gingivitis...fillings..

dee.

Hi all
I went to the dentist today for the first time in about 5 years, I had an awful experience before and was trying to avoid going but finally got the courage.

I have noticed my gums kind of disappearing for lack of a better phrase, they seem to be slowly going in places, mostly the upper right corner. This is why I booked in for an examination.

He seemed very dismissive about my gums but said it was a mild case of gingivitis (I had to try not to cry when he was prodding my gums) and he said a cleaning will fix them...is this true? I don't mind getting my teeth cleaned because I was thinking about getting it done anyways, but I didn't think a simple cleaning would solve gum disease? My gums are still very sore after he prodded them (over an hour ago now)

Also...he advised me that I need FIVE fillings..I thought this was an awful lot considering i'm missing two of my back teeth (I think one of the fillings might be removing/replacing an old one), and i'm only 21. But i'll get them if it means keeping my teeth..but my question is - I was thinking about white fillings and never had them done before, are they worth the extra €30 over the black ones? I think I read somewhere that they are safer. Also would I be better off getting them all done at once or in a couple of different sessions? I had one filling years ago but got it done while I was knocked out so don't remember it!

thanks in advance for any advice!

ballsymchugh

gum disease is caused by dirt building up on your teeth. getting them cleaned will help it resolve, but you have to look after them yourself if you want it to clear up.
the prodding was probably uncomfortable because they're inflammed, but it if wasn't done, then your dentist wouldn't get an accurate idea on the state of the gum disease. an OTC painkiller/anti inflammatory might help them settle.

if you think 5 fillings is a lot, you should spend a day working with me. if you're 21 and missing 2 back teeth already, you're painting a not so great picture of your dentition.

as for the type of filling, go for what you want. they both have their pros and cons, but safety isn't an issue.

as for the last question, getting them all done in one go, that's between you and the dentist. you have to make a suitably long appointment to get them all done, esp if you opt for white ones.

dee.

Thanks for the reply. I understand it probably sounds like I don't care for my teeth, but I do. I was terrible when I was younger so that's the main reason I can think of the need for so many fillings now. I brush them twice a day now, every day, sometimes 3-4 times a day (maybe one day a week).

The problems with my gum all started after I used crest whitening strips, maybe it's a coincidence but my gums were healthy until then. Its good to know the cleaning will help them. Thank you.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Sorry to be blunt but at your age if you have gum disease, decay and missing teeth and haven't been to a dentist in years your not looking after your teeth. Showing them the brush 100 time a day is not enough. Technique, flossing, not smoking, sugar in your diet are as important.

Dianthus

Floss. Daily.
The gums will bleed somewhat to begin with, but this will stop once they become healthier.
A toothbrush, even an electric one, can only clean 3 of the 5 sides of your tooth. So with brushing alone, even a couple of times/day, you'd still be missing a massive 40%
Best of luck, hope you get things back on track

CyberJuice

you can get mouth washes that will help with the gum disease.. go check your chemists and use the mouthwash for a couple weeks twice a day,u dont need a perscription they are just on the shelf next to all other dental products..

you can get corsodyl or oraldene mouthwashes

try stop etaing much chocolate if you eat alot,also same with fizzy drinks and sugar in tea coffee etc..high acidic fruit juices also should be cut down on..you dont want to end up needing a partial denture so cut out as much sugar as possible and get te dentist to give u a good cleaning you wont regret it

if you need to get a big filling done id recomend gettin a black one as the white ones tend to take a long time to settle and they dont seem to be as strong as the black ones

i had 2 black ones removed around christmas time and replaced with white ones, i still cant really eat properly as any time a drink touches the teeth i get some sensitivity and when im chomping down on food it can also hurt,i should have just left the black fillings in,i went back to the dentist and he just said that its the way white fillings are,they can take up to 6 months or a year to settel in and stop hurting..

Phoenix Park

dee, if you need fillings, better off getting them done, without them the decay slowly but surely progresses through the teeth until you get a toothache some day, and then its usually root canal treatment or an extraction!

Almost every day dentists see someone in pain who also attended 1/2/3 years or whatever prior to this, they were advised to have a cavity/cavities filled but didn't come back to get the work done, and now they need root canal treatment (time consuming and expensive) or worse still the tooth removed. Get the treatment done if you can, it will stand to you in the long run, and definitely note the advice above re diet (reducing sugar that causes decay and flossing/cleaning).

All the best.

dee.

I don't add sugar to meals/drinks and avoid sugary food (don't like it) and do not smoke (don't know if it makes a difference but I don't drink coffee/tea/etc either)

Fair enough it's bad that I avoided the dentist for a few years, but when I was 16 I had a horrible experience with the dentist who pulled my teeth (I still don't agree with him pulling them, should have got a second opinion but that's a bit late now!) and was genuinely terrified. Even as I sat in the dentist chair today I was shaking and felt like I was going to cry with fear.

