A bit shocked after awful trip to dentist

I had a similar trip to the hygienist last year - my dentist just said I had "a bit of build up" whereas the hygienist had a fit and said I had advanced gum disease. I wondered at the time whether to complain as it took months to get the hygienist appointment and if I'd known how serious it was I would have pushed for an earlier appointment.

Anyway, the best thing I've found for helping with my gums are these little brushes that go between your teeth called TePe brushes. You can buy them from boots etc but I get them online as it works out a lot cheaper. They are loads more effective than floss. I was also recommended Peroxyl mouthwash which sort of foams inside your mouth and apparently the little bubbles clean teeth more effectively than normal mouthwash. Stay away from Corsodyl if you can, it turned my teeth brown.

Thanks Bingy. I've seen those little brushes so will give those a try. My hygienist told me to get this water jet cleaning system from Argos, which I've ordered so maybe that will make a difference. I was under the impression that the clean and scrape the dentist gave me each time I went was kind of the same as the hygienist but must have been badly mistaken.

I'll get some of that mouthwash as well, that sounds good.

How horrible for you.

I'd go for a second opinion - some hygenists do seem to go over the top with the scare tactics. My last hygenist told me I'd "lose all my teeth by the time I was 40". The new hygenist recently told me I have incredibly clean teeth and only needed to do a scale and polish.

Thanks Mrs Winkle - maybe your old hygienist is the same as my new one, who also told me I'd lose all my teeth by the time I was 40! I thought she was just telling it like it is but maybe it's worth trying someone else next time.

What Mrs winkle said. Do your gums bleed profusely when you brush? I wonder if you ought to get a second opinion. I went to the trouble of changing dental practice just to get away from my old hygenist who (quite apart from the fact that she could have taugt the spanish inquisition a thing or two) was completely OTT and patronising. The final straw was when she wouldn't let me get off the chair until I'd demonstrated that I knew how to do the proper rotational gum and tooth brushing technique using a toothbrush and set of false teeth- errrr, I've had 2 fillings in my entire life, virtually no tartar, gums of steel and I'm an oxford grad, not some simpering simpleton- please let me go and catch my train to my important meeting you horrid horrid woman. ? My new hygienist says that while I could do with cutting back on my fairly excessive consumption of coffee, chocolate and fruit, my gnashers and gums are absolutely fine and I seem to brush properly. Maybe she's saving the role-play exercise for my next visit. ?

Thanks Lou. I think I will speak to someone else. This lady was pretty patronising - more so after I'd burst into tears - she clearly thought I had no idea how to clean my teeth but I've only a couple of fillings like you.

cheers ladies! My dirty tooth shame is receding (like my gums).

How awful for you - she should never have made you feel bad but they are sometimes so sanctimonious!

I'm going tomorrow, so hope I get better news than you.?

If a dentist said my teeth were fine and then some tooth washer upper said they weren't - I know who I'd believe.

Poor you - can you go back to and speak to the dentist?

MD - hope your trip isn't too bad - good luck!

Luthien - I think I will def go back or see someone else.

See I would say that depends. I have worked with some hygienists who are far more competant than dentists. In this case I would say get a second opinion too. I have seen people whose previous dentists have not been up to scratch on the oral hygiene side and yes their teeth have been that bad but if I was the OP I'd want to know for sure what was going on.

I did get a hygienist fired encouraged to go elsewhere to find employment as they were too rough and militant with the patients. I've also worked with dentists who I wouldn't let neer my teeth with a bargepoole.

The same thing happened to me a few months ago. I didnt realise anything was wrong until I went to the hgyienist, and she said I had pockets around my teeth which were letting in infection. She also said I had lost a lot of bone mass, not sure how that happens though

I have one of the Interdental toothbrushes which I use every night and have got to go back again in a few weeks to have them checked. I was a bit scared when I went too, as she said that the gum disease wasnt reversable and I would need to keep up the thorough cleaning or lose my teeth!

I'm definitely going to see someone else about it. Having calmed down now I think that things are not as black as they seemed earlier and it sounds like similar things have happened to a few others - I can't believe the leukaemia/HIV comment - how insensitive! There's some good advice here so thanks v much to you all. I think a potential issue is that I was pretty scared of the hygienist so didn't press my previous dentist about whether or not I should be going more often. I was happy to assume that they'd tell me if there was a problem, clearly I was wrong.

My H has come home to offer booze and sympathy. He thinks I should get a 2nd opinion just because the hygienist shouldn't have made me feel ashamed. I feel like such a wuss for bursting into tears!

I would say that a hygienist is much more likely to give you the correct information on the state of your gums than the dentist.

