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Question:
I am terrified of dentistry. I have not seen a dentist in two years, before that it had been six years. I've always had tooth and gum problems. I had an extra set of teeth in my lower jaw that were removed and the still existing teeth were pulled to the surface and fitted with braces.
I needed a gum graft on one of my teeth because of this procedure. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Shortly after, I was given a palette expander. Now I have 24 teeth with a lot of space between them.
I have always, since I was a small child, religiously brushed and flossed my teeth. The few times that I've gone for a cleaning, the dentist has no idea that I don't get professionally cleaning every six months.
Here's my problem. I can't tolerate hot, cold, sweet, or sour. If I eat a cookie, I have to floss and brush and rinse right away, or I'm in pain. Even normal healthy food causes discomfort, so I tend to chew quickly and not efficiently. I think it is messing up my stomach. I've lost about ten
pounds in the past six months.
What I don't understand is how I can floss everyday, without incident, no blood, nothing and still experience what seems like gum disease. My gums are firm and pink, but they seem to be receeding at an alarming rate. I know that I grind my teeth, fortunately they are not loose, could this be causing all of my problems?
What is happening? I'm at my wit's end, but I'm afraid to go to the dentist for fear of needing more grafting. What should I do? I can't stand not enjoying a good ice cream cone now and again. ...Visitor from CA
Answer:
It sounds to me like you have an issue with root exposure and this will definitely cause sensitivity when chewing foods. I am assuming that
you have normal enamel on your teeth (you said you have had some unusual tooth abnormalities such as excess teeth) and if so, you most likely have exposed roots near the gum area.
Causes of root recession are multifactorial: excessive, hard brushing with a stiff tooth brush, clenching and grinding your teeth, exposure of the teeth to acidic foods such as soda and citrus acids (in O.J. etc.), stomach acid exposure from eating disorders or regurgitation. One can only guess without an exam, but this is what it sounds like to me.
You really should go see a dentist and if your fear is this extreme, you can look for a DOCS member who offers sedation dentistry to help eliminate your
anxiety. DOCS (The Organization of Conscious Sedation), is a group of trained dentists who can do "sleep" dentistry for the highly anxious patients who meet the physical and age req. Must be over 18 yrs.
Be careful with the "sensitivity tooth pastes" because some of them have abrasive actions. When you go in to see a dentist, ask about the products for desensitizing teeth. I like the Prevident 5000 plus and Gel Kam products which use fluoride to re-harden the exposed roots. If you do have some sort of enamel problem (some people don't form enamel), than you
could need a restorative option to solve the problem. At any rate, you will need to seek assistance from a dentist.
Editorial Staff
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