Grades 1 and 2 mobility in teeth

[NooNooHead]

Posted on General Health board but I'm posting here too for traffic.

Argh. Just saw the dentist for a checkup and have grades 1 and 2 in a couple of molars apparently 😳

I'm 44, perimenopausal, and not on HRT. I've been having lots more problems with gingivitis since having started
perimenopause, and never had bleeding gums before. I think I'm pretty
meticulous with my oral health, using an electric toothbrush, floss, interdental brushes, mouthwash, but clearly I need to do something else to prevent my teeth getting worse 😬

Having said that, maybe I am being a bit OTT, and it's just age 🤔 😅 I don't have any pain with the teeth mobility, so I might just watch and wait rather than jump to the worst conclusion!
Getting older sucks 😕

Any wise words would be appreciated please, to stop me panicking a bit!

@NooNooHead Are you NHS or a private dentist?

I was told by a friend that she felt her gum health had improved when taking collagen. But ok. 👌🏻

If bone loss is involved that's when I think they might need to remove it. As the bone loss can spread to the tooth in front.

I don't think you can do much more than daily electric brushing, floss, TP, chlorhexidine mouthwash sometimes. And get a deep clean from the hygienist every 3-4 months.

I just had my lower left number 7 removed, the one next to wisdom. It's a real annoyance as I can't chew anything. Even on the good side as it's bruised from overuse! Hope you don't need any extractions. X

NHS - and i never see the same bloody one twice as they keep leaving! 🤣

I was told I have loose teeth. But not sure it was a thing associated with the state of my gums as the dentist didn't probe them to measure pockets, he just tapped (?) each molar and then shouted grades to his assistant 🤔

To be honest, it was the first and only time any dentist had done that 😬

Two things come to mind which might be helpful, OP.

Firstly, I used to struggle with plaque buildup no matter how religiously I brushed and flossed. But since I got a waterpik, all that is in the past - my oral hygiene has never been as good!

Secondly, my dentist told me you shouldn't "scrub" your teeth with an electric toothbrush, but simply hold it against your teeth whilst moving it around the different parts of your mouth. If you're finding your new brush a bit fierce, could it be that you're brushing too hard and pushing the gums back?

Oh absolutely, I definitely overbrush too vigorously with the Oral B toothbrush. And i remember seeking a YouTube video of a woman who said her gum recession was getting worse ever since she used the model of Oral B Pro 1 toothbrush I use... I guess it's a known thing either with that particular model or maybe the oscillating brush head 🤔

Ooh I never got on with the waterflosser - I tried one and it made such a mess of my bathroom!

Having said that, I do just hold it and move it along, i don't scrub.

Hygienists can give local anesthetic and clean pockets...

They don't at mine. My dentist has several hygienists at the practice (and around 5 dentists) but I was referred to the periodontist they have at the practice.

If you could afford it you might try a private practice.

Menopause really does mess you around doesnt it?
I have teeth I can wobble and gum disease thanks to perimenopause. According to dentist I also have 50% bone loss in my jaw (Had a Dexascan and thankfully it seems to be just my jaw!).
No family history, no issues on the past, just randomly happened.
Now I have regular deep cleans, obviously do all the mouthcare dentists suggest....and wait for my teeth to fall out!!LOL😅

I’ve had gum disease for thirty years and a loose molar nearly all that time. It’s no worse now than it ever was. Probably genetic.
I do have deep pockets and see the NHS hygienist every three or four months for a deep clean under local anaesthetic. I get no bleeding but the gums are receding with bone loss. On HRT. It’s a pain.

Are those numbers definitely mobility? My dentist calls out numbers like “2” to her assistant when she checks my teeth but I don’t think it’s mobility?

About the numbers they call out…

This is exactly what I meant up thread - I called it the poky thing 😂

I think OP has got the wrong end of the (poky) stick and it wasn’t the grades of mobility at all, just the normal numbers they call out

I'm sure it was definitely grade mobility the dentist referred to and shouted out. He certainly said "grade 2" at one point.

Then when he said that a couple of my teeth were loose, I panicked. I actually thought "please just be talking about gum pockets" but really realised he had said the actual word "loose". Then i was a bit depressed lol

Ah well. At least there's dentures! 🫣😅😅😅