Can anyone offer any reassurance regarding my trip to the periodontist today?

[specialsmasher]

Hello.

I started a thread a while back about having been told I had gum disease, and many of you were reassuring so I'm back for more!

I had an appointment today at the periodontist. He said my gums / movement of teeth were OK, but then he measured the bit between the gum and tooth all the way around. I had lots of 5s and 6s (mm?) and one 7 I think. He then talked nineteen to the dozen for about 20 minutes, and I couldn't really follow what he was saying. He wouldn't x-ray as I am 5 months pregnant (though I would have let him!)

Anyway - it's apparently worse (in terms of these 5s & 6s) on the top than on the bottom. I don't know what it means, really. I'm going for three hygienist sessions over the next few weeks (at £135 a pop!)

My main question is, can I be at all hopeful with measurements like I got today? I did have more clear areas than not, but lots of high measurements.

Thanks for reading - hope it makes sense!

Anyone?

bump for you.

I thought pregnant woman received free NHS dental treatment.

Please don't ignore his advice, gum disease is really serious.

It is expensive but think of how much you spend on make-up/shoes etc. Good Luck

Hi...totally understand why your worried but things will get sorted ... honestly now your in the system and not ignoring the problems. Your dealing with it and the 3 hygenist appointments will help. I had bad readings too about 5 years ago...now all is absoutely fine so please be reassured you can turn things around. Where was the readings of 5,6 & 7 in your mouth (If you can tell that would help me understand.

For now I would definately suggest buying a sonic toothbrush that will help big time..floss and use a non alcohol based mouthwash twice a day. Happy to help just ask

Hello, thanks so much for responding. I'm certainly not ignoring advice, flaine, and don't mind spending the money - I'm just desperate not to lose my teeth!

Hi twoshiney. Thanks for your input too. The measurements were 4, 5 & 6 a lot on the top jaw - I did have some clear patches too. It did include near the front of my mouth - I have a problem around one of my front teeth I think I had a 7 by a molar right at the back.

The dentist talked very quickly and did shown me the chart, but quickly, and I was trying to follow what he was saying, and came away a bit confused (you know how it can be)

So - can the hygienist's intervention actually help reduce these measurements? I've been waiting for this app't for a while and have been using a sonic brush; inter-dental brushes etc & mouthwash for months already... hoping the hygienist will give me a few tips too.

To top it all I lost a filling last night! Unconnected, I'm sure, but not helping my general paranoia about my teeth!

Thanks again, all.

Yeah the explanations can go a bit over your head when in the dentist chair! all gets too stressful and absorbing information becomes quite difficult.
The numbers you have got are the pockets that are around the teeth and the dentist uses a little probe to measure these. Its actually the space depth where the gum is not firmly attached to the tooth root. The hygienist will clean these pockets out and then the gum should firm up easier against the root. So yes intervention should reduce these measurements. I would also suggest after eating to rinse your mouth out with water to ensure no food particles are trapped. Have you any crowns or bridges? these need cleaned extra well on a daily basis. Sorry bout you filling...understand how you are feeling and you probably did not need that stress too.
Also understand your paranoia. I still feel like that 5 years later and dont think it will ever leave me.

Thanks again, two.

Did you have any measurements like these? I do feel reassured a bit by what you say and sincerely hope I can be offering advice to someone else in 5 yrs with my mouth still full of teeth...

My measurements where on a few teeth (crowned molar) and bottom front if I remember where 4's but please be reassured cos this was after pregnancy, had given birth about 3 weeks. So they probably would have been deeper with the swollen gums I had in the pregnancy. As my gums had receeded after the pregnancy then the pockets where smaller...which was worse really cos now I had receeding gums and pockets. Thankfully all is well now..cant turn back the receeding but can stop it in its tracks.

Hope this helps

Thanks, again. I do understand what you're saying, though I'm jealous of your relatively good measurements! Still, I just have to hope that the treatment works...

