toothtalk

[toothtalk]

seconding all of this. sedation is a great option for those with high support needs. right now, she’s likely built an association between oral hygiene and pain, so she’s resisting to try and protect herself. if the pain can be brought under control, that association can start to be chipped away at.

reaching out to a university hospital is a great place to start. if your sister-in-law has a case worker or a primary care doctor, those are also good resources. they may have a network they can reach into to find care for her.

wishing your family all the best as you navigate this!!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

My husband and I are caring for his disabled sister after my MIL died. She has an intellectual disability, nonverbal, quadriplegic. Her teeth are bad. Right now we're struggling to find a dentist willing to see her, and we're figuring out what to do on our own. I don't know when she last saw one. She hates having her teeth brushed, and sometimes there's blood when we do. I can tell she's never had them flossed. I'm kind of afraid to try flossing her teeth. I wouldn't want to cut her gums if she jerks her head, and she couldn't use one of those water floss machines for risk of aspiration.

Caretaking is such a huge responsibility. Good on you for taking it on and wanting to do the best for her. Especially her oral health. It is so easily neglected between all the other things you need to make sure are taken care of.

I've been thinking on this and it is a bit out of my element. There's really only a couple of things I can think of.

The first is to try one of those silicone brush fingers and see if she might find that more comfortable. I find it a bit more gentle and it might be a less horrible experience. Then move to an extra soft baby toothbrush. It might be after the finger brush, her mouth might feel better and she might be more willing to let you brush.

The other thing is to brush your teeth in front of her and show her you do it too and that it's really not a big deal? Same goes for flossing. Just doing it in front of her many times so she can see it's super not a big deal and she can also see what actually needs to be done and she then might be willing to try.

Then if she is, to just gently get the floss in one gap. Don't even tighten it, just to let her get a feel for it. Then you can slowly move up to actually flossing.

But ultimately, you will want to try and get a dentist to see her. With how much her teeth have been neglected, there may be a lot of issues there that you just won't be able to handle yourselves.

I'm going to tag @nothingiswrongwithyourarmrests and @toothtalk to see what their thoughts are.

[toothtalk]

Juat popping in to sing your praises!

I've always struggled with brushing my teeth, if I did it like 5 times in a week that was really good for me. When covid hit, I decided it was time to try to figure out how to make it an easier habit. It's been about 5 years but I've gotten to a point where I brush everyday (sometimes twice a day 💅) and most days I'm flossing and mouthwashing.

Your blog helped me so much to figure out what changes I needed to make to help it stick. Essentially I had to throw out all the old conceptions of what a teeth brushing routine "should" look like and figure out what worked for me.

Brushing my teeth would get skipped because it normally gets done when you get ready for bed but many times I'm too exhausted. Now I brush my teeth as soon as I'm done eating for the night and before I get tired, so that at least they're done even if the rest of my routine isn't.

I don't mind mint toothpaste in the evening but it's way too aggressive for me in the morning (and makes my breakfast taste weird!) strawberry toothpaste to the rescue! I'm so much more keen to use it in the morning.

I got a colourful electric toothbrush with a timer, a water flosser and kid sized plastics flossers that fit in my mouth easier. I've also recently switched my mouthwash to a non alcohol flouride rinse.

My biggest advice to anyone trying to get better is to just keep trying anything and everything to see what helps. Different times, different locations, different items. This blog has loads of handy ideas and suggestions! And don't shame yourself, the best day to start is today and even a half assed brush is better than nothing at all.

Thank you for all your great advice and reminders and keep up the good work!

[toothtalk]

Next month, I'm getting some cavities filled. I wouldn't care if it didn't mean needles were gonna get shoved into my gums. I'm terrified of needles. Like to the point that I had a panic attack when I thought it was gonna be the same day I found out. Idk if there's any advice anyone can give me about this. They gas me and put orajel on my gums before they stick the needle in, but it doesn't feel like it does anything. Is there anything I could do to make this easier?

hi anon!! this is right in my wheelhouse as someone who also has a severe fear of needles. i’m literally on the national registry of people banned from donating blood/plasma because my panic attacks are so intense. it’s one of those things where different things will work for different people, so i’ll give you a a bunch of ideas of things that have helped both me and patients in my practice, and i’d love to hear ideas from followers too!!

