Sounds like Corollary 1 of the Lake Wobegone effect.
    Wow, that's quite an attack of dyspepsia!  I'm sure your referring
generalists would appreciate you posting your full name, so they can
know how highly you think of them.

Steve

So -- who died and made you God?

As a patient who has seen about 8 different dentists over the past 2
years, in trying to find a decent one, I can assure you that what I
quoted above is true in many cases (in all but 2 of the 8 dentists I
have seen, I declare!).

Certainly not likely among those kind and professional dentists who
post here, but in the general public, at least where I live, the
dentists I've seen have been akin to snake oil salesmen, con artists,
and incompetents, to boot!

Dentistry, as I have seen it, is in a sad state, indeed.

I am inclined to agree with your post because my great dentist of many
years didn't mention that I have a nasty case of periodontal disease
..... and now I have 9-10 mm pockets .......x-rays show bone
loss........ the periodontist says 'surgery' .... and I just today saw
a another dentist who recommended using his new laser ... the only one
in SF .... but I'm not convinced .....

So, I have a question ..... is there an alternative to surgery?  I
think I just have to 'buck up' and do it.....

TIA,

Joe

There is a lot of truth to what you say, but I cannot help but wonder how
much of this was inspired your very own concern about others placing
implants, which had become a nice little profit center for periodontists.

I must add, at the risk of sounding defensive, that most specialists are
poorly equipped to deal with or assess many things a GP does or faces. I
have numerous cases where endodontists have "saved" teeth that were beyond
restoration, and send the patient back to me, making me the bad guy when I
tell them that tooth they just spent a lot of money on will need to be
removed. I have also had specialists who have sent a patient back to me with
a list of teeth that "need" treatment, when these teeth are fine. I have
also had many patients who have spent considerable time and expense at a
periodontist's office and have never been given even basic oral hygiene
instructions.

Lastly, I don't think your comment that most GP's are "terrified by the
(implant) restorative process itself" is reasonable. There are a host of
reasons, but I don't think fear is one of them. Restoring a well placed,
well planned implant is not that difficult.

Yes, there are lots of problems, but a fair and honest assessment of these
problems is the first step to solving them.

T

Dear Seattle Gum Doc,

My name is Carol and E-Mail is fxnurse@gmail.com
I have never been so desperate for help that I am going on line for
answers.  I posted my heart out last week, but I don't know how to get
back to my story to see if anyone had an answer.  So I start with my
email address on the first line.  I did'n't put it last time maybe
thats why.

My story goes like this.  3 1/2 months ago I had pain above my left
rear molars.  I had a abcess before its not that.  I had a sinus
infection before , its not that either.  My bridge on the left upper 3
teeth felt a bit loose in mobility.  I could not chew food on that side
now for a few weeks.  Being as frightened of dentists for past bad
experiences, and being handled heavy handed to say it nicely, I gave it
a week if not better then I will go.  the bridge became looser and now
I was having stabbing pains shooting up to my left eye in the bone, and
facial swelling.  I went tothe dentist, he shot a xray and said he
didnt know what it could be but would send me to a root canal guy,
since he said it an abcess. offered no medicine, but they would call me
with a place to go in a few days or weeks, and didnt say he would help
me to get in sooner by calling ahead.  He had no diagnosis, for me.  He
offered no antibiotic stating if it is a abcess the next guy would need
to see me before medicine was started.  By a week or so now has past,
many sleepless nights due to weird stabbing bone pains, I went back to
him.  This time another Dentist saw me he spoke poor English, but was
very sincere.  He looked at my Xray not taking any more and said my jaw
bone is dying & necrotic no blood supply  is there.  He told me I was
over prepped for my bridge that I got about 7 years ago.  They took too
much tooth and bone that is what began my nitemmare.  He said I will
loose the tooth in the rear, the one in the middle is already gone and
possibly the tooth on the other end of bridge.  He said since too much
tooth and bone was already gone it may be nearly impossible to save the
tooth with a root canal, and I would end up loosing all three but I
could have implants.  His quote to me was abot $7000.00 total. and my
lovely HMO won't pay much restoratively.  This would involve a root
canal specialist, then back to him for the BIG ticket items- (the
implants).  He doesnt have anyone in his office that does the work for
implants, but he would get some one for me to do it.  He used to have a
Implant guy once a month, but its too expensive to have one on payroll.

I wanted a 2nd opinion on all this crap.  I went to another Denist who
I really adore, and trust.  His staff and office are clean, not
intimidating, and would offer a Panoramic Xray.  I wanted to see more
of the necrosis and get definitive answers.  The panoramic xray showed
a lesion above the area, under my left eye in the left Maxillary bone.
He said my sinuses are very cloudy, I have no cold, stuffy nose or
fever.  He said to see an ENT right away for a C/T scan of the sinus.
My prognosis is very poor periodontically until what ever is going on
in my sinus is in remission.

I got the C/T scan, it shows a lesion & cystic infection or fluid so
sull that the symetricall orbits on the view show 1/2 or 3/4 as much
smaller on the left.  Meanwhile it feels like it is spreading to my
lower jaw on the left.  I have no sinusitis, no fever, or stuffy nose
thru this entire process.

I have bone splinter pain under the skin on the bone. like a bug feels
on the top of skin, but its under the skin, and then camps on my bone.
Now its feels like it is spreading in my throat.  Like I have a sausage
link in it.  Its swollen not sore, it is crowded and hard to swallow
and sometimes making spit to swallow foodis an effort.  I dont swallow
straight and have to crick my neck sometime to swallow.  The following
week was quite eventful.Blood tests and xrays sinus.

 My lymph nodes on the left was the next area involved.  I began
swelling on the left traps area avove the clavicle.  I went back to the
ENT he said it just cant be related, but wants surgery on the cyst,
since my headaches are daily and on three occasions 3 times I felt
poisoned toxic out of control, and worse & different than Migraines.

I have multiple lymphnodes on the C/t scan, they cant see the jawbone
since the bridge throw light there and to the adjacent bone. and now am
on antibiotics since mid April.  Not any better getting worse.

The bone splinter pain that starts all this crap spreadding crossed my
nose bridgelast week,

My left boob is swollen, and breast implant on the left feels loose.
My left pinky finger looks like a cyst is growing, and the wrist is
growing one.  My left knee is so swollen and has 3 lumps on it.  I feel
like I am going crazy, even my right long and index fingers are
swollen.  I have had all along inner mouth swelling tongue, cheek, and
roof of mouth is soft and spongy, the bridge of nose feel soft and if I
pinch it I hear a bubble or squishy noise.  when I swallow laying down
bubbles come up near adams apple behind my tongue .  My tongue is
swollen and roof of mouth feels lumpy & lower.   I feel this is
spreadding everwhere, and at a alarming rate.

I had neck soft tissue MRI this week for the swelling in supraclavicle
area.  They found a chain of lymphnodes and other lumps that may be of
significance, some suggest & one is  required clinical correlation.the
5 x 10 largest is camping on my left jugglar vein.  I have had stabbs
of pain in the chest behind my left boob.  The ulcer on the roof of my
mouth is gone, but the lump remains.

Desperately seeking anyone to respond.

Thank you

I researched Maxillary Amelyoblastoma it seems to me this is what it
is.

Hello Canyon Girl,

Can you post x-rays?

Joel

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Joel34