I have just started to notice this more recently that no one other than my wife and now kids have seen my teeth because I try not to expose my teeth!
Initially my front teeth were crooked, and one had a hairline crack which overtime got bad.
I never fixed them because of the fear of dental expenses and never had enough savings to spare some towards personal care.
Is anyone else in the same boat? BTW I am 38 now.
Sydney only. :(
I have some tooth pain. I had braces as a kid, but may need some filings. 1 or 2 teeth cracked.
Do this one, OP. Get the process started. You're spending far more time worrying about your teeth. You'll be better off getting them assessed so you know what's wrong than letting your paranoia tell you what's wrong
Do you have Health Insurance with Extras? I get the exam, x-ray and clean free twice a year with Medibank Private (their choice of dentists though), and I know other health funds do similar. It saves them money to catch cavities early.
Got a mate who had a huge amount of dental and orthodontic work done in Thailand, in a place specialising in this stuff for foreigners. Cost him less than $5k (fares and holiday included) when he had been quoted $28k here. His teeth look and work great now. So if needed (probably won't be) that's an option.
Did you know what company in Thailand your mate when to?
28k ? Was it like an all on 4 procedure?
I Have Not Smiled/Laughed Freely in 20 Years - Thanks to The Teeth Defect
No that's thanks to you never getting them fixed……
If it is impacting your life, get them fixed. Regardless of the cost.
never had enough savings to spare some towards personal care
Unless they are still stuck financially. Wife and kids bleeding him dry.
They have had 20 years to correct the issue. When people claim this, you generally find they prioritise other things.
Bit like the pack a day smoker complaining they can't put food on the table, but can always find money for smokes!
or just too many impulse buys from all the good deals on this website
or just too many impulse buys from all the good deals on this website
same same as above then, prioritising other things ;)
"When people claim this, you generally find they prioritise other things". Yep, like feeding their kids or paying the rent.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people here simply have NFI how most of the world lives. They really enjoy getting all moral and on their high horse in blissful ignorance of OP's actual life circumstances..
Yep, like feeding their kids or paying the rent
Sure that is one outcome.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people here simply have NFI how most of the world lives. They really enjoy getting all moral and on their high horse in blissful ignorance of OP's actual life circumstances..
The same, It never ceases to amaze me how many people here simply have NFI how most of the world lives. They waste their money on booze, smokes, cars, tatts, holidays, eating out, new iphones every year and endless sh!t all while crying poor too spend a few k fixing their teeth, so instead get themselves a new $2k iPhone to make them happy.
Look, I know some people do it tough, I also know some people claim to do it tough, while being a pack a day smoker or driving around in a $120k car.
I work with a guy who cries about having no money, while dropping $80 a day on smokes. No sh!t you have no money… You spend $600 a week on smokes!!! So are they really poor or doing it tough? In my books, no.
Yes damn those wife and kids bleeding him dry with their chanel handbags and expensive trips overseas multiple times a year!
Oh wait, did you mean bleeding him dry by requiring…food, clothing and electricity etc?
Oh wait, did you mean bleeding him dry by requiring…food, clothing and electricity etc?
Said wife and 'now' kids, the OP has had 20 years to correct this.
As for cost of living, that is a recent issue, not a 20 year issue.
If they wanted to fix it, they would have found a way in the last 7300 days.
@JimmyF: Cost of living is certainly not a recent issue for some people.
Its only in recent times that its affected a wider section of people.
There have always been people that have struggled to make ends meet i feel very fortunate not to have been in that situation.
There have always been people that have struggled to make ends meet i feel very fortunate not to have been in that situation.
Stop making excuses for the OP when you know nothing of their situation over the last 20 years.
Looking at their posts, they have purchased a $1k TV, a $1k mattress, have a robot vacuum, a NAS, iPhone, have an iPad for the kids, been on overseas travel, have a Dji Osmo, and electric drum kit. Oh and works in a gov job.
They have a 5.5yo and a 1yo child, so 14 years of the last 20 years have been kid free.
So yeah, as I said, prioritising other things in life instead of a few thousand to get their teeth fixed.
Self care is some of the best value you can give your family, as hard as it might be to focus on.
Just remember the "put you're own mask on first" aeroplane instruction.
Easier said than done. I have my own issues to work through.
If you give DrPhil any merit, he suggests we're denying our family a better version of ourself
Tell me ya issues
have you watched dark knight…..
