How are your gnashers?

As I'm awaiting dentures I read this with a degree of envy....... Unfortunately undiagnosed abscesses in my jaw (thanks to ex dentist) have killed off 5 teeth so a whole new ballgame to get my head jaws around!
I dream of eating a juicy steak....

My teeth are still quite good. I must admit though that I haven't been to the Dentist for over a year. I don't think he will have kept me on his books! I will have to make an appointment because I need a scale and polish. I'll just have to phone and grovel.

I have a mix of my own teeth, crowns, and a partial denture. It seems that I am regularly beating a track to the dentist trying to hold onto natural teeth, getting crowns re-cemented on as the posts sometimes come out. and having the occasional extra false tooth added to my partial denture as the root canals which support the crowns eventually give up.

I have suggested to dentist that I should just go for it.... wheek the lot out but he gets quite appalled at the thought.
Of course, at present I am a good customer patient.

At present I'm experiencing a lot of sensitivity, left hand side far back bottom and top inside gum, I have a dental appointment in a couple of weeks, I will mention this to the dentist as I'm not looking forward to a follow up visit to the hygienist, who is both thorough and brutal. Among her weaponry, I fear the fine jet spray the most, if it hits the wrong place I fear I may well disappear through the ceiling of her torture chamber leaving an unsightly hole behind

Wincing as I read that TerriB.....
One consolation for me is that my dental visits and expensive treatments will slow down! Just worked out I've paid over £2500 over past 2 or 3 years (NHS), as, cynical me, soon as one treatment timescale ended another so-called 'new' problem arose.
I'm pretty certain some of these were caused by the dentist but, of course, I have no proof......
I wonder if Hygeinist will charge me less for having fewer teeth (not putting money on that!) therefore less work for her

loopylou - Take heart. I lost all my teeth at the age of 11 through parental neglect. I sympathise with you though. Never nice at any age I'm sure.

I stopped seeing the hygienist a few years ago TerriB because as you found she was brutal and made me feel about 6 inches tall with how much,according to her, I had neglected my mouth. I am 77 and have never lost a tooth yet so I wasn't that bad. My dentist who is good but a bit taciturn cleans them now at my checkup.

It really does depend on your dentist and finding a good one, possible through word of mouth! ( no pun intended! )

I found a great one when I needed an emergency filling. They look after my teeth very well and I trust them, which is most important. x

I agree with J52- I have also found a superb dentist who is also fairly local. The hygienist, although expensive, is gentle and excellent. Until now it has always been the dentist who has scaled and polished, I have never been to a surgery before where there was a hygienist in situ.

At 65, last week I had a (repeated) score of 0 all round for my gums and no scale and polish required. No tooth loss, except for 2 wisdoms.
This is the 4th visit that she has said,
'whatever you're doing, don't stop.'
Delighted!

MrsPickle I've been like that for about 3 years now since I started using an electric toothbrush.
Also delighted as I think I was paying for private education for his children!

Is it coincidence that my old dentist retired a couple of years ago? I religiously had 6 monthly checkups/ Hygeinist visits for the previous 36 years, rarely requiring any intervention at all.
And I noticed yesterday that Hygeinist charges have gone up from £25 to £39.95!!!!!
Almost tempted to tell him to remove the rest!

The use of an electric toothbrush does seem to help. My dentist gives me cordysil gel to keep the gums healthy. This embs to do the trick. x

TerriB I also have trouble with the icy cold water in the hygienists torture implement, but she and I have reached an agreement that the most sensitive area will be done with her metal scraper and not with the high pressure hose. I think I must be quite lucky because she is the least sadistic of all the hygienists I have seen over the years, but I was very miffed on my recent visit to be downgraded from 0/1 to some 2s. Felt like a naughty child!

Lona, the local private schools must be full of dentists' children. Mine has sent a letter to announce his imminent retirement, so he must have built up a nice little fund, as his daughter is still at school! I will miss out discussions about rugby, but will now take the opportunity to transfer to a dentist close to home.

IMO dentists earn every penny. I'd hate to spend my working life, bent over looking into someone's mouth.

Up until five years ago my teeth were fine , then suddenly disaster struck, like loopyloo I've had an undiagnosed infection at some time which has destroyed the bone on the upper left jaw. The remaining teeth are all discoloured and look awful. I could probably rent myself out for Halloween!!

I have an appointment next week and am seriously considering going fo a full upper set of 'toy teeth' even though it will mean destroying the implant on the right jaw which cost nearly as much as our first house.

At least I will be able to smile again without scaring small children.

This is how I wish I looked.

Previous post: seems was I pad translated to emb?

Re gum infection. What impressed me on my emergency appointment with my dentist was that he detected a serious problem with my jaw that had been there for a while. My previous v expensive dentist had not noticed! Swift surgery sorted the problem. x

Miserable isn't it Juliette? I didn't have a clue what was going on until woke up looking like some sort of alien, huge swelling on right upper jaw and X-ray showed up cavity....
Welcome to the madhouse Gransnet!

loopyloo have your remaining teeth discoloured as well? It has completely knocked my confidence, I start to smile and then remember....

The front upper ones have, but I'm hoping denture will closely match. My dentist doesn't want to remove them as they seem secure, but I totally empathise with you. The locus dentist wanted me to have implants - £16000 worth! Needless to say it was out of the question and, I've found out since, the infection has 'honeycombed' part of the remaining jaw so probably implants wouldn't have been stable.
Odd thing is that when I had the swelling I had been feeling rather 'off' for sometime but no toothache until the swelling erupted overnight....
It has knocked my confidence but I try to override it.

My DD had same experience as you J52.
Expensive private dentist told her all was fine & to get back to them in a few months.
Then she got a check-up appt with NHS dentist who was so horrified at state of a tooth (which she had been worried about herself) that it was dealt with right away instead of making another appointment.

My own teeth are like Coolgran65 - a generally deteriorating mix & match.

Despite half my teeth being filled, a number of crowns and one very expensive implant, most of my teeth are my own. I spent an inordinate amount of time in the 'chair' as a child and only slightly less as an adult. I changed to a private dentist about 5 years ago after my, very bored- why am I here- NhS dentist told me that if I wanted my fillings replaced with white ones, it was up to me and it was my money I would be wasting. I now 'waste' it on the lifestyle of my very pleasant German dentist. Thankfully, I always get 10/10 for my gums, so I must be doing something right! Don't mention the hygienist's torture chamber to which I subject myself 2x a year

I thought it was just me who hated the hygienist session. I feel like a naughty child when I am told certain teeth and gums don't pass muster. I try so hard to keep up the oral hygiene procedure, but I never quite make the grade.

I too visit a private dentist who is just a bit more expensive than NHS and it is money well spent.