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Chewing Tobacco and my gums

A

allscott

Junior member
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Messages
6
I took up chewing snuff about a year ago after finding out that smoking was killng me sooner rather than later (I know not the smartest thing to do but it seemed like the lesser of two evils).

Well now I have problems. On my bottom gum right in the middle where the snuff sat the gum is completely wore away on about a quarter of my middle exposing that part of the tooth substancially further down than the rest of my teeth.

I quit chewing immediately when I noticed and am now scared that 1. The tooth is going to fall out. and 2. I have done irreparable damage.

So my questions;

1. How bad is this, will the gum grow back?

2. What are the other, if any options?

3. What danger do I have of the tooth simply falling out?

4. What do I do now?

I know I need to see a dentist and soon but I am between jobs at the moment and without insurance. I am afraid if I go and something needs to be done ASAP I am not going to be able to afford it.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Scott
 
It's impossible to answer your questions without seeing the tooth. Any chance of a photo?
 
It's impossible to answer your questions without seeing the tooth. Any chance of a photo?

Sorry didn't describe that very well I guess. I will try to get a photo but will need to find a helper. Basically I have a gap of exposed root in the middle of one tooth, where the gum is gone.
 
Yes, I got that. Still can't help without seeing what's going on, sorry :)
 
Yes, I got that. Still can't help without seeing what's going on, sorry :)

Here you go, this is the best I could do.

Warning: This picture is gross, chewing tobacco does not do good things for your teeth!20121219_163032[1].jpg
 
That's much better thanks.

Righto

1) It's pretty bad, the gum will not grow back
2) Options are either extract the tooth or surgery to fix it
3) It's likely but not in the next few months
4) Go and find a dentist, expect to be referred to a periodontist if you want to salvage the tooth. You have heavy tartar deposits on the rest of your lower front teeth and your gums don't look great because of this
 
That's much better thanks.

Righto

1) It's pretty bad, the gum will not grow back
2) Options are either extract the tooth or surgery to fix it
3) It's likely but not in the next few months
4) Go and find a dentist, expect to be referred to a periodontist if you want to salvage the tooth. You have heavy tartar deposits on the rest of your lower front teeth and your gums don't look great because of this


Thank you for your time, Its not what I wanted to hear but it is what is is, again thank you.

Scott
 
Gordon is right. At best you have two treatment options:
1. Connective tissue graft
2. Extraction
Based on very little information your dentist will most likely discuss extraction as your teeth have very little space and the small hole that will remind will pretty much close on its own.

Long term use of chewing tobacco may lead to a particular type of gum cancer: Verrucous carcinoma
 
Thank you as well.

I think this has only highlighted a problem that should have been taken care of 25 years ago. The tooth in the picture is protruded from the rest of the teeth in my mouth. It's further forward for lack of a better term. I was scared to death of getting braces when I was a kid and begged my parents not to do it. They finally found a dentist that said "are you planning on being a movie star". I said no and here we are.

Now I have a mess in my mouth to deal with.
 
And there are ways of dealing with it as Gordon and comfortdentist have pointed out, and as you say, not what you wanted to hear, but hopefully you can get on the right track of getting help, and possibly also of chewing nasties that could lead to even bigger nasties?

I wish you well.

Kim
 
And there are ways of dealing with it as Gordon and comfortdentist have pointed out, and as you say, not what you wanted to hear, but hopefully you can get on the right track of getting help, and possibly also of chewing nasties that could lead to even bigger nasties?

I wish you well.

Kim

I am chewing nicotine gum right now which I am sure is not good for my teeth either. But is is better than the chew that I think caused the problem. After doing research I am not sure that chewing actually caused the problem or just highlighted it earlier than I would have normally found. Either way it has scared me enough to do somethng aobut it.
 
Doomed if you do and doomed if you don't - good on you for taking the first steps into sorting your oral and general health out xx
 
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