Is anyone knowledgeable about dentistry? I'm confused.

[Patienceisntvirtuous]

Went for a hygienist appointment about 3 months ago and was told that there's some plaque build-up behind my front tooth, and it has created a 'pocket' so when the hygienist (painfully!) removed it, it will have a sort of pocket still there, a gap, and to clean it every day by resting my (electric) toothbrush against the opening of the pocket to prevent any plaque settling and entering it, and to help the pocket close up.

I did this.

Friday went back to the dentist, and they said that the pocket was 5mm deep before and it is now only 4mm, so what I've been doing has been working, ,but not spectacularly well. They told me they'd clean all the plaque out again (and they did-ouch, probe type sharp object right up inside my front gum) and to continue what I've been doing and hopefully the pocket will close up and I'll get no more plaque build up.

I am a bit confused however because, if I keep cleaning it, and as a consequence messing about with it, how can it close up? It'll try to close up and then I'll sit my toothbrush on it and aggravate it surely, not encourage the gum to sit tight around my tooth?

Also, at both the original hygienist appointment and the one this gone Friday, the hygienist didn't have to hardly do anything. All the rest of my teeth are fine.

I don't eat a lot of sugar at all, I am partial to a few glasses of wine a week however-and I do drink gallons of squash all day long (sugar free but still).

My plan is to do what the hygienist said obviously. But it is confusing, how can a pocket close up while something is being shoved up it to clean it? And I am also going to swap the squash for water because in my (none-dentistry) brain, all of my other teeth have no plaque but the front one has the squash 'hit' it as it goes in, so it seems it may be that.

Any advice?

Gum can reattach provided there is no plaque or tartar there. So they've removed the tartar and you need to keep the area really clean to keep plaque out. You need to get the bristles of your brush into your gumline.

If you reduce your sugar intake you will get less plaque and it is better for your teeth as even sugar free squash has fructose but you may still get tartar as it tends to deposit at the backs of the lower front teeth as there are 2 sets of salivary glands down there.

Antitartar toothpaste can help if you are particularly prone to tartrar. I have a few patients that develop tartar really quickly and it needs removing every few months to keep it under control.

Morning . Which tooth specifically?
upper ?
lower ?
very central incisors or the second one along or even a canine .
back of tooth?
front of tooth ?
in between ? Ie either side.

try to specify which tooth exactly.

But simplistic answer is if you keep the neck of the tooth clean then plaque can’t track back down in to the pocket . Depending on what type of pocket you have , it will heal one of 2 ways.
A false pocket is mostly inflammation cause by plaque . Get rid of the plaque and the inflammation will reduce so the pocket literally shrinks.
A true pocket is slightly different . simply put. Your gum has become detached from the root surface and you have lost a bit of bone support support too . To encourage the gum to re attach , again keep the neck of the tooth clean so plaque cannot get inside the pocket . The pocket should then heal from the base of the pocket up, ie getting shallower .
Think of it like new cells reattaching themselves to the root surface a bit like a zip.

You are right about not being to aggressive with your brush head mind you. Gentle but thorough is all that’s required.

The role of your sugar in your diet is less important in healing the pocket than it is for tooth decay buts it’s never a bad idea to keep an eye on sugars and acidic drinks.

Thank you for the answers. :)
@Footgoose it is an upper front tooth, at the very front central. I'll see if I can take a photo later on but it's the one directly under my nose at the very front, if you will.

can't t be very prone to tartar as all the rest of my teeth are fine. I'll keep doing what she asked me to do. I guess it must be a false pocket caused by plaque although she didn't use those terms. She did say it'd close up as long as no more can develop under it. I hope I can do this better this time!

Thanks again both of you :)

Is it crowned ? Definitely take a photo if you can . I should be at work today. Clearly I miss my job a little to much . 😀

I feel I should be paying you!
Photo attached. Black mark points at 'the' tooth. Not crowned- I've had a couple of molar fillings but no other dental work ever.

A water flosser might be useful for cleaning it.

Thank you, going to have a look at those now.

Also, is it normal that my tooth should still be hurting from all the scraping up its gum that she did? I think I am going to call them tomorrow.

Have you been taking paracetamol since yesterday? It can be tender for a few days after root surface debridement.
Have you start using TePe brushes?

I've come on to say a water flosser - I have pockets too and a brush literally doesn't touch them. But the flosser flushes them and keeps them nice and clean.

and is it your tooth thats hurting or your gum around it from being prodded. I used to have to have anaesthetic gel rubbed on mine when i went to the hygenist as they were so painful with it all. but since the flosser they've calmed down massively.

But if you do have any issues it's definitely worth going back

Thank you-I've been looking at them-so many to choose from! Do you have a type you prefer?
I'll ask the hygienist for that next time. I go to a 'pain free' dentist too, this hurt more than any dental work I've had!

The advice sounds like just what my hygienist would say. You have to keep any pockets really clean and free of bacteria so the gum gets less inflamed then closes back up to the tooth.

Did she say to use TePe brushes too? My hygienist is mad on those. Says they are the best way to get any debris out from between teeth.

She advises me to dip the TePe brush in Corsodyl before using it, for an extra whammy of anti-bacterial help!

She should have advised what size of TePe brush to use. Basically the biggest possible for that gap, for maximum cleaning ability.

Tepee brushs don' really get under the gumline hence why the water flosser is so good as it washes into the pockets.

@Patienceisntvirtuous - I have settled on This waterpik one over my experience. mainly because it has a 2 year warranty (which I have had to use) - and they are very good at replacing if it packs up in that time. Many others come with a one year warranty and the other make (2 x panasonic) I have had before before have packed up just after that expires, which is frustrating and also costly.

It is messy when you first get going so lean well over the sink - let me know how you get on if you do get one.

I was getting a but obsessive about cleaning it. I rang the dentist to ask and she said just to do twice a day.
I'm really worried now as I've ripped a bit of my gum off (can feel a 'flap' if you will)& the area is throbbing. Ringing dentist first thing tomorrow, I don't know what I'll do if it worsens today :(, I've tried feeling it and I'm sure it moves slightly, I'm hoping I'm just being paranoid. I dread the thought of having a false front tooth, I've never seen a natural looking one, are they even possible?

Try not to worry. Gums do heal. Think about how they grow over after extractions for example. People have operations in their mouths.

And think about it, you only notice the bad false teeth. Good ones would escape your attention.

And run a bit of sensitive toothpaste over it - will kill any germs and stop it being sore.

And I can tell you I didn't visit the dentist for over 2 decades. Didn't need any treatment except a bit of a descale when I did go back. When I was a child I even remember my gums bleeding sometimes and getting sore occasionally. So all is not necessarily lost.

@heihellohihello very good point, and one I always make when people say they can always tell when people have had botox .

And thank you, yes I'll try to not worry-I have had all sorts of things go wrong but for some reason, my teeth are a bugbear.

That's amazing, you must have very good teeth! A friend has recommended corsodyl to help with the sore feeling, I never use a mouthwash but I will try it I think. It definitely feels
less sore this morning, I just hope I can do a better job of cleaning it this time around.

Sounds like it's on the mend.🙂