[pennye]

I had a tooth 13 pulled and I quit eating and chewing that side totally for 2 months waiting for the extraction whole to shrink, I then am forced to the other side which I avoid at all costs because of severe teeth sensativity. Teeth 2,3 4,So now its not sure how to act having hot and cold near them so I started using sensative toothpaste and started using a waterpik my 3 teeth that are horrible sensative, I started having little twinges of pain. Its not a tooth pain more like gum pain, also my jaw was sore, I have tmj but havent had a flare up in over 10 yrs. I stopped the waterpik and the sensative toothpaste and started flossing, I wasnt flossing because the floss wouldnt fit finaly I found one that works, during my recent flossing the gums are bleeding pretty good, just the 3 sensative teeth I have been bugging. I have today gone to a new dentist they are running a free exray and exam, the dentist was very thorough he did a cold test first, zing zing zing, then he did a electric current test, again zing zing zing. He then takes the tool to the gums on these teeth and says 6mm pocket, and a 5 mm pocket. He said he see's 2 small cavities under the fillings, here comes the salesman,lol you can put 2 crowns over the teeth a new build up of course, and that might help with the sensativity. I said we need to start with a cleaning dont you think he says yes that might help. OMG, so confused. Is the pain I am getting whch feels like its in my cheek too, is this gum disease? He didnt elaburate on the gums at all I think sales of some crowns which I have none and never wanted any. These fillings are at least 37 yrs old they are silver and I have had zero troulbe with my teeth. The teeth dont hurt. What should I do? would it help right now to salt water rinse? None of this started until I started the sensative toothpaste or waterpik, and yes the flossing seems to have made it worse. Thank you and I am so sorry its so long, hopefully I explained it ok

[Bryanna]

Hi Pennye,

I am in the dental field and can offer you some help.

Based on your description, you have the beginning stages of periodontal disease. Healthy, normal pocket depths are 1,2 and 3 mm's. The deeper the pocket the more severe the problem. Bleeding gums are not normal and are the result of an accumulation of plaque. Teeth in this condition will become sensitive because the gum tissue is inflamed and the gum is being pulled away from the tooth allowing more tooth to be exposed.

Sensitive toothpaste is not going to help you. You need to floss daily very carefully but thoroughly. You do not want to force the floss under the gumline... just gently guide it. Brush thoroughly with a soft bristle toothbrush twice a day and use an herbal toothpaste with no harsh abrasives. Peroxide or baking soda will just add to your soreness at this point, so avoid them. NO mouthwash like Listerine as this will just irritate the gum tissue. Warm salt water rinses after brushing would be helpful. Just put a pinch of salt in a 3 oz cup of warm water. The gums will initially feel sore but the bleeding will subside, the tissue will become healthier and the soreness will be reduced.

This is what you should be doing every day. It should not however take the place of professional cleanings twice a year. If you tend to have a build up of plaque and calculus, then you may need more frequent cleanings.

Regarding your cavities. It's important that you know that most cavities do not hurt until they are very deep. It is also common to get recurrent decay underneath metal fillings because after a few years these fillings start to corrode and fracture allowing bacteria to get in and underneath.

Regarding mercury (silver) fillings. First of all mercury is not the best choice of filling material for our teeth for many reasons and it is being used less and less often. Some countries have actually banned mercury fillings and many states in the US are trying to have them banned because mercury is highly toxic making it a major health risk when placed in the mouth. The major risks are to the digestive (immune) system, the brain and the thyroid gland in the neck.

The recommendation of crowns may be warranted if the existing fillings are large and/or the decay is more than just tiny. Anytime a mercury filling is removed, there is decay underneath. The only way to know the extent of the decay is when the filling and decay have been removed as the xray only shows a 2 dimensional picture and not the true depth of the decay.

I hope this information has been helpful.

