A
male
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:Hi,My wife has really stained teeth.I'd like her to get them looked at but don't know how to broach the subject.She could also do with flossing more but doesn't.How do I get her to a dentist? Reply to this Question
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female
reader, person12345  +, writes (15 April 2012):
 "Did you know that not flossing and allowing plaque to build up on teeth and gums can eventually find its way dowm into one's body and begin to clog arteries?"
Actually that's not quite how it works. Gum disease hurts your heart because it causes there to just be a constant infection going in your body, which makes your heart constantly have to work harder than normal to fight off the infection. You're just putting more wear and tear on your heart that way. The plaque in your arteries is a mix of white blood cells and cholesterol and connective tissues and other debris, the stuff on your teeth is a build up of bacterial colonies (eeew).
But yeah, Denise is right that gum disease is bad news for your heart. And did you know heart disease kills more people than the next 7 leading causes of death COMBINED? So you should encourage your wife to take care of her teeth and her heart!
Supposedly home whitening kits are getting much better than they used to be. I picked one up for $10 and with just half the kit my teeth were movie star levels of white. So hopefully that does work well for you two!
A
reader, anonymous, writes (14 April 2012): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionThanks people.
Will get a home kit and see how that goes.
Bit busy atm with kids/work but when things quieten down I@ll try and get her over dentist for a check up...damn expensive things though! :-)
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A
female
reader, Denise32 +, writes (13 April 2012):
 I'm in agreement with katiekate and person12345 that the best approach is your concern for her dental health rather than harsh criticism - not that you are dishing any of THAT out.
Did you know that not flossing and allowing plaque to build up on teeth and gums can eventually find its way dowm into one's body and begin to clog arteries? It might take a long time for THAT to happen, but why risk it?
Be a partner with her in both of you being committed to dental health........whitening toothpaste will help with stain removal - AFTER she gets a plastic, light, set of her teeth made by a dentist and wears them at night for two weeks with a special "gel" - again, provided by her dentist. It only takes squeezing a tiny amount in the "teeth" to get at least some lightening overall.
Good luck!
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (13 April 2012): She should try oil pulling...google it. It will whiten her teeth and improve her dental hygiene. http://www.oilpulling.com/
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A
female
reader, shrodingerscat +, writes (13 April 2012):
 You don't have to go and see a dentist for minor stains. You can get a kit at the store, for like fourty dollars, that'll whiten her teeth.
Broach it like this: "Hey babe, I've seen this tooth-whitening kit at the store. Want to try it with me?" Make it a couple's activity. Shut off the phones, put some music on, and stick the whitening trays in your mouths. Play monopoly or Uno while you're waiting for it to work. If you make it a couple's activity and make it fun, she won't feel like you're criticizing her.
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A
female
reader, katiekate +, writes (13 April 2012):
 If you're familiar with Groupon, dentists and other professionals often advertise their services for a discount. Might be a creative, subtle way of suggesting that she go. "Hey babe- I found this deal... let's make an appointment". Or if you have a dentist you really like, simply suggest that you both go: "Hey honey, we haven't been to the dentist in awhile, so I made us both an appointment for next Friday".... By making it an "us" thing, she probably won't feel bad.
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A
female
reader, person12345 +, writes (13 April 2012):
Well the problem with stains are that if they are severe or anything but yellow surface stains, she can't simply get them whitened, she will need to have the surface filed off and veneers put on, and that would be extremely expensive (around $10k minimum in the US).
If they are just yellow surface stains, you should just try to say it gently. "Honey, I love you, but I'm concerned that the fact you haven't visited a dentist in awhile might be unhealthy." I don't really know if there is a way to tell someone to get cosmetic work done. For flossing, you can buy some of those flossing sticks and leave them out in the bathroom and say, these were on sale I thought we could share them.
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