Black tooth, receeding gums & 4 years since my last visit.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

For years I was just about OK(ish) with going to the dentists, I had had some awful experiences, but I managed. I have naturally weaker teeth so every visit was a filling, but I learned to be ok with this, get injected, get poked 1 hour, done. Then covid hit, I was shielding, they sent me an incredibly worrying letter and I was scared to go even in my garden when the neighbours were out. I started to feel depressed and neglected my teeth. I did not start leaving the house properly until 2023... this crumbled the little resolve I had for denist visits, I couldn't stand the idea of the dentists, I hated the thought of their hands on me, in my mouth what if they didn't wash properly, what if they had the disease etc, nope that settled it I'm not going, I'm never going again... skip forward to 2024 and one day my tooth just felt strange... I looked in the mirror and it had gone BLACK.. with only a tiny bit of white remaining. I felt so scared and stupid embarrassed. I knew I always needed fillings even during the 6 month checkups and that was back when I looked after them properly.. I knew that after 4 years it would be BAD I could feel holes in my teeth, could feel my gums felt sore and like my teeth were coming away. I put if off for 3 weeks, I didn't sleep, I self loathed, I read about gum disease, receding gums, dead teeth. Finally I asked my mum if she would call for me like a 5 year old, fearing her judgement. She reassured me life can go this way sometimes, she took a look in my mouth and made me am emergency appointment with the dentist. I was fully convinced and resigned myself to the fact that I had gum disease and a tooth that could need a canal or an extraction and other teeth would probably fall out or be removed and that I was probably one of the worst cases in this small town.. The day came and told the dentist my tooth has gone black with decay, and other parts of my gum feel strange. Turns out it was not decay in that particular tooth that had gone black, it was the filling within it that had gone from white to black and it had chipped and the filling just needs replacing. The weird gums is a sign of wisdom teeth appearing. I do have some decay that the dentist said is going to be a considerable drill down to fix but once thats over I should feel a lot better. She also said to my suprise, my teeth were good for someone who has not been in 4 years.. I was floored. I have seen so many posts here where people expect to get full dentures etc, and they get a couple extractions. It turns out tho this panic is a blessing in disguise if they don't do these deep fillings my big lower teeth will be lost. So I would say don't self diagnose, be honest about your nerves and go as soon as you notice a problem, it might just save your tooth.

 

[Simplywolf]

@CantSleepWontSleep I'm so glad to hear your success story! I understand the panic with gums and gum disease myself and I can say that looking up gum disease on the Internet is scary and gives very brod info that is sometimes not the most helpful.

I'm glad that your parents where able to help make the appointment for you and that it went so well!