Bryanna

Originally Posted by pennye

I had a tooth 13 pulled and I quit eating and chewing that side totally for 2 months waiting for the extraction whole to shrink, I then am forced to the other side which I avoid at all costs because of severe teeth sensativity. Teeth 2,3 4,So now its not sure how to act having hot and cold near them so I started using sensative toothpaste and started using a waterpik my 3 teeth that are horrible sensative, I started having little twinges of pain. Its not a tooth pain more like gum pain, also my jaw was sore, I have tmj but havent had a flare up in over 10 yrs. I stopped the waterpik and the sensative toothpaste and started flossing, I wasnt flossing because the floss wouldnt fit finaly I found one that works, during my recent flossing the gums are bleeding pretty good, just the 3 sensative teeth I have been bugging. I have today gone to a new dentist they are running a free exray and exam, the dentist was very thorough he did a cold test first, zing zing zing, then he did a electric current test, again zing zing zing. He then takes the tool to the gums on these teeth and says 6mm pocket, and a 5 mm pocket. He said he see's 2 small cavities under the fillings, here comes the salesman,lol you can put 2 crowns over the teeth a new build up of course, and that might help with the sensativity. I said we need to start with a cleaning dont you think he says yes that might help. OMG, so confused. Is the pain I am getting whch feels like its in my cheek too, is this gum disease? He didnt elaburate on the gums at all I think sales of some crowns which I have none and never wanted any. These fillings are at least 37 yrs old they are silver and I have had zero troulbe with my teeth. The teeth dont hurt. What should I do? would it help right now to salt water rinse? None of this started until I started the sensative toothpaste or waterpik, and yes the flossing seems to have made it worse. Thank you and I am so sorry its so long, hopefully I explained it ok

[pennye]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi Pennye,

I am in the dental field and can offer you some help.

Based on your description, you have the beginning stages of periodontal disease. Healthy, normal pocket depths are 1,2 and 3 mm's. The deeper the pocket the more severe the problem. Bleeding gums are not normal and are the result of an accumulation of plaque. Teeth in this condition will become sensitive because the gum tissue is inflamed and the gum is being pulled away from the tooth allowing more tooth to be exposed.

Sensitive toothpaste is not going to help you. You need to floss daily very carefully but thoroughly. You do not want to force the floss under the gumline... just gently guide it. Brush thoroughly with a soft bristle toothbrush twice a day and use an herbal toothpaste with no harsh abrasives. Peroxide or baking soda will just add to your soreness at this point, so avoid them. NO mouthwash like Listerine as this will just irritate the gum tissue. Warm salt water rinses after brushing would be helpful. Just put a pinch of salt in a 3 oz cup of warm water. The gums will initially feel sore but the bleeding will subside, the tissue will become healthier and the soreness will be reduced.

This is what you should be doing every day. It should not however take the place of professional cleanings twice a year. If you tend to have a build up of plaque and calculus, then you may need more frequent cleanings.

Regarding your cavities. It's important that you know that most cavities do not hurt until they are very deep. It is also common to get recurrent decay underneath metal fillings because after a few years these fillings start to corrode and fracture allowing bacteria to get in and underneath.

Regarding mercury (silver) fillings. First of all mercury is not the best choice of filling material for our teeth for many reasons and it is being used less and less often. Some countries have actually banned mercury fillings and many states in the US are trying to have them banned because mercury is highly toxic making it a major health risk when placed in the mouth. The major risks are to the digestive (immune) system, the brain and the thyroid gland in the neck.

The recommendation of crowns may be warranted if the existing fillings are large and/or the decay is more than just tiny. Anytime a mercury filling is removed, there is decay underneath. The only way to know the extent of the decay is when the filling and decay have been removed as the xray only shows a 2 dimensional picture and not the true depth of the decay.

I hope this information has been helpful.

Bryanna

Bryanna, More than you know you have truley calmed my fears. Thank you so much the dentist didnt even give me what you have, you give so much to people on this site its so amazing for this I thank you so much. If you were me, and you were petrofied of the "chair", how do I talk myself into making the appt. for the fillings, I have had no work aside from a tooth extraction in 36 yrs and cleanings, prior to the extreme sensativity, its been 5 yrs since a cleaning please dont yell, the last 2 I had hurt those teeth so bad it left something in my brain saying oh no, whats the average time in the chair for a filling re-do? DO I have to get a crown? I know its better for the long run but the thought of sanding down my teeth to a nub kills me. My brother reminded me that the dentist we had at 10 yrs old was mean to kids, I think this is where the fear lays. And should I go back to using the sonic toothbrush? This new pain for the past week its not tooth pain more like gum/tmj pain at the same time, its hard to explain jaw is sore comes in waves, I also have been to the chiropractor and he has been doing neck cracking and traction for pinched nerve in neck, I was reading nerves from the neck can effect the jaw and teeth. Again thank you and I am going to do the salt tonight I for sure dont have the 2200 for 2 crowns I would have to save it for a bit. Thank you agian your awsome.......

