Periodontal disease blues - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Off Topic

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Periodontal disease blues

nuancedream

Veteran

Well, I've managed to make the quantum leap from twice yearly dental cleanings to scaling & root planing to full blown, advanced periodontal disease. It's beyond depressing, especially since I'm going to have pay nearly $7000 out of pocket. Yes, I have dental insurance, but it pays nothing for periodontal treatment. I'm choosing laser treatment
over gum surgery. I still may need surgery if the less invasive procedure doesn't yield the desired results. The vacation fund is now the periodontal treatment fund. I seriously can't catch a break this year. Sigh.

Off Topic

24 replies

Latest reply was from Firecracker (Sharan)

Dee

Veteran

Oh nuancedream, that sure is a tough pill to swallow. Sorry to hear of this unexpected expense and worry. Fingers crossed the laser surgery will solve the issue once and for all.

MsMary

Veteran

Yikes! I have been there so I can really sympathize! I ended up with gum surgery and a tooth implant about 15 years ago and now I go in for deep cleaning three times a year. The good news is the actually surgery wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Sal

Veteran

Oh how annoying for you - and expensive. Frustrating all round.

Helena

Veteran

Oh I'm so sorry. I think some of these things are unavoidable regardless of how diligent you've been your whole life ... Which makes it all the more annoying! Sending calm and positive energy your way. That is stressful financially and physically too

April

Veteran

Yuck.

Not particularly helpful at this stage of the game, but once you're all healed and moving on, we love our Water Flossers. AKA "the Gummeler Pummeler."

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh no. That is such a shame and so frustrating. I have been there, and have had several gum surgeries, so I get it! I now use a waterpik thingie and also go for professional cleaning every 3 months -- which does help keep things in check. But some of us, my dentist says, simply have a predisposition to this problem and all the good home care in the world won't prevent it entirely. Sigh....

nuancedream

Veteran

Thank you for the supportive comments. I will have two laser treatments two weeks apart. I told Mr. ND, there's no need for a fancy birthday dinner this year since I'm on a liquid diet for the first 3 or 4 days, followed by soft foods. He can make me a banana smoothie and call it good.

Star

Veteran

ND maybe a 2nd opinion is in order. 20 plus years ago I was told by a Periodontal Specialist that I needed extremely expensive treatment. I could not afford it and carried on with regular professional cleaning with my oral hygienist. So my teeth are still serving me well. In fact the dentist told me last month after my cleaning that my teeth are going to last until I am 120 years, haha sure, she was kidding. I do have sensitivity sometimes due to receding gums but on the whole nothing serious has happened. Sometimes even the professionals we trust do need an income boost. I hope you don't mind me being candid about my situation. Either way, all the best to you.

nuancedream

Veteran

Star: I am happy that you were able to avoid pricey specialist treatment and could continue with regular professional cleanings. On the other hand, I have objective findings of bone loss and infection. No amount of professional cleaning with a hygienist or diligent home care will reverse that. I appreciate the good wishes and I anticipate treatment will go well.

Runcarla

Veteran

I read an article about aging from a woman’s perspective (maybe by Nora Ephron?) many, many years ago, and one line stayed with me: she wrote about having a ‘Porsche parked in her mouth’ - as a reference to the cost of preservative dental care she had pursued in her latter years.

Agree with what Helena wrote. For some it’s the genetic roll of the dice. My hygienist says I have ‘nice gums’ though there is some receding (and I have other issues.) On the other hand, DH and our sons have to take preventative measures for periodontal disease, and are on the 6 months cleaning schedule.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What Carla says is so true -- it's the luck of the draw, really. In my case, I have great teeth (very strong) and good bones (thank goodness, because I needed some implants -- for a bunch of different reasons, one being that I was simply born without a tooth and needed it). But the gums? Not so much!

I am confident that although it will hurt in the moment (both treatment, and pocketbook) you will be very glad to have done it -- it's money very well spent if you can keep that gorgeous smile of yours and enjoy eating, as I know you do, from previous posts about great meals out!

MsMaven

Veteran

Ouch! So sorry. I'm lucky so far, but I need to get my teeth cleaned every four months now. I'm in the process of gradually getting crowns replaced, as is Mr. M.