I floss but I know myself I don't do it nearly often enough. It doesn't make my gums bleed but I just need to get in the habit/routine of doing it after I rinse with mouthwash I suppose.

dee.

Phoenix Park wrote: »

dee, if you need fillings, better off getting them done, without them the decay slowly but surely progresses through the teeth until you get a toothache some day, and then its usually root canal treatment or an extraction!

Almost every day dentists see someone in pain who also attended 1/2/3 years or whatever prior to this, they were advised to have a cavity/cavities filled but didn't come back to get the work done, and now they need root canal treatment (time consuming and expensive) or worse still the tooth removed. Get the treatment done if you can, it will stand to you in the long run, and definitely note the advice above re diet (reducing sugar that causes decay and flossing/cleaning).

All the best.

Thanks very much for this. The dentist said two of them are urgent, so I'll probably try get those two done in the next month or so. The others might have to wait a while after checking my bank balance unfortunately.

I really don't consume that much sugar - I hate sugary food/sugar in general, don't eat sweets or anything like that, so the only sugar intake would be sugar that's already added to food I eat. I will definitely take the advice and start flossing regularly.

Can anyone recommend the best kind of toothbrush I should be using? I'm using soft headed colgate ones at the minute. Would an electric one be a better investment?

Thanks again!

Dianthus

There has to be something.
Keep a "diet diary" for 3 weekdays, and over a weekend, change nothing in your day to day routine, record everything that passes your lips...eg: 9am: glass of orange juice, Weetabix. 11am: apple. Ect ect; you get the picture. Bring it to your dentist, leave it with him to read through& analyse, he should be able to make recommendations as to any hidden sugars, and help you get to the root of things.
It's definitely traumatic having a tooth extracted, especially when you're only 16....however now, you, and not your parents, are now in control of your dental health, so it's time to be proactive (regular checkups, optimal day to day oral hygiene and diet) as opposed to reactive (attending in pain, needing extraction/root canal treatment).

dee.

CyberJuice wrote: »

you can get mouth washes that will help with the gum disease.. go check your chemists and use the mouthwash for a couple weeks twice a day,u dont need a perscription they are just on the shelf next to all other dental products..

you can get corsodyl or oraldene mouthwashes

try stop etaing much chocolate if you eat alot,also same with fizzy drinks and sugar in tea coffee etc..high acidic fruit juices also should be cut down on..you dont want to end up needing a partial denture so cut out as much sugar as possible and get te dentist to give u a good cleaning you wont regret it

if you need to get a big filling done id recomend gettin a black one as the white ones tend to take a long time to settle and they dont seem to be as strong as the black ones

i had 2 black ones removed around christmas time and replaced with white ones, i still cant really eat properly as any time a drink touches the teeth i get some sensitivity and when im chomping down on food it can also hurt,i should have just left the black fillings in,i went back to the dentist and he just said that its the way white fillings are,they can take up to 6 months or a year to settel in and stop hurting..

I was using corsadyl for a while there but read online it wasn't safe to use it longer than a month, so I stopped. Actually mentioned it to the dentist today and he said it would be fine to use it for up to 2 months so might get another bottle of it. I'm booked in to get my teeth cleaned with him in less than 2 weeks and will probably book the fillings that day (I think i'd be better to get my teeth cleaned before the fillings incase of sensitivity?)

I rarely eat chocolate, maybe one bar a month. Never drink fizzy drinks at all, up until I was 14 I drank ridiculous amounts of them though...now I only drink 2 litres of water a day and juice with vodka the odd weekend i'm out..no other drinks at all (no tea/coffee/etc) I avoid sugary food/sweets as much as possible because I hate the taste of sugar.

Do you really think the black ones are worth it? I had a black one done but my mother told me not to get any more black ones because of mercury or something (im not too clued in about them..) I just wanted to go with whatever is the safer option! I think he is going to remove the one I have already and replace it (its part of the 5 I need done)

I feel very disappointed in myself. I know I didn't take great care of my teeth as a kid, up until my early teens...I genuinely thought I was doing enough by brushing twice a day every day and eating healthy.

dee.

Dianthus wrote: »

There has to be something.
Keep a "diet diary" for 3 weekdays, and over a weekend, change nothing in your day to day routine, record everything that passes your lips...eg: 9am: glass of orange juice, Weetabix. 11am: apple. Ect ect; you get the picture. Bring it to your dentist, leave it with him to read through& analyse, he should be able to make recommendations as to any hidden sugars, and help you get to the root of things.
It's definitely traumatic having a tooth extracted, especially when you're only 16....however now, you, and not your parents, are now in control of your dental health, so it's time to be proactive (regular checkups, optimal day to day oral hygiene and diet) as opposed to reactive (attending in pain, needing extraction/root canal treatment).

