Dentist - I'm terrified!!!

brook2jack

Ravenlady wrote: »

Your saying this like I've never heard of sensodyne?

If you've ever used eucryl you will know you only need to use it once a month, its not a replacement for regular toothpaste and its not as harsh as getting the dentist to do a scrape and polish.

I am happy with my regime, my teeth have improved 10 fold and no longer look like a hillbilly when I smile.

As for your claims that oraldine do nothing, im wondering if you have ever used that too? :rotfl:

jeeze, you answer a question with what helped you to overcome the dentist and improve your teeth and you get everyones expert opinions, the OP can choose not to read it and I certainly wont stop because a total stranger who appears to be an expert in my oral health tells me to.

You are very right to be sceptical of advice on an internet forum so ask your dentist about eucryl. It has one of the highest abrasion indexes of a toothpaste available in the uk. It says on the instructions not to use it on damaged teeth because unlike dentists polish you are using it far more often than once every six or three months . No dentist would advise anyone with sensitive teeth to use an abrasive like eucryl,euthymol,pearl drops etc.

Sensodyne is not the only sensitive toothpaste, but none of them will work as they should if you rinse out afterwards be it with water or mouthwash.

oraldene (like many mouthwashes) has a very high alcohol content. This dries out the mouth and can make gum problems worse. In addition there are health concerns about using any mouthwash with alcohol in it.Also using a mouthwash less than an hour after brushing your teeth means that the toothpaste interacts with the mouthwash making it ineffective even for cleaning. (the sls interacts with anionic cleaning agents in mouthwash). Finally oraldene itself (like listereine) has been linked as a cause of sensitivity as it damages enamel and dentine.

Please ask your dentist as changing your care regime may very well help your tooth sensitivity.

brook2jack

euronorris wrote: »

Errr, I'm pretty confident that Brook2jack is a dentist.

Thanks for saying that but ravenlady is right to be sceptical as unless you see me in the flesh and check my gdc registration I could just be a 16 year old from Minnesota with a dental fetish. However most of the information is easily checkable via a real dentist or hygienist or sites like this
http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/sensitivity.htm

euronorris

brook2jack wrote: »

Thanks for saying that but ravenlady is right to be sceptical as unless you see me in the flesh and check my gdc registration I could just be a 16 year old from Minnesota with a dental fetish. However most of the information is easily checkable via a real dentist or hygienist or sites like this
http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/sensitivity.htm

I understand, but like you say ravenlady could've easily verified your statements if they felt so strongly that they were incorrect.

Anyway, this thread has reminded me that I need to replace my toothbrush again.

ncsmummy

susieb wrote: »

In my area - Norfolk - there is a dental access centre, it for out of hours emergenies but also gets people dentally fit beofre registering them with an NHS dentist, the dental access centre is also NHS but they are brill and very used to dealing with people who have not been for ages, might be worth a try.

I have a major dental phobia and so only go to the dentists as an emergency! I went to the dental access place in Norwich and they were fab! They have referred me to one of their other dentists who will sort my teeth out over several sessions using gas and air to see if I can handle it that way - I have got several fillings needed doing and some gum disease but they have always seen worse! I highly recommend going there

MarilynMonroe_2

I wouldnt use any whiteneing abrasive toothpaste. I think flossing is more imprtant than bri=ushing anyway - save your gums if you can cos it doesnt matter how nice your teeth are if your gums go . xx

bedpotato_2

MarilynMonroe wrote: »

I wouldnt use any whiteneing abrasive toothpaste. I think flossing is more imprtant than bri=ushing anyway - save your gums if you can cos it doesnt matter how nice your teeth are if your gums go . xx

Equally well, it doesn't matter how clean your gums are if your teeth are rotting away...

Both brushing AND flossing are important!

Back on topic: OP, we're hoping you're doing OK!

craftingmad

OH god - all this talk of flossing and rotting is terrifying me...

However I did go to the dentist and it was'nt too painful. Actually I cried when I arrived and the receptionist had no sympathy at all - but when I actually got to see the dentist he was actually quite nice. Could'nt really seem to understand why I was blubbing in his chair but he nodded in all the right places. I had an xray taken - painless and no holes could be found where the pain was coming from. He prescribed me with some antibiotics and said it may be an infection caused by bacteria (in which case the tablets will help) or caused by a virus i.e. a cold etc (in which case it should go away by itself.

He did say that my teeth had an awful lot of tartar buildup which need to be scraped away and at this point I must have looked horrified because he would first arrange for a check up appointment to agreee a course of action and then the scraping could be done in stages using anesthetic if needed. OK now I really am scared but am going to try and be brave and keep the next appointment. He was a lot nicer than any other dentist I have seen.

I'm not sure hes right with the diagnosise though - my teeth are still hurting but have just popped a tablet to see what happens.

I am quite proud of myself, going in by myself (Ok I blubbed a bit but I managed to go and come out again - this time )

Thanks for all your help, advice and encouragement. It made it not quite as bad for me. I kept thinking of you all holding my hands.

Look out for me again towards the middle of november which is when my next appointment is. xx

purple45

Well done you! I bet you feel so relieved that you've been and done it! I hope that the pills work for you, don't forget to take them regularly and complete the course even if you don't think that they're doing anything. The last time I took antibiotics for a wisdom tooth infection it took a couple of days to feel a difference but it did work.

The tartar buildup and scraping, I'm sure that doesn't hurt at all. Its just loud noises and a bit of prodding but will make your teeth so much nicer so please don't let yourself get too worked up about that. Can you bribe yourself with a treat for afterwards so that you have something to look forward to?

Call us when you need us! ;-)

belfastgirl23

WELL DONE :T:T:T:T:T

Sounds like your teeth are in much better condition than you thought

Don't worry too much about the tartar thing, it's not especially pleasant but it's fine to take a couple of painkillers before you go. It does sound like your dentist is being very understanding which will help a lot.

But I'm so pleased for you that you went

bedpotato_2

Well done for going! The tartar scraping shouldn't hurt too much. What might hurt is if they use a jet wash on your gumline. I'm not saying that to scare you; just saying it so you'll be prepared. Last time I had a dental cleaning I squealed and jerked in surprise and shock because I had never had a jet wash used on me before and it felt like they were stabbing me with a tiny needle. I wasn't expecting mere water to be painful, so I wasn't mentally prepared. Just letting you know. Sorry if this makes things worse.