The car was my favourite character
talking of watching, has OP not watched a comedy in the last 20 years? or even a cat YT video?
If the extent of dental work needed has built up to a lot now, you may be better off financially going overseas to get all the work done at once.
Fly to south east Asia and get them fixed and enjoy a holiday
🤣
and then pay twice as much fixing the damage….
What about the happy ending?
👌
In my experience the quality of workmanship and modernity of equipment was superior in SEA.
The manufacturing standards and quality control for dental implants vary significantly in Thailand.
If you want to play lotto with your teeth, go ahead…
@jv: No idea about implants but in Thailand…
Partner - 6 porcelain veneers and bridge replaced.
Me - 6 porcelain veneers and dental onlay plus a retainer.
..plus some other minor stuff
Total $8500
Partner ONLY was quoted at I guess you would call a higher cost dentist in Sydney $11000.
3 visits each. 3D scan and design, grinding teeth, scanned again and temporary teeth fitted. Porcelain veneers made and fitted on final appointment. We were there for a while but a 2 week holiday would probably be perfect.
Talking about crap care or whatever in Thailand, my few experiences have been great and the veneers have no sign a falling off :D
Dental cleaning was super comprehensive in SEA compared to the sloppy scale and clean in Australia that costs like $250. Not to mention it's just like $50. Braces are also super competent in SEA and costs maybe 1/10 the cost in Australia.
the sloppy scale and clean in Australia that costs like $250.
Mine a free !!!… Two per year for each family member…
he should Fly to south east Asia and get them fixed and she can then enjoy a holiday
Dental, not a sex change, right? Right??
Hey might come back as a female too.
Lol.
I am currently in the Philippines. My daughter lives here. I have taken her to the dentist here for the past two years. And I will be taking her again this weekend.
My experience so far has been positive. The facilities are modern and clean. The dentist was professional and patient. It appears on par with any dental practice I have seen in Australia.
Pricing is about one-half to one-third of the equivalent service in Australia.
I have an acquaintance in the Philippines (a US expat) who is a part owner of a dental practice here. I did attempt to arrange an appointment through him a couple of years back, but there was no availability. As a result, I went to an alternative practice. Given that I was (surprisingly) impressed with that service, I have continued to use them. I suspect that this practice is also foreign owned (based on the name and internal decor).
I will add that my daughter has not required any major dental work; only basic checkup and clean.
In summary, I believe the fear mongering around South East Asian dental practices is, at least in my experience, unwarranted.
yeh this unfortunately is the answer, there are several countries outside of Australia that have dentists at least as good as ours and cost a fraction of our fees (without insurance). e.g. was in Vietnam and had to deal with a dental emergency, the entire dental costs with medications was $20 AUD. Can't image that costing less than $400-600AUD here, plus the facilities were clean and dentists professional. Need to do your research of course, first a reputable dentist that speaks english well, but if you have major work you'll save the cost of the flights and accommodation and likely get a better outcome. I had a mate like you with broken front teeth and stuff all income so couldn't afford the Aussie rip off prices, and he was so happy after he came back from overseas with fantastic teeth.
Dentistry is very expensive. If you don't have private health insurance with extras cover to offset some of the exorbitant bill, you'll be paying for a lot to fix them.
Even extras covers stuff all for most dental work. The only bonus is the 2 free checkups, scale, clean, fluoride etc per year. PHI seems more focused on prevention than fixing problems.
Yeah for sure. Looking at a 10k dental bill for some complex extractions. Not going to hospital. Seems like I’ll get 100-200 back from extras. Yay.
So much cheaper overseas e.g. in Thailand, even including travel and accommodation.
I recall that only 50% was covered, from n when i worked for a health insurance company.
Agree. Private health insurance sucks. Should include dentistry in Medicare. The government simply refuse to add it.
Medicare costs too much without adding more to it.
Both flavours of government refuse to add dentistry to Medicare. It would cost about six to seven billion dollars per year to add, according to Google.
To put that into perspective, the Australian Army costs twelve billion this year. Depending on your point of view that may make dental Medicare a no brainer, or unaffordable.
All the best with your teeth but you bought a $7500 camera recently…
NOT for selfie.
It never fails to amaze me how many people cry poor yet still manage to find money for cigarettes, pokies and alcohol.
