepit and babbling about the weather.

So I keep the glue in arm's reach and make sure I can usually duck when I need to. :)

You don't even need teeth. Just put all your food in the blender. Maybe even mix it with a little booze to help liquefy it. This way you can just drink everything without the hassle of having to chew. Or if you’re going out to eat, just have somebody ready who will be willing to prechew your food.

You have to pay in the UK too. It's subsidised, though, so it's pretty cheap. That is, if you can find an NHS dentist.
Wasn't there that killed who almost died from an infected abcess because he was NHS?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=14880116&method=full&siteid=50143&headline=intensive-care---because-he-had-no-nhs-dentist-name_page.html