₦airaland Forum

MyJoe: Hey MissyB. Happy New Year to you, too! I have come rarely to NL (even Religion) for some time - been way too busy trying to start a new biz. But I will make out more time for our beloved Food section soon. I trust you are doing great?

cinammon: I'l prefer u kindly drop all sentiments and giv ur professional advice.I was on dis thread b4 I went 4d extraction nd I trust ur judgement...so now pls doc,besides myjoe seems 2 b actin up based on things he has heard nd read..urs wud b preferable,considerin its ur practiicin profession nd experience is beta dan hearsay..wit dat,I hp I'l hav my reply now

cinammon: Hi,please I went 4 extraction 2day.I had previously extracted same tooth on d ryt side of my cheek because d dentist sed it wasn't growin well..(Dat was some 3yrs bac) recently d left molar started givin similar pain nd dat was d same reason 4 d extraction..my observation is: d 1st tooth I took out (molar) lukd longer (d tooth image) buh d 1 I took out 2day lukd way shorter nd didn't hav dat very thin narrow end...its a molar too..I'm hopin dis 1 didn't get broken or is dat d way it is supposed 2b?

MyJoe: No, I haven't had a particularly bad experience with a dentist - read what I wrote again. It was nothing serious - he made an error like we all do. And I am not using anything to judge anyone - I mentioned that case to show you what can potentially happen to you if you shun information or don't update yourself. Read my posts in this thread again - I only came in to correct some impressions and address some matters you are either papering over or not addressing at all, such as bad breath and tooth sensitivity. I have tried to point people in the right direction on how to solve these problems, writing enough for anyone who is determined to explore further. Thank you.

MyJoe: I don’t think my use of that word should have been a problem since I explained what I meant by it. Right, it’s not a medical term. It’s a descriptive one, and a good one too. It’s the kind of term you would hear on a TV programme but won’t find in a medical journal because the TV programme has to be produced in a way the layman can get it. And the very knowledgeable and efficient dental assistant who attended to me did NOT use that term - I stated that specifically. I am using it here because it describes well the practice of brushing too hard or too frequently.


Those alphabetical organisations you mentioned go with the Internet – I mean they put stuff on it - so you may wish to reconsider your stance. The internet is a good place to START any research and those who shun it run the risk of missing out on the latest information. There is a load of crap there, but there is also a load meat – sifting stuff is where your smartness comes in. Of course, what a professional like you ought to do is read medical journals regularly. It is failure to do this that causes some of the problems I highlighted. its unfortunate that a question-answer forum has turned argumentative. I said I don't go wit internet except its from a medical/dental authority(reliability question) doesn't mean I don't respect internet,try n understand d statement sir. Ok?.People learned and unlearned upload craps everyday so u make sure what u r getting is trustworthy n reliable.that's my point sir.ok? I told you of a dentist who prescribed a mouthwash with alcohol for me years after serious dentists had stopped making that prescription. Another thing you guys need to do – and this is more important than reading - is to pay some attention to your patients to see how much those textbook ideas actually work. If a patient says he has bad breath and you ask him, how many times do you brush? And he says once, and you tell him to brush twice, try to find out the experience of the patient and if what you recommended actually worked. That way we won’t keep proving true what a certain Nigerian TV “tradomedical doctor” who I don’t admire very much keeps saying that “common sense has left the practice of medicine”.

MyJoe: The correct medical advice is "floss daily". And that is sound advice. Floss twice daily, sir, is not a very good piece of advice. Because while your mouth can withstand the stress of being brushed twice daily, flossing twice is another matter. You are right that flossing doesn't cause sensitivity - ordinarily. Flossing too much can - just as overbrushing can. The floss is made of twine. When you floss, it rubs against your gums and the gums are quite fragile. There is no way you will do that to excess and not harm your gums which can lead to sensitivity. Even picking your kind of floss is a serious matter. There was one I bought and threw away. It's okay to purvey standard textbook ideas like "toothpicks are bad, flosses are good" but such ideas have to be moderated in practical terms. The reason toothpicks are deemed bad and flosses deemed good is not because sticks harm your teeth and twines don't. It is because by their nature and manner of insertion, sticks are much more likely to be used wrongly and thus do damage.


Er... sir, Yes, there is overbrushing, and No, we are not supposed to brush every time we eat. Overbrushing is (i)When you brush too hard (2) When you brush too many times. Please read up on it a little. And then try to observe what works for your patients and what doesn't.

The first time I came across this matter of overbrushing, it was a dental assistant who did scaling and polishing for me at Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, that brought it up. She did not call it "over-brushing" - she simply told me I was brushing too hard. I later came accross the term during my findings and experiments. Everything I have written in this thread can be demonstrated.

Once, I was listening to a very senior doctor from the Federal Dental Clinic, Lagos. She said, "brushing once a day is enough to interrupt plaque formation, but if you brush twice, that is even better". That is the correct medical opinion. "Brush every time you eat" is incorrect and dangerous. In fact, if you must brush AFTER a meal, you must let at least one hour elapse between the two acts.