deep breathing. sounds cheesy, but the act of slow, controlled breathing will physically trigger your body to relax. ask your dentist to do the injection as you’re exhaling, as this is when your body is at its most relaxed state. the more relaxed you are, the less painful the injection is. this is how i usually get through any shots i need!!

have someone, whether it’s someone who comes to the appointment with you or the dental assistant, hold your hand or rub your shoulder. having a tactile anchor gives you something else to focus on and will help ground you.

headphones are also a great tool! play something that brings you comfort at the highest volume you can tolerate. when i had my root canal, i listened to the mamma mia soundtrack, and i barely even cried!

some people prefer to have their provider move slowly and explain each step of what they’re doing, while others prefer to have them just shut up and get it done quickly. i’m in the latter camp, personally. communicate to your dentist which is more helpful for you, and as long as you’re respectful about it, they should be happy to oblige!

this is more of a long term suggestion, but practicing radical acceptance has changed my life. it’s been part of my therapy work for some time now, and it’s really difficult at first, but it can really make a difference. essentially, you have to accept that the shot (or whatever other unpleasant event) is going to suck, and you are going to hate it, but it will only last a few minutes at most and you will get through it. practicing this has actually reduced my anticipatory anxiety a TON, because i know i don’t have to put on a happy face or pretend it’s going to be fine. i can feel my feelings, i can cry, whatever feels right in the moment. the important thing is reminding myself that it’s a temporary discomfort that i will survive. this usually involves explaining to the doctor “i’m going to cry when you do this, just ignore it and do your job, i will get through it.”

however, do make sure you’re staying still. a moving target will make it more difficult for the dentist to get the injection in the right spot, which will probably make your experience that much more unpleasant. this goes hand in hand with the deep breathing; that should help keep you still enough that the dentist can hit the target the first time.

this one may sound silly, but i’ve found that if i close my eyes, i can sometimes imagine that i’m not getting a shot at all. when i feel the pinch of the needle, sometimes i ask myself in my mind “oh, what’s that? that’s a strange sensation! it could be anything!” and essentially keep that mental chatter going for the thirty seconds or so that it takes for them to finish the injection. a lot of times it’s the visual that’s more terrifying than the actual pain of the shot, and it can be more of a mind game than anything to try to stop that panic from building.

try to remind yourself that you’re not the only person that has this fear, and that your dentist has probably seen plenty of people who are scared of the numbing shot. there’s nothing to feel embarrassed or ashamed about. in fact, you’re being super brave for getting your fillings done even though it’s scary!! know that not only i, but the entire community we have here on toothtalk, are so proud of you!!!

i hope one or more of these ideas is helpful to you, and please let me know how it goes for you!! and remember, if your fear starts to stop you from getting your dental work done altogether, there are options such as sedation dentistry that exist for that exact reason. my practice offers sedation and we have a ton of incredibly anxious patients who absolutely love it; some people even drive from up to 4 hours away to get their work done under sedation!!! the most important thing is to find what works for you, and what enables you to care for yourself effectively. you are awesome and YOU GOT THIS!!!!!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

hi! I’ve had some gum recession, and have been flossing and brushing regularly. I had a deep clean ~6 months ago, and my gums have since reattached to my teeth. My dentist told me that my gums would shrink but would stabilise around the 4 month mark. I’ve noticed that my gums around my top teeth have started receding again (before it was my BOTTOM teeth which had severe receding), and have no idea what’s going on or how to stop it. The gums are just barely covering the bone and I’m scared! I have an appointment in August, and can’t get a sooner one. Any advice?

hey there!! it’s always scary when treatment doesn’t go as planned — as always, it’s impossible for me to truly advise anything without being your dentist, but i do have some information and resources that may be helpful!

i’m going to guess the procedure you had done was scaling and root planing (SRP), which is what is commonly referred to as a deep cleaning. this is usually the first phase of treating periodontal disease, and can be performed by any licensed dental hygienist. for a lot of people, this clears up a lot of the active disease, and they’re able to maintain their gum health at home and with more frequent dental cleanings.

