I didn't get an official diagnosis of having gum disease/periodontal disease but I was told by Aspen Dental that I have some bone loss and such.
I think I have perio, due to the bleeding gums that I've noticed from time to time and bad breath/dry mouth that I have.
It's a bummer, as I'm only 24 and now probably have this permanent condition. I guess I could use some comfort and words of advice, as it is a lifelong condition and all.
Is it ever going to be curable? I'm still ashamed to smile in pictures because I think my teeth are bad.... my next dentist appointment is at the end of next month.
Hi everyone, I wanted to share my story of periodontal disease.
Last year, I got diagnosed during the pandemic and was, of course, pretty surprised with the diagnosis. I had been good with my dental care; however, I didn't go to a dentist even before the pandemic started, so this could've been preventable. With mental health issues and no dental insurance, it was hard to get myself to actually go. Unfortunately I have slight bone loss and my gums receded a bit. Although it does bum me out, I try not to let it get the best of me. This experience actually drove me to look into the dental hygiene route for college. I want to try my best to motivate those around me, help them cope with similar dental insecurities/ other issues, and provide the reassurance they need that this is definitely not the end of the world.
It is sad that my oral health got to this point. For me being so young and having something that only "old people get" it kind of sucks to think about it, but anyone could get it at any age. Reading all of these posts under this group was pretty comforting because I know I am not alone on this... I do not think a lot of people talk about the connection between mental health and oral health and feel like it should be implemented better in educational atmospheres to prevent anyone else from having this issue.
Thank you for reading my post, comment your story :) I hope that mine gives you the extra comfort you need <3 Remember that your teeth do not define you!
I went to Aspen Dental today for an eval of some mild linear gingival erythema that I noticed around my incisors 4 days ago. No pain, sensitivity, or swelling.
For some background I am 27 years old. I have always gotten my teeth cleaned every 6 months except for the past year and I haven't had the best hygiene due to feeling too tired to keep up with it from PA school, but I do floss the front teeth at least 4 times a week. I have also been to the dentist in the past 6 months for fitting of my final invisalign retainer and they did not mention any signs of gingivitis at that time; maybe they did and didn't say anything because they weren't getting payed for that at that time, idk I have no idea what the standard of care is in dentistry.
Anyway today they told me I had mild periodontal disease with separation of the gum (I heard some teeth 4, a couple 5 mm, particularly the molars) and that I would need scaling and root planing with administration of Arestin on the same day of the procedure. I imagine the antibiotic is what makes it so expensive?
When I asked the dentist questions about if it was necessary to do the antibiotic on the same day and if they could just do the procedure first without it or if they could administer any other antibiotic topically he became annoyed and said that they are professionals with years of training and this is the best way to do it. No explanation of empirical evidence. Basically that I don't get to "dictate" my treatment and that there are no other options and that this is the only way Aspen Dental does it. And if I don't trust them I need to do my own research and come back when I'm ready.
Can someone give me insight on whether this is the standard off care for my condition or enlighten me on other options?
age 51 and hadn't been to the dentist in several years. At previous visits I'd never been warned about problems with my gums. I'd noticed some receding and one tooth was loose but no bleeding or other issues, so I was shocked that the dentist made it sound really bad. He wants to remove 2, 14, and 15. The pockets ranged from 3 to 6, and there is bone loss around 14 and 15. He also wants to put bone grafts for all three locations but didn't talk to me about the reason for that. How detrimental would it be for me to decline or delay the removal of 14? And what are the drawbacks to not getting the bone grafts other than making it harder or impossible to get implants in the future? Do they have a health impact? They are expensive and not covered by my insurance. Also, how much does/can overall health improve this disease? I have completely overhauled my lifestyle and health over the past year.
My cat is perfectly healthy, full of energy, eating well, happy and playful, but needs several dental extractions and it is my understanding based on current scientific findings that advanced periodontal disease and dental decay causes elevated liver enzymes. Is that correct?
> Periodontal disease is the progressive inflammation of the supporting structures of the teeth. It causes bad breath, gingivitis, and tooth loss. Even worse, bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream and travel to your pet’s internal organs, causing liver, heart, and kidney problems.
https://www.thewholepetvet.com/blog/the-dangers-of-dental-disease-in-pets/
Severe perio at 31, any past experiences?
I was diagnosed 5 maybe 6 years ago, in the last two years have had surgeries, first the flap gum surgery, bone grafts, and gum grafts. Two months ago i decided to have my 4 front teeth both top and bottom removed since where i had the most bone loss and there was already a bit of movement, i hated the way they looked so my doctor removed them and put in two implants top and bottom and will use my canine teeth to install a bridge/implant. For the next two months I’m wearing temporary bridges hooked on those canine teeth. But now those canine teeth are hurting due to sensitivity, most likely will need root canals. I haven’t good experiences with root canal’s, currently have 3 and i still feel this weird pressure pain in those teeth. I already lost all my molars on my left side, the molars on my right all have root canals. I’m in so much pain so often and so tired of doing one thing after another and still being in pain, still needing to have teeth removed, still needing root canals… I guess I’m wondering if anyone has had to deal with a situation similar to mine. I’m at a desperate point of just wanting all my teeth removed and getting implants, like “all on four”. Please tell me someone out there can give me advice on what direction to take. Is it a good idea to just have the implants done now instead of eventually later?
