So terrified i can barely breath

[KayteeArtist]

This is going to be a long one so please bare with me...

Ive had poor dental health for some while now, a combination of hereditary bad gums (all my older relative have full dentures due to poor gums) and my depression which means during a "bad patch" i often cant be bothered to keep up my with dental hygiene.

I finally visited the dentist a few weeks ago, despite throwing up three times in the waiting room due to being so terrified, i actually did it. Anyway, he told me i had bad gum disease, needed a full mouth debriment (what is this?) and two fillings which i have been referred for sedation for due to my anxiety. The dentist was fantastic and told me i wouldnt need any teeth removed, but wouldnt tell me how much bone loss their was.

However, with my anxiety i cant help but be in a state of complete constant panic. My front teeth constantly feel gritty and uncomfortable which is agony (mentally) all day, everyday. My referral will take atleast 2 months to come through so i can get this sorted. My gums are badly receeded on all my front lower teeth and i keep having panic attacks about them falling out, which means im constantly breathing deeply throughout the day to try and keep myself calm.

Ive been keeping complete control of my dental hygiene since that visit and ive attached a picture to show the difference. I just need help on ignoring the constantly feeling in my mouth, how to stop my tongue constantly running over my teeth before i completely lose my mind. I also now have a gap in my front two lower teeth, does this mean ill lose them?

Do you think my teeth can be saved? Also, my gums no longer bleed when i brush my teeth; does this mean i no longer have gum disease?

Thankyou so much.

 

[carole]

No it doesn't mean that you are cured, it means you are well on your way to getting back orally healthy. If your gums don't bleed when you brush that is really really good, your gums are toughening back up and sticking back to support your teeth. If you had bone loss too bad you would know as the dentist would recommend extracting the teeth. Because loss of bone and gums being diseased would mean that they wouldn't hold your teeth in and obviously they would be loose.

You have been given good advice and there is a lot of hope with good oral hygiene from you and the dentists treatment means you have caught things before they become too serious.

Keep up with the cleaning and making the regular appointments with the dentist and any problems will be found and sorted out while they are still minor.

I have gone to the dentist myself in a right old state but as I have got to know my dentist I have come to trust her and I can now go without the stress and worry. You can get to that position too, so that is something to look forward to.

As a last note, keep the appointment when you get it to have the fillings and you will be well on your way to recovery orally

 

[JJones86]

Hi.

Good job for making and keeping the appointment. The first one is often the hardest.

A full mouth debridement I believe is a 'deep cleaning' also known as 'root planing and scaling'. Just from personal experience, ask for the numbing gel and the novocaine shots. I think our teeth get more sensitive from gum disease and this cleans under the gums, so it can be uncomfortable. Often times a dentist will recommend this before they finish a new patient's treatment plan. If you have a lot of calculus it can be difficult for the dentist to check the teeth during an exam, so they'll want to give you a quick exam after the cleaning.

Good luck and keep us posted.

JJ