Dentists and Recoil

[THEZACHARIAS]

Just stopped in for the ole' annual dental visit and discovered a number of loose and cracked fillings in my teeth. The dentist asked a number of questions and started to zero in on my extensive range time, specifically with my heavy recoiling 45-70 hunting loads. I personally have a theory or two about Army dentists being the real cause of faulty dental work, but I'm curious if anyone else has been told the same thing.

Thoughts?

[warbirdlover]

I think he's covering up his (or another dentist's) shoddy work.

:)

[Rimfire5]

From my experience, I don't think recoil was the likely cause if the filling were amalgam, the old style "silver colored" fillings.

If you have old amalgam fillings, probably what was used by military dentists up until a few years ago, the amalgam doesn't have the same thermal expansion coefficient as dentine and enamal so as temperatures change with hot and cold food, the fillings that tends to stress the teeth and cause minor cracks in the structure, allowing the fillings to loosen.

After 50 years, I had several large old fillings cause teeth to actually crack and eventually require caps. My dentist explained the process and never even considered recoil or external conditions. Apparently he had seen enough filling damage to recommend that all large amalgam fillings be considered for replacement before they do any more damage. Fortunately for me, the three that failed were the only ones left so he wasn't trying to sell me more dental work.

My dentist explained that they now use filling materials that are closer to your teeth's expansion and contraction coefficients to eliminate the problem. They also make inserts, if they are needed, out of ceramic to eliminate the problem with really big fillings. I got one of those for one of the three teeth and he letthe machine finished the milling, the insert actually dropped right in and fit perfectly. All he had to do was use some kind of dental epoxy or something to put it in place. I was really impressed.

[BombthePeasants]

This post's title should win an award. "Dentists and Recoil"...pure genius. But seriously, wouldn't one think that vibration from riding in trucks, or loud music rattling your brain would be a much more likely candidate than heavy shooting? I mean, seriously. Now, if you were shooting 5 hours a day, 7 days a week, then maybe...but who shoots that much?

[nathaniel]

I could see it causing a problem if you kept your jaw loose while firing the really big boomers but the normal stuff like 30-06 or even 300 win mag shouldnt do anything.

[ammo.crafter]

Handled dental malpractice litigation for 30+ years. I have never seen or heard of this occurring.
The act of filling a cavity will eventually compromise the natural tooth over time.
Like any other profession, there are good dentists and bad dentists.
Too bad their grades are not posted on their diplomas!
:D

[Rob228]

Too bad their grades are not posted on their diplomas

You know what they call the guy who graduated last in his class??


Doctor.

[Kreyzhorse]

From my experience, I don't think recoil was the likely cause if the filling were amalgam, the old style "silver colored" fillings.


+1. Those filings, regardless if you shoot or not, eventually just wear out and come loose.

[hornetguy]

although, I have heard of people suffering detached retinas in their eyes from shooting heavy recoiling rifles.. :eek: but we're talking about the really BIG rifles, like the .585 Nyati, or the .600 Nitro. I don't know if a 45-70 would generate enough recoil to do that. I do know they will generate enough recoil to be painful at both ends ;)

[overland]

I never heard of that one. Look at his diploma. If it says Chuck's School of Dentistry and Concrete Repair, find a new dentist.

[rbursek]

My dentist has had to replace some very old fillings, as he explained it, the old fillings were very large in surface area, putting large amount of lateral pressure on the 4 raised corners of the molar, which over time can cause the tooth to split or/and crack. He said it was the way they filled cavities in the old days. I hope this helps.
Bob

[sc928porsche]

You're supposed to hold the rifle on your sholder and not between your teeth. :D

[thesheepdog]

My fillings have cracked before, and that's when I was really young and unexposed to those awful and dangerous firearms.

[AZAK]

You're supposed to hold the rifle on your sholder and not between your teeth.

Once my dentist explained this to me, I was able to switch from extended eye relief scopes to regular rifle scopes! (This also solved a problem for me when I went to the optometrists and kept looking for something to bite when asked to "read line...")

[bearol63]

It is very unlikely that the recoil fractured the fillings unless your teeth snapped together with each shot. Amalgam fillings usually break due to either being thin, narrow or prepped with a sharp edge under the filling. Contrary to belief amalgam does not break your teeth, amalgam fills the void where the decay was thus leaving your tooth weakened, it does not add any strength. I would suspect clinching or grinding at night contributed to the problem.

[Dave R]

I agree. I see no way that recoil could affect your fillings, unless you were doing something very wrong in the way you hold the rifle. Your shoulder and upper body take the recoil. Even with a solid cheek weld, your head doesn't move that much, and doesn't move that fast. Maybe if you were clenching your teet during recoil...