Sorry if that offended you. And if you call what I write ignorance, you have to demonstrate it - but you can call it what you like, though. I don't mean all dentists. When I had a serious problem with gum sensitivity years back it was from a dental assistant that I first learnt that overbrushing can be a problem. And when the problem still did not go away after I tried the recommended toothpaste and correct brushing techniques I learnt, it was from a South African dental professor on radio that I learnt brushing immediately after food (my every day habit then) was wrong. I started doing my morning brushing before my breakfast and today I feel little or no sensitivity. So, no, I wasn't referring to all dentists. Only those who stick to old textbook ideas and don't update themselves after university - like the one who prescribed a mouthwash that had alcohol for me. For these sort of dentists, once you have sensitivity, there is only one recommendation - change toothpaste. And when you complain of bad breath, it's "scaling and polishing". Unfortunately, most Nigerians are yet to realise the need to take keen interest in the management of their own health rather than leave it all to the doctor.

Now, Google "overbrushing", sir, and come back. Thank you.

MyJoe: It's good if you use it gently. I would use it in combination with brush and paste, too.

MyJoe: Unfortunately, you are not very correct. The first thing most people with bad breath get told is "brush", "clean" and more "brush" and "clean". Unfortunately most of them take these literally and do things to their mouth they shouldn't do, such as what is called "overbrushing". Flossing that you mentioned is a must, but twice a day is not necessary and can cause gum sensitivity. Once is good. Bad breath is a notoriously stubborn problem to deal with. The reason most people who go to the dentist to resolve it don't get any solution is because they dentists fail to think outside the box.

Bayils: Pls doctor According to wђατ snthesis said earlier that his dentist says whitening of teeth is harmful cuz it makes δe enamel thinner as such δe patient becomes susceptible to hot or cold drinks' how true is this.....? Pls i neeδ yθur response regards this

Youngsage: Doctor pls im stil waiting 4 a reply! Wat can be done to overlapping teeth, dat is does nt fit 2geda wen closed, to make dem equal in size and to whiten it. Thanks.

mem88: I knw i'm late 2 have my complains bt please reply my comment. At d age of 4, i startd having bone deformatn, i culd'nt walk and my hands were twistd. I waz administer drugs like codliver oil, calcium, vit B,c and others i c'nt rememba 4 many years. Nw my teeths r real bad, it's brownish in colour, and it's chop off at each end. My teeth ain't equal and whneva i smile i luk horible in those teeth. Peopl do mock me cement teeth, even kidz do ask me what hapend 2 my teeth. I went 2 d dentist and i was told dat 2 whiten my teeth and make it equal wil take a million. I d'nt have d mony and i nid advice on household and local way 2 whiten my teeths. Thanks

twinklegal: Doc i must commend u're doing a good job, thanks for being there. Pls i broked one of my front tooth when i was 10yrs in an accident. Pls i've being thinking of what to do about it. Is it possible to file the other teeth so they can be equal and avoid it being removed or i should just remove it and maybe go for an artificial one and which would you recommend. Pls i urgently need a solution as this sometimes make me have complex when i'm in the misdst of people. Thanks

nyabingi: I usually have tooth sensitivity, a kind of shock and sensation when i chew on my left side of the mouth,this has made me not able to chew meat or other solid food on that side please what do i do?

nyabingi: How healthy is it brushing with salt once in a while, is it effective in killing germs and preventing tooth decay?

BoyeYemi: How much will it cost for braces for both the lower and upper teeth? Thanks

ehie007: Hi Dentist;

is tooth decay/tooth issues hereditary. Some people follow all the protocols i.e. brush 2ce a day, dnt eat sugry stuff e.t.c and still yet have teeth issues. My wife has regular teeth issues while i have never had any. I dont keep to the teeth protocols often, am over 30yrs and have never had any tooth issue. i only do scaling and polishing once a while.

the set of teeth in my lower gum is not properly arranged though; how can i make them arranged properly. i hope i wont get to use braclets.

christ4mi: Am really scared of going to the dentist, for tooth extraction. Cos of the pain, I don't think local anesthesia can calm the anxiety or the pain, I am going to feel. Do you think, it right if I request for complete anesthesia for tooth extraction, Although am Asthmatic, Help a sister out

tcurl: what do you do when you discover an outgrowth in your gum but feels no pain at all?

irpheezy: Tanks pls hw can I get dis baking soda?

fowowe411: Pls elp me my gum is soft that a slight mishap usualy leads to bleedin and am nt usin a hard tooth-brush

irpheezy: @OP I want to bleach my teeth pls can yu giv ṁ̭̥̈̅̄e any home made recipe 4dat? Tanks

emekatimsu: I really love this topic.
Doc,i have remove 3teeths within 3years while another teeth is seriously giving me sleepless night.
I removed the 1st two in a State government dental clinic and the dentist did nt even suggest filling up the teeth,she rather went ahead and removed it.
Pls i need serious advise so that all my teeths won'nt be removed b4 i reach 30years.


N/B...I make sure i rinse my mouth properly after each meal an d i keep away from sugary substance.

freecocoa: OP my teeth is 29 in number, is it a must that it reaches 32?

I experienced so much pains sometime last year when I was growing what the dentist called "a wisdom tooth".

I don't ever want to feel such pains again, that's why am asking.

Me vs U: Pls doc one of my front teeth is not properly aligned wat can be done about it and how much does it cost

Touchforfree: My teeth are coloured at the base and one or two flipped partly over the other one. Is it the corection for this that you called polishing and setting ?. Polishing and Setting is #10,000 che ?.