topic Re: Dental appt in Wellness

Dental appt

Evie2004 — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 02:55:45 GMT

I'm getting my teeth cleaned tomorrow..it's been over a year & am dreading it (not fear) I have decided I just want a "gentle" cleaning..is there such a thing? I'm not the best flosser & have several crowns in the past..just really want to keep the teeth I have for awhile!

Re: Dental appt

kivah — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 03:06:25 GMT

Years ago I went to a dentist who was a specialist. I had his dental hygenist - a male - clean my teeth. I bled so much I though I would have to go to the hospital. I then left this dentist - found out he told people they needed work when they didn't. The dental office I go to now is the best. Great dentist - and the dental hygenist is a female. She's so gentle I barely know she's cleaning my teeth. People need to be aware - if you don't like ur dental hygenist or u feel uncomforable --- change ur dentist and dental hygenist. They're not all the same.

I always walk out happy - as they're so caring and friendly - and I know I'm in good hands.

Re: Dental appt

Carmie — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 03:08:22 GMT

If you want a gentle cleaning, your teeth should be fairly free from plaque. If you have plaque, it will have to be scraped off. I think that is an unpleasant experience, but not painful.

After your cleaning tomorrow, floss and brush everyday and your next cleaning in six months will be gentle.

You are wise to want to keep your natural teeth.

Re: Dental appt

chrystaltree — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 04:08:18 GMT

How much scraping and picking they do depends on the condition of your teeth, on how much plaque you have. However, if you are honest with them before they start, a good dentist or dental hygienist will take your fear into consideration and be as gentle as they can. Just say that you are a bit distressed by the cleaning and you need them to be gentle and patient with you.

Re: Dental appt

Silver Lining — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 04:29:16 GMT

I faithfully floss and brush my teeth plus go for cleanings three times a year. My dentist and hygienist are great. He comes in to check my mouth after the hygienist finishes the scraping (ugh!) and polishing. If you've not been in over a year you might have a lot of plaque so it will take more time and pressure to remove. It is uncomfortable but shouldn't hurt unless your gums are not in good shape. You could tell them you're apprehensive and want them to go easy on you. I hope it goes well for you!!

Re: Dental appt

Big Sister — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 08:41:29 GMT

If you have waited one year for your teeth cleaning, you may have to know you may be in for a more aggressive cleaning.

Try to go in for a cleaning twice a year at least. I have it done 3-4 times a year.

Re: Dental appt

ID2 — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 11:04:28 GMT

Eee gad why did you wait a full year?? I go every six months, religously, and they have to scrape and pick away at my teeth. Get ready for a good workout!!

Re: Dental appt

meallen616 — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 11:44:39 GMT

Re: Dental appt

Teddie — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 12:22:44 GMT

My family recently switched over to a wonderful dental office. They have 4 dentists and I see a female dentist, who is the nicest dentist I've ever been to. The hygienists use ultrasonic scalers, which is less invasive than the other method. I have yet to experience this but I'm scheduled to be getting my teeth cleaned the end of this month. Even though I don't look forward to being trapped in the chair with my mouth open, I am actually looking forward to my teeth cleaning.

Re: Dental appt

wonderfulworld — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 13:19:04 GMT

Having a healthy mouth is an essential part of good health. You want to avoid extractions and periodontal disease as they both can adversely affect your health. You are doing something that is good for you and you can ****** any problems in the bud.

Besides, don't cleaned teeth feel good...after!

Re: Dental appt

smb3 — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 14:07:57 GMT

I recently started with a new dentist and they used the ultrasonic/water for cleaning. You don't feel a thing and it works well. The only negative is the water was lightly spraying over face (not a lot), so that might be annoying to some. It is much better than the picking away at the teeth!

Re: Dental appt

Montana — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 19:08:15 GMT

The last few times I have had the ultrasonic cleaning. So much faster and for me, much gentler than manual picking and scraping. The hygienist said some people are sensitive to the water spray and don't like it, but I hardly felt a thing.

Re: Dental appt

SeaMaiden — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 19:38:57 GMT

@Evie2004 Never too late! As far as flossing, they just came out a years ago with info saying flossing is not as helpful as it was touted. So do not feel anxious about that at all.

