Does anyone have Dental / Teeth care advice?

[-L-]

Hi everyone,
It's been awhile since I've been on, and I honestly didn't think I'd be here this long, I had a CTB date set for mid-January which has obviously come and gone.
Hey I think that unintentionally rhymed lol.

Anyway, I have had a change in perspective, and a few life circumstances changes that have made things a little bit better for me, I've decided I want to really make a true attempt to get better one final time.

My question is about dental health advice, as I have gone through part of 2018 and all of 2019 without brushing my teeth. I neglected everything and just didn't care.
Thankfully I don't think I have any cavities, but I do have a little bit of tooth decay, and slightly receding gums now.

I recently in late January started brushing and flossing my teeth again and have become a little bit obsessive about it.
I am using a Sonicare brush, and brushing at least twice a day, with a dental cleaning coming up a little later this month.

One of my concerns is the gums on the sides of my top row of teeth are pouring blood and very painful whenever I brush.
From what I can gather this is gum disease? And the solution for it is. Just to take good constant care of your mouth.
But when will the pain and bleeding decrease?

Also, what should I tell my dentist? Should I just be honest about what has happened with my teeth?


I realize this is not a dental forum, or anything specific to this… But I just thought I would ask if anyone here has any good tips, tricks, or advice for taking care of your teeth?


Thanks in advance for any advice, and thanks for taking the time to read my rambles.

-L-

 

[Throwawaysoul]

Also, what should I tell my dentist? Should I just be honest about what has happened with my teeth?

Yes. I tell them straight up, depression is a bitch. They will understand.

 

[Soul]

Try rinsing your mouth with 3% hydrogen peroxide - just swishing it around for about 30 seconds and then spit it allllllllll out. Gums like it. And don't fret about telling your dentist you've been dealing with depression - s/he's a professional and won't judge you. x

 

[HopeDiesLast]

Flossing is even more important than brushing when it comes to gum health. Maybe invest in a water flosser. I also use a Sonicare electric tooth brush and a Waterpik flosser. Much more effective than a manual brush and dental floss...and actually kinda "fun" to use. Just don't do what I did: Get distracted while using the Waterpik and shoot water up your nose.

 

[Wolfjob_dayjob]

You may need a scaling root planing and other stuff - I had a lot of plaque under the gums that wasn't letting my mouth heal and my breath be normal - need a special machine.

I was honest in that I didn't go for yesrsbe ause of depression and learned helplessness. it's awkward it my dentist is chill and really caring despite my flat affect and stuff... Don't put it off it's better to know what you're in for! You got this.

 

[faraway_beach]

The last dentist I saw (I've been neglecting it too) discouraged me from using an electric toothbrush. He said it was easy to apply too much pressure with that kind of brush, and it could potentially damage teeth right at the gumline, where the crown meets the root.

 

[Xaphous]

You could try 'oil pulling' using coconut oil and use activated charcoal for whitening.

 

[a.n.kirillov]

Do you smoke cigarettes?

 

[-Link-]

It will be either gingivitis or periodontal disease. They are the same thing (gum disease), except periodontal disease is the advanced form. Both are very common conditions.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day (electric toothbrush), use a fluoride-based toothpaste, and floss at least once a day. You could also use a quality mouthwash - sounds like a non-alcoholic antiseptic mouthwash would be best for you, but do your research about that because not all mouthwashes are created equal (many of them do nothing beneficial). When looking at brands and varieties, pay attention to their active ingredient.

This, and go to your dentist for a professional cleaning as often as you can afford it. (Yes, be honest with them about your situation.)

Your dentist may recommend some in-office treatments, depending on how advanced your case is, but the key there is to just take it one step at a time, one day at a time.

Reversing gum disease can be basically a lifelong process, but as long as you're doing the above and following treatment with your dentist, it's going to steadily improve. It's just going to be a very slow process.

 

[epic]

Less commonly known habits recommended by my dentist to me-
1. Eat your salads at the end of the meal.
2. Brush vertically and look in the mirror.
3.Force the water between tooth gaps while rinsing.
4. Rinse plenty .
5. If you have a tendency to have rotten teeth , brush after every meal(its OK if you don't use toothpaste every time) .
Hope this helped

 

[ComingClose]

Dentist will tell you to rinse twice a day with Corsodyl (hydrogen peroxide) but ask chemist for their own brand because its less than a quarter of the price of Corsodyl

 

[1DayItWillBover]

after youre down brushing teeth instead of rinsing right away, use floss instead then rinse.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

Woe I was going to comment but... you've had some really good advice there. We really should have an off topic advice sub.

 

[-L-]

Wow thank you so much everyone!!

You have no idea how much you all have helped me! Seriously!!


I checked this post the day after I posted it.. I have a lot of anxiety so I didn't post anything, But I immediately purchased a "waterpik", and hydrogen peroxide.
And they have made a huge difference so far.. My gums are going back to a nice pink.

So far my daily teeth routine is as follows:

1 waterpik my teeth
2 floss
3 brush
I've been doing the above twice a day.

Then I have been doing a 50/50 (or about that) hydrogen peroxide/water mix once a day gargling and swishing that around for 15-20 seconds once a day.
But I think I will start toning that down eventually to every second or third day once I get better..

So far though this all of this has really started to heal my gums. It has really reduced the pain a lot, and has drastically cut down on how much my gums bleed.

I'm going to keep up on taking care of my teeth and gums..

Admittedly though I am still very depressed and there have been a lot of unforeseen events that have unfolded in my life in the last while, hence the lack of response to this thread.

I am really sorry I didn't respond sooner.. But I would like to really thank everyone for taking the time to give me such awesome advice!

Again Thank you everyone!

-L-

Do you smoke cigarettes?

No I don't, and I eat a very healthy diet, no coffee, no soft drinks, no alcohol, no junk food or fast food.
I am basically one of the most boring people out there haha..
Although I did drink a lot of juice for the majority of the time that I wasn't brushing, and I think that lead to the bit of tooth decay that I have..

The last dentist I saw (I've been neglecting it too) discouraged me from using an electric toothbrush. He said it was easy to apply too much pressure with that kind of brush, and it could potentially damage teeth right at the gumline, where the crown meets the root.

That's interesting to know, my sonicare brush seems to be good though, because it warns me if I were to apply to much pressure, and I am usually pretty gentle.
I also was never very good at using a manual toothbrush.
So for me I think what I am currently using is best for my case, but I will defiantly keep this in mind.

You could try 'oil pulling' using coconut oil and use activated charcoal for whitening.

This is an interesting tip, but I heard before that charcoal was actually bad for your teeth? I'm not too sure..
I was using a charcoal toothpaste when I started but I switched to "3d white" toothpaste when I heard charcoal was bad..

But I can't remember why it was bad now.. I will look into that again though.


-
Again thank you so much everyone!