Gum flap! Teeth Pain! Can't get to dentist! Terrified!

[DraconicPhoenix]

I've still been unable to do anything about insurance for dental so I still can't get to a dentist (tried medicare but I couldn't qualify and can't afford even simple cleaning right now ). Anyway my anxiety had eased up alot. I just finally got it in my head maybe things aren't as bad as the anxiety says they are but I just tried flossing a little with a floss stick. i used the toothpick part to get a piece of something that the floss part didn't want to grab and I noticed that this section of gum (bottom front teeth. the two above that wierd part of the mouth that connects gums to bottom lip) could "lift up". I'd been feeling it some before as a kind of flap but this time I actually saw it and it terrified me! My mouth is feeling pretty dry and when it's dry that flap tends to feel worse (when mouth is moist it barely moves if at all). I'm panicked! My teeth had actually been feeling better for the most part after my anxiety eased and I stopped messing with them constantly but now it's like my whole bottom mouth hurts. I've been having issues with my tmj making it difficult to even brush my teeth due to pain (which makes me rush and brush harder and more aggressively which I know I shouldn't do...) and i've been stressed from other things so maybe the pain is mainly from that but..... I'm just scared! I want to get to a dentist but my mom still can't find a way to get me to one (mainly money wise but also needing to find a good dentist who can deal with anxious patients with sensory processing issues) especially since the only insurance we might've been able to afford (medicare) won't take me... I'm scared I may have severe gum disease or something due to the gum flap... My teeth aren't loose (according to my mom and grandma whom i have check for me) and i can eat just fine (not counting the jaw issues) but i'm still worried... Could...could old injuries to the mouth affect teeth later in life? When I was 4 or 5 years old (26 now) i fell and hit the ground hard on my chin. My head even shot back and I was lucky not to break my neck. That old injury affected my jaw and I'm just wondering could it be affecting all my bottom teeth even now? Or is it really bad and possibly periodontal disease? Can brushing too hard and not being able to floss often (if at all due to pain from keeping mouth open) cause the gums to develop a flap like that after bad gum recession? I know i have receding gums though I've been telling myself it's the tmj and brushing too aggressively (which is a habit i keep slipping back into). I'm sorry I'm rambling and likely sounding all over the place. I'm just terrified... (don't know if this matters but my jaw's been causing me alot more pain recently and has been popping more... don't know if that would affect the entire mouth or not but there it is...)

 

[Surreyvwphobic]

Hello there, my heart goes out to you. I am going through terrible discomfort issues myself so rest assured you are not alone! Perhaps anyone reading this thread can give both of us (and of course many others) some words of advice and support here.

It goes against the grain really, but I have found that if I am really in distress in a certain area, I tend to just leave it alone for a day or so and let it settle; this sometimes helps, but in place of physical cleaning I might use a mouthwash or salt rinse. As I am doing, the best advice is always speak to a professional but I know this is not always easy or practicable at the time.

Good luck, and hope things work out for you. Simon XX

 

[assertives]

Just wanted to chime in and offer some moral support. You could try and take some photos and post in the "ask a dentist" forum and see if any of the dentists on this board could shed some light on what you've been experiencing. As for whether old injuries have any effect on teeth later in life, I suppose it all depends on where/how the injuries happened.

As for getting to the dentist, are there any free or low cost community dental clinics around you that you could look around for? Another option would be to get to dental schools, treatment can be lower in cost. Also, I've heard of dental offices that offer payment plans to their patients so they don't have to pay the full sum upfront. Perhaps you could explore working out a payment plan of some sort as well too.