Severe Periodontitis

[NellR]

I have severe periodontitis. I last saw my dentist 18 or so months ago… I’ve been too afraid to go back. My mouth hurts constantly. My teeth don’t align any more so it’s hard to bite things. My top two front teeth are very slightly loose. How do I know if I need a periodontist or an oral surgeon? I just want someone to knock me out and do whatever needs to be done. Can someone pleas give me some advice? I’m afraid to go back to my regular dentist, as they don’t do the sedation I want, and I’m embarrassed that I didn’t go to my follow up appointment. Am I going to lose teeth? All of them? I’m 61 years old and very scared.

 

[Gordon]

How do I know if I need a periodontist or an oral surgeon?

Do you want to keep your teeth or lose them? If the former, periodontist, if the latter, oral surgeon/prosthodontist.

I just want someone to knock me out and do whatever needs to be done.

I hate to break this to you under these circumstances, but unfortunately what we want and what we can have aren't always the same things. What you want just isn't possible I'm afraid.

 

[NellR]

Just got back from the dentist. Amazingly my bone loss isn't any worse than it was two years ago, so I’m not losing any teeth! My tooth looseness was (normal— I can’t remember the word she used). My gums were very puffy and inflamed and almost all my pockets were 3s and 4s with some 5s. I wasn’t expecting treatment today but I think my dentist saw how badly I was hurting and did a root planing and scaling (and some kind of laser treatment) on my upper and lower right side. She even said she could squeeze me in tomorrow for the left side. I’m praying that the deep cleaning makes a significant amount of my pain go away.