To be fed up with getting told off every time I go to the dentist?

[ElderAve]

I'm 50 this year and I don't have any fillings. There's nothing wrong with my teeth. I eat a balanced diet hardly any sweets and no fizzy drinks (main because I've never liked them). I'm also probably just a bit lucky with my teeth.

I brush regularly but find flossing really uncomfortable so rarely do it. I see the hygienist three times a year to get rid of any build up.

Every time I go to the dentist or the hygienist, I get another lecture about brushing and flossing. I know technically it's just advice but the tone is definitely "telling off".

Really, I'm a 50yo adult who's teeth are in remarkably good condition, I can't be getting it that badly wrong. And if I do have any failings, I pay these people handsomely to deal with it!

Actually, by this stage in life, I'm not at all convinced such regular visits are necessary, but obviously no dentist is going to tell me that.

Ditto. The hygienist where I go is like this. I use an electric toothbrush and teepees but it's never good enough! I'll get told off for neglecting a different area every time. I do get a lot of build up which a dentist once told me some people do through no fault of their own so I do go for a descale twice a year. Hygienist said last time that I need 3 monthly but I ignored her so am expecting huge telling off next time!

I neglect my teeth because of poor mental health - self-neglect is a big part of my symptoms unfortunately. When I’m doing better I make the effort to go and see my dentist. The last time I went I apologised in advance for my teeth and explained that I struggle to follow a good brushing routine because of my depression etc. He was lovely about it...up until the the end of the appointment when he breezily suggested that maybe I should think about stopping the anti-depressants for a while, since he had friends who had managed to stop them and coped fine! 😲

Never mind that I had not long ago been hospitalised for trying to throw myself under a train. I just thanked him politely but said I’d be following the advice of my psychiatrist when it comes to my mental health.

Can you imagine if another patient though in a more vulnerable state took him up on that? Stopped taking their meds because their dentist told them to??!! The consequences could have been fatal.

I was shocked.

I used to get these lectures up until a few years ago. Now my dentist always comments on how clean my teeth are and how healthy my gums are,, but I learned the hard way as I have bone loss through gum disease. I could kick myself for not taking better care of my gums, especially as there is gum disease in my family.

@Bitesizedsnacks if you are still around, I didn't know those single tufted brushes coud be used for deep pockets. Do you mean this sort of thing?

www.boots.com/boots-expert-interspace-toothbrush-10231943

Hi @swishthecat, yes, that's the sort of thing there's a video here about the technique - not the best quality but gives an idea.
If it's of interest, this is some research that helps support their use www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23705536.

Thanks Bitesized, could be another useful weapon in my fight aginst the "biofilm"!

against

Sorry if it's already been said but having worked in many dental practices, I find that crap dentists and crap practices go together. Hope you have other options available locally as you might find a totally different atmosphere where that sort of attitude is not accepted.