Harassed by dentist?

[Anotherdayanotherusername]

I've long acknowledged I have the sort of teeth that make lots of plaque/tartar. A dentist once told me it's not my fault, it's just the way some people are. I tried to manage it by regular hygienist visits and following their advice. I figured my teeth were OK as dentist never seemed concerned and my gums never bled which I know is a sign of gum disease.

Then two years ago I started seeing a different dentist at the practice and suddenly I have the worst teeth in the world! She said I had gum disease, bone loss and she was "very concerned". I was told I needed expensive root planing treatment or surgery but no point doing yet as gum disease needed to be bought under control first so needed close monitoring. Mortified, I stepped up my dental routine, bought a water flosser but it was never good enough.

I then couldn't see the dentist for 9 months but did see the hygienist a couple of times in that period who seemed happy with what I was doing.

Had an appointment with the dentist a few weeks ago which I was dreading, expecting the usual telling off. To my surprise she seemed happy with my teeth, didn't even mention gum disease and sent me on my way saying "see you in 6 months". However, I later received a call from the surgery saying the dentist needed me to come back "to check something". As I needed to take time off work, it's some distance and they couldn't do the same time as my next hygienist appointment, I refused to make an appointment unless they told me why. Dentist phoned back to say it was because she forgot to check my gum disease and although my gums looked fine she wanted to double check. I said I was happy to wait until my next check up but she said she wasn't.

Since then the surgery keep calling me to schedule the appointment and I'm either fobbing them off or not answering as it's really inconvenient!

AIBU? Is this dentist being overdramatic or scared of getting sued perhaps??

Arghhh. They just tried calling me again! Feel I'm being hounded!

How often are they calling?

It’s your decision.

Just tell them not and ask not to call again if that’s what you want.

I've had this but to a lesser extent; gum disease mentioned once or leaky mercury fillings. I'm not sure if the dentist, who is very good generally is up selling treatments/finding things wrong. I suspect it's because the practice is mostly privatized with some NHS. I tend to say I'll think about it then forget, then she forgets then brings it up a year later. Could you maybe get a second opinion with a hygienist elsewhere, someone specialising in gum health? It's like the equivalent of the RAC/AA saying you need a new battery or starter motor.

I suspect she might be trying to sell treatments and by scaring me into it by saying how concerned she is about my teeth. She said the appointment will only take 5 mins and she just wants to prod the gums and double check the pocket size, no xrays or anything. Surely those things should be part of a routine checkup anyway, and I'm pretty sure she did them. I'm not prepared to take more time out of work & drive 20 mins each way just for 5 mins. Plus I already told her I'm happy to wait to the next scheduled appointment, so am accepting the "risk".

I think this is deeply suspicious. One dentist said all was well and then, with a new dentist, your teeth are suddenly a nightmare?? And the hygienist is generally happy? I would be going to another practice altogether to have a check up and second opinion. Ask your friends for recommendations. Let’s face it, if not NHS, the stuff she is suggesting will run into many thousands of pounds.

This seems excessive on their side. Gum disease, no matter how grave, isn't a medical emergency! They're your teeth at the end of the day and treatment costs money.

You'd think they'd just book you in for a sooner appointment if you were happy, if not then just let you wait for next one.

It's good they seem to care about your teeth I suppose. As long as you brush for around 5 mins twice a day, tp or floss each tooth and use chlorhexidine mouthwash then that's all you can do anyway with gum disease.

Definitely get them deep cleaned next time though.

If they're private then I'd actually consider switching, as your relationship with them now seems to have lost trust.

This would annoy me. How can a dentist ‘forget’ about gums during a routine check up. They’re right in front of her! Is there any reviews about the practice online?

Just move to a new dentist.

Is it an NHS dentist? Be careful they don't take you off their books if you don't make the appointment. Also when making the appointment tell them you do not expect to pay when the dentist has admitted it is because they didn't do the full check they should have at the last appointment.

