Reply With QuoteYou were lucky !
I went to the dentist the other day.
He told my teeth are alright but my gums have got to come out...
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Well there's nothing like a visit to the dentist to brighten up your day - NOT!
So 6 months ago our dentist changed hands and there was a new guy poking metal into your mouth. So new guy (6 months ago) says it's time you had an xray to check your teeth out. No problem. So he takes the xrays and then goes quiet for some time looking at the screen (it's all on the computer nowadays). He then asks me to look at the images. The bottom line is bone around my teeth on the right side is rapidly eroding away and the teeth are only in by the skin of their teeth (pun). So that was good news then... really made my day/week/month/year! No idea why this is but we'll (that's him) will monitor the situation. I admit this was a bit of a shock because all my life I've been a stickler for regular checkups and any work needs doing then do it and no extractions at all (I mean Adult teeth)... I'm talking back from 50 odd years ago when the drill was driven by a steel band and there was no local anaesthetic! So I didn't expect to have this at a (relatively) young age - this is the sort of thing you expect when you start getting your state pension or you've only been to the dentist once in the last decade.
So forward 6 months to yesterday. Another checkup. So he has a look and a probe about and sticks me with daggers etc.... Then he says okay have a look in this mirror. Notice how I can drive this pickaxe (okay he said probe but it felt like a pick axe) half way down between the teeth on the right side before it hits bone. Now notice how the pick axe only goes in a little on the other side - well that hurt!!! Trying to push a needle as hard as you can into the gum between your teeth is a little (understatement) painful ;-) So he reckons at least 3 teeth are now loose and not long for this world. To hold the teeth in place as long as possible then he's going to start a regime of 'deep cleaning' every three months starting today (yesterday) - that's eighty quid a pop. Deep cleaning means taking that untrasonic needle probe and driving into the gap at the bottom of your teeth and wiggling it about. More pain (a LOT) and blood (a LOT) and various animal products spat out into the bowl. There's more though... that was all he could do in the allotted time so there's another session booked for two weeks time for a bit more 'cleaning'; actually I think there's so much damage to my gums it needs a couple of weeks for the gums to heal enough for another go.
So it looks like false teeth in the next couple of years.
Ho Hum
You were lucky !
I went to the dentist the other day.
He told my teeth are alright but my gums have got to come out...
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Sounds delightful.
If your teeth are not long for this world anyway,why not just bite the bullet and go for extraction and falsies now and save yourself paying to keep them hanging on in there?
Vanity I suppose plus it's another one of those 'I'm no longer young' milestones :-( Anyway I've paid for this first treatment. I'll have another think about it in 3 months time.Originally Posted by village
I admit, looking to the day when teeth would have to come out (which I assumed you be because of frequent filling and wear-and-tear), I was hoping implants would be an option. Unfortunately with the bone regression that looks like a no-no :-(
Can you actually bite a bullet Steve ??
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No chance ;-)
Went to Macdonalds for dinner 'cause I was pi**ed off and it was difficult chewing because a) my teeth and jaws ached like mad and b) petrified biting too hard.
I'm sure technology could allow us to grow a third set...but the dentists would be gritting their teeth !
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Pretty sure they can do this with stem cells already but no idea how far down the road to being approved for humans this is. Quite apart from the cost as stem cells are not easy to come by.
I would suggest a second opinion... Surely your new dentist has a different approach than the previous one. But perhaps there are more ways to contain the damage.
Menno
tbh, for the last couple of years, the old dentist was just cruising along because he was selling the business so I'm not sure he was doing much.
I could try another dentist but do you know how much hassle it is to try/change dentists?
Sorry - not much help but just as an aside.
My grandparents who were both born at the beginning of the 20th century (they are obviously long gone now!) had all their teeth removed when they were in their 20's.
In fact the removal of my grandmothers was a wedding present to her from her new husbands family. There was nothing wrong with their teeth its just that this was considered a good idea by some in order to avoid costly dental treatment or extractions later on in life. Most dentists would so a special offer if you had them all out at once making it quite cost effective in comparison to single extractions.
They were then quite happy with their dentures, which they replaced with free ones when the NHS came into being.
As I recall, my grandfathers never fitted properly though and would often fall out. Much to everyone's amusement.
Ah the childhood joy of Grandad frightening us all with his false teeth, simple pleasures
Ah the childhood joy of Grandad frightening us all with his false teeth, simple pleasures
I've had that treatment before, my dentist gives me a shot of anaesthetic though. Still hurts mind you, terrible ache that lasts about 24 hours.
Mine told me to start with those interdental brushes, which I now do religiously, plus vigorous brushing and mouthwash.
I had a deep cleaning a couple of years ago - talk about painful!
It was suggested again recently but I didn't fancy it again although my 27 year old son had it done.
I'm pretty sure a lot of this private deep cleaning stuff is bunce for the dentist though.
OP, good luck with your choppers, whatever the outcome.
Cheers,
Neil.
Wasn't just me being a wuss then :-)
Surprised a 27 year old needs this sort of extreme cleaning.
