D
Deleted member 32290
Former Member
This might mostly be a vent post because I have been silently freaking out for 6-7 months. I was never thrilled to brush my teeth. As a kid, I hated the sensation and flossing was even worse. My father was a guy with barely any teeth in his head, a tobacco chewing southern man who just never really cared. My mom, I just remember her having a lot of work done to her teeth, getting new ones. She made sure I brushed and took care of myself when I was younger. When I was 13, she passed away. I was too depressed to do anything and I didn't have a parent who realized the importance of dental care anymore. My depression would only get worse, unfortunately, and I would lose even more people so young. My self care was lacking. My father never set me up to see a dentist, even when I had a wisdom tooth causing me severe pain. By the time I was 18, I offically didn't have insurance and couldn't afford help and was too afraid to owe money. When I was 21, I finally saw a dentist for the first time since I was 13. I went because of the wisdom tooth, I wanted it removed. I didn't think there was much else wrong with me. Sure, I had some cavities but my teeth were never hurting me. My gums never hurt me. If I wasn't in pain, surely nothing was wrong. I was told instead that I have gingivitis and shamed heavily to the point of tears for letting it get this bad and me being that young. He also informed me I would have to get my wisdom tooth removed before I turned 22 because my insurance would then stop covering it. He handed me a sheet of paper with different phone numbers to call and told me not to come back until I have an appointment to get it removed. He also said we would work on getting my mouth heathy meanwhile. I tried every number, every place that took my insurance couldn't get me in until after I turned 22 which means I was out of luck. I did what the dentist asked of me, I didn't come back. At first the fear he put in me was enough to make me obessed with my teeth. I was brushing regularly and flossing for a few months but the routine was hard for me and my mental health was still suffering. I stopped.
I brushed my teeth here and there but not as needed. One day when going to brush, I realized the bottom of my gums were a dark red. I freaked out. I hadn't realized this before, were they always that red? I wasn't sure so I again was back on the train of fear and started brushing regularly. At first, no problems. I did have some blood when flossing but not brushing. After a while, that bleeding stopped. Surely I was doing something right. I started having this weird sensation in certain teeth. Tingling, sometimes throbbing, sometimes I thought they were loose. I had felt a few of my bottom teeth sort of almost..pop into place or move sometimes. When I would go to touch them or see if they'd wiggle, they didn't. And my front teeth had the tingling and I sometimes was panicking that they were loose..but they didn't behave the way the bottom ones did. This was enough to say..well, time to set up an appointment. I found a clinic that accepted my insurance and I thought it was a good starting stone to at least get a cleaning and a checkup. Since this was a clinic for low income people, the waiting list was long and I wouldn't be able to see them for 4-5 months. So I continued to take care of my teeth meanwhile. I thought for a while that maybe I had been brushing too hard and too long because of my anxiety, being rough on top of what was likely gingitivis or.. even worse. So I started trying to brush less hard and time myself for two minutes. I was using various gum detox toothpastes, gum repair mouthwashes, enamel repair toothpaste. Saltwater rinses and flossing, trying to at least once a day. Rinsing my mouth after having anything sugary. I have been obessing. I learned a lot that I didn't know through the internet.
Pretty sure I found out that the front teeth have had gums recede a bit. I didn't know that was a thing. On top of all of this, suddenly I had two bumps pop up on the roof of my mouth. As if I needed more to deal with. They were mostly painless, sometimes maybe sensitive. They weren't circular and were close to my front teeth. Finally, the day to go get my teeth checked arrives and guess what..I had the wrong address. I called them and they said they couldn't take me in until another four months. So I'm back on the waiting list.
I'm 22 now, I have never drank or smoked. Or chewed tobacco. Yesterday, I woke up with what seemed to be either another bump or just my gum behind one tooth being really swollen. It is very close to the hard-ish bumps on the roof of my mouth. I was freaking out and trying to figure out what's going on through google. It didn't hurt, it was just there, that was enough. The next day, it was completely down. Yesterday, I took my phone and used flash to try and see what the roof looks like and that area behind the tooth. I saw the two bumps which weren't red, the same color as the rest of the roof. The swollen gum didn't look that crazy but you could tell it was swollen. But right behind my two front teeth and positoned sort of in between those two bumps was a red circle that was fairly large. I felt around that area with my tongue and it feels almost like an idention.
