Sorry, but I am a bit dentist-phobic and never feel able to ask about these things when I am actually in the surgery (far less, the chair)!
About 5 or 6 years ago I was told that I had early-onset periodontitis (sp?). Previously I had been through a phase of not going to the dentist regularly, and then had done a runner from a different dentist's when he told me that (quote) 'all your teeth are going to fall out and you're going to need dentures'.
Anyway, when I was pg with dd2 I found a dentist I trusted and he diagnosed the periodontitis. He did pull out four teeth (back ones top and bottom on each side, except for one, which was the one next to the back). He then did what he called a 'programme of aggressive cleaning' and claimed that this had helped (he used to measure what he called 'pocketing', but I don't know really what this meant).
We then moved house and it took me a while to find a dentist after we moved. I've now been to this new dentist about 4 times. Each time I mention the previous problems with my teeth and each time they have looked at me a bit sceptically. I am convinced that they just think I am a dirty old moo who doesn't clean her teeth. Last week I had to go in to have three fillings (eek!). While I was sitting in the chair, all numb and unable to talk (and shaking like a leaf already from the three injections) the dentist said quite casually 'Oh, and this tooth is quite loose too, shall I take it out for you?' I panicked and said 'no', partly because I was totally unprepared for it, and partly because it hadn't given me any trouble up till then. He also said that that tooth really needed a filling, but that he wouldn't give me one because it would be coming out soon anyway.
OK, so ever since this tooth has just 'felt wrong'. Sometimes I can't close my mouth properly and I certainly can't bite down on it properly. It's not painful, but very uncomfortable and I am aware of it all the time. I am starting to wish I had just let him take it out. But it was fine till last week when I had the fillings.
So (sorry for the huge preamble) my questions are:
- Should I have let him take the tooth out? (He has written in my notes 'Grade II mobility', but I don't know how bad that is.)
- Is this tooth likely to settle down of its own accord or should I make an appointment to get it pulled out?
- What next? Am I going to lose all my teeth? Will I still be able to eat with two molars missing at the back on one side and one missing on all the other sides? And what about in the longer term? I don't want to have to have my teeth in a glass by the side of my bed like my gran at the age of 40.
And, as I said before, I have a phobia about dentists, so all this is very scary! I am really tempted to try to go back to the town where I used to live (4 hours' drive away) and get my teeth looked at there by the dentist I really trusted. But it's not very practical.
Aaargh! Sorry. And sorry this is so long....
(Oh, and I do clean my teeth, honest...!)
... see?