Should I change dentist?

[SheepGoesBaa]

I never liked the dentist when I was small. In my 20s I stopped going to the dentist.

I thought I looked after my teeth. I brushed twice a day. I flossed sometimes, only when I felt something stuck in between my teeth.

About 16 months ago I had a dental emergency and I went to my local dentist. He was able to fix a broken tooth for me. He asked me to come back in for a cleaning. I went in for a cleaning not long after that. I think it was a clean and polish. He asked me to come back in 6 months. Amazingly I kept it. I went back last June.

I learned a hard and valuable lesson. I bought a sonicare toothbrush and I started flossing more. I also bought a waterpik flosser.

Last year around Easter I was looking in the mirror and I saw that my gums didn't look well. It's the upper gums. They looked red and puffy.

At summers cleaning my dentist said I have gum inflammation. I started using a toothpaste and mouthwash called curasept. It's a cordysol equivalent but tastes better and doesn't stain teeth.

In December, my dentist said I tend to bleed towards the back and recommending flossing more. I do floss. The waterpik flosser is mainly for my back gums too.

Here I am today, and my gums still look the same as what they were last spring. They really don't look healthy. The upper gums don't look pink and they seem to be pulling away from my teeth.

My dentist said last summer I have gum inflammation. 6 months later I go into him for another cleaning with the same gums. He carried out the clean and polish and asked me to come back in 6 months.

In January, I had another emergency and he did a check up. He read out numbers to his assistant. According to Google, the number calling is measuring the gums. The last number he called out was a 6. According to online thats a periodontal number.

My dentist has never discussed the state of my gums with me. Not once did he ask for X rays, or increase my cleanings or suggest a periodontist to me. I don't think he's being proactive about my gums. I'm shocked, appalled and distraught because my dentist hasn't helped me with my gums. I will put my hands up and take blame for lies in that I neglected going to the dentist for a long time but I'm going now.

My next cleaning is supposed to be next summer around about June - but what's the point - he will clean them up and ask me to come back in 6 months completely turning a blind eye to the inflammation in the upper gums.

What do I do?
I do think there's a problem with the gums. Do I keep next summers appointment or change dentists.

Does anyone have experience about useless dentists?

Inflammation in your gums is 99% what you do at home. It is caused by daily plaque build up, smoking and occasionally diabetes. Gingival inflammation is managed by good daily oral hygiene and regular scale and polishes which is what your dentist is doing, they aren't being useless.

I wouldn't jump straight into a xrays and a periodontist for some inflammation. Normally a clean is the first port of call depending on the extent.

A 6 can be a periodontal number. It's also a tooth number. It's impossible to say what he was reading out at the time, however it's most likely in a check up it was the tooth 6 not pocket depth, as you would be unlikely to do a proper pocket chart in a check up

Obviously I haven't seen your mouth, but it sounds like your dentist is looking at your gingival health. It would be really bizarre of them to mention bleeding at the back and just ignore your front teeth, it's more likely they feel your gums at are front are fine.

He should have recommended that you see a hygienist who can spend 30 mins giving your gums a thorough clean and advise on teeth cleaning.

If there is build up under your gums then this needs to be cleaned away. You won't necessarily be able to do this at home.

I am shocked your dentist didn't recommend a hygienist the minute they noticed inflammation.

I would consider changing dentists but get a hygienist appt booked in first ASAP.

NB I would switch to interdental brushes for your back teeth, it's easier and more effective than flossing ime.

Yanbu. I would definitely get a second opinion and register with a dental hygienist.
Are you talking about receeding gums/gingivitis? They would need to refer you to a gum specialist, or you can.
They cost about £200 for a little chat without work/treatment the last time I looked into it!

My bottom gums look good. The problem gums are the upper gums. They are red looking. Sometimes they might be pink but with a line of red along the gumline. I'm not too sure what it is. My gums used to bleed. There might be a little bit of blood from some areas after flossing. There's little to no blood now after brushing my teeth. The upper gums just don't look well, at all.

