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Gingivitis vs periodontitis

F

fromyesterday

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Messages
306
I'm pretty sure I have one of those, but I'm not sure which and after reading information about both online I'm still confused. Is there any way I can know for sure which I have before going to the dentist? Does periodontits automatically = tooth removal or is there a chance of them being saved? I've read that gingivitis is reversible and while I rather not have either I'd much rather be dealing with that rather than periodontitis.

Thanks so much in advance. :)
 
After not going to the doctor I had mild to moderate periodontal desiese. After a few deep cleanings and a little tlc I am alot better
 
I just remembered that in a reply to one of my posts you mentioned having 8 teeth extracted. Which ones, if you don't mind my asking? Was it due to the periodontitis?
 
O no that wasnt the cause. Most of them were root extractions on teeth that were neglected and decayed down to the gumline. The others were back ones that had really large cavities and had been giving me problems and due to teh fact that i have no insurance and they were far in the back I just opted to have them pulled. When you first do in the take measurments of your gum pockets and some of mine were in the 4, 5 and 6 range, Only after 2 months they were 2's, 3's and 4's. So she was really impressed. They did give me a special rins eto use but i no longer hav eto use it.
 
There's no way that a lay person can tell the difference. You're correct that perio is not reversible, but that's not the same as unstoppable (!), so it doesn't automatically lead to teeth loss.
 
Thanks, you two. I can't express enough how helpful this forum has been. I'm actually looking forward to the appointment! (I know I'll be singing a different tune once my appointment approaches). :)
 
But you will feel soooooooooooo good afterwards and such a sense of great accomplishment! :XXLhug:
 
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