Upcoming teeth cleaning. Questions about Waterpik and flossing

[lila34]

Hi everyone, I'm back. I finally got my health insurance so I'll be going to the dentist next month to have them clean my teeth. If you remember me I have terrible anxiety and that I haven't had my teeth cleaned since I was four or five. I'm beyond my twenties which honestly makes me insecure talking about it. But since I will be going I thought I'd ask some questions again on what to expect.

I have no bottom teeth on either side of my mouth. I know that's horrible. All I have is the front teeth at the bottom. My question for that is since obviously there's no teeth on either side it will be a lot quicker to scale through those bottom teeth right? And being that there's no teeth on either side there's nothing for them to "clean" per say there?

I have most of my top teeth. Fronts are all there and I have a couple cavities that need to come out on one side in the back. Will they continue the cleaning around the cavity or will they do only the bottom, make me come in again and have that top cavity extracted, and then come in again for a top cleaning? Curious about how that will go. The last time I was there they were concerned about the top cavity but wanted to clean my teeth because of the gum disease. They couldn't because I'm squeamish and novocaine is like $300 and I didn't have insurance at the time.

Speaking of novocaine and now that I have insurance. Will they pump me full of that as needed regardless of the cost because I have full health insurance? I won't be paying out of pocket or anything but this is more of a curiosity. Having them push the needle in my gum the last time I had a tooth taken out wasn't as bad as I thought. As long as there's plenty of numbness I should be rather calm. And considering all of this how long do you think it would take to clean my teeth? And do they use a device to keep my mouth open? I'm also concerned about that because I get fever blisters on my top and bottom lips quite easily. The tiniest scratch of a fingernail and I get that fever blister tingle (yes exactly as shown in those abreva commercials). I take medication for it but sometimes they can get through regardless. I'm a bit concerned about that and having to keep my mouth open for so long.

I saw a commercial the other night on tv for something called a Waterpik. Had no idea those things existed. Does anyone use that? Do dentists recommend it (without endorsement)? Is it really good for those who have gum disease? And can it actually help reverse the disease? I'm terrible at flossing and I honestly hate any type of floss I've come across. It always is hard to get between my teeth because they've somewhat shifted over the years and I have to push down extremely hard to get in between the teeth. Was wondering if a Waterpik would be worth investing.

 

[klnor88]

I love my waterpik but you should know that it is not a dental floss alternative but more of an in addition to flossing type thing. I've heard waterpiks are really good for cleaning out gum pockets that come with gum disease though.

My dentist cleaned my teeth before filling a cavity and it didnt hurt... no novacaine needed. If the tooth is being extracted then they could do that at a prior appointment.

Cleanings and xrays take under an hour at my dentist office but since you have gum disease you may need a more in depth cleaning that may span multiple appointments. For cleanings i just hold my own mouth open but you may he able to request a bite block if thats more comfortable... It doesnt touch your lips.

 

[lila34]

My appointment is tomorrow in the afternoon. Right now I'm not overly nervous about it but I'm sure I will be the closer it gets. I've been reading threads about cleanings on here all day and it's made me somewhat calm about the whole thing. I also read the summary of a cleaning on the main page. I bet I'm going to need a deep cleaning because my teeth have never had any professional cleaning before. They're getting pretty bad. I have bad tastes in my mouth even shortly after brushing and listerine wears off. I swear I can feel that my bottom teeth have shifted due to the gums being inflamed. My tongue constantly rubs up against one of the teeth and it feels like it's sideways. That tooth also feels somewhat loose. I'm terrified of losing any of them in the front because that's mostly what people see. I'm hoping this cleaning will help reverse any negative effects my dental fears have created. I'm sure I'm going to need more work than a cleaning but hopefully this will start me on the road to dental recovery.

Any calming advice for me to read tomorrow before I go in around two? Should I listen to my iPhone when they do the cleaning? Rubbing gel or needle? Anything else?

 

[FearfulInMA]

Good luck to you!!! Do whatever you think will make you most comfortable. I think it's unlikely they would do a deep cleaning tomorrow - probably just an initial cleaning and then they would schedule you for any work needed. If you are uncomfortable, you could ask if they will numb your gums with the gel.

 

[lila34]

A few hours to go. I'm getting nervous. I want to go and get it over with.

 

[lila34]

I'm back. It went great. I didn't scream at all. I was numbed at the bottom and didn't feel much once that kicked in. I felt a little bit of the tools but it didn't bother me too much. I got through it and it was over before I knew it. The back of my teeth feel so weird. I can actually feel the teeth! She did the top without numbing that and it wasn't too bad. She said my top wasn't as bad as the bottom. I'm glad I went through with it. Hopefully I won't have anymore bad tastes because the buildup is gone.

 

[zombiegroupie]

congratulations for getting through!

I have a waterpik and really like it. I use it on top of regular flossing and brushing though. Sometimes when my gums are sensitive I put medicated rinse in it and it soothes them.

I've never been numbed for a cleaning, except for a deep cleaning where they put a topical gel in the areas where they were working