M
Menopausal Magpie
Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2009
- Messages
- 52
Reposting here, since I didn't have any replies in the Support forum yet...
OK. So, I posted on here before about my journey in going private (I'm in the UK BTW), so a brief update on how my teeth are right now:
- Had my first half of deep cleaning in November. Second half in December. Basically, the right half of my mouth was rather better than the left - we're talking pockets of 3-4 and a couple of 5s, I think, rather than the couple of 8s and one 10 I had on the left. More instruction from the hygienists, several different sizes of TePe, and I've been really getting on with the cleaning.
- Supposed to go back to the dentist for bridge casting (had upper left second incisor extracted last year), but before I could do that, a checkup came due. Dentist says I am doing REALLY WELL! with the new cleaning regime, and things look considerably better. One of the hygienists mentioned I had an old filling that needed replacing, and we discussed how to do this - obviously aerosol generating procedures, AGPs, are tricky now and my surgery has a PPE surcharge, and she said it would be less expensive for me if she replaced the filling the same day as the actual bridge fitting. So we ended up saying I'd make one appointment for the casting (non-AGP), another for the bridge fitting and filling (AGPs).....BUT before any of THAT, I was slightly overdue for a 3-month cleaning, so we agreed I'd see the hygienist first.
I eventually got to see the hygienist this week. She checked the gum pockets and also said I was doing VERY well, things were moving in the right direction. Still have some deep pockets - that deep 10 on the upper left is now a 9 - but mostly 2-3s. And she said not to worry too much about the deeper pockets, because we CAN improve things in those areas. She advised that in the area of that deepest pocket, and in the area of the hole where the filling needs replacing, I should use a long-handled, narrow bristle brush instead of the TePes, just to make sure I'm getting down into the pockets.
Now. I've had twinges of sensitivity every now and again in that upper left area, and in the filling hole. The latter is obviously because, hey, I have a missing filling, and the former is, according to both my dentist and the hygienist, simply because the gums are so receded there. I was getting a little of that twinging on the morning of the appointment this week, which I reckoned might be just anxiety.
So, the cleaning was, tolerable for a hand cleaning - unlike the previous, I wasn't numbed up for this one, and she did it all in one session. I knew I'd be a bit sore afterwards, but since then (Tuesday, three days ago) I've had both areas be actually painful on and off, the upper left especially when I'm biting on anything there. Last night, I used the long-handled narrow brush like the hygienist told me, and when I used my electric afterwards it was YIKES! painful in the upper left receded area. This morning, I left out the narrow brush in those areas, and the electric brushing was MUCH more comfortable. (UPDATE: I wrote this two days ago. I'm now still getting twinges in both locations, but not as painful as before. Have started using the narrow brush again, and that's not so painful now either.)
I've resolved to get the filling replaced sooner rather than later now (I have to wait till next week before I book, because my husband may need to sort leave with his work - I don't drive). But the other area...I'm guessing that both my dentist and my hygienist would have noticed if it looked like there was anything else wrong in that area, such as an abscess or anything? Is it normal to get this sort of thing after a clean without numbing?
OK. So, I posted on here before about my journey in going private (I'm in the UK BTW), so a brief update on how my teeth are right now:
- Had my first half of deep cleaning in November. Second half in December. Basically, the right half of my mouth was rather better than the left - we're talking pockets of 3-4 and a couple of 5s, I think, rather than the couple of 8s and one 10 I had on the left. More instruction from the hygienists, several different sizes of TePe, and I've been really getting on with the cleaning.
- Supposed to go back to the dentist for bridge casting (had upper left second incisor extracted last year), but before I could do that, a checkup came due. Dentist says I am doing REALLY WELL! with the new cleaning regime, and things look considerably better. One of the hygienists mentioned I had an old filling that needed replacing, and we discussed how to do this - obviously aerosol generating procedures, AGPs, are tricky now and my surgery has a PPE surcharge, and she said it would be less expensive for me if she replaced the filling the same day as the actual bridge fitting. So we ended up saying I'd make one appointment for the casting (non-AGP), another for the bridge fitting and filling (AGPs).....BUT before any of THAT, I was slightly overdue for a 3-month cleaning, so we agreed I'd see the hygienist first.
I eventually got to see the hygienist this week. She checked the gum pockets and also said I was doing VERY well, things were moving in the right direction. Still have some deep pockets - that deep 10 on the upper left is now a 9 - but mostly 2-3s. And she said not to worry too much about the deeper pockets, because we CAN improve things in those areas. She advised that in the area of that deepest pocket, and in the area of the hole where the filling needs replacing, I should use a long-handled, narrow bristle brush instead of the TePes, just to make sure I'm getting down into the pockets.
Now. I've had twinges of sensitivity every now and again in that upper left area, and in the filling hole. The latter is obviously because, hey, I have a missing filling, and the former is, according to both my dentist and the hygienist, simply because the gums are so receded there. I was getting a little of that twinging on the morning of the appointment this week, which I reckoned might be just anxiety.
So, the cleaning was, tolerable for a hand cleaning - unlike the previous, I wasn't numbed up for this one, and she did it all in one session. I knew I'd be a bit sore afterwards, but since then (Tuesday, three days ago) I've had both areas be actually painful on and off, the upper left especially when I'm biting on anything there. Last night, I used the long-handled narrow brush like the hygienist told me, and when I used my electric afterwards it was YIKES! painful in the upper left receded area. This morning, I left out the narrow brush in those areas, and the electric brushing was MUCH more comfortable. (UPDATE: I wrote this two days ago. I'm now still getting twinges in both locations, but not as painful as before. Have started using the narrow brush again, and that's not so painful now either.)
I've resolved to get the filling replaced sooner rather than later now (I have to wait till next week before I book, because my husband may need to sort leave with his work - I don't drive). But the other area...I'm guessing that both my dentist and my hygienist would have noticed if it looked like there was anything else wrong in that area, such as an abscess or anything? Is it normal to get this sort of thing after a clean without numbing?
Try getting some desensitising toothpaste into the pocket as best you can, massage in with a finger is usually the best way. 