Urgent need of advice - 23 yrs old and teeth already in a bad way!!

embarrassed88

Hi boards this is my first post so sorry if its too long! I've spent the last 2 hours (yes 2!) reading every post i could find that i thought would relate to me, and to be honest haven't found the answer i've been looking for, i really am worried that my teeth are "that" bad..

Basically this is my predicament. I'm 23 years old and i'd say i haven't been to see a dentist in about 10 or 11 years (honestly). There are a couple of reasons for this, back when i was younger it was because my mother and father never really forced me or made a big deal of it, my teeth were never an issue and as most i had one bad experience when i was a child and have a severe phobia now!

It has only been it the last maybe 4 years where i've noticed my bottom teeth getting very bad. The strange thing is (and is probably another reason why i haven't been to a dentist) is because i have NEVER gotten/needed a filling, never had a toothache or any other kind of tooth discomfort in my life.

What is happening to me now is that my bottom front teeth and one or two teeth to the left and right, are literally rotting and chipping away and gums receding back heavily - and i'm so scared i will have no bottom teeth in a few short years

I believe I have it all - SEVERE tooth decay, plaque, tartar, SEVERE receding gums and gum disease (although my gums never bleed when i brush them). I have had maybe 4 or 5 literal (small) chunks of tooth that have cracked away from the back of my bottom teeth along the gumline, and my gums have receded way down aswell. I am now getting gaps appearing between the bottom of my teeth where i can see plaque etc. building up.

I believe one of my problems was that my bottom teeth are quite crooked wheras my top teeth are quite straight, i think has led to the easy build up of pockets of debris etc making the decay alot faster. I could feel that my back bottom teeth the surface wasn't smooth like the rest of my teeth, more coarse or something (like they were rotting) and i could feel them sort of loose as if they weren't attached to the tooth anymore, and when they've chipped away they have been like stained black on the inside (obvious decay!). This is my main worry! The severe decay on my back bottom teeth, and even on the front now my gums have receded right the way down leaving them looking long (unhealthy) and with gaps building at the bottom of them and little pockets in front of the teeth...

The reason i haven't gone to a dentist sooner as an adult when these problems arised at the start was down to me just being stupid (i.e never had ANY pain in my teeth or gums EVER, even when my teeth were chipping out there was still no pain at all) thinking if i kept brushing it would all go away, and later then because of my dental phobia and pure embarrassment of what the dentist will think when they see the state of my teeth being how young I am.

I am no angel and i know i have not been kind to my teeth over the years - always drinking diluted ribena etc since i was a kid and lots of fizzy drinks, i've smoked cigarettes and cannabis/weed (may as well be honest) everyday since i'm 15 (think this has a BIG impact on my gums receding), also since i'm 18 i've become addicted to coffee (have at least 2 cups a day usually with 2 sugars). Now i have always brushed my teeth twice a day from when i was younger, only time now i wouldn't brush before bed is when i'm very drunk etc. other then that i do brush twice a day and sometimes use mouthwash (i've never flossed!)

I need advice on what to expect when i go to the dentist, are my teeth and gums that bad that they can't be saved? I would really appreciate dentists opinions on exactly what is wrong with me etc. What sort of treatment would i be looking at for the problems i described above, and also could they name a good dentist that would look after someone who is very very embarrassed about the whole situation. I've even started having nightmares about my teeth falling out

I'm really sorry about the long post but you can see how worried i am about the whole thing and how embarrassed! I used to have good teeth when i was younger, i never even thought about them, now they are literally all that is on my mind and consumes me with worry/shame!

Please help!!!

helimachoptor

Op you know what the answer is, you must go to a dentist.

embarrassed88

Yes, and i will book an appointment asap, but at the moment i am unemployed and have bills to pay, rent etc. i'm nearly on the bread line!! I'm just looking for advice from a dentist about what to expect, maybe what they think is wrong with my teeth, recommending good dentists etc.

Laisurg

Well i'm no dentist so i can't give you any advice (although i think giving any sort of medical advice on boards is forbidden) if you're worried about your teeth then go see a dentist, my gums are receding as well and i'm convinced it's as a result of smoking, they started to recede shortly after i began smoking about 5-6 cigarettes a day.
I'm not sure what the effect of cannabis smoke is on teeth and gums but i'd suggest making sure that your weed has nothing added onto to it to increase weight or been sprayed with anything as i would say that would have a more adverse effect on your teeth and gums than smoking in general.

embarrassed88 wrote: »

Yes, and i will book an appointment asap, but at the moment i am unemployed and have bills to pay, rent etc. i'm nearly on the bread line!! I'm just looking for advice from a dentist about what to expect, maybe what they think is wrong with my teeth, recommending good dentists etc.