I'm trying to find anywhere else to take me in sooner but I have to know.. what in the world could possibly be wrong with me? I'm so scared, ashamed, and angry with myself. I am scared to know what the end result is. All of my teeth are still in my head and though I have some tooth decay in my back teeth, none of these problems happened until I started taking care of myself. I didn't think I was this bad off but I guess I must be. What should I be doing as I wait to get professional help? I'm assuming dental decay, advanced gingivitis or worse, and maybe palatal tori? I'm not sure what the red circle is. What steps might happen after I see the dentist? How do I know if I'm going to lose my teeth? Save me.
I brushed my teeth here and there but not as needed. One day when going to brush, I realized the bottom of my gums were a dark red. I freaked out. I hadn't realized this before, were they always that red? I wasn't sure so I again was back on the train of fear and started brushing regularly. At first, no problems. I did have some blood when flossing but not brushing. After a while, that bleeding stopped. Surely I was doing something right. I started having this weird sensation in certain teeth. Tingling, sometimes throbbing, sometimes I thought they were loose. I had felt a few of my bottom teeth sort of almost..pop into place or move sometimes. When I would go to touch them or see if they'd wiggle, they didn't. And my front teeth had the tingling and I sometimes was panicking that they were loose..but they didn't behave the way the bottom ones did. This was enough to say..well, time to set up an appointment. I found a clinic that accepted my insurance and I thought it was a good starting stone to at least get a cleaning and a checkup. Since this was a clinic for low income people, the waiting list was long and I wouldn't be able to see them for 4-5 months. So I continued to take care of my teeth meanwhile. I thought for a while that maybe I had been brushing too hard and too long because of my anxiety, being rough on top of what was likely gingitivis or.. even worse. So I started trying to brush less hard and time myself for two minutes. I was using various gum detox toothpastes, gum repair mouthwashes, enamel repair toothpaste. Saltwater rinses and flossing, trying to at least once a day. Rinsing my mouth after having anything sugary. I have been obessing. I learned a lot that I didn't know through the internet.
Pretty sure I found out that the front teeth have had gums recede a bit. I didn't know that was a thing. On top of all of this, suddenly I had two bumps pop up on the roof of my mouth. As if I needed more to deal with. They were mostly painless, sometimes maybe sensitive. They weren't circular and were close to my front teeth. Finally, the day to go get my teeth checked arrives and guess what..I had the wrong address. I called them and they said they couldn't take me in until another four months. So I'm back on the waiting list.
I'm 22 now, I have never drank or smoked. Or chewed tobacco. Yesterday, I woke up with what seemed to be either another bump or just my gum behind one tooth being really swollen. It is very close to the hard-ish bumps on the roof of my mouth. I was freaking out and trying to figure out what's going on through google. It didn't hurt, it was just there, that was enough. The next day, it was completely down. Yesterday, I took my phone and used flash to try and see what the roof looks like and that area behind the tooth. I saw the two bumps which weren't red, the same color as the rest of the roof. The swollen gum didn't look that crazy but you could tell it was swollen. But right behind my two front teeth and positoned sort of in between those two bumps was a red circle that was fairly large. I felt around that area with my tongue and it feels almost like an idention.
I'm trying to find anywhere else to take me in sooner but I have to know.. what in the world could possibly be wrong with me? I'm so scared, ashamed, and angry with myself. I am scared to know what the end result is. All of my teeth are still in my head and though I have some tooth decay in my back teeth, none of these problems happened until I started taking care of myself. I didn't think I was this bad off but I guess I must be. What should I be doing as I wait to get professional help? I'm assuming dental decay, advanced gingivitis or worse, and maybe palatal tori? I'm not sure what the red circle is. What steps might happen after I see the dentist? How do I know if I'm going to lose my teeth? Save me.
