Early gum disease diagnosis - worried sick

[amnidyaa]

Hi everyone,

I went to the dentist yesterday after over a year, I missed my last 6 month check up because I was recovering from back surgery.

The dentist diagnosed gum disease, she was saying out the number 3 as she checked over a few quadrants of my mouth. She did an xray and said there's no bone loss, just the normal amount expected for someone about to be 40. She said its been caught very early.

Im scheduled in for 2 deep cleans a week apart starting in 2 weeks time.

Since being home Ive googled and seen horror stories and now Im very worried. Ive never had anyone discuss gum disease before so I didnt ask about what stage Im at.

Has anyone been in this situation where theyve heard a load of '3's, 'caught it early' and had no bone loss. Am I at the reversible stage? I know I should have asked at the time but I was so overwhelmed I didnt think to until I got home.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Buy some antibacterial mouth wash and use regularly.

Soft toothbrush and gentle brushing.

Get the deep clean, and use the interdental brushes every day, religiously

Thanks for your replies xx

Do you think im at the reversible or irreversible stage? Im just so worried

I’m a hygienist - I see this a lot Several times a day every day

it’s a plaque bacteria issue
With gum disease the people who keep their teeth are the ones who get anal about the cleaning - like super super fussy
your hygienist will chat you through tepe sizes and electric / manual cleaning techniques

whatever s/he tells you to do. Do it
every single day

I had this - had gum planing to sort it which was expensive
My teeth are in good shape now - I’m absolutely religious about interdental brushes! Every time I brush my teeth I use them and I brush 3x per day
mine was genetic as much as lifestyle - its something that can be managed, try not to panic

Following

Don’t worry op, mine were much worse.
They say it’s not reversible but after I bought an electric toothbrush and used the teepees every night nothing has got worse and may have even improved a bit (apparently this is impossible).
Definitely use an electric toothbrush and be religious about hygiene.
And even if it does get worse and you lose a tooth, dental implants with a good dentist are not too bad. I’ve even had a sinus lift due to bone loss and that wasn’t too bad either.
Veneers, now that was uncomfortable and to me, worse than implants.

From personal experience ie no qualifications whatsoever .. Generally the higher the number the worse .. at one point I had lots over 10 .. now I’m generally 1-3 with a few 6’s and 7’s . My hygienist is happy with my gums and view them as stable and is 100% happy with my cleaning.

Don’t panic, from what I’ve been told it’s easy to improve once you do what the hygenist tells you. I was told not go mad and start scrubbing at my gums, but just good regular cleaning and getting in the nooks and crannies.

I agree not to worry too much. I knew I had it because my gums bled when I brushed/flossed, dentist confirmed it a few years back.
Now I have them cleaned with the hygienist every 6 months, use interdental brushes and an electric toothbrush and they're lovely and healthy now. Before this I just used a normal toothbrush and just flossed when I remembered, so your technique/brush/flossing makes a world of difference.
It can't be cured as such, but can be managed to the point it doesn't affect you whatsoever if you maintain really good oral hygiene.

I was told I have some gum disease including some bone loss in one small area. I was horrified as my mum lost a lot of teeth due to this. That was a few years ago now - just have to go for regular hygienist appointments. I expressed my fears about losing my teeth to the hygienist and she did not think that would happen.

3 is not a big deal as it's reversible. I'd worry from 5 and above. Have your cleaning and listen to their tips.

I don't know about the super anal cleaners keeping teeth, chemo, accidents, genetics all affect whether you keep your teeth. Crowns and implants are also your teeth, you've paid for them! 🙄
Healthy gums is largely diet, keto level of no carbs for example your gums will feel so clean. If you eat sugar every meal including things like sugared yogurt, fruits, bread, pasta, rice you have to clean much more thoroughly than if you only ever eat green veg, cheese and meats.

I know of several family members who never flossed, brush once or maybe twice on a good day and still have all their teeth, no decays and the reason is they eat hardly any carbs and only 1 or 2 times a day.

I don't like the superiority attitude making it out about hygiene when diet and genetics play a huge role. It should be the ones who keep their teeth are lucky with good genes and low carb diet.

If it was that bad surely you’d have known about it before your check up? Bad breath, build up of plaque, bleeding gums?

deep cleans are a must. Follow up by flossing and brushing twice a day. Corsodyl mouthwash at a separate time to be brushing as it just washes the fluoride off your teeth, so maybe after lunch.

also as pp Says, healthier diet. No snacking, if you’re having sugar have it after a meal and not separately.

Ive never had any bleeding gums and none of my teeth feel loose, which is why I was so shocked by the diagnosis.

It's totally possible to treat and then keep it at bay. I was diagnosed with something similar about 3 years ago. Had a couple of sessions at the hygienist and then freaked out so went two years without seeing a dentist. In the meantime, I used proper mouthwash, flossed regularly and used whatever the toothpaste is for gum disease. When I finally saw a new dentist, he said I had very healthy teeth and gums, better than most of my peers.

You should be fine if you follow hygienist’s advice. I’m much worse due to a genetic disorder and see mine every three months. There was talk of my getting referred to a specialist but it’s not really got much worse. I’ve lost bone density. A few months back I got some food debris stuck under my gum for a molar. OMG the throbbing was unreal. Gum swollen. I remember trying to shake some spam out of the tin and it literally felt like my tooth was rattling about (it started feeling loose). Took a week or so of squirting mouthwash in the gap and gently massaging the gum, but the food debris worked its way out, the gum swelling went and now my molar is back to ‘normal’. So it can be reversed, even for the likes of me (I have 6, 7 & 8’s at the back!)

@Wartsnalll
I don't like the superiority attitude making it out about hygiene when diet and genetics play a huge role.

Eh? I don't think there's a hierarchy in the gum disease department, but if there was, clean keto eating would be at the top, I reckon

Hi if anyone could reply please 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I had a tooth extraction last Wednesday so I’m day 9 today I don’t have any pain but I can sometimes taste rusty metal in my mouth it’s clearly blood as I was sat yesterday I could taste it and I spat out and it was tinged a little .. I’m not sure if this is my tooth extraction are gum disease? .. for around a month now maybe just over when I brush my teeth they do bleed but my gums look fine there not red are anything I’m really panicky about it so if anyone as had these symptoms please reply 🙏🏻

Don’t worry OP. I had the same diagnosis 15 years ago and once I started using an electric toothbrush and interdental brushes things haven’t got any worse.
may guns were in a terrible state but it can be arrested.