I’m a dental hygienist... go on then ask away..

[Heatherjayne1972]

Been a hygienist over 20 years
In lots of different practices

Heatherjayne1972
My partner goes to the dentist regularly and visits the hygienist in between. He's had halitosis for over 10 years but dentist and hygienist both say teeth & gums OK. The smell is like a really bad/intense smell that you get when flossing if you have missed a few days, but it comes on soon after brushing. So when he comes home from work his breath is really bad even though he'll have brushed/flossed that morning. He is a mouth breather and now tapes his mouth at night. Before he did this the smell would wake me in the night if we ended up facing each other in the night. Taping solves the night time problem but some nights the tape comes off and it's as bad as ever. What would you recommend? He's been treated twice by GP for h pylori. I am at the end of my tether. Should he go back to dentist, hygienist, GP? And what specifically should he be telling them/asking? Wondering if it could be sinuses, tonsil stones, lungs, gut issue or if it is simply inadequate dental hygiene? Would disclosing tablets be useful to see how well he's cleaning? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

He may not be getting all the plaque out with the floss. He could ask his hygienist whether tepees would be better - his technique would need to be checked and the tepee size needs to be right
Disclosing tablets are a good idea - brush / tepee first then use to see where he’s missed
Tongue brushing might be helpful
I’m not keen on mouthwashes but there are some out there which claim to get rid of bad breath

Tonsil stones and sinus issues would need the gp to investigate and refer to the ent department if that was needed.

Is he drinking plenty of water? Dehydration doesn’t help.

Nor does mouth breathing- the taping thing suggests mouth dryness being part of the issue

Thanks Heather he uses tepees, but I think his technique is weird compared to how I use them so I will suggest he asks his hygienist to show him again next time. In the meantime, I'll get some disclosing tablets. His dentist suggested the Dentyl mouthwash - the stuff that's meant to attract and remove any remaining plaque but I haven't noticed a difference unfortunately.

Probably worth him discussing his problem with the dentist and hygienist if he hasn’t already -

The dentyl isn’t a rinse for removing odour tho. There’s other rinses for that but they’re not a magic cure
Hope he gets it sorted soon

Great thread! Can I ask a question please? I am 38 weeks pregnant and for months I have been struggling with sore and bleeding gums, but only in one part of my mouth - around two molars at the top where I have had a filling and a root canal in the past. I am really worried that it’s gum disease or tooth decay and that it will affect the baby - I read that dentists think there is a link between dental/gum infections and stillbirth. I am flossing daily and using corsodyl spray every day and have been for some months (I know you’re not meant to use it for long as it stains, but I don’t know what else to do). I have been to my dentist several times and did have antibiotics that helped temporarily. The problem hasn’t really resolved long-term though and my dentist isn’t concerned (I trust him and know he is the expert but I stil cant help worrying).

I suppose in short my question is, are these sorts of problems really likely to cause an issue for a foetus, or do dental problems have to be quite extreme before they can cause an issue?

@marriageoftrueminds
I think you’re right to trust your dentists opinion here. If there was something to worry about they would say
It’s highly likely to be hormonal if your pregnant and should disappear after baby arrives
There’s very very few dental issues that can harm a foetus
Never heard of gum disease causing stillbirth - low birthweight yes heart problems yes

Decay definitely not
Keep doing what your dentist has suggested and see them for a check up as normal after baby arrives

Thanks for getting back to me. Baby seems to be measuring ok according to the midwife, I guess I won’t know about his heart until he’s born but thanks for the reassurance regarding stillbirth!

Does tea and coffee stain teeth?

@marriageoftrueminds
Your heart not baby’s Baby likely to be absolutely perfect
@lostandfound81 yes tea all types including herbal and fruit tea coffee red wine smoking coke. Red juice like cranberry grape pomegranate
Can all stain teeth

I wonder could you clarify something for me. I have flossed my teeth every night for years but unfortunately was diagnosed with gum disease about 6 years ago. It's stable now and my dental hygiene is excellent according to the professionals I've seen over the years.

On my last visit to the dentist she advised me to stop flossing and use tepe brushes instead because I have quite large gaps due to bone loss I suspect. Just wondered if you agree about stopping the flossing?

Also did you say earlier the interdental brush should be washed after use between each tooth?

Thanks

@shoppers. Yes I agree about stopping flossing. Tepees are much much better at removing plaque
I never ever floss but tepee loads
Yes wash the brush as plaque collects on the bristles and that’s just going to re introduce bacteria next time you do it

How do you cope with bad breath? Come across a few people in life that nearly peel the skin off my face with their honking breath!

@slippermaiden well at work I’m there to help so I just focus on the job I’m doing. I wear a mask so no one sees the faces I pull lol

Heather thanks for answering my question, there are a lot of people need your help!

If I'm missing teeth at the back of my mouth, will my other teeth be affected my that if I don't get the gap filled?

@makemineatwin2 obviously I can’t see your teeth so a little hard to say either way but if the back teeth aren’t there then you will naturally chew and bite on the ones further forward and could put extra pressure on them
Chat to your dentist about it - they can advise

Receding gums 😱
So sensitive. What can I do to prevent further disappearance???

Is it bad to use peroxide to remove stains from teeth?

@JaneJeffer. Might be worth you having a dental check up as some stain is on the surface of the teeth and is easily removed. .The dentists use hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth in the correct percentage and in contact with the teeth for the right length of time
Just swilling it around probably won’t do much
It’s illegal for anyone without a dental degree or the appropriate dental qualification to do whitening so do not let a hairdresser or beautician anywhere near you

@ smiledwiththerisingsun
Try a desensitising toothpaste there’s loads out there and they work in different ways - you can dab it on like you would an ointment
Ideally you’d have an electric brush but if it’s a manual one then soft to medium bristles is what you need
A small head and don’t scrub brush in little circles
Get you own hygienist or dentist to show you the right technique
There’s other things that we can put on the teeth to cover them and help reduce the sensitivity
Chat to your own dentist tho

Thanks Heather

Do you ever look at some peoples teeth and want to gag? Or is it one of those things you just get used to?

@yetanothernane
No I love the really mucky ones !
( we all do )

One of my wisdom teeth has been playing up since June, went to the dentist who prescribed antibiotics. They worked but infection came back so more antibiotics. I have been referred to a dental clinic to have the tooth removed under sedation but there is a 9 month waiting list. Anything I can do to reduce the pain? It has been horrendous the last few days. Thanks for reading x

@doggydoodoo1
Rinsing with Hot salty water might help. Or depending on how much of the tooth is showing some corsodyl mouthwash
Maybe put it on a little toothbrush (single tufted brush ) to get to the area rather than rinsing as it stains the other teeth Keep it as clean as you can
Usual painkillers And consult your dentist
I’m sorry wisdom tooth pain sucks