I really appreciate your sharing your tale, twoshiney

Hi Specialsmasher I just wanted to let you know you are not alone in your paranoia. I was referred by my (new) dentist to a periodontist for the first time in January this year when I was 9 months pregnant with my 3rd. The periodondist told me I should return for a 3 month treatment as soon as I have finished breastfeeding. This means I should be seeing him NEXT February mabye as I intend to bf roughly until my daughter is 12 months old. He told me it was not catastrophic but I can see the state of my gums particulary on the bottom jaw and I don't like it. My dentist recommended a simple soft bristle tooth brush three times a day only which is what I've been doing. I adore my children but I don't like what pregnancy and bf have done to my body especially my teeth.

I must admit I am rather dreading the treatment. Do the injections hurt? Does the treatment hurt? I wonder if anyone can reassure us!

Anyway this just to let you know and share that you really are not alone.

Really good to hear from you too jardins - sorry you are having similar trouble. My periodontist dismissed pregnancy as having much to do with my gum disease - I got the impression that I have had a problem for ages, just didn't realise, which is obviously frustrating as I could presumably have been stopping this from getting worse years ago...

I'm having my first treatment on Tuesday, so I'll let you know what it's like! I'm guessing it can't be a comfortable process...

I can't think about anything else at the moment - the thought of losing teeth is really quite awful! Still, I guess the process of saving them is underway.

Sorry - not an especially cheery post!

Good luck on Tuesday specialsmasher. You are taking a good step forward. Let me know how it goes, ok?

What I find really weird is how my teeth are (touch wood) in really good shape and me gums... er.... not so good. I'm the same as you in the fact that mine have been a longterm thing. What makes me mad is that my previous dentist NEVER once made a passing comment about the fact that I might have gum disease. Was the man blind? I was living in blissful ignorance meanwhile with bleeding gums when I brushed my teeth; weird.
Anyway me new dentist certainly seems to be making up for it. He told me that pregnancy made things worse due to progesteron.

Sigh.

Hi specialsmasher

just saw this and you're in a very similar position I was in a few years ago.

My gums were very bad and my pockets measured similar to yours. 3 is the ideal top measurement, anything under is great, anything over needs work.

I had plenty of 6's which was not great. The good news is that regular trips to the hygienest, flossing every day and a sonicare toothbrush will really help to repair that.

Within a year of tackling the problem most of my pockets are now 1s or 2s, with the odd 4 here and there.

It's horrid and a bit scary to be bombarded with all the information but you can sort it all out with a boring diligent routine - good luck

oops, forgot to add, if the cleaning process is very painful, they can apply a sort of gel stuff that numbs the area so it's not so painful.

I needed the gel for the first few appointments but as my gums got better it became less sensitive.

That makes me feel so much better threestepsforward! Really, I can't tell you - I had no idea whether a 6 could really be tackled & to what extent, so to hear that you have had such success is brilliant... thank you!

Hopefully I won't lie awake worrying & feeling gutted tonight now, like I did last night!

Aw, try not to worry too much specialsmasher, it is repairable, it was in my case anyway. I completely understand the worry though, I was in a right state before they got to work on me ...

My dentist did say it could go either way though, depending on how much work I put into good brushing / flossing etc. and boy did I make sure I put in the work! As long as you do that it really should be okay

Try and have a worry-free night's sleep tonight and you'll be fine tomorrow, will you let us know how you get on?

I'll update tomorrow! Thanks for all reassurance

So...

I had my first appointment with the periodontic hygienist yesterday. It was quite hopeful as she seemed to think it was treatable - she could see where I wasn't cleaning right, and that there were hard deposits under the gum which need removing and will help healing. She's not going to clean the pockets until next time, so I can't comment on that..

I feel a bit better, though apparently I have a 7 near the front of my mouth which is a bit gutting. She seemed confident though. I have got to do a proper regime, involving those disclosing tablets and different types of floss and brushes. Which I will obviously do!

Thanks for all support with this - wanted to update!

Good news ss!

I remember they gave me disclosing tablets at the start so I could see where I was missing when I brushed.

Like someone said further up, you won't be able to mend any gum recession that's already happened, but you can definitely stop it getting worse and reduce the pocket sizes