I manage two dental practices and out of the 9 dentists, there are only 3 that really are passionate about patients looking after their gums correctly.

One of the dentists does a scale and polish that lasts all of about 1 minute and considers it a job well done. I always book his patients with the hygienist as he is definatly not looking after their oral health correctly.

Dentists dont always look at your gums in an in depth manner and i'm sure shiny will agree with me that there are many dentists running around with bad breath, gum disease and horrible teeth. You dont find the same with hygienists.

Having great teeth and hardly any fillings has nothing to do with your gums. I've seen patients over the years obsessive about cleaning and looking after their teeth only to end up losing some to gum disease. There is a world of difference in looking after your teeth and looking after your gums. I would say that you were referred to the hygienist for a reason and you should accept what she has said.

If the dentist thought your teeth and gums were great then you definatly wouldnt have been sent in to the hygienist as the dentist doesnt gain anything from sending you to her.

Please keep up with the cleaning routine, I second the advice on tepe brushes and peroxyl and the secret is to concentrate on massaging the gums and not just brushing the teeth.

I didnt anticipate this being such a long reply but I really want you to see that the hygienist has your best interests at heart. Sometimes you have to be brutally blunt to impress upon people the seriousness of gum disease as it doesnt hurt so people ignore it.

Forgot to add that having gum disease is not a sign that you have done anything wrong or are not looking after your teeth.

you may just be more suseptible to it than others. It cant be reversed but it can be halted with a different oral hygiene routine at home.

x

Thanks Queen Bee - you sound very knowledgeable indeed. I will definitely be doing things differently from now on and making very regular trips to hygienist (altho maybe a different one). It's interesting to hear what you say about dentists not necessarily knowing best as well - that's good to know. I'm feeling much less embarrassed this morning and more positive about changing things so this doesn't happen again. Cheers for the advice!

Merlini x

I hope your gum problems get better Merlini, I think it is something we just have to perserver with! Id be interested to know how you get on with your 2nd opinion

I was also wondering what jet cleaning brush your hygienist recommend you buy from Argos?

Hi Koobie - it was the Waterpik jet system from Argos. Cost was £30 or so. It arrives tomorrow.

Hello Merlini

I feel your pain I recently went to the dentist after trying to get an appointment for a abscess in my gum. Because of covid 19 it has taken a while to see some one. I try to see a dentist at least once a year if not more but covid happened so it took me 18 months to see some one. When I did see the dentist he took the X rays and when he told me about having gum disease and lost some bone I could not take it in so after leaving was in tears. Over the past 18 years I have seen many dentists due to moving house as I was a renter and always complained that my gums were bleeding a lot I have tried corsodyl mouthwash but never seemed to stop it.

I must have seen 10 different dentists and no one has investigated my gums ever. I got to the point where I thought bleeding gums must be normal then. I feel like I have been going to fools. I always brushed my teeth left to right twice a day. But never did flossing my bad. As a NHS patient I kept being given to new dentists because they want to only deal with private patients only. This is treating NHS patients like crap to be honest. I am so scared and frightened I sound like a child to be saying this for a 42 year old to be in tears. I have been passed onto a hygienist which is private i see her in 2 days I am currently getting pain in my jaw top left side when I wake up But when I get up my left top molars teeth feel numb when I bite on them. I have been trying to research this and the more I read the more it scares me.

I have seen videos on youtube from DR Joseph R Nemeth DDS & Associates in america who say gum disease is contagious so getting a partner as i am still single seems a impossibility. How do you manage with this disease what about having a wife or husband who does not have it are they worried about catching it from you? He also talks about Laser surgery has any one tried it I found a post of some one who claimed it was very painful but a cording to DR joseph he says it should be almost painless. Their is a company in leeds that do it called The International Microdentistry Institute (IMI) Clinic you can google them or find them on youtube. I just can not see how a laser can catch all the bad bacteria with out taking all the gums off dont know how it would kill all the bacteria. Their is the cost too I am on a low wage and the cost would at least be around 2k if not more.

If any one has advise on how to live with it also could you describe how you should clean your teeth maybe I have been doing it wrong all these years I tended to brush hard over my teeth maybe this is too hard left to right. I only recently thought maybe I need to do it a different way with softer brushes. and spend more time just started to floss as I never did it before. As always my gums bleed all the time and always have done. Also DR Joseph says manual brushes are the best are electric ones really any good. I had a rotational one but it seemed to not work that well .

I hope every one has managed with it as this post is 10 years old please could every one who has replied to this post update how things has gone good luck and hope to hear from you soon regard Paul.

I was so full of fear in terms of dentistry. Since I got an implant crown my fear is gone. It was only in my head as oftenly in life. You have to take yourself into situations to lose your fear.