Upset after my appointment at the dentists yesterday. I have a bit of bone loss.

[anonfemale]

@anonfemale My 10y old is autistic and he has periods of chronic anxiety (very hard to watch as a mummy when he's such a young boy), I know how exhausting it is for him (and me), be kind to yourself x

Thank you. I understand how difficult it is having anxiety. It's exhausting for me too and I think it's hard for my parents to see. I will be having the therapy soon. I'm hoping that the therapist can do the therapy on the phone or on a video call because I can't leave the house much. I hope you and your son have help for the anxiety too.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon I hope it's ok asking questions sometimes.

 

[Gordon]

Of course, that's what this area is for.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon I am anxious about my next appointment with the dentist in August. I hope the bone loss won't have progressed and that my gums will have improved. They haven't been bleeding lately and I still use the interdental brushes, the waterpik and electric toothbrush.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Sometimes there is food stuck in my gums and it's difficult to get out. It's usually when I have eaten berries, spinach and lettuce. Does that kind of food usually get stuck there?. I'm also worried because it looks like there is a hole near one of my back teeth and it feels quite sore and uncomfortable when I use the interdental brush there. Could the bone loss be getting worse or could it be looking and feeling that way because of the bone loss that's already there and do I need to see the dentist before my next appointment in august for him to look at it?

 

[Gordon]

Yes, some foods are great at finding their way into awkward locations.
Bone loss takes decades, so no it hasn't got worse.

I don't think you need to rush to your dentist, just carry on with what you're doing for now.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Yeah, it's difficult to get some foods out of the gums and it can take a while to get the food out. I'm glad the bone loss hasn't got worse. Could it be uncomfortable and sore because of the bone loss that is already there?. It only feels like that when I use the interdental brush near that one back tooth but I don't think it does when I eat and drink. I will carry on with what I am doing for now.

 

[Gordon]

Could it be uncomfortable and sore because of the bone loss that is already there?

Sure, that's possible. Hard to tell without looking at it.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon I have been worried because my electric toothbrush wasn't working at all yesterday even though I had been charging it up. I charged it up over night last night and it was spinning before, but a red light came on so I'm not sure how long the toothbrush will work for. I am hoping it will work long enough for me to brush my teeth this morning, but I might need to keep putting it on the charger if it doesn't work. I did use the interdental brushes and the waterpik yesterday morning and used the interdental brushes last night, but I only realised that the toothbrush wasn't working after I had used those. Is there another electric toothbrush you can recommend if my electric toothbrush doesn't work at all or doesn't work properly?. I use an Oral B IO toothbrush which has the pressure sensor on it which lights up white if I dont press hard enough, red if I press too hard and green if I use the right pressure. It is easier for me to use one with a pressure sensor then I know if I am using the right pressure and electric toothbrushes are easier for me to use with me having dexterity problems. I can only buy a cheaper electric toothbrush this week and I might be able to buy another Oral B IO toothbrush next week.

 

[Gordon]

Just use a manual brush in the meantime, but FYI any Oral B electric brush is fine, you really don't need all the bells and whistles so get the cheapest one you can find. Amazon discount them regularly.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Thank you. My toothbrush worked fine this morning when I brushed. I used the interdental brushes and the waterpik too. I am going to use all of them tonight too. I will buy either a manual toothbrush or any Oral B electric toothbrush from Amazon to have as a spare toothbrush in case my toothbrush stops working.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon If there is still food in the mouth after either rinsing with water or if the saliva doesn't remove it, is it ok to use interdental brushes more that two or three times a day or should I just leave the food there?.

 

[Gordon]

Unless it's really annoying you just leave it.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Thank you. I just wondered if it causes any problems leaving the food there.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Sorry I might have asked this before. I haven't brushed and flossed much at night this week because I was tired. I'm just worried that I might have plaque or tartar build up or that the inflammation might come back after a week. Can that happen after a week?.

 

[Gordon]

No.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Thank you for letting me know. I brushed and flossed this morning and I will try to tonight and most nights as much as I can.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon I just wondered if you saw my last posts in the mental health section on the forum?. I'm not sure if I should have posted them there or on this thread.

 

[Gordon]

No, I only tend to hang out in this area.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon I have just been worried that I might have been using the wrong size of interdental brush on my back teeth and gums. The dentist that I see wrote down that I should use a large interdental brush there, but I assumed he meant medium because he had only demonstrated how to use the small and medium ones that I had taken with me to my last appointment. The medium ones dont seem to fit well between some of my back teeth. Should I carry on using the medium ones until my next appointment and ask my dentist which ones I should use on the back teeth and gums or should I start using the large ones soon?.