however, you might be one of those patients whose periodontal disease has progressed past the point where SRP can be helpful. this does not mean your case is hopeless!! it just means that further intervention may be needed. your dentist may recommend that you see a periodontist, a specialist who treats gum disease full-time. they can do more advanced SRP cases, as well as procedures like gum and bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration. these kinds of procedures can restore the gum and bone that you’ve lost using tissue grafts from elsewhere in your mouth and donated cadaver bone. this is a good overview of each type of periodontal treatment.

if your regular dentist can’t get you in for a few months, it’s not a bad idea to see if you can get an appointment at another practice for a second opinion. they might write you a referral to a periodontist, or make recommendations for maintaining your current gum and bone levels until your appointment in august.

regular flossing and using an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash can help a lot with managing active periodontal disease at home. if you have a water flosser, you can fill the tank with 50% water and 50% mouthwash to maximize the benefits of that mouthwash by making sure it gets into all the nooks and crannies.

xylitol is also a great ingredient for gum health!! it’s naturally antibacterial, and has been shown to help reduce inflammation and even reattach gums in some cases. you can get mouthwash or chewing gum with xylitol in it, but i wouldn’t eat too many xylitol consumables, as it can cause some stomach upset if you ingest a bunch of it.

i hope this was helpful!! please let me know if you have any other questions :)

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

hi! I’ve had some gum recession, and have been flossing and brushing regularly. I had a deep clean ~6 months ago, and my gums have since reattached to my teeth. My dentist told me that my gums would shrink but would stabilise around the 4 month mark. I’ve noticed that my gums around my top teeth have started receding again (before it was my BOTTOM teeth which had severe receding), and have no idea what’s going on or how to stop it. The gums are just barely covering the bone and I’m scared! I have an appointment in August, and can’t get a sooner one. Any advice?

hey there!! it’s always scary when treatment doesn’t go as planned — as always, it’s impossible for me to truly advise anything without being your dentist, but i do have some information and resources that may be helpful!

i’m going to guess the procedure you had done was scaling and root planing (SRP), which is what is commonly referred to as a deep cleaning. this is usually the first phase of treating periodontal disease, and can be performed by any licensed dental hygienist. for a lot of people, this clears up a lot of the active disease, and they’re able to maintain their gum health at home and with more frequent dental cleanings.

however, you might be one of those patients whose periodontal disease has progressed past the point where SRP can be helpful. this does not mean your case is hopeless!! it just means that further intervention may be needed. your dentist may recommend that you see a periodontist, a specialist who treats gum disease full-time. they can do more advanced SRP cases, as well as procedures like gum and bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration. these kinds of procedures can restore the gum and bone that you’ve lost using tissue grafts from elsewhere in your mouth and donated cadaver bone. this is a good overview of each type of periodontal treatment.

if your regular dentist can’t get you in for a few months, it’s not a bad idea to see if you can get an appointment at another practice for a second opinion. they might write you a referral to a periodontist, or make recommendations for maintaining your current gum and bone levels until your appointment in august.

regular flossing and using an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash can help a lot with managing active periodontal disease at home. if you have a water flosser, you can fill the tank with 50% water and 50% mouthwash to maximize the benefits of that mouthwash by making sure it gets into all the nooks and crannies.

xylitol is also a great ingredient for gum health!! it’s naturally antibacterial, and has been shown to help reduce inflammation and even reattach gums in some cases. you can get mouthwash or chewing gum with xylitol in it, but i wouldn’t eat too many xylitol consumables, as it can cause some stomach upset if you ingest a bunch of it.

i hope this was helpful!! please let me know if you have any other questions :)

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

hi! I’ve had some gum recession, and have been flossing and brushing regularly. I had a deep clean ~6 months ago, and my gums have since reattached to my teeth. My dentist told me that my gums would shrink but would stabilise around the 4 month mark. I’ve noticed that my gums around my top teeth have started receding again (before it was my BOTTOM teeth which had severe receding), and have no idea what’s going on or how to stop it. The gums are just barely covering the bone and I’m scared! I have an appointment in August, and can’t get a sooner one. Any advice?

hey there!! it’s always scary when treatment doesn’t go as planned — as always, it’s impossible for me to truly advise anything without being your dentist, but i do have some information and resources that may be helpful!

i’m going to guess the procedure you had done was scaling and root planing (SRP), which is what is commonly referred to as a deep cleaning. this is usually the first phase of treating periodontal disease, and can be performed by any licensed dental hygienist. for a lot of people, this clears up a lot of the active disease, and they’re able to maintain their gum health at home and with more frequent dental cleanings.