Well unfortunately all dentists are very expensive, basically everything got taken off the medical card recently as far as i'm aware as well, an examination is still on it though so if you have a medical card you could get a quote for everything that needs to be done, the dentist i go to charges about 80 euro for a normal filling and 100 euro for a white one so the price really could add up, i'd suggest getting the examination and quote as soon as possible though and finding out how urgently the work needs to be done.

kingelmo

Hi OP,

may i just start by saying i HATE the dentist! Never really went to them when i was younger, the only time i did go was when i was in terrible terrible pain and you still had to force me in the door then..My local dentist was a butcher and is really in the wrong business she should be hacking at a cow or something:D, so maybe thats why i didnt fo to any.

Finally i gave in when i was in bits with the pain in my front tooth a year ago.. Went to a different dentist about 30 min drive away from me..Works out i needed a rooth canal a lovely €700 thanks very much mr. dentist!!:eek:

I needed alot of filings on top of the rooth canal, and my jaw is out of line since i was small. So a year on - iv a gob full of fillings, a root canal,a large chunk gone out of my front tooth which is filled up again and im now waiting on jaw surgery:mad: yeaaahhh cant frickin wait NOT!!

because my jaw is out of line:
a)its not closing properly
b) i cant open my mouth wide enough to eat
c)the pushing all my teeth forward
d) my wisdow teeth cant come up because my teeth are pushed forward and me gob is overcrowed

So ya, the dentist is expensive but please for your own sake go to them!!
Im still not happy with my teeth and because of this surgery ill need braces for a bit... Im 21 and i DO NOT want braces!!! the surgery is going to cost an arm and a leg so im going to leave it off for a bit till i round up the money!!

But please OP its not worth it, get them check out!

work

You accept there is a problem and are very honest about this. You need to go to a dentist for an examination ASAP. Be honest with yourself and the dentist, these treatments can often be provided over an extended time allowing you sort you finances out. The sooner you start treatment the less you will need.
Good luck

Rachiee

you need to go to a dentist my teeth were very bad at 23 and instead of going to a dentist ( same reason i was poor and embarassed) i left it til i was 27 it doesnt go away it gets worse, more painful, more expensive and more embarassing the earlier you go the more of your teeth can be saved trust me dont wait a moment longer its not worth it. Dont worry about embarassment dentists have seen it all before and probably worse

frulewis

listen i wouldn't worry in the slightest about embarrassment I'm in the same predicament at the moment, I used to have lovely teeth and i've ruined them by smoking and eating/drinking crap i've had nearly every tooth in my head filled and i've four taken out, thankfully i have a small mouth so its not very noticeable adn they don't actually look that bad thank God!my dentist is lovely he is in the middle of doing all the work @ the moment then he's gonna clean them, whiten them and then drag me back every 6 months to ensure it doesn't happen again! The main reason i had to get some out was because I didn't go back to him when he told me i needed a root canal so bite the bullet go and see the dentist, do what I did walk in say I know my teeth aren't great I don't need a lecture just tell me what needs doing, get him to do u up an estimate of all the work starting with the most important bits and go from there... hope that helped

p.s. if everybody's teeth were in good shape there would be no need for dentists, remember that! let us know how you get on

volvoman480

I'm in much the same position OP, bit the bullet half an hour ago and rang the dentist for an appointment. Got one for tomorrow so now the fear really kicks in. Didn't have any choice though, the left side of my face is swollen, top and bottom gums are swollen and bleeding, I think I have an abcess under a tooth on my lower gum. Stings like a b*tch right now. I can only echo what has been said before, make an appointment now, not tomorrow, now.. I wouldn't worry about being embarrassed, dentists have seen all these things before. You need to get this problem sorted now. I've done the diy dentistry, I've pulled three of my own because of my fear and embarrassment, I should have just copped on and went to this guy earlier. The guy I go to couldn't be a nicer fella if he tried. He knows I hate going and really goes all out to put me at ease. As for the price of it, not a lot you can do there. One option is to go to your closest university hospital, if they have a school of dentistry, like CUH for example, they may be interested in doing some work for you as a part of their training. A niece of mine got some work done in Cork like this. It may be worth checking out. I think you may need a referral from your own dentist though, I stand open to correction on that. Good luck..

helimachoptor

Good post volvoman, I think a lot of people are firstly embarrassed about their teeth and don't want to go to a dentist in case they are admonished for their dental hygiene, secondly people are worried about the pain, my brother for example has something wrong with a molar yet won't go to a dentist as he thinks it'll hurt too much, he fails to see the the logic of how much more it will hurt if he leaves it untreated.