Could a hygienist help the appearance of my teeth or are they too far gone?

[Faceissues]

I'm embarrassed and ashamed even writing this but my teeth are a mess. I haven't been to the dentist since in about 15 years and I've finally decided I need to sort it out. My mental health was a mess and I went through periods of not brushing my teeth, hair etc. I'm in a much better place now but my teeth get me down a lot - I know they're really awful to look at and I cover my mouth when I speak, never smile with my teeth but I've sort of avoided actually taking a close look for a long long time because I'm so horrified by them and ashamed I've let it get this bad.

I'm going to book in a with a dentist ASAP but have the option to go to a dental hygienist tomorrow. They do scale and polish or airflow wit scale and polish. Would either of these help the appearance of my teeth. I've attached a picture (the first one I have ever actually taken and looked at how bad it is).

Thanks for any help or advice (I'm sorry about the photos, I know it's awful, please be kind)

Hi, the hygienist will help with mouth health even if it doesn't change the appearance much. It will also help the dentist assess the underlying issues as they will be more clear.

It is brilliant you are now ready to face up to this, dentists have seen it all before. I really hope you have a good experience. I advise you are honest about the MH reasons for not caring for your teeth.

Good luck

I agree with the above but do prepare yourself for a diagnosis of periodontal disease.

However, the treatment is basically down to you. I always use the analogy that if you have your house deep cleaned every 6 months but do nothing in between it’s going to become pretty messing after a few weeks and a total dump by the time your next deep clean is due.
Start by seeing it as a longterm project. Ask the hygienist to write down a simple list of instructions. Make yourself a chart at home and take photos of your progress. It all helps to keep you on track.

If you are unsure of how to clean your teeth effectively Google is your friend. There are tons of videos you can use to improve your oral hygiene. Invest in a decent electric toothbrush but watch a video before you start using it. Waterpiks are becoming popular and are another product that will help.

Don't be disheartened if progress is a little slow, it takes time to change the habits of a life time. If when you brush your gums bleed it is because you are not brushing effectively. It has nothing to do with brushing too hard or too long. Bleeding indicates that you are leaving food and plaque behind.

A good hygienist will do a thorough clean but should spend a fair bit of time going through brushing technique and cleaning between your teeth.

You have made the biggest step, you will be surprised how much you mouth will improve once you are cleaning effectively. Stick at it and remember only clean the teeth you want to keep.

Oh that looks sore too! The hygienist can absolutely help with some of the plaque (yellow) there but the darker areas around your front teeth might need looking into more. I think a dentist would want to take a couple of X-rays and look at your overall gum health. Dentists will have seen worse so don’t be embarrassed. Dropping self care activities is very normal in people with depression by the way so don’t beat yourself up about that.

Everything @Angrymum22 said, and they will also look so much better after tomorrow’s appointment.

Hygienist can certainly remove the build up along the gum line and between teeth. How much this will improve the appearance depends on the underlying condition of the teeth and gums. Ask for numbing gel if they propose a deep-clean.

I'm sure the hygienist will improve things. I don't think it will sort everything out but there is a saying about a long journey starting with a single step and this will be your first step. Good luck and I hope you come back tomorrow and tell us you are feeling more positive about it all.

Thanks for all your replies. Nowhere near perfect but so much better already!

Forgot to add the pic!

Mine always look loads better after I’ve been to the hygienist, the most important thing though is getting any gum disease under control which the hygienist will do for you, then you can look into aesthetic options.

Looks much better already, well done.

Ooh that’s a lot better. Well done. You actually have very pretty teeth

Well done OP! They look loads better already. It is so hard to make the first step and you have done it.

That's fantastic, amazing difference and just the start. Just think what they will look like in a few months.