[Bryanna]

Hi pennye,

Thank you for the kind words I gave you a lot of information and I'm glad it was helpful to you!

Many times the dentists do not offer a whole lot of information to their patients. That's because there are time restraints for each appointment and there can be many details tied to dental treatment. There is also some hesitation in offering too many details to the patient for fear of scaring the patient out of doing necessary dentistry.

I believe every patient has the right to be properly informed about their proposed dental work and the options available to them. The same goes true for the financial aspect as well.

I think it would be very helpful if every dental office hired a patient advocate who is educated and experienced in dentistry to discuss the details with their patients. But many dental offices just expect or assign this task to a staff member or an office manager and it really needs to be specifically designated to one or two people depending on the size of the practice. What do you think about that idea??

Regarding your fear...... please know that it is real and very valid. Fear is a very powerful emotion and one that is felt by many people when they are in the dental chair.... including those in the dental field!! Nobody likes it, believe me. Tooth cleaning is one that is especially avoided if you've had a painful experience when having your teeth cleaned. I completely understand. So please know that you are not alone in feeling this way.

It's important to keep in mind that avoidance is not the answer because then the problems tend to get bigger. To deal with things before that happens allows us to free up the fear that is actually blocking so much of our control. So we have to try different things to help put us in calmer state. If we can feel in control at least to a point, we can get through the fear.

There are several different things you can do to feel less anxious about seeing the dentist..........

One is to know the treatment and financial plan ahead of time.

Two is to be compliant with your appointments and if needed come in a few times to have different areas of your mouth numbed and cleaned if you cannot handle doing the entire mouth at one appointment. Inform the dentist that you are afraid because you associate dental work (including cleanings) with pain and do not want to be in pain in the dental chair... not even for a cleaning. I know this sounds stupid but remember ....the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Three is be prepared to bring an ipad or headphones with a cd for you to listen to. This helps A LOT to distract your mind while in the chair.

Four, you could pre medicate with valium or xanax prior to your appointments. This will certainly take the edge off.

You can only expect the dentist to take care of you, if you allow him to do that. It is his obligation to inform you, keep you comfortable and provide quality work. The rest is up to you. Never be afraid to ask questions or tell the dentist that you don't understand something.

The time it takes to replace a filling with another filling depends on the location of the tooth and the size of the filling. Generally it is about an hour. A crown prep is about 90 minutes or less.

If you were using an electric toothbrush, why did you stop? Do you feel more comfortable with the manual brush?

The neck and jaw are in close relation to each other. Often what affects one will affect the other.

Bryanna

Originally Posted by pennye

Bryanna, More than you know you have truley calmed my fears. Thank you so much the dentist didnt even give me what you have, you give so much to people on this site its so amazing for this I thank you so much. If you were me, and you were petrofied of the "chair", how do I talk myself into making the appt. for the fillings, I have had no work aside from a tooth extraction in 36 yrs and cleanings, prior to the extreme sensativity, its been 5 yrs since a cleaning please dont yell, the last 2 I had hurt those teeth so bad it left something in my brain saying oh no, whats the average time in the chair for a filling re-do? DO I have to get a crown? I know its better for the long run but the thought of sanding down my teeth to a nub kills me. My brother reminded me that the dentist we had at 10 yrs old was mean to kids, I think this is where the fear lays. And should I go back to using the sonic toothbrush? This new pain for the past week its not tooth pain more like gum/tmj pain at the same time, its hard to explain jaw is sore comes in waves, I also have been to the chiropractor and he has been doing neck cracking and traction for pinched nerve in neck, I was reading nerves from the neck can effect the jaw and teeth. Again thank you and I am going to do the salt tonight I for sure dont have the 2200 for 2 crowns I would have to save it for a bit. Thank you agian your awsome.......

