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

[anonfemale]

@Gordon @letsconnect I feel like I shouldn't be posting here.

 

[andrewstevenson2013]

Just been to my hygienist and she was really happy, she said there is a massive improvement on the teeth

 

[Gordon]

can it trigger sensitivity

No. What can happen rarely is that the gum is a bit swollen due to presence of plaque, gum returns to normal when you get the cleaning sorted and then there's a bit of root surface which was previously covered by the swollen gum which gets exposed, so you get some sensitivity there. It's usually temporary or resolves with some sensitive tooth toothpaste.

 

[Gordon]

I feel like I shouldn't be posting here.

Why not? If you have questions you're welcome to post them up here. If you want some more general support then the other forums may be better. Whatever you feel helps you really.

 

[andrewstevenson2013]

@Gordon that really does make sense, a mixture of plaque and trying whitening toothpaste. She looked at them and I was worried about tooth erosion and she said defo not the. I’m using the sensitive rapid relief currently

 

[anonfemale]

It was my next appointment today. It was very stressful because they had changed the dentist I saw again because the one I saw last time has left the office. I had seen this dentist before though. When she was looking in my mouth, she said I was brushing and flossing really well, but then she said there was some gum disease. I didn't ask if it was the same as when I went to my last appointment and I'm not sure if she meant gum disease without bone loss or bone loss. She said that she wanted me to go for an x ray of my mouth and jaw at the hospital to check the bone levels and she wanted me to see the hygienist for a deep cleaning again. I am really worried about that. I'm not sure whether to carry on going to this office because they keep changing the dentists that I see. When I saw her last time, she told me not to use mouthwash but today she prescribed some and prescribed a strong toothpaste that she has prescribed before. What do you think about this?.

 

[MumOfBoys1985]

Well done for getting through your appt. Ita horrible when they change the dentist last minute and don't tell you , you've no time to prepare or even be aware until you walk in the room.

However, you got through it and you've a plan to move forward. Your xray will be fine.

It's great that she could notice how hard you've worked on your brushing. I'm not sure on the mouthwash but I used to have the toothpaste prescribed, it tastes fine (nothing worse than horrible tasting toothpaste!)

 

[MagicDuck12]

@anonfemale Hello. Id just like to say a couple of things if i may:

1) Thank you for the extremely kind, thoughtful and caring message you sent to me a few days ago privately. It will remain private but for you to take the time to message me meant a lot to me.

2) Although very unpleasant, it is my understanding that deep cleaning is important to managing bone loss. I think youve done remarkably well to confront your fears and make a positive change by keeping up your appointments. You seem to have an excellent brushing regime thats working well

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon @letsconnect @MumOfBoys1985 @MagicDuck12 I'm not sure whether to have the x ray at the hospital and then still see the dentist I saw yesterday or dont have the x rays and just go to see the dentist at the other hospital that someone recommended to me. The room I was in yesterday was horrible. It made me more anxious. I have been in some nice rooms when I have seen dentists before. The dentists at the other hospital deal with anxious patients. I don't like how the office I went to yesterday didnt let me know that they were changing the dentist that I saw and how they say different things. I'm not sure why I need a deep cleaning as she said that I had been brushing and flossing really well and I'm not sure why I need an x ray at the hospital if the bone loss isn't severe?. What do you think?. @Gordon @letsconnect Did you see my other post on this thread about what happened at my appointment yesterday and what do you think?.

 

[letsconnect]

Great to hear that you made it to the appointment, it sounds as if you were tempted to cancel at the last minute so fair play to you!

Sorry that the dentist you liked has left, and that you weren't told beforehand - that sounds pretty stressful.

Re. the hygienist - it's normal to see the hygienist more regularly for deep cleaning once you have been diagnosed with gum disease (even when you have perfect home care). This is because the "pockets" where the gum meets the tooth are just a little bit deeper, which makes it tricky to remove all the plaque that accumulates there at home. Seeing the hygienist regularly (for example every 3 months) will really help with preventing any further bone loss in the future.

