Getting obsessed..And could use some input, evaluation and reassurance. (Warning, long post. :P)

[Animal84]

Getting obsessed..And could use some input, evaluation and reassurance. (Warning, long post. )

English is not my first language, so please try to overlook any errors on my part.

-----

Hey, I made a post here earlier.. and I decided to head to the dentist that very same day, as I needed him to evaluate if I've been doing well enough for reassurance's sake as Ive become a bit obsessed with my teeth as of late.

Allow me to summarize,

I hadn't visited the dentist for about 10-14 years or so, I am now 24 years of age. And I had lived with gingivitis and tartar for years.. It would hurt a fair bit at some points, but I managed to ignore the pain because of my extreme dentist phobia, until one day when the pain just became too great and I had to visit the dentist so I wouldnt go completely mad.

So, on my first visit he examined me, he took x-rays.. One from each side of the mouth, and looked around a bit in there and came to the conclusion that I had two cavities, one big one in the back, and another small one on the other side straight across from the large cavitity. I had felt some discomfort in one of the molars closer to the front so I pointed it out to him, and he examined it and agreed with me that it looked like a small cavity. I had all three filled.

I also had alot of tartar built up, especially at the front, upper and lower teeth. This has made my gums recede a fair bit. He also removed this.

He also checked out my wisdom teeth, one was on it's way out but had managed to jam itself into the jawbone or something in the back, and he was certain it wasn't going to grow anymore. And another wisdoom tooth is barely surfacing whereas the remaining two haven't come out yet.


-----------------------------

And most of the pain was gone, for a while.. until my gums swelled up again because of hardened plaque building up at the gumlines .. Took me a couple of months with this annoying pain before I went back to him again. Where he once again removed the hardened plaque and tartar, he also instructed me on how to use my manual toothbrush, short 45 degree shrubbing movements. And suggested that I should get an electric because it would be easier for me.

I tried to brush manually as instructed, but I just couldn't get the hang of it.. so I went out and got myself an electric toothbrush, read up on the instructions, various guides on the internet and even got a friend to show me how to use it. Being very meticulous in all of this in order to get it right.

---------------------

But once again, my gums started to hurt.. so I went back to the dentist for a check up.. And he said that my gums looked much better now and that he had nothing bad to say about my brushing technique, I made sure to inquire if he could tell if I was brushing too hard or not.. be he couldn't see any obvious wear - yet.

But he did remove more tartar again, and said that I had tartar at various places in my mouth which was difficult to reach, but that he tried to get as much as he could. He said that I get tartar very easily, and that it was very unusual for tartar to develop at those parts of the mouth that he had missed. But he assumed it was there because I had been going around with tartar for years, and it must've spread.. so that was his explanation.

I also pointed out some slight black/brownish discoloration that I had noticed behind one of my canines, he examined it and told me it was just a little tartar and that it was the beginning of a cavitity.. but he scraped it off and said to just see how it develops, hoping he can avoid drilling there.

And because of my fear of periodontal disease, I asked him if there were any pockets between the gums etc.. but he just looked at me strangely and said. ''Uhm.. no.''

-------------------

Which brings me here, today as I make this post..

All of this has made me a bit obsessed, and scared witless about my teeth. And I guess I just need some reassurance and some help with a few questions that I have.

Sometimes when I floss, on each side of my lower jaw..At the front..The corner teeth, I'm not sure what they are called.. but if Im not careful, my floss has a habit of getting stuck down there. I've actually had to switch to easy glide when I floss at that place, or else the floss would get stuck and fleece up on me. and it hurts like hell.. so I really try to avoid that.. but today it happened again, and when I managed to maneuver my floss out again.. I noticed that there was a little blood, and plaque and stuff.. a fair bit more than I found between my other teeth.. So It is my fear that plaque and junk gathers down there, and that I might have pockets? (It's very uncomfortable when my floss gets stuck down there.)

I also noticed a very thin dark line on one of my front teeth, on the lower jaw. It doesn't show very well, only at certain angles under the light, close up in the mirror.

I have a bad sweet taste in my mouth alot, it's really annoying.. as it changes the flavor of the food and everything.. The dentist blamed this on the wisdom teeth..

And I could swear, that I hear odd sounds coming from my mouth when I go to bed at night and all is quiet.. It's like a slight cracking sound, the kind of sound you can hear when you press your tongue up behind and against your front teeth and spit gets pushed.. I didn't mention this to the dentist out of fear that he might think I am completely nuts.

------------------------

Should I be worried, or am I just overreacting and being paranoid? I could really use some reassurance as I'm going sleepless over this.

 

[Zzzdentist]

Re: Getting obsessed..And could use some input, evaluation and reassurance. (Warning, long post. )

It sounds like you have had the majority of your dental problems addressed. You might want to mention the floss problem with your dentist. It could be an overhang that is causing the problem. About the sweet taste in your mouth, do you have any medical issues like diabetes? Yeah, don't mention the sounds coming from your mouth at night to your dentist. He might be like .

 

[Animal84]

Re: Getting obsessed..And could use some input, evaluation and reassurance. (Warning, long post. )

Hello, and thanks for the reply.

No, I don't have any medical issues, diabetes or any other that would give me this distinct sweet-like taste, this worries me a fair bit. And it only started happening after my first visit to the dentist, and then it's just been increasing and these last few weeks, it's been there constantly.

And I'll be sure to take up my flossing issues with the dentist on my next appointment, which is in two months. I Hope it's fine to leave it as it is until then?

But yeah, I suspect I might just be going a little crazy, and perhaps even a tad paranoid by obsessing needlessly over something that probably isn't a real issue.

Anyway, thanks for your time and help.. much appreciated.

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

Re: Getting obsessed..And could use some input, evaluation and reassurance. (Warning, long post. )

believe me, u dont want to get too obsessed with ur teeth like i have. That mixed with too much time on your hands, and access to the internet, you will swear you have every single form of tooth problem regardless to the contrary.

I myself have spent hundreds of hours, no lie, stairing at my teeth with a flashlight and a pair of mirrors. There isnt a grove, a pit, a shadow, a crazed line im not aware of and it will drive u insane if u feed this obsessive beast enough.

This week, i spent and i timed it, 7 hours total stairing at a slight grove i have in an upper k9, cause when i shine a big flashlight on to it at certain angles, it of course creates a slight shadow that could be at first glance be mistaken for a cavity. Which is impossable of course since i constantly brush and floss and avoid anything damaging to my teeth like the plague..

Plus ive cleared all my checkups.

Point is...Do the best you can, but DONT allow yourself to obsess over it like i have. believe me, worrying about ur teeth to the point where it limits and robs your life...is no way to live. People have lived full lives without ever once looking at there teeth and have been happy and healthy. Just brush and floss, go for checkups, and try your best to relax and be calm.

We should all be so fortunate to realise, that ANY dental problem can be solved in todays world with such ease