I mean it's your own money - do what you want with it. But don't cry poor if you have money sink habits.
If you haven't got an addiction its certainly harder prospect to understand, plus saving money is an acquired skill and not necessarily innate….
Both fair points
That money would only cover one implant with a crown.
If this is actually true, then WTF. Why are peoples priorities so (profanity) up.
Do you qualify for insalign? How much is that
Braces are generally cheaper than Invisalign in Australia.
Hasn’t 3d printing made it cheaper yet..
You got a wife and kids who have seen then, who are you scared of showing your teeth too?
Who cares what anyone but them think?
Easier said than done. Pride & being self-conscious is a sunnuvabich.
You won't be smiling/laughing when you find out how much 20 years of dental neglect will cost to fix.
Hi
I have.
I’m late 30s now.
Did Invisalign over 2 years worth, and spent a heap on fixing teeth issues. Now just have routine maintenance (scaling etc).
Big confidence boost. Trying to learn to smile properly now lol
Oh, you just answered the question I asked below. I have two gaps at the front, so it's that cost which scares me the most.
Now the ladies just admire your SD1970.
Jimothy : ummm excuse me but my eyes teeth are up here.
ooooh a sterile dial…. so hot…..
Do you now have the honourary titanium top and bottom bar?
And have you ditch the overnight retainer?
How much did it cost? I do just the regular yearly clean and check-up and didn't have braces in my childhood, so I have two big gaps on both sides of my top front teeth. I'm in my mid 40s so not sure if the cost of fixing those gaps is worth it at this age. My dentist brings it up at every visit and my tight arse plays it down every time. 😆
Had a whole heap of procedures and I prob forgot some but
Invisalign was just over 5
Periodontist was under 3.5 and 100% I do not want to do that shit again.
Other random dental work, like xrays, fillings (2 fell out twice), ended up being like 1.5
I did get a small percentage back via private health
Thanks, JW. That gives me an estimate of how things should cost if I decide to go down that route. And I don't have private health so no expectation of getting anything back. I don't think I'll need a periodontist so it will probably just be Invisalign and other related costs.
I changed my post Invisalign was actually over 5k but I got a decent chunk back through private health that I’ve held for years so met my lifetime allocation max.
YMMV but you may need to undergo periodontist fixing first assuming bone density supports.
Edit I just read you said you won’t need periodontist - it’s possible. I didn’t think so either, next minute the periodontist is showing me evidence otherwise lol
I just read you said you won’t need periodontist - it’s possible. I didn’t think so either, next minute the periodontist is showing me evidence otherwise
See, that's why I feel uncomfortable opening that can of worm. Apart from those front gaps, I don't have any issues with my teeth. Have had minor fillings a year ago (some of my molars were chipping away due to age and maybe teeth grinding while asleep). Had my last x-ray a couple of years ago and there were no issues. And as a middle aged guy who isn't trying to impress anyone, I can live with the gaps if fixing them will cost 5+ grand. These dentists seem to prey on people's insecurities and try to push you into doing major work that isn't probably necessary. "Straight" teeth is the least of my worries if it'll break the bank. :)
These dentists seem to prey on people's insecurities and try to push you into doing major work that isn't probably necessary. "Straight" teeth is the least of my worries if it'll break the bank. :)
In OPs case it would hardly be predatory though. In moments of joy his first thought is “don’t let anybody see how ugly my teeth are”. Sad!
@Jimothy Wongingtons: how bad was your teeth that need periodontist?
what did the periodontist do for treatment?
do you still need to see periodontist in the future?
@pinkybrain: Serious gum disease and had to do a full Periodontal debridement
Was told it affected my bone mass in jaw , which was so bad it basically had to be done or I had to stop my Invisalign (as it’s forcing teeth to move relatively fast).
No I don’t, my last check up I was cleared. (He did another deep clean too)
Many orthodontists will let you go on a payment plan these days too and don't expect the money up front.
Any spare change any generosity is greatly appreciative
I would tell your wife that it’s effecting you and figure out a plan of how you can get them fixed. Thailand is supposed to have great dental options, or even Japan might be cheaper than Australia. You could get an initial idea of what might he needed in Australia and then if it’s expensive look to overseas options. The family could enjoy a holiday whilst you get dental treatment too.
If your income qualifies, access public dentist. For the time you've waited, any wait time wont be an issue.
In the meantime, you need a check up, hygienist and assessment with xrays.