If I was to go to the periodontist, and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on gum treatments. We're talking grafts, lasers, bone regrowth, etc. Go past what dental insurance covers, and enter cosmetic treatments. Would that reverse gum disease?
I was diagnosed with it at 20 years old. I’ve just been very very depressed lately with it and it never gets off my mind. I’ve been doing my best to keep up with brushing and flossing. Just worries me about my future health like Alzheimer’s, cancer, arthritis, heart disease and all the serious health conditions I can get.
I’m so sad that I didn’t brush as much when I was younger leading up to my age now. I’m so sad that my parents might have to go through all this. I’m so sad that I might get other health related issues caused by this. I don’t want to have to see my parents loose me.
Can someone please tell me if I can live a healthy life with periodontal disease at 21? I can’t live properly thinking about this all the time. I need help. It stresses me out. Especially thinking about my family. I don’t want them to see me sick and ill because of my periodontal disease.
Please tell me I’m worrying too much. Don’t don’t just say that to make me feel better. I just want some honesty. can I live a Healthy life with this disease :(
I want my parents happy and never sad, I’m worried that future periodontal liked disease would occur at a young age. I don’t want that
Hello I’m a 20 year old female. I just got back from the dentist and they say I have aggressive periodontal disease. I have some 10-13 pockets mm. I’m so scared I will have to get these teeth pulled but they’re telling me that I got it from a family member because it s hereditary. But they also said they are starting treatment early and they might could be saved! Someone pls help what do you guys think??
Srry this is long I just really need help. I have some 6mm pockets & dentist said there’s some bone loss (I didn’t lose any teeth tho). Ever since the cleaning I was brushing/flossing after every meal but bc of my PTSD I get rlly bad anxiety & sleep without brushing. When I wake up I brush/floss right away & oil pull for 20 mins. I never skipped a day but I’m worried once a day brushing AFTER sleep for 3 weeks caused tartar/bacteria in the pockets that’s going to be hard/impossible to remove. I’m brushing every night now but I’m worried it’s too late, that there’s now a buildup of tartar or something in the pockets & that no matter how much I brush it’s not going to undo it & the bone loss will just progress:( I’m feeling really hopeless please help . I also keep reading about how people’s jaw shrink bc of periodontitis bone loss. Is it really jaw bone loss? I’m so depressed about it, I don’t want my jaw to change even just a slight difference:( any info/support is appreciated thank you
Hey all, hoping someone has been through this before an can offer some advice. Just had a dentist appointment today after putting it off for WAY too long and it turns out I have periodontal disease, they said it was most likely exacerbated by the pregnancy hormones but was most likely already starting to develop way before pregnancy. The dentist said I need to wait until after I deliver to have the scraping procedure as they need to use an antibiotic and some other things that are not safe during pregnancy. So that will be about 6 months of waiting and I am so worried about this issue harming the little babe. Does anyone have any insight? Should I get a second opinion to have this taken care of before birth? For reference, the highest number they gave me were a few 6's, some 5's and lots of 4's when they inspected my gums.
I've been worried about periodontal disease ever since my first visit to the dentist this year, which was the first time I could get in for an exam after the pandemic began (I got my first exam in 2021 in January). The dentist at Aspen Dental told me they spotted bone loss on some of my front teeth.
I decided to get a second opinion after that, because the dentist at Aspen didn't give me a treatment plan for the supposed bone loss/gum disease problem.
The new dentist said my mouth is healthy and that I have a "good bite," but isn't periodontal disease underdiagnosed in many patients?
There was no mention of bone loss when the dentist viewed the new x-rays taken in July, hence why I'm still pretty confused. The fact that I was told I have bone loss is the main reason I've been thinking about periodontal disease quite a lot.
Oh, and I'm 23... maybe that's why the new dentist hasn't suspected possible periodontal disease? It seems uncommon in people in my age group.
I’m 24F (don’t drink/smoke) & got diagnosed with periodontal disease. When she was measuring my gums she pointed out 6’s I don’t know how many but there were 6’s, 5’s 4’s and 3’s & idk if there were 2 or 1. She said that there’s some bone loss. My oral habits aren’t perfect because I went through really bad PTSD & bad anxiety but I’ve only had 4 cavities throughout my life & i try my best when I can. They did the laser therapy/root planing to treat it. She did say that it was a mild case. I have a maintenance check in 4 months. The thing that scares me is that it can’t be reversed only controlled :( at least from what I’ve read/researched & now I’m feeling really depressed & have constant anxiety & panic attacks about it everyday. Can it really not be reversed? Is anything from this permanent😔