Go in with a good spirit!, ....if they find any "issues" as I call them (as I was not gifted with great teeth myself). Just do what is the most important first and take each "issue" at a time. Do not get over whelmed or feel depressed. It is good that you are getting a cleaning! Bravo to you! 👍👍👍👍👍

Re: Dental appt

SandPiper — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 20:44:30 GMT

@Evie2004 Better late than never. Hope all went well today. Now that you have squeaky clean teeth try and get into the habit of flossing and brushing and your next cleaning will be a piece of cake.

Re: Dental appt

kivah — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 19:31:45 GMT

I use a Sonicare Electric Toothbrush - have been doing so for over 20 years. That is the secret of cleaning ur teeth well - and removing plaque. Never use those manual toothbrushes, which remove the teeth's enamel. Something ur dentist will never tell u. I floss every night - I use Glide Floss in the dark blue pack (not the blue/green pack - which shredded).

I also use Kirkland Pro Complete Toothpaste and/or Sensodyne Pronamel - which I buy at Costco or from Costco on-line. It's important to brush ur tongue --- from far back to front. That's where the bacteria is. I brush my teeth in the morning and evening.

These toothpastes are very gentle - and effective - on ur teeth/gums.

I also have several crowns and one implant -- the rest are all my teeth - and I'm almost 77 yrs old.

I get my teeth cleaned every 6 months.

No one should fear the dentist - if u do --- check out other dentists from friends/family or on-line. You need to find a dentist who has State-of-the-Art equipment. That's very important. You should also check out dentists' websites.

Re: Dental appt

Evie2004 — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 05:12:14 GMT

@Carmie wrote:
If you want a gentle cleaning, your teeth should be fairly free from plaque. If you have plaque, it will have to be scraped off. I think that is an unpleasant experience, but not painful.

After your cleaning tomorrow, floss and brush everyday and your next cleaning in six months will be gentle.

You are wise to want to keep your natural teeth.

@Carmie It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be..lots of scraping, but thankfully X-rays were ok & he thinks a 6 month follow-up is fine..I am not the most faithful flosser, but will try to work on it..thanks

Re: Dental appt

Evie2004 — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 05:18:45 GMT

@ID2 wrote:
Eee gad why did you wait a full year?? I go every six months, religously, and they have to scrape and pick away at my teeth. Get ready for a good workout!!

@ID2 i survived the scraping, fairly new hygienist & she took it easy on me..will work on flossing!

Re: Dental appt

Evie2004 — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 05:24:07 GMT

@SeaMaiden wrote:
@Evie2004 Never too late! As far as flossing, they just came out a years ago with info saying flossing is not as helpful as it was touted. So do not feel anxious about that at all.

Go in with a good spirit!, ....if they find any "issues" as I call them (as I was not gifted with great teeth myself). Just do what is the most important first and take each "issue" at a time. Do not get over whelmed or feel depressed. It is good that you are getting a cleaning! Bravo to you! 👍👍👍👍👍

Thanks to SeaMaiden, I survived it, nothing major going on..thanks for encouragement!

Re: Dental appt

SaRina — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 10:46:49 GMT

Glad to hear it went well @buckeye mom.

Just some general info so everyone understands and maybe avoid unpleasant procedures......

Plaque, which is a thin, gooky film of bacteria collects on your teeth/gums all day. It is removed by brushing and flossing. Doing this twice a day has been found to keep plaque sufficiently at bay not to cause problems.

If you don't consistently brush twice a day and try to floss at least once a day, plaque will not be sufficiently removed. When plaque is left on the teeth for too long, it hardens on your teeth. This is called tartar. Once tartar has hardened on your teeth, more gooey plaque will adhere to that and harden if not removed. Tartar cannot be removed with brushing/flossing because it is hard. Tartar can only be removed with dental instruments.

Depending on the condition of one's teeth/gums and how much tartar has hardened will determine how involved the dental cleaning will be. If you take good care of your teeth, there will be very little tartar and this can be removed easily with an ultrasonic instrument. If you haven't been taking care of your teeth and more tartar has collected, you'll require a more involved cleaning using dental instruments that are used to scrape the teeth even below the gum line on the root. (root planing) More involved procedures are usually done in a periodontist's office.

Everyone should have a dental cleaning at least twice a year. People who aren't as diligent or who collect tartar more easily need to get dental cleanings 3 or 4 times a year. It pays to be diligent and to keep up with brushing/flossing and regular cleanings to avoid more dental problems like losing your teeth.