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severe periodontitis? **pictures attached**

  • Thread starter fearfulinvirginia
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fearfulinvirginia

Junior member
Joined
Oct 6, 2020
Messages
7
Location
virginia
good morning.

long time lurker of this site and finally made the decision to sign up last night. i understand that many people post here and say they're the worst case of anxiety when it comes to seeing a dentist, but my husband always tells me that i'd top them all. with that being said, i am a 37 year old female who hasn't set foot in a dentist's office in over 13 years. i also haven't been to a doctor in that same amount of time due to my anxiety.

i have a tendency to ramble, so trying my hardest to tell you all everything in as few sentences as possible.

i have health anxiety. was diagnosed a little over a decade ago. have panic disorder and was diagnosed about a decade ago, but haven't had an attack in about 16 months. i was just recently diagnosed with PTSD from my panic disorder; because even though i've not had an attack in so long, i always fear that "the big one" is coming and will take me out. i am in therapy for all of these things but...yeah, it's not doing much.

with all of this in mind, i smile and people compliment me on my teeth all of the time. what they don't see is my bottom row or the six missing teeth in the far back of my mouth. my bottom row of teeth is presenting with what i am sure is severe periodontitis. so severe that the gums became so inflamed and pushed one of my bottom front teeth out on friday night.

i attached some pictures, maybe they can speak for themselves. i fear i am dying or something. i fear having injections into my gums because i am allergic to everything. i don't take any medications - haven't in over a decade, not even over the counter tylenol, because of how i have had allergies pop up out of nowhere to things that i used to not have years before. i just want to know i am not alone. i want to know that this isn't the worst case people have seen.

picture 1: my smile - see? looks normal.

picture 2: my gums up close with flash

picture 3: tooth in back on bottom row that i know needs to come out and is what i believe (would love some input) causing my right side of the bottom row gum inflammation.

picture 4: picture of my gums with flash with the camera slightly farther away to show my gum color. when i put the camera closer, the gums appear much redder for some reason.

please just tell me that i am not alone, that this isn't the worst thing someone has seen. that there is hope. i don't want to get all of my teeth pulled. i don't want an implant being drilled into my jaw. i just want to feel like me again.

please.....go easy on me. i don't know if my anxiety can take it, and this took a LOT to post. is this severe periodontitis? what can be done?

ps: i also wanted to add that i brush twice a day with a $200 electric toothbrush (sonicare diamondclean 9300), floss after every meal and use interdental flossers on the go if need be, mouthwash twice a day. i ALSO do saltwater rinses 3x a day for the last two weeks. i follow the ADA website for how to brush my teeth, floss, etc. - and i have ALWAYS been this 'anal' about my teeth and oral health, but still come out like this.

the weirdest part about this? my gums don't bleed...not even a little.
 

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Hi,
I'm not a dentist but just wanted to give a quick reply. I am sure if you can find a good dentist you feel safe with, that they'll be able to help you. The only thing I can really share is my mother in law had similar looking gums to what you describe and she too lost a front lower tooth which just came out by itself. However, with really regular dental cleaning, a toothpaste to help with gums (oral b i think it is) and using and electric toothbrush her gums have been so much better. She got a little denture (not sure what to call it) just with the 1 tooth for the missing one and it looks just the same as her other teeth, you can't tell its not her real tooth. As I say, I'm not an expert but just wanted to try and reassure you that I'm certain your dentist can help you with this

Good luck
 
Hi,
I'm not a dentist but just wanted to give a quick reply. I am sure if you can find a good dentist you feel safe with, that they'll be able to help you. The only thing I can really share is my mother in law had similar looking gums to what you describe and she too lost a front lower tooth which just came out by itself. However, with really regular dental cleaning, a toothpaste to help with gums (oral b i think it is) and using and electric toothbrush her gums have been so much better. She got a little denture (not sure what to call it) just with the 1 tooth for the missing one and it looks just the same as her other teeth, you can't tell its not her real tooth. As I say, I'm not an expert but just wanted to try and reassure you that I'm certain your dentist can help you with this

Good luck

I actually appreciate this more than you know. I’ve had very vivid dreams where they remove the lower part of my jaw. That’s how bad my anxiety is right now with this. I don’t mind getting a partial denture where they make a denture with one tooth, but I refuse to get an implant.
 
My mother in law had to wait a few weeks for the denture because they wanted her gums to rest a bit first before having a denture on it. But since having regular cleanings, I think she was going every 3 months at first, maybe more often, her gums really settled. They're not perfect but an awful lot better than they were. They also recommended the tepe interdental brushes too which have helped.

The toothpaste she swapped to is oral b gum and repair, not sure if its available where you are or not.

One thing my own dentist warned me about is not brushing too harshly, very max of 3x a day but ideally just twice a day, flossing/interdental brush just once a day- preferably at night.
 
My mother in law had to wait a few weeks for the denture because they wanted her gums to rest a bit first before having a denture on it. But since having regular cleanings, I think she was going every 3 months at first, maybe more often, her gums really settled. They're not perfect but an awful lot better than they were. They also recommended the tepe interdental brushes too which have helped.

The toothpaste she swapped to is oral b gum and repair, not sure if its available where you are or not.

One thing my own dentist warned me about is not brushing too harshly, very max of 3x a day but ideally just twice a day, flossing/interdental brush just once a day- preferably at night.

that’s pretty much the regiment that I’ve been on but have seen no improvement yet. It’s been about 2.5 weeks now, so we shall see.

Comments like yours are what would motivate me to go.
 
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I think it can take some time to notice improvements, my mother in laws took a while so be patient and fingers crossed you notice an improvement soon.

I wonder if corsodyl mouthwash is available where you are? It might be worth a try as it is supposed to be recommended for gum problems. As I say, im no expert but just a few things I have picked up from family in terms of their situation. Fingers crossed for some improvement soon for you
 
I’m in the United States on the east coast - will have to look into that! Thank you for the responses, I can’t thank you enough. Just trying to figure out what this could be.
 
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