At least now, 24 hours later, I can actually close my mouth without experiencing pain in my jaw. I just had soft fruit for lunch ;-)
Have a look into Implants and 'Allon4'
I had one of my front teeth knocked out a few years ago and got an implant which is as good as my tooth.
If you go down this route make sure you research the dentist well
Was going to say the same. Had one implant 15 years and just half way through getting another. Not cheap but good long term prognosis
A mate has similar problems - his doctor has suggested it is due to his (diagnosed) diabetes.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Sounds like your new dentist is on the ball. You have periodontal disease by the sounds of your description. Deep cleaning by your dentist / hygienist and will help but you will need to be meticulous with your cleaning. I'm sure your dentist will show you extra ways of keeping between the teeth clean. If you change nothing with your cleaning regime, progress may be slow or non-existent. My patients with periodontal disease who respond with the best results are those that listen to cleaning advice and do the extra needed...
Its all too easy to say that any new dentist is trying it on as has been mentioned but I'd be thanking him for diagnosing before it's too late...
Unfortunately implants may not be the answer and being predisposed to periodontal disease does increase your risk of implant failure.
Out of interest, have you ever been a smoker?
Almost spat my wine.
It sounds like a good hustle.
No smoking. I agree ref. the implants... if the bone around the teeth is wearing away then doesn't sound like a firm foundation for implants. :-( Just had a google on the periodontal disease thing... well that was encouraging reading - NOT :-(
If you're susceptible to chronic periodontitis you may well be susceptible to chronic implantitis. There's no getting away from the fact that, if you want to keep your teeth, you're going to need a lot of intensive treatment from a competent dentist or periodontist. You've got to do your bit too. If you're not using an interdental cleaning method, like floss or interdental brushes such as TePe, EVERY day, then you're not cleaning the most vulnerable area. And you've got to be good at it.
Follow up - 'cause sometimes it's good to hear about other people that are worse off than yourself ;-) Makes you appreciate you own lot better :-)
So yesterday was the two week follow up session.
So this starts with the dentist going around each tooth in turn, front/back/sides, and seeing how far he can push a hookaroon into the gums before he hits bone. More blood/plain/enjoyment ;-) This is so he has an accurate recording of the bone depth for all the teeth. This is something that will be redone on a regular basis (not sure if that's each year or 6 monthly). Then a VERY thorough de-scale right down to the gum line using the ultrasonic thing and lots of VERY hard manual scraping. Then he finishes off with injecting something like concentrated liquid corsodyl into the gum areas at the base between the teeth - this is with a syringe with a needle - more fun :-)
At the end the instructions are no more mouth washing with corsodyl. Switch now to the toothpaste which tastes bl**dy disgusting :-(
Spent the evening tasting blood and my teeth aching like hell.
Next visit in three months for another cleaning session.
Another update... a good one :-)
So after a second cleaning session there was another appointment for the end of Nov. So anyway they (dentist) cancelled/postponed for some reason or another so I decided now's the time to try a different dentist. So just come back from my first visit to the new dentist and the result from the alternative dentist was teeth NOT all falling out! One tooth with very slight mobility but honestly nothing to worry about! No reason to take wisdom teeth out (recommendation from the first dentist) in fact no reason to take ANY teeth out (other dentist wanted to take a further 3 out). Yes could do with another deep clean BUT the new dentist doesn't it in four sessions (one quarter per session) AND numbs the teeth/gums. The first dentist did ALL the teeth in one session and no anaesthetic. Anyway so still a total of £500 to pay (5 x 30min sessions over the next three months) but at least the new dentist sounds a bit more upbeat! Oh and the new dentist is a LOT better looking as well - very pleasant on the eye ;-)
Yes. If my teeth were seriously fo4ked and needed extensive work id consider the dental tourism route.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Trust me changing dentist when you are paying private is easy! These days they all want your hard earned cash.
If I were you I would find a local dental imaging centre that will do a cbct scan, it’s an x-ray of types that will actually build a 3d image of bone as well as tooth and roots. If you haven’t an imaging centre near you then there will be a Dental practice with one, probably not much change from £200-300 but at least you’ll have the facts.
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Trust me changing dentist when you are paying private is easy! These days they all want your hard earned cash.
If I were you I would find a local dental imaging centre that will do a cbct scan, it’s an x-ray of types that will actually build a 3d image of bone as well as tooth and roots. If you haven’t an imaging centre near you then there will be a Dental practice with one, probably not much change from £200-300 but at least you’ll have the facts.
My new dentist spoke about this; it's an x-ray machine that you stand in and the 'head' revolves around you. New dentist has one but said totally over the top for my issues and a 'normal' x-ray was/is fine.
That's all good news then!
Re the deep clean in four sessions with a numbing, it sounds a great idea.
I had a deep clean of the whole lot with no numbing - bleedin' agony!
Cheers,
Neil.
yes... btdt - lots of pain and blood. tbh the price charged for the deep cleaning with the old dentist was about half the price of the new dentist but splitting it over four visits with anaesthetic does sound more tolerable.
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