however, you might be one of those patients whose periodontal disease has progressed past the point where SRP can be helpful. this does not mean your case is hopeless!! it just means that further intervention may be needed. your dentist may recommend that you see a periodontist, a specialist who treats gum disease full-time. they can do more advanced SRP cases, as well as procedures like gum and bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration. these kinds of procedures can restore the gum and bone that you’ve lost using tissue grafts from elsewhere in your mouth and donated cadaver bone. this is a good overview of each type of periodontal treatment. not everyone is a good candidate for these treatments, but a lot of people have really great results from them!! it’ll just depend on your specific case, anatomy, other health factors, etc.

if your regular dentist can’t get you in for a few months, it’s not a bad idea to see if you can get an appointment at another practice for a second opinion. they might write you a referral to a periodontist, or make recommendations for maintaining your current gum and bone levels until your appointment in august.

regular flossing and using an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash can help a lot with managing active periodontal disease at home. if you have a water flosser, you can fill the tank with 50% water and 50% mouthwash to maximize the benefits of that mouthwash by making sure it gets into all the nooks and crannies.

xylitol is also a great ingredient for gum health!! it’s naturally antibacterial, and has been shown to help reduce inflammation and even reattach gums in some cases. you can get mouthwash or chewing gum with xylitol in it, but i wouldn’t eat too many xylitol consumables, as it can cause some stomach upset if you ingest a bunch of it.

i hope this was helpful!! please let me know if you have any other questions :)

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

[toothtalk]

recently learned from my dentist (or dental assistant, idk, it's a new place for me) that a lot of adults do not know: how to, why to, or even what is swishing.

(they were trying to rinse big fluoride goop chunks off my teeth with the squirt nozzle and i asked if i could just swish some water, which did work better.)

i learned about/how to swish in gradeschool, bc they made us do a fluoride swish once a week together as a class. my dentist had not had that experience in school and was pleasantly surprised by it.

so maybe a how-to of swishing/mouth rinsing would be helpful for some people that see your blog?

I have absolutely no idea what swishing is. Is it just rinsing your mouth? Like swishing liquid around in it? Lol. I was going to do some research when I answered this ask, but I'm so tired right now, I'm just going to leave it. Can you... Send me another ask or reply in comments/reblogs and tell me what it is? Or if I was correct? Lol. Sorry.

And if I am correct and it's just rinsing your mouth. Do a lot of people don't know how to swish things? Like mouth wash or when you rinse your mouth with water? If you don't swish, what do you do? Just hold it in your mouth?

REMEMBER TO BRUSH AND FLOSS, EVERYONE.

[toothtalk]

Ms. Brosser, first off thank you for all you do

Second, sorry if you've been asked this already, but I've noticed significant shrinkage of my gums around some of my teeth: any idea what's the probable cause? What should I do to avoid worsening it? Is there any way to restore my gums to their previous state?

I'm kinda panicking about it because this has happened after several months of finally setting up and sticking to a good oral hygiene routine, thanks a lot to this blog too, so I've been really surprised by this development

Thank you in advance!

There are a couple things I can think of for maybe why.

It could be you're brushing too long or too hard and so gums are receding. Sticking to about 2-3 minutes of brushing 2-3 times a day is enough. More than that, you might end up with gum recession. I ended up having that in a spot because I always started brushing in that area and was pushing too hard. It's actually come back now that I've calmed down on that spot. Lol.

If you're grinding your teeth, you may end up with gum recession. I grind in a certain area and now I have a mouth guard so the gum recession there has also gone away.

These are the only things I know of, but @toothtalk has answered an ask on it previously and received another ask with some advice.

So maybe those can help you as well. But ultimately, seeing your dentist would be the best course of action to figure out what might be doing it so you can mitigate it.

