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

[Heatherjayne1972]

Been a hygienist over 20 years
In lots of different practices

Hi OP, if you are still here I have a stupid question about Tepes.

I always put brush in up by gumline, brush in and out, rinse brush under tap, do next one.

But... does this really get rid of bacteria, just rinsing with water? Should I rinse brush in something antibacterial like antibac mouthwash????

@johnny
You do need to rinse the tepe yes but it’s mostly to remove food debris
Water isnt sterile so no it won’t sterilise the tepe
They’re designed to be disposable- (the tepe people would like them to be single use only ). But no you don’t ‘need’ to put them in antibacterial rinse - although you can if you want

Thanks! :)

Hi there-brilliant thread, have learned a lot. Thank you. Gross question-sorry, but I’m paranoid about decay/bad breath & when I’m using my tepee brushes they smell AWFUL after I’ve used them. Is this normal?

Do you prefer patients to close their eyes?

Yes please, I go to the hygeinist 3 monthly and the dentist twice a year and brush as I'm told and have all of my own teeth but I continually have painful blisters in my mouth. Is this something to worry about?

@katopotato
I make them wear special wrap around sunglasses as some people do stare right into my eyes. Can be a bit unnerving
@madcatladyforever
There’s many causes for ulcers so maybe a chat with the gp would be wise. They might want a blood test
If that’s clear you could try using toothpaste which doesn’t have sodium Lauryl sulphate in (sls) it’s the foaming agent and some people can be sensitive to it. Look for pronamel I think Aldi own toothpaste is sls free And some of the sensodyne products
Hope you get it sorted

@despondantatwork
You are smelling the bacteria between your teeth. They sit in their own ecosystem releasing sulphur smelling compounds
So get in between each gap every day at least ten times it’ll bleed but ignore that
And make sure that you brush where the gum and tooth meet until the teeth feel smooth and not furry

Great thread! Thank you.

If gum disease gets bad enough for teeth to fall out is it possible to have implants, or will the bone not be strong enough?

@bamaluz
You’d have to speak to an implant specialist as each case is different
They can do various surgical procedures these days to help the bone strength but Generally if you’ve had gum disease the long term outlook for implants isn’t as good.

A specialist is the person to answer all your questions
What I will say is that if you have an implant your oral hygiene must be top notch

Thanks for the thread!

I use a vibrating pulsar toothbrush, which costs like £6 and then I replace every 6 months. I don’t have any decay/fillings/problems when i go to the dentist so assume it is doing the job. Is there any benefit to me getting one of those fancy electric toothbrushes or am ok as I am?

Thank you, I 'm asking for DH, my teeth and gums are fine!

@Heatherjayne1972 I was told by my hygienist that in my case gum disease is hereditary and I'm predisposed no matter how much I clean. If I miss a day's flossing (just being lazy!) I will pay for it! But DH brushes his teeth once a day, doesn't floss and is told by the dentist he has great teeth! 😫 The thing I wanted to ask is I feel like the use of the tepe brushes seem to be making my gums recede, are they doing more damage or am I better just using floss? I use the green, yellow and blue ones!

@WitcheryNights
You want the gums to recede It’s a part of the healing process for gum disease Much easier to clean
If you can get green tepe snugly in then floss is useless tbh it’s too thin to be if any use
Yes it can be hereditary the other risk factors are smoking diabetes poor nutrition/ obesity
But poor oral hygiene will make it much worse much more quickly

I always tell people that you’re in charge of removing the soft plaque. We do the rest

@riotlady
Did your dentist discuss your gum health with you ? Ask them if not
The recommendation is that toothbrushes and electric heads are changed every three months
They wear out and aren’t much good after three months
I’d recommend a Braun oral b electric brush. They are by far the best

What do you think when a young person (child/young adult) has few teeth/rotting teeth?

And, how do you deal with people who struggle to open mouth due to trauma?

@simplysteve.
What do I think when a young person has a few teeth?

1. What’s happened to cause this
2. What can we do to protect the remaining teeth going forward

It’s not my place to judge but if it was a child I’d be discussing diet/ sugar/ fizzy drinks and decay etc with the parent

Some people struggle with jaw problems for a variety of reasons so they can be prescribed Valium to relax the muscles or a nightguard Or we just do dental work little and often
Depends on the situation and the individual

Thanks Heather. I asked as I have a total of five teeth left thanks to parental neglect and it's embarrassing and the shame I feel is palpable. Will ask GP for diazepam, I really struggle with opening my mouth due to sexual trauma.

No dentist has come up with a solution either and eating is becoming challenging..

@simplysteve. Your issues run deeper than dentistry have you had counselling? You may never ‘love’ coming to see us but some professional help sounds useful - and the right dental team

I have gum disease and some very deep pockets. Additionally I had some impacted wisdom teeth removed this year. One molar has become very wobbly due to bone loss and also because the wisdom tooth was stabilising it. It’s terribly sensitive! Hot and cold drinks jangle it and I have frequent pain. Apart from religiously cleaning and using the TePe brush, is there anything else that will help?

@kalinkafoxtrot45
One of the desensitising toothpastes could help. There’s lots of different ones out there and they work in different ways - dab it on the sensitive bit and leave overnight don’t rinse off. Let it soak in and calm the nerve
You could put it on the tepe so it gets into the inbetween areas
Maybe try a non alcoholic fluoride rinse at another time to brushing - so seperatly at lunchtime maybe
And spit don’t rinse after brushing

Sensitive teeth are horrid - there are varnishes and gels the dentist or hygienist can pop on as well

I have a couple:

1. my 6 year old has a bad back tooth. Last time we went to the dentist they said it was fine and put some fluoride paste on it. But it’s definitely got worse since then and we moved in the summer. Problem is there is no space in the dentists round here. Is there anything I can do to limit the damage? I feel so bad about it, he very rarely got sweets when he was little but ate a lot of raisins and was a nightmare to get him to brush his teeth.
2. Is there any truth when people say that some people have softer teeth than others?

My son uses inhalers through a spacer at least twice a day - can these damage his teeth? He is 8

@Heatherjayne1972 Oh yes, I have dx of PTSD & cPTSD, but trying to get counselling in my area is absolute bs. I could get a free Maserati easier... I've been on a waiting list for three years!

Thank you Heatherjayne1972 I will try that!