With regards to the X-rays, that sounds right as well. Two or three years ago, new guidance was issued in the UK for delivering better care for gum disease. This new guidance says that if someone has a certain amount of gum disease (even if it's stable and not getting worse), they should have a detailed assessment including X-rays.

The best type of X-ray for this is a panoramic one which goes around your head. Many dental practices only have the bitewing X-rays, so that's why she wants you to go to the hospital where they have the panoramic X-ray machine.

I think it's a good sign that she's doing this. Maybe she's trying to figure out whether she should refer you to a specialist for gum disease (a periodontist). She can obviously see that you're making a big effort with your home care - many people don't, so she's probably quite pleased with you and wants to give you the best care possible.

So in summary, to me, it sounds as if she's being conscientious and wanting to make sure that you keep your teeth for life. It's also good that she has prescribed an extra-strength fluoride toothpaste. The medications you're taking can cause dry mouth, which can lead to cavities - and Duraphat can help prevent this. Again, kudos to her.

So based on what you've said, overall I would say stick with her unless you really dislike her. Are the other rooms in the practice nicer? Or was that a different dental practice? If it was in the same practice, maybe you or someone you trust can have a chat with them and ask for a nicer room for future appointments. I take it they know about your autism and mental health difficulties, so hopefully they'll be accommodating.

By the way, great news that you're doing such a stellar job with the cleaning , you must have been very pleased to hear that!!

 

[anonfemale]

@letsconnect Thank you. I was tempted to cancel because I wasn't well.

It was stressful hearing that the dentist that I like has finished working at the office. I think the receptionist should have called me and told me that he had left before my appointment.

What I am worried about is if they just keep me with the dentist that I saw yesterday and the hygienist that I will see just for a short time and then they put me with another dentist and hygienist at their office. The dentists and hygienists there leave after a short time a lot at their office. Some of them come back and some dont and that isn't good for my autism and anxiety. I think I should have the deep cleaning and the x rays but I wondered whether to see the dentist at the hospital that was recommended to me and tell them that the deep cleaning and the hospital x ray's were recommended to me and see if they think I should have them too. I like how the dentist at the hospital deals with anxious patients. The receptionists, dentists and hygienists know about my autism and anxiety but they still didnt call me to let me know that the dentist that I like had left and they still put me with different dentists in a short amount of time.


I'm confused that she said I had done well with the brushing and flossing because I can't have done that well as I have some gum disease. I'm not sure when I started getting the gum disease but i know I have had it since 2018.

 

[anonfemale]

Is it safe to have two x ray's done in just a few months?. I had a bite wing x ray done in May which already showed that I have 20 to 30 percent moderate bone loss in my back teeth and gums.

 

[Gordon]

Yes perfectly safe.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Thank you. I'm glad that it's safe. Could the dentist have been saying that my teeth were fine but my gums weren't or do you think she meant that they were both fine apart from where the bone loss is?.

 

[anonfemale]

@Gordon Sorry I couldnt edit my last post. I wanted to edit it to have all my questions together. Would the results of my x ray be able to be sent to the dentist at the hospital that I would like to see?. The dentist at the hospital deals with patients who have dental phobia and anxiety so I would rather see them but I would like to have the x ray at the other hospital done before I see them.

 

[Gordon]

Yes, it's perfectly possible to send the x-rays to the new dentist.

 

[anonfemale]

I'm terrified of what the results of the x ray will be.

 

[anonfemale]

There was a cancellation for a deep cleaning with the hygienist today and the receptionist called me to ask if I wanted the appointment today. I went there and the hygienist said that there was a big improvement with my gums since the last time I saw him and that there was only inflammation in only a couple of areas. I was happy when he said that and it made me feel less anxious about the x ray that I am having next week.

 

[MumOfBoys1985]

That's brilliant news. Well done, your hard work with your daily routine has paid off xx

 

[anonfemale]

@MumOfBoys1985 Thank you. I still anxious about the x ray I am having next week and about how much bone loss there is but I am glad that the rest of my mouth has improved. I always try my best with using the mouthwash, brushing, flossing and with my diet.