I brush thoroughly twice daily with an electric toothbrush front & back and over the gumline I use teepee brushes followed by a waterpic and finish off with floss. What more can I do? If my gums were that bad she would have noticed at the routine appointment just the other week, whether she forgot to check for gum disease or not!

Is it possible to change your dentist? This sounds very odd.

This sounds really suspicious. Your hygienist would of brought up concerns if there was any. Don't avoid speaking to them, just say firmly clearly " I will not be coming back in and will wait until my next appointment, please do not contact me about this matter again. Ask your hygienist at your next appointment if she has any concerns. If they continue to harass you. Put in a formal complaint and find a new dentist.

I'm not claiming to have perfect teeth, as I said in my op I do have a history of plaque build up, acknowledged in the past by the hygienist, which I've worked hard to bring under control by doing all the things described in a later post. I'm not denying there's some bone loss (was shown on an ray) and was possibly some mild gum disease at the backs as I was struggling to clean that area properly prior to the waterpic, although my gums have never bled. Hygienist has been happy last couple of times. I just can't understand why it's so urgent I come back in (the messages say the dentist needs me back in asap). I was seen just recently and surely she would have seen if there was any cause for concern in her routine checks. I have 3 more appointments in the diary between now and Xmas 2 with the hygienist and one with her so I feel its a waste of my time.

Book in with another hygienist local to you, and ask for them to complete and send you a copy of your pocket chart. Many places offer direct access hygiene now.

I would make sure that your next appointment is made with a different dentist at the practice TBH!

I would change dentists and if they called again I'd tell them, exactly that. It does sound harassing

Periodontal disease (gum disease) is the number one reason for a dentist to be sued in the U.K. and dentists are more likely to be sued in the U.K. than anywhere else in the world.

Most people will have some degree of gum disease. The problem is that you rarely get pain or symptoms until a lot of damage has been done .

The normal gum examination (CIPTN) only gives a rough idea of the prescence of gum disease. If there is a history of gum disease or high CIPTN score or 3 or 4 then a much more thorough 6 point gum chart should be done , which takes a lot of time.

Gum disease, not decay , is the number one reason people lose their teeth.

I find it interesting that if a doctor told you they wanted to make further checks on a treatable disease that is potentially disfiguring and can have further health consequences (increases risk of diabetes, miscarriage, heart disease etc) most people would be very keen to proceed . But a dentist , who is an oral physician ……..

Google oil pulling

Complete waste of time , no peer reviewed research , whereas disrupting the biofilm by physically removing plaque with a brush , inter dental brush etc has plenty of evidence.https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2018.281

The gum disease scoring is different than they do normally at a dentist or hygiene apt. I have gum disease, and it is only with 15 years of specialist periodontal treatment that I have kept all of my teeth at 45. I don’t have bleeding but I have bone loss and have had root planing and I see the hygienist every three months. Most of the time I would be oblivious that I had gum disease as really you only get visible symptoms when it is really bad.
I would be thankful you have a dentist who is on it but of course get a different opinion if you are worried they are harassing you. Good luck. :)

@Lollygaggle What treatment/s can be done for gum disease please?

Gum disease cannot be cured it can only ever be controlled and 90% of that control is in the patients hands , 10% is in the dental teams hands .

So stopping smoking/vaping , controlling diabetes ,if present , is crucial. Then effective cleaning by the patient , as most people do not clean effectively.

The dental team will remove tartar and make it easier for the patient to clean . If , after initial therapy and really effective cleaning by the patient , there is still active gum disease then there may be surgical and other treatments that may help. But the majority is getting rid of any factors that will make gum disease worse and effective cleaning. https://www.bsperio.org.uk/assets/downloads/Patient_Information_Leaflet.pdf

Have you ever been a smoker OP?

How gum disease can affect general health https://www.bsperio.org.uk/periodontal-diseases/periodontitis-and-general-health

I would phone and ask can the hygienist do the basic periodontal (BPE) instead