[toothtalk]

hi, first of all thanks for much for ur nd spoonie dental guide!!

i've seen varying advice on when to use mouthwash - right before brushing, right after, wait 30mins after brushing so toothpaste can keep working.

in the guide u mentioned an order: floss, tongue scrape, mouthwash, brush. i was wondering why u recommend mouthwash before brushing, rather than right after, or 30mins after?

hey there, sorry this sat in my askbox for a while!! for some reason i couldn't see this + a few other asks on mobile, so i only just saw it now when i logged in on desktop.

this is a great question, and the answer might be kind of lame, but really the specific order of events doesn't matter all that much. i recommend that order because it leaves my mouth feeling the cleanest, and allows the fluoride toothpaste to stay on my teeth after i'm done, which is when it's at its most effective, but if doing it in a different order works best for you, then please do it that way!! the most important thing is that you're doing it at all. i'll break down my reasoning for doing it the way i do for anyone who's interested:

i start with flossing because, for me, it's the most difficult step, so getting it out of the way first means i don't have to dread it the entire routine. i also like to get all the gunk out from between my teeth right away, so that those surfaces are free of plaque, and all the cleaning ingredients can work effectively without being blocked by buildup. pretty much the same reasoning for tongue scraping next; it dislodges the buildup, so that when i use mouthwash, it all gets washed away and spit out.

i use a mouthwash that focuses on gum health, so it does a great job at disinfecting and cleaning the soft tissues in my mouth - gums, tongue, cheeks, etc - and washes away all the particles i've stirred up from flossing and tongue scraping, so they're out of my mouth, and all that's left is to clean the teeth themselves.

i always try to finish with brushing, because fluoride works best when it's left on the teeth for a while after brushing, so i make sure to put that on last. after brushing for two minutes, i spit out the excess toothpaste, but i don't rinse with anything; i just leave the toothpaste on my teeth to get the maximum benefit of the fluoride.

this method works really well for me, but again, if you find that brushing first and flossing/rinsing afterward is better for you, that's fine too!! as long as it's getting done, you're doing amazing.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition.Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

https://www.tumblr.com/toothtalk/780264166412992512/hey-ive-been-unable-to-brush-my-teeth-lately

Hi! Could you post this response to the Anon who asked the questions about maintaining gum health after gum recession?

I am not a dentist but I am also suffering from this (recently) and did my research on this.

Start using Xylitol mints or Xylitol granules (whichever is available) after meals and before going to bed.

Process- Mints- Chew them and the saliva will help in remineralizing your teeth. Xylitol granules- take 1/4 tsp and swish it in your mouth for 2-3 minutes and then spit it out. Do not rinse with water after this process.

Mouthrest i.e. do not eat or drink anything after having Xylitol for at least 1 hour.

Brushing twice a day for two minutes each time is good enough. No need to brush after every meal, it can aggravate the problem. Just rinse with water after every meal and have the Xylitol.

Checkout on how to use Xylitol and its benefits for oral health on Youtube.

Anon, gums generally don't grow back but with Xylitol, there is hope. Good luck!

hey there, sorry this sat in my askbox for a while!! for some reason i couldn't see this + a few other asks on mobile, so i only just saw it now when i logged in on desktop.

for the original anon and anyone else in a similar situation, this is great information!! xylitol is a fantastic ingredient for gum health, and a great sweetener alternative if you're trying to reduce sugar. thanks for sending this in :)

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition.Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

hiii so i got a filling plus 4 tooth removals (at once!) before getting invisalign (i have a really small jaw so my teeth literally could not fit in and so i had to get all this shit done before putting in my Invisalign)

my filling is really sensitive and its been that way since i got it last year however im really scared of getting it checked out because admittedly my experience post-surgery was not fun and i was really miserable. how do you deal with dental anxiety + is this even a problem in this first place??

hi there!! i'm so sorry you had a bad experience after your dental work. i would definitely recommend getting that filling looked at, but if you're not comfortable going back to the dentist that did the procedure, you can absolutely seek care elsewhere. i would recommend focusing your search on providers that have a good reputation for managing anxious patients. start with looking at the google reviews for dentists in your area/insurance network, and check out your local facebook group and/or subreddit too for recommendations. dental anxiety is super super common, and these should be good resources to help you find someone to help!!

having sensitivity after a filling is pretty common for the first couple weeks, but still having it a year or so later is a little more concerning. it could be a lot of things - your bite could be off, the filling could be not properly sealed, or the cavity could be deeper than the dentist initially thought. it's impossible to say without having a dentist look at it and get an x-ray to see what's going on below the surface.