Aging is expensive!

kellygirl

Veteran

More sympathy! I've got the same road ahead, I'm afraid. My dentist suggested the possibility of gum grafts 10 years ago which had me scared straight but they have been stable until recently. It's come up again although she said surgery is different now. Bone loss, receding gums, ugh. I guess it is what it is. Good luck! MsMaven is right--aging is a gift but also expensive.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I’m sorry. URGH!! That’s frustrating and I sympathize

Best of luck and take care. Sending healing thoughts and good wishes. Xo

cat2

Veteran

So sorry! I have found any kind of dental pain to be a bit energy sapping. Take care of yourself and invest time in whatever will help you relax.

nuancedream

Veteran

First treatment completed. It was a rough start due to my anxiety and some discomfort from the local anesthetic. I'll ask Mr. ND to drive me to my next appointment because I'm going to request oral sedation. Banana smoothie for lunch and Greek yogurt for dinner.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have had gum issues too — most likely hereditary — so I sympathize! I go for cleanings quarterly and along with flossing, using a Waterpik or those little gum brush thingies between teeth, I seem to be holding steady. I hold my breath when they do those measurements, dreading the higher numbers, but for now what I’m doing seems to be keeping more extreme treatments at bay.

I hope all goes smoothly and I’m sorry to hear about the vacation fund!

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

ND how are you feeling now after the first treatment? I hope you're healing up okay? Are the 2 sessions part of the same treatment?
I had no idea laser gum treatments were possible, so thanks for sharing - I've only ever seen gum grafts, which look much more painful!

Agree that it's really a genetic lottery - some people have gum issues but not tooth issues, & vice versa:
E.g. One of my father's teeth just straight up crumbled out of his mouth whilst eating, even though he had no pain or warning signs beforehand!

Meanwhile, my teeth are OK but I've had receding gumlines ever since I got my braces as a teenager (it's apparently a common risk but was never mentioned when I had mine fitted!) I've been dealing with gum sensitivity ever since, but it was always dismissed...

Unfortunately, not all dentists are equally competent... It sounds like you're in good hands though (even if your wallet may be crying...)

nuancedream

Veteran

Zaeobi: The first treatment was 6 days ago and it was a doozy. I have developed severe dental anxiety over the past few years. My blood pressure skyrocketed so the start of treatment had to be postponed for 15 minutes until my blood pressure and anxiety subsided. The laser itself wasn't that bad except for the awful taste it left in my mouth. The aggressive scaling and planing was very unpleasant despite the local anesthetic. After the 2-hour surgery was completed, I went home and slept for 2 hours. I was physically and emotionally exhausted.

I requested oral sedation for the second surgery scheduled on 10/22, but I was going to be charged $195 for one pill!! I declined and reached out to my family
practitioner to see if she will prescribe the same medication.

No birthday dinner this year since I'm on a mushy/soft foods diet for 6 weeks. After that time is up, I don't want to see eggs, yogurt, ice cream, avocado, bananas, smoothies, creamed soups, mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes or any vegetables cooked to a pulp on the menu.

Sisi

Veteran

Sorry to hear this, Nuancedream! I hope you will be able to celebrate your birthday as well. May I suggest a tiramisu? (yummy and soft). Wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery. I couldn't help giggling at your " I don't want to see ... "

kellygirl

Veteran

That sounds awful, ND! Like Zaeobi, I have receding gums from braces too. Thanks for sharing your experience with laser. I had never known that was an option either. I'm off to the dentist this morning. Hopeful that things are still stable... Good luck on treatment number 2. I hope that it is successful!

cat2

Veteran

Oh, that sounds miserable. Hopefully your doctor can give you something to take the edge off. I’m currently using a children’s dose of an anti-anxiety medication for my periodic MRIs. I used to be able to hop into the tube with just some music on the headphones but I think repeated exposure to medical insults just wore me down. So it makes a lot of sense to get a driver and some additional medication. I do hope you can get through this as smoothly as humanly possible.

I sympathize on the foods; when my husband had chemo, they told us not to feed him anything he usually loves, because he would never want to touch it again. Chicken noodle soup and egg drop soup still make him recoil.

nuancedream

Veteran

Sisi: Thanks for the mention of tiramisu! I completely forgot about it. Tiramisu will be a welcome replacement for banana pudding, which no longer appeals to me. I may also need a panna cotta.

kellygirl: I think the next surgery will go more smoothly since I know what to expect with the procedure. Good luck with your dental appointment!

cat2: Thank you. I'm taking some non-prescription measures to reduce my anxiety right now, such as more yoga with pranayama breathing, less caffeine, and no computer time after 6:00 pm. Although I don't care for creamed soups very much, I did make a pumpkin soup and a carrot ginger soup. Both were pretty tasty.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Oh, gosh, I feel for you. One treatment down--that's the good news, I guess! You are in my thoughts, with the next one coming up. Sending virtual strength and healing your way!

And an anecdote: my DH dreads the annual eye exam, as the test he can never "pass." I dread the dental ones, which I know I'm not going to ace, either.