Dental Plaque?

Ok firstly I have to admit that I haven't been to a dentist since Mum used to make me go :redface:

I was at a bbq on Saturday and I thought I had some food stuck in the back of my tooth, next thing you know it came out! I had it in my hand and it looked like part of my tooth and I FREAKED OUT!

Then someone said it is probably plaque as it looks and feels just like a tooth.

PHEW (i hope!)

So basically I am off to the dentist on Wednesday and the lady said its most likely plaque and the dentist will get rid of all of it on my teeth.

So...does it hurt? what do they do...im scared! :redface:

They scrape it :) and no it doesn't hurt. Then they'll probably clean them. Your teeth might be quite sensitive to hot & cold tho afterwards, coz they're suddenly 'exposed' without all the plaque covering them up :)

I hope that's all it was! Doesn't hurt to have a good clean at the dentists now & then anyway... coz they reach all the spots we miss :)

ok great! So its a scale and clean im having! I hope its not too expensive :(

nope.

Danni, if you have not been for ages, I would ring around and get prices, cos you will find different dentist will charge differently for the same procedures, and it could vary quite a bit.

From memory - I think a check and a clean cost me $130. I -think-. I had cover back then tho, so claimed some back... next time I won't have any cover.

I'm pretty sure its a old wifes tale that pregnancy is bad for your teeth....

yep ive heard that a lot FJ, but i think its true due to lack of calcium?

If you are getting enough calcium you will be fine.
If you aren't getting enough, of any vitamin/mineral, pregnant or not you body will take it from where it can.

I think I was thinking of the one about loosing a tooth for each pg.

Can I ask with out being offensive... How does one build up enough plaque for a chunk to break away? I hadn't been to the dentist in years but when I went I only had a minimal build up of plaque from not flossing, but no where near enough for a chunk to break off.

its on the back of the bottom front row teeth. If you do not have gaps in between your teeth, then you have plaque in between them

Yep, thats where the build up was on mine but I just don't get the "chunk" discription.

like i said, its the description of it being a chunk that i don't get. am i just thinking bigger then what you actually mean?

I wondered the same thing actually FJ hehe.

hmm yeah - plaque is the white stuff you can scrape off with your fingernail.. and tartar is the hard stuff. I think. hehe.

yep plaque is the fury white stuff, tartar is when it calcifies, you get more behind you lower front teeth becasue of the saliva ducts under the tongue causing more saliva to pool there, same goes for the upper back teeth where the other saliva ducts are, the calcium and phospate in saliva hardens plaque, some people just have more in their saliva than others and is nothing to worry about
HTH :)

ok it wasnt a "chunk"...its more like a chip. It was small...like the size of ummm??? i cant think of something! lol

danni was it yellowish/brownish???

one side was white (like my tooth) and the corner was a bit discoloured. yuck

yeah i have an appt for tomorrow...but im tossing up whether or not to go. How urgent is it do you reckon? $130 is so much money atm :(

Danni it's not really urgent, you may find it uncomfortable to lie in the chair for too long while pregnant, having said it's not urgent you really should get it done sooner rather than later....ring and ask how much it is once you do have them cleaned just make sure you clean that area well with your brush from now on :) you dont have a heart problem do you?

nope, no heart problems

haha ok im going. wish me luck!

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As someone said to me before I went "its easier to take a foetus than a baby" lol

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Hehehe, at least name me if you quote me!!!:p




It might sound like a lot to you now but if if progresses to periodontal disease and your periodontal ligaments get damaged enough(the things that hold your teeth in place) then you might be facing the reality of a visit to a periodontist (expensive and unpleasant) or of having extractions and then having to have either a partial denture, bridge work or implants; all of which are a lot more expensive and time consuming than maintenence work.

From memory, a heavy scale and clean at my mum's surgery will set you back around $100. She's in Ivanhoe if that's near you and of any help. You can pay extra to have happy gas if you're nervous about it. We can talk privately if you want her number.

happy gas? hehe

ivanhoe is way too far from here, sorry

Oh, who's your mum Adele?

Danni, worthwhile going, although not life and death! hehe. It will feel a bit funny, and yes, your teeth will prob. be a bit sensitive for a few days, but that will settle. You won't believe how strange, but good, your mouth feels afterwards! And yes, it is easier to take a foetus than a baby LOL!

And yep, old wives tale that pregnancy makes your teeth weak! The old "you lose a tooth for each child' thing relates to gum problems in pregnancy, not the teeth themselves. Certainly having bad m/s and eating and drinking lots of sugary things won't help, but I've had/done all of that and no holes here! Just yucky gums :rolleyes: Pregnancy ITSELF will not cause problems with your teeth. But your gums can certainly suffer. Mind you, an extensive build up of calculus can, and likely will, cause periodontal problems for anyone, not just pg women.

sez is a dental nurse! lol

Caro, I understand that there might be factors inroduced during pg that will impact on teeth, but the fact is that pregnancy does not harm the actual teeth. Certainly can harm the gums though, hence that old wives tale;) In the old days periodontal disease used to be quite rampant, and the theory was that each time a woman was pregnant her gingival condition would get worse and worse, therefore 'losing a tooth'. People still lose teeth all the time due to perio disease, so it's entirely probable that it happened years ago (unfotunately).

Having worked in the dental field for 10 years I have a particular interest in this ;)

ETA You've got a good memory Danni! Good luck hun, let us know how you go. Following your other thread ATM with interest too!

i'm a nurse too!!

I thought you were a therapist AJP! Whereabouts were you working before having Sophie?

sez just PM ed you ;)

OK i have to but in here! I have worked in the dental industry for 12 years now in many diferent roles and I have to say that pregnancy does not affect your teeth at all! It can, and i mean CAN, affect your gums due to the extra hormones and it may cause your gums to swell. ALl of this depends on your oral hygiene though and if your brushing and flossing then you wont have a problem. Its very rare anyway to have gums probs during pregnancy unless your not good at brushing etc. The info Caro quoted is right but it all relates to your gums and it talks of hygiene issues caused byan extra sensitive gag reflex (preg hormones) and throwