New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

[Beamish]

New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Hello,

I'm new and have just been to the dentist for the first time in 5 years today. Last time I had been I'd had a lot of tartar build up and some gum problems. The dentist cleaned my teeth (not hygienist), and after a couple of visits all seemed a lot better.

I stupidly did not keep up the visits (suffer panic attacks a bit and couldn't bring myself to go). The tartar started to build up again so I knew I had to go, and I knew that my gums were a bit red around my lower front teeth (but not as bad as before). The staining of tartar was getting a bit obvious too so I took the plunge and booked an appointment.

The dentist was quite nice but scared me a lot. She poked a little thing into the side of my gum and said I have size 4 (BPE score) pockets, these are below my lower front teeth, and I think the one between my two upper front teeth is deep too. She basically said that it was pretty much the tartar on my lower teeth that is causing them not to wobble. She didn't remove anything and just said that I need at least two trips to the hygienist, I will need a local anaesthetic and it will hurt. She even said I might need further surgery or to save up and see a specialised peridontist I felt very dizzy and could have passed out when she was telling me this.

I now have the first hygienist appointment booked for next Thursday afternoon and I'm scared. The thought of someone going underneath my gums scares me very much and I can be quite squeamish. I'm really worried that when the tartar is gone my teeth will wobble and fall out. (Though I think it is only the last few months the tartar has build up lots and before then they didn't wobble).

Can anyone who has been in a similar situation give me some advice and reassurance that it won't be that bad and that I'm not going to lose all my teeth?

Thank you very much,

Beamish

 

[vicki]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Hi Beamish and

Firstly, well done for going to the dentist, it can't have been easy - but you did it!

You said that the dentist was quite nice, but scared you a lot. That sounds as though you might not be that comfortable with this dentist? Whether you need just a checkup or more treatment, they should explain things to you in a way that you understand, so that you know what to expect and can ask any questions about things you're not sure about.

I'm not a dentist, but I do know that size 4 gum pockets aren't great. However, with the right treatment and a good oral hygiene routine at home (i.e. flossing every day as well as brushing your teeth - the hygienist will be able show you), then these things can be controlled and maybe even improved. The important thing is that you're doing something about it now and that's what matters.

She basically said that it was pretty much the tartar on my lower teeth that is causing them not to wobble. She didn't remove anything and just said that I need at least two trips to the hygienist, I will need a local anaesthetic and it will hurt.

This was a bit insensitive of her. The reason that you're going to see the hygienist is to remove the tartar - yes, maybe your teeth might feel a bit wobbly afterwards, but if it was going to cause your teeth to fall out, there wouldn't be a lot of point in going to see the hygienist as the dentist could've just removed your teeth instead!

You may be better asking these questions in the dentistry questions section as one of our friendly dentists may be able to give you more information. However, I do know (from what I've read in several places), that the whole point of cleaning (and deep cleaning) when you have gum pockets/gum disease, is to improve the situation and enable you to keep your teeth for as long as possible.

I now have the first hygienist appointment booked for next Thursday afternoon and I'm scared. The thought of someone going underneath my gums scares me very much and I can be quite squeamish. I'm really worried that when the tartar is gone my teeth will wobble and fall out. (Though I think it is only the last few months the tartar has build up lots and before then they didn't wobble).

You really need to tell the hygienist that you're scared and don't know what to expect, so that s/he will explain it to you. An ordinary cleaning (scale and polish) shouldn't be painful and isn't that much different to cleaning your teeth at home. Your dentist said that you will need local anaesthetic, which suggests that you're going for a deep cleaning and this can be uncomfortable - which is why you are given a local anaesthetic to keep you comfortable. It involves cleaning out the pockets thoroughly to get rid of any bacteria that may be causing the problem. Once it's done, you might feel a little sore afterwards, but it shouldn't last too long - and you'll have taken an important step in improving the health of your teeth and gums .

We have a page about deep cleaning here:

Deep Cleaning

Is deep cleaning painful? This article describes what happens during scaling and root planing, and what it feels like.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[Beamish]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Hello thank you for the reply.

After bawling like a baby on Monday I'm feeling much better. My hygienist appointment is booked for 4.30 next Thursday and a friend has said he'll come along for moral support. I must remember I'm excited to get my teeth and gums clean and healthy. And with the amount some people have to put up with in this world a little 30 minute teeth clean is nothing I should stress about too much. I'm sure I'll be worrying next Thursday but I'm going to go.

I can't say for sure but I hope that the dentist was trying to scare me into having regular check ups. I don't feel like my teeth are going to fall out any time soon.

By the way could I ask for some opinions on the following? When I was still a teenager (I'm 34 now) I suffered panic attacks, learned a bit too much biology and scared myself into worrying about my front teeth. This has led to me not really using them, I only bite into very soft things like a cheese sandwich (wouldn't bite into a bacon sandwich). Most of the time I tend to rip bits off of food and then put them in my mouth so I don't have to bite with my front teeth. Is this a really bad thing that I've been doing? I told my mum about it and she said that I need to bite on things to give the gums a bit of exercise and to keep them firm?

If I remember on Thursday I will ask the hygienist about it, and ask what sort of things she thinks my teeth and gums at the front could manage.

Thanks very much again,

Beamish

 

[vicki]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

After bawling like a baby on Monday I'm feeling much better. My hygienist appointment is booked for 4.30 next Thursday and a friend has said he'll come along for moral support. I must remember I'm excited to get my teeth and gums clean and healthy.

I wouldn't worry too much about bawling like a baby - I cry my eyes out before most dental appointments and have even bawled like a baby when I'm in the chair too (a 32 year old baby! ). As you say, the important thing to remember is that you've started on the path to getting your mouth healthy and once you've got a few visits out of the way, things should start to get easier for you.

I can't say for sure but I hope that the dentist was trying to scare me into having regular check ups. I don't feel like my teeth are going to fall out any time soon.

Think back to when you had your baby teeth. As you were growing up, one by one they gradually became loose and eventually fell out to make way for your permanent teeth. You knew it was happening because your teeth maybe ached a bit and became more wobbly over a few days or weeks. I don't think your teeth would just suddenly fall out without any warning. Maybe they might feel a little different or maybe even a little bit wobbly after you've had the cleaning, but as long as you keep up with the tooth brushing, flossing, the right treatment and a good oral hygiene routine, things should settle down with time.

Following a root canal a few months ago, I noticed that a couple of my teeth felt different and the gums that were previously nice and tight around the base of them, were coming a bit loose and food was getting stuck in there. I started panicking and managed to convince myself that I had gum disease as I have never had gum pockets ever. I knew I had an appointment at the dental hospital coming up (which I had yesterday) as my dentist had referred me a few weeks ago. I filled my head with all sorts of horrible things that I was convinced they'd find and what they'd say about the gum pockets around the two teeth. So much so, I bought a big bottle of Corsodyl mouthwash, a load of interdental brushes and some more floss (I was used to flossing anyway - although I didn't always do it every day ). For about 6 weeks, I have flossed, brushed and rinsed at least twice a day - every time, looking in the mirror and obsessing about the size of the pockets. When I went to the appointment, after a full examination, I find out that my gum pockets are mostly 1's with a couple of 2's - in other words, normal and no problem.

The point is, that once you've had a cleaning, your dentist will be able to get a better idea of what's going on and what, if anything, needs to be done. They shouldn't be trying to scare you into having regular check ups though - there are better and kinder ways to persuade people to do things.

By the way could I ask for some opinions on the following? When I was still a teenager (I'm 34 now) I suffered panic attacks, learned a bit too much biology and scared myself into worrying about my front teeth. This has led to me not really using them, I only bite into very soft things like a cheese sandwich (wouldn't bite into a bacon sandwich).

Sometimes the more information you have about something, the better it makes you feel as you're more in control. Sometimes though, more information can just cause you to worry about all the things that could go wrong. Teeth are designed to withstand a fairly large amount of biting and chewing force and your front teeth are meant to cut into things so that you can then chew them up with your back teeth. Unless you have any pain or really do think that your teeth will fall out if you put any pressure on them (or unless your dentist has told you not to), I would start trying slightly harder food such as a bacon sandwich and see what happens. Obviously, don't go mad and start chewing toffees straight away but build up slowly - test it and see what happens. It might feel a bit strange if you've only eaten soft things for a long time as the ligaments that surround your tooth won't have had as much work to do and so will be a bit out of practice, but try it and see what happens .

 

[Beamish]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Hi Vicky,

Thanks very much for your reply. I have my appointment at 4.30 this afternoon - eek! I actually had a dream about the dentists last night but it was surprisingly a nice one. It didn't bear any resemblence to what my dentist building looks like but it wasn't a bad dream so that is good.

I have been brushing my teeth with the mechanical toothbrush and it feels good afterwards, even though I can feel all of the tartar. I've also been using the interdental brushes and they are really good. I can't squeeze them between my bottom front four teeth at the moment, but I've been trying to venture down into the join in the the gum between them. I daresay trying to do this right now before the clean won't help too much tonight but at least I'm practicing.

I plucked up the courage to have a look at the back of my bottom front teeth today, for the first time in absolutely years. I was surprised at the appearance of the tartar. When I prod it with my tongue I suppose I've just been convincing myself that it wasn't that much, but when I saw it I can see that there is maybe a 1cm or so wide strip of tartar that runs quite far down. I really really hope that when the hygienist removes it that there is still gum under there like there was last time, and that my gums bounce back up. It isn't painful at all.

However I think I might have a slight infection or something between my two front upper teeth as when I've tried the interdental brush there it hurts, and the gum does look quite red. Also between the teeth looks quite stained with tartar. I'll try and remember to mention that to the hygienist so hopefully they can numb it with some gel or something before they do that bit.

5 and a half hours and I hope this visit will be finished. I will write how it all went!

Beamish

 

[Beamish]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

I'm back and I'm alive!

The hygienist lady was really lovely. I started off by apologising for letting my gums get so bad and asked if she could be gentle with me as I was a bit scared. She had seen a picture of my gums (I didn't even know the dentist had taken a picture) and said I'd definately need a local anaesthetic, but she chould see I was a bit nervous and went and brought in another dentist to ask if it's possible to have it done under sedation. He said it'd cost about £200-400 so I said I'd give the local a try. I said that the dentist had said I'd probably need 2 sessions anyway and asked if I could have a couple of smaller sessions. She said yes that's cool, I was only booked for 30 minutes today anyway).

So today I started out having my lower right quadrant done. She gave me some injections which weren't too bad, I was expecting it to hurt a lot more than it did. Then my tongue went tingly and gradually more numb. I was given some safety specs to wear. She then started to work at my teeth with the electronic thingy, I actually don't mind that thing at all! Then once finished with that she started using the metal hook to get rid of some tartar from between my lower front teeth. I admit I didn't like that as it did feel like she was pulling on it very hard (which she must have been). As I mentioned earlier I'm very sensitive about my front teeth. But while she was doing this she heard me groan a tiny bit and reassured me by promising that she wasn't pulling my teeth out :-D. On the plus side she did say that none of them seem wobbly so hopefully we've caught it in time!!!!

She was really lovely and checked I was okay throughout, and if I wasn't okay or in any pain to say or to give her the thumbs down. After she'd finished I asked about cleaning and she said it is fine for me to straight away start using my electric toothbrush and really go for it to keep it clean.

I'm now booked in for an hour to get most, if not all of the rest of my mouth done. She also told me to bring my electronic toothbrush in so she can show me how to brush my teeth correctly. Unfortunately she is on holiday next week, and completely booked up the week after, so my appointment is on the 1st September.

I know I will also be nervous for that as there's that iffy bit between my two front teeth. But fingers crossed the worst bit is done!

I now feel so relieved and happy, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Now to get the rest of them cleaned, take good care of them and then keep up with check ups!

Thanks for all the advice and kind words,

Beamish

PS: Also I just wanted to say that I didn't feel any pain at all. Before going I was really scared about how the procedure would feel for cleaning under the gums. I was expecting there to be three people there holding my gums open while she prodded around inside. But it was just her, all I felt was a side to side and up and down motion of the electronic cleaner, it didn't actually 'feel' invasive at all!

 

[vicki]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

That's fabulous news - I'm glad it went well for you. The more positive experiences you have, then bit by bit, you will gradually start to overcome any fears and also build up some trust in both the dentist and their team.

Now you know that you can cope with a cleaning and so the next appointment in September will just be more of the same. It's important to realise that you're actually in control when you're sat in the chair (even though it doesn't feel like it), so the fact that the hygienist told you to let her know if you weren't OK or were in pain, was great as it meant that she was putting you back in control of things. Sometimes just knowing that you can stop them at any time makes a huge difference.

 

[brit]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

I was expecting there to be three people there holding my gums open while she prodded around inside. But it was just her, all I felt was a side to side and up and down motion of the electronic cleaner, it didn't actually 'feel' invasive at all!

Ewww,,,Where did you get that awful concept from?
Congrats...

 

[Beamish]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Aw I know it was a really silly idea to have in my head. Just hearing it called a 'deep' clean and hearing I'd need anaesthetic made me imagine it would be a lot worse than it actually was :-D

It's been just over a week since I've had that first quadrant done. I've been trying to be really good and have brushed 2/3 times a day, and afterwards have been using the interdental brushes, and have been flossing once a day. (It is absolute heaven to be able to get the sticks between my teeth now!)Also I've been using the corsodyl. That first quadrant is looking healthier now I'm sure. The gums seem tighter to the teeth already and are a lot less red.

The gum inside my front bottom teeth is still slightly tender. I think maybe my electric toothbrush is a little bit too 'enthusiastic' when I'm cleaning there so I am trying to be careful. For the first three or so days after the clean it looked a little bit like a scab was there (except it was wet). It looks better now but is still a little bit tender, but I think it is getting better.

Beamish

 

[vicki]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

It's been just over a week since I've had that first quadrant done. I've been trying to be really good and have brushed 2/3 times a day, and afterwards have been using the interdental brushes, and have been flossing once a day. (It is absolute heaven to be able to get the sticks between my teeth now!)Also I've been using the corsodyl. That first quadrant is looking healthier now I'm sure. The gums seem tighter to the teeth already and are a lot less red.

That sounds like things are definitely improving and if you keep up with the new routine, things can only get better . Your teeth and gums might feel slightly tender for a while as they've had a really thorough clean. If you think your electric toothbrush is a bit too rough, maybe you could swap to using a slightly softer ordinary toothbrush for a while until things settle down?

 

[brit]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Might be an idea to swap to the 'sensitive heads' for your electric toothbrush. Gums get worn away by overbrushing as well as underbrushing more's the pity

 

[Beamish]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Hi all,

I just thought I'd report back again. I have just been to see the hygienist again for the appointment to get the other 3/4 of my teeth de-tartared. The appointment was set for an hour but in the end I was in there for about 50 minutes. I was a lot less apprehensive this time as I knew sort of what to expect. I had three injections in the top of my mouth and one on the bottom left at the back. Again I could feel the injections but they didn't really hurt.

Once more she went over all of my teeth with the sonic cleaner thing which I still don't mind. But as last time she did go over with the metal hook which isn't my favourite, but it was okay as I knew it was all for a better mouth. She also went a little bit back over the quarter of my mouth that she did last time, as apparently some of the hard stuff that was in there had worked its way to the surface - more stuff gone - yay!

She said she was very happy with the quarter that she did three weeks ago so I am really happy about that. We talked about the interdental brushes and how I'd end up using slightly bigger ones than I am at the moment as my gums heal, and she showed me how to brush with my electronic brush. Luckily I had been kind of doing it right I think, and it is so much better than the manual brush I was using. She told me to keep using corsodyl for another couple of months while my gums heal. Also she wasn't sure whether to or not but she has given me a 5 day course of metronidazole. She said this would help the gums heal faster so I said sure, anything that helps them I'll take it! (It will also help me stay off the wine for a bit longer lol).

Before I left she asked me how I felt about it all. I told her I was really happy to at last be getting things sorted, and that before this I'd just try and forget about my gums and pretend they didn't exist. She said it's good I'm getting it sorted as I would have lost all my teeth! (I presume I wouldn't have lost them THAT soon but would have in the end).

So in the meantime I have a 10 minute appointment on 24th October to meet a new dentist as the first one I saw for my initial appointment has left. Then in 3 months I have another hygienist visit to see how things are going. I will keep up my cleaning regimen and fingers crossed all will be okay!!!

Thanks for reading my scribbles,

Beamish

 

[Beamish]

Re: New member - have size 4 pockets and need to see hygienist, after reassurance please.

Just thought I'd write an update. It's been just over a week since the deep clean was completed on the last 3/4 of my teeth and gums. I think mostly things are looking better but I'm a bit impatient for it to heal. I've been religiously cleaning, interdental flossing twice a day and flossing at night before bed. I also completed the course of metronidazole.

My gums are looking a lot pinker in places but there are still some areas that are a little bit red, not as bad as before but still a bit red, this is a bit below my front teeth and above my top front teeth. The part above my top front teeth was really quite red before so I expect this will take a bit more time to calm down. I was sort of hoping it would all be a lovely healthy pink colour by now but I suppose these things don't happen overnight. I know the hygienist said that it takes 3 months to heal up properly - I really hope my gums do heal! I was wondering if anyone had any experience of how long it takes?

Thanks very much,

Faye