[pennye]

Here is a pic of the teeth were talking about. I have made the cleaning for thursday afternoon, since I dont have insurance I am going to start with a regular cleaning and then hope the hygentist isnt trying to make the "chain" dentist more money and upsale me if its not absoulute needed. When I am there I will see if I can get a filling redo and hopefully buy some time for a crown, which I just dont want. Its amazing how I have been complaining for so long on these sensative teeth last 3 check ups were all clear when all along its gum disease. I was wondering why the sensative toothpaste was doing nothing at all, I changed brands 3 times, 3 tubes in a row and no relief. Just knowing its about the plaque made a huge difference in hoping I might get out of the sensativiy by getting cleaned more often, which will be fun...Again your awsome and please keep it coming you give us peace of mind and thanks again, I will shout out after thursday keep my fingers crossed the hygentist is good....

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi pennye,




Thank you for the kind words I gave you a lot of information and I'm glad it was helpful to you!

Many times the dentists do not offer a whole lot of information to their patients. That's because there are time restraints for each appointment and there can be many details tied to dental treatment. There is also some hesitation in offering too many details to the patient for fear of scaring the patient out of doing necessary dentistry.

I believe every patient has the right to be properly informed about their proposed dental work and the options available to them. The same goes true for the financial aspect as well.

I think it would be very helpful if every dental office hired a patient advocate who is educated and experienced in dentistry to discuss the details with their patients. But many dental offices just expect or assign this task to a staff member or an office manager and it really needs to be specifically designated to one or two people depending on the size of the practice. What do you think about that idea??

Regarding your fear...... please know that it is real and very valid. Fear is a very powerful emotion and one that is felt by many people when they are in the dental chair.... including those in the dental field!! Nobody likes it, believe me. Tooth cleaning is one that is especially avoided if you've had a painful experience when having your teeth cleaned. I completely understand. So please know that you are not alone in feeling this way.

It's important to keep in mind that avoidance is not the answer because then the problems tend to get bigger. To deal with things before that happens allows us to free up the fear that is actually blocking so much of our control. So we have to try different things to help put us in calmer state. If we can feel in control at least to a point, we can get through the fear.

There are several different things you can do to feel less anxious about seeing the dentist..........

One is to know the treatment and financial plan ahead of time.

Two is to be compliant with your appointments and if needed come in a few times to have different areas of your mouth numbed and cleaned if you cannot handle doing the entire mouth at one appointment. Inform the dentist that you are afraid because you associate dental work (including cleanings) with pain and do not want to be in pain in the dental chair... not even for a cleaning. I know this sounds stupid but remember ....the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Three is be prepared to bring an ipad or headphones with a cd for you to listen to. This helps A LOT to distract your mind while in the chair.

Four, you could pre medicate with valium or xanax prior to your appointments. This will certainly take the edge off.

You can only expect the dentist to take care of you, if you allow him to do that. It is his obligation to inform you, keep you comfortable and provide quality work. The rest is up to you. Never be afraid to ask questions or tell the dentist that you don't understand something.

The time it takes to replace a filling with another filling depends on the location of the tooth and the size of the filling. Generally it is about an hour. A crown prep is about 90 minutes or less.

If you were using an electric toothbrush, why did you stop? Do you feel more comfortable with the manual brush?

The neck and jaw are in close relation to each other. Often what affects one will affect the other.

Bryanna

[pennye]

I have made the cleaning for thursday afternoon, since I dont have insurance I am going to start with a regular cleaning and then hope the hygentist isnt trying to make the "chain" dentist more money and upsale me if its not absoulute needed. When I am there I will see if I can get a filling redo and hopefully buy some time for a crown, which I just dont want. Its amazing how I have been complaining for so long on these sensative teeth last 3 check ups were all clear when all along its gum disease. I was wondering why the sensative toothpaste was doing nothing at all, I changed brands 3 times, 3 tubes in a row and no relief. Just knowing its about the plaque made a huge difference in hoping I might get out of the sensativiy by getting cleaned more often, which will be fun...Again your awsome and please keep it coming you give us peace of mind and thanks again, I will shout out after thursday keep my fingers crossed the hygentist is good....[/QUOTE]