The dentist that I attend to doesn't have a hygienist. Is 30s minutes the length of time a cleaning should last? It's my dentist who carries out the scale and polish procedure and I swear to god, I'm out from the chair again in about 10 minutes.

I think I might start looking around for a new dentist. Maybe someone who can tolerate nervous patients well. I got a recommendation for a dentist before the Christmas so I will check them out. An emergency in January had me going to my regular dentist.

There's a few things I don't like about my dentist. There's the whole entire gum issues for sure. I find him to be slightly on the arrogant side. I get a vibe of him that he doesn't want to be there. He's not a happy person at all.

My GP is completely different and a real pleasure to go to.

I used to smoke before but I'm about 20 months off them now. I used vaping to give up the cigarettes. I started on 18mg juice and worked my way down and I'm on 0 strength nicotine now. It is my intention to give up the vaping but I'm just not ready just yet.

If there were any official studies made in relation to oral health and vaping, I would love to know. I did my own private tests at home with PH testing strips and I found out that vaping doesn't alter the pH value of salvia so it's not like drinking coke or juice.

It does cause dry mouth and I drink loads and loads and loads of water every day.

I would love to know what vaping is like for gums.

You don't need to see a hygienist, a dentist can do the job of a hygienist. On the NHS a dentist should be doing the job of the hygeinist rather than making you see one anyway. You don't need to see a periodontist either.

It's impossible to say how long a clean should last as it depends how much build up there is, inflammation doesn't necessarily mean there is build up beneath your gums, inflammation is caused by daily plaque. But 10 minutes is reasonable for a scale and polish if there is just inflammation not bone loss.

If they don't bleed when you brush it's unlikely they are inflamed Could it be you are traumatizing them when you brush?

There's no real evidence on the risks of vaping on your gums, however current feeling is it's got to be better than smoking. However if you smoked for years it's possible damage has already been done, especially if you didn't go to the dentist.

I Obviously haven't seen your gums, but it doesn't sound like your dentist is being useless or negligent in anyway.

I'm very mindful of the toothbrush. I don't think I brush hard. My lower gums don't have any puffiness and yet they get the same minding as the top teeth.

I was about 20 years a smoker. About 10 years not going to a dentist.

I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing. Flossing and brushing every day. I'm now also gone low carb to reduce sugars. Have been doing a low carb diet for the past month and I hope to continue.

My last cleaning was in December. Next one is in June.

Here's a picture.

Not a dentist but your gums look fine to me! I sometimes got bleeding gums from being too enthusiastic when cleaning and using the up/down motion too harshly as well as a 'firm' toothbrush. It was a real surprise when I got an electric toothbrush and realised how much pressure I was putting on my teeth/gums during brushing,

Have a check of your brushing technique but honestly, if you aren't happy with your dentist then find another one.

They don't look inflamed to me, they do look a a bit traumatised around your top left central incisor. There's a bit of recession (which is not gum disease). It really looks more like a traumatic brushing technique to me but not inflammation. When you are brushing your teeth is really is just a gentle sweeping. Do you chew on a pen? Bite your nails? Catch that area when you vape? Anything that could be traumatizing that area.

You might find interdental brushes more beneficial than floss, there's a bit of calculus build up between your teeth, which means you are missing areas when flossing. If you have slight gaps between your teeth they can be better and easier to use as well

But honestly OP based on that picture you have nothing to worry about.

Thanks for your lovely reply and for putting my mind at ease.

I had a bad diet for a few years consisting of energy drinks so I have low enamel from acid erosion. I'm very careful about my teeth and mouth. I don't use my mouth for chewing pens or biting nails or anything else.

The only thing I can think of maybe is the vape. I like have a tight draw of the vape.

I think I might try adding in a new routine of brushing with my non dominant hand to see how I get on.

That's right. I see that little bit of tartar there in the corner. I don't know how I'm missing that. I floss there and after the sonicare I have a little manual brush and I think it's a repeat tuft brush or something like that. The head is tiny and soft. I use that for more precision in areas and that's one place I go to after the electrical toothbrush.

I find it hard to use the interdental brushes. I prefer floss.