i'll link my neurodivergent spoonie's guide to having teeth, as there's some info in there about managing dental anxiety, and a lot of people have added even more tips in the reblogs and replies that might resonate with you!! while i don't personally deal with dental anxiety, i've seen plenty of patients that do, so a lot of my recommendations will be based on what i've seen and heard from them. the most important thing, in my opinion, is to see a provider that makes you feel safe and cared for, not ashamed of the way you feel.

i hope this helps, and please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition.Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

hey so I’ve been seeing a lot of dentists since I’m having weird pain and they’re??? Saying my mouth looks great and fine? They suspect it might be gum pain rather than tooth pain, and they suggested I floss and pick up antiseptic mouth watch because of receding gums and pockets.

I grind my teeth, so my incisors are down to the dentin, but the pain isn’t localized there and can originate anywhere. It spreads to my whole mouth, it’s enough that I start drooling and feel queasy, it’s *very* noticeable. But I feel like I’m overreacting because of how just. Not concerned with it two dentist offices have been?

I ended up telling my primary doctor about it and they’re trying to send a referral to uhh either an endo or orthodonist or something to see if they have some ideas, but the referral needs my X-rays. I’m just worried they’ll reject me because my X-rays look fine and there’s nothing actually wrong.

Are there non-dental things that make teeth/gums hurt? Are there really no other solutions for tooth pain besides fluoride 2% toothpaste? I’m water picking and brushing multiple times a day trying to get relief, I can’t have sugar or acid anymore without hurting. Everything sucks real bad.

i'm so sorry you're dealing with this anon, it sounds miserable. there's a few things i can think of that might be contributing factors to your tooth pain that are worth asking your dentist or pcp about. if you're a grinder, i would definitely look into getting a mouth guard. this will protect your teeth from wearing down any more than they already have. you can get over-the-counter ones for relatively cheap, but the most effective ones you can get are custom fitted guards from your dentist. they can be pricey, but they'll be much more comfortable and stronger than the ones you get at the drugstore. you can also ask for a referral to a TMJ specialist, and they may be able to do more advanced treatment.

an endodontist or orthodontist shouldn't reject your case just because of your x-rays. they can take different kinds of images than a general dentist can, looking at your jaw and bone positioning, and the nerves of your teeth. there's definitely a chance that they will find something your dentist didn't.

if your dentist noticed gum recession and deeper pockets, they may suggest more frequent or different types of cleanings, and that can make a huge difference in your pain as well. if they haven't, it might be worth seeking a second opinion from another provider. gum disease, even in its very early stages, can cause some pretty significant pain in some people, so it's definitely possible that you may be dealing with that. if that's the case, getting it under control should help reduce the pain you're experiencing.

i did also answer a similar ask recently; there's some information there that might be helpful too.

my practice recently started offering whitening treatments that come with desensitizing gel to use in between treatments. you may ask your dentist if they would sell you just the desensitizing formula. if they don't, it does look like amazon has something similar that you can buy on your own, but it's likely a lower concentration of ingredients than what dental practices have available, and the trays won't be custom-fit.

i hope this helps, and please don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions!!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition.Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[toothtalk]

my go-to suggestion is always to look in your local facebook group and/or subreddit. if no one has specifically made a post seeking recommendations, go ahead and make one stating what you’re looking for, what insurance you have, etc. usually there’s lots of helpful people in your area that can point you in the right direction!

do you/your followers have any advice on searching for dentists with specific needs?

I have cavities and need to go to the dentist asap, BUT I have caught covid several times, and can't afford (both in the "American healthcare is so expensive" sense, and in the sense of "I might literally, actually, die") to catch it again.

my current dentist is very firmly in the "covid is over, no precautions" camp" so I'm trying to find some place else. my current strategy is just calling everywhere nearby (and not so nearby) one by one, but a way to filter would be really helpful. is there a dental equivalent of psychology today where I could be searching? or another way I could search?

I don't know other than to call. If you haven't yet, you could also let them know when you call that bc of health concerns, you'd like them to take precautions and see what they could offer.

But otherwise, I don't know any other way. So throwing it out to followers!

Remember to brush and floss, friends!

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saw this on reddit prepasted toothpaste exists so now one person said the brushed their teeth in bed on days the couldn't get up

tell a friend

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this is what being twenty five is like btw