I last went to a dentist in 1998 and only just went to one a month ago because of a decayed tooth. The bill was the part that hurt the most at the end of it.
‘97 for me. Still haven’t (thank god!)! Hopefully I’ll cruise on by to the point that I don’t realise I have teeth.
Probably not what you want to hear but spending on yourself to fix is a game changer. Most of my life i had crooked teeth and was very self conscious/never smiled. Bit the bullet and got braces during covid, they're off now with no regrets and even with the braces on i was smiling and far more confident than i ever was before.
I'm not sure if all do, but my orthodontists had payment plans if that helps.
This, it's never too late.
Save hard.
Get braces.
Suck it up for a few years.
Enjoy having confidence for the rest of your life.
Collingwood awaits you
Sounds like my mother-in-law but she doesn't have defective teeth :D
If you really can't afford it from your personal savings you can dip into your superannuation for essential dental work
Seriously, when I have significant dental work to do, I go to Thailand or Bali. Have a holiday with my wife, get the treatment done, and spend less.
Been 5 or 6 times over the years, no regrets.
Cheapest thing you could do to make an instant big improvement is to whiten your teeth. If your teeth are 50% whiter than everyone around you, at least people will think you have really clean, healthy teeth, and they might be less likely to notice your crooked teeth. Excessively yellow teeth are worse than crooked teeth in my opinion.
I read this title as "I have just discovered a new website called 'teeth defects' and haven't smiled/laughed [this] freely in 20 years"
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-03/body-image-beauty-fac…
People tend to think more critical of themselves than other people actually think about them.
I suspect teeth are like noses - if people start to worry about what they look like, they can start to imagine this giant lump in the middle of their face is so horrendous that nobody can stand to even look at it - OMG - should kill myself, etc.
whereas, in reality - nobody even notices, nobody cares, you're fine just the way you are - relax and no problemo
I am aware that people who've had their teeth 'fixed' to perfect looking tend to smile a lot which is great for their attractive prospects
but yesterday saw a video of a girl with beautiful teeth - taking a bite of something - taking it away from her mouth - revealing the 'perfect' set of top teeth were dentures - on top of tiny cut-down stumps of her middle 6-8 top teeth … ooh - how embarrassment …
Japanese females used to be famous for putting their hand in front of their mouth when they laughed or smiled - to hide their uneven teeth - but frankly, nobody cares - your teeth may be noticed once, but if you are good company then afterward no one is going to think about it anymore. In other words, don't worry about it.
I suspect a smile with crooked teeth will earn you more friends than a serious unsmiling face that makes people wonder why you look so unhappy - there must be something wrong with them they're not telling me about - danger - stay away from them …
what is the link for the video?
Saving money is all good and fine, we all need to be more frugal. But living a healthy and productive life is the most important thing, if teeth are holding you back, spend the money and get it fixed.
Get a checkup done first, then clean. You probably have decay somewhere. Then Investigate about private health insurance, join at any cost, then once the waiting period is over, then commence any dental remedial work.
I would get them checked and really try gather / budget the expenses for it. Teeth are hard to live without, please prioritse your health too. Better sooner than later. Speaking to family and friends who have had all their teeth removed as there was just too much damage, dentures aren't great if you like the taste of food. They say it does make a big difference, real teeth vs dentures when eating food.
Maybe look into private health. For me it is worth it as I get 2 x checkups and cleans each year. Previously used it for other major procedures but now just for the checkups and cleans.
how much do you pay per month/year and which provider?
with the insurance
how much would it cost to do 2 x checkups and cleans each year?
how much would it cost for dental implant (what is the cost and amount you would get back)?
iknownowwhatswrongwithya
I could probably buy a house fixing my teeth. I mean just look at my avatar…
Honestly, dentures would be the cheapest option for me.
However, it has its benefits.
Everyone thinks I'm just a salty (profanity) and don't talk to me. It's great, especially at work.
I think you have a beautiful smile 😊
My teeth came out perfect but I didn't look after them and they rotted, my beautiful teeth not gone but drilled and filled :(
Photos or this is a troll thread
Book a $99 check-up examination, X-ray and dental clean (all included) as a starting point. They will then advise any further work required, with zero obligation, and you can assess what you want to do next. The scale and clean alone will be a massive boost to you.
https://dental99.com.au/our-dental-treatments/