I definitely agree with the last part..after today I think I will be looking at the dentist with a different attitude. Thing is - until my teens I didn't really care about taking care of my teeth, as awful as that is, I really didn't. So I understand that its coming to bite me in the butt now...but I really don't see how it can be anything to do with my current diet. I'm a vegetarian who doesn't smoke, drink anything other than 2 litres of water a day (the odd vodka & juice every other weekend) and says "no thank you" when its time for dessert at the table. I never eat buns, cakes, biscuits, etc. I hate the taste of them! I do chew a lot of chewing gum (maybe 1-2 packs a week) of that green extra chewing gum...but my dentist was giving away the same brand in his office so I assume its not too damaging to teeth.

How Strange

Hi dee I've got periodontitis which I realised after the fact that it's from my mothers side of the family. Most of them have false teeth. Do any of your aunts, uncles or cousins have false or missing teeth? My 21 year old brother who attended an orthodontist up to very recently was told he has early signs of gum disease and he was fastidious about dental hygiene. I told him to tell the hygienist that it's in our family so she can keep an eye on him.

I floss using the little brushes and not dental floss. I floss everyday. I also use periokin mouthwash. My hygienist recommended it as it doesn't stain your teeth.

Now you know about your gingivitis you have to start looking after your teeth properly by flossing as well as brushing. If you smoke stop immediately as its the absolute worst thing you can do. If you don't smoke then certainly don't start now.

I get my teeth cleaned every 3 months and while that mightn't be necessary for you, perhaps discuss it with your dentist and make the next appointment before you leave the surgery.

I was so ashamed when I found out I was weeks from losing my teeth and thankfully everything has stabilised. However I attended a dentist for years for an annual check up and he used to take an x ray on each visit for a loose tooth but apparently he couldn't spot the signs of gum disease. My dentist and specialist both said it started in me around 16 as it was very advanced by 32.

The main thing now is to focus on the future and invest your time into establishing and maintains good and effective dental hygiene.

dee.

edit: double post, sorry..slow internet

dee.

How Strange wrote: »

Hi dee I've got periodontitis which I realised after the fact that it's from my mothers side of the family. Most of them have false teeth. Do any of your aunts, uncles or cousins have false or missing teeth? My 21 year old brother who attended an orthodontist up to very recently was told he has early signs of gum disease and he was fastidious about dental hygiene. I told him to tell the hygienist that it's in our family so she can keep an eye on him.

I floss using the little brushes and not dental floss. I floss everyday. I also use periokin mouthwash. My hygienist recommended it as it doesn't stain your teeth.

Now you know about your gingivitis you have to start looking after your teeth properly by flossing as well as brushing. If you smoke stop immediately as its the absolute worst thing you can do. If you don't smoke then certainly don't start now.

I get my teeth cleaned every 3 months and while that mightn't be necessary for you, perhaps discuss it with your dentist and make the next appointment before you leave the surgery.

I was so ashamed when I found out I was weeks from losing my teeth and thankfully everything has stabilised. However I attended a dentist for years for an annual check up and he used to take an x ray on each visit for a loose tooth but apparently he couldn't spot the signs of early gum disease. My dentist and specialist both said it started in me around 16 as it was very advanced by 32.

The main thing now is to focus on the future and invest your time into establishing and maintains good and effective dental hygiene.

Thanks for your reply! To be honest, I don't really know about my dads side of the family as I don't speak to them. My aunts/uncles on that side of the family had bad teeth but to be honest I don't think they took care of them (most were/are heavy smokers and coffee/tea drinks, as well as that I don't think they ever followed the "brush twice a day" rule!) On my moms side of the family I know both my mom and my aunt have a lot of problems with their teeth, but I don't think its gum problems. I'll ask tomorrow just to be 100% sure.

I bought little disposable floss brushes in Dunnes a while back, on one side they have floss and the bottom is shaped almost like a toothpick..very handy. I felt they were easier for me to use/remember to use because they're small and I can carry them in my handbag then dispose of them when I use them.. but I felt like the floss on them was too "thick" for in between my teeth if that makes sense? Maybe I just needed to get used to them better. After that I went and got Oral B floss in Dunnes, I think its called satinfloss or something like that... its thinner and easier to get between my teeth, but it doesn't seem to do the job as well as it should!

Would getting my teeth cleaned every 6 months or so be enough/okay? I don't know if I can afford every 3 months! By the way I don't smoke and definitely don't plan on it. I come from a family of heavy smokers and it has put me right off, thankfully!

I feel guilty that I avoided the dentist for so long, but honestly I just couldn't face it before. After I got that tooth pulled (it was a horrible experience even thinking of it now gives me the shivers) I had nightmares about teeth on and off for about two years. I didn't view the dentist as a health care provider, like a doctor or a nurse, but as an enemy.

The practice I went to today seems to be much better and have lots of recommendations on boards (thats how I found them) so hopefully I will have a better relationship with my new dentist.

How Strange

Have a chat with your dentist and discuss how often you'll need your teeth cleaned. Once a year may be enough; every 3 months is unusual but I need it. Also ask your dentist about the best type of floss. Those brushes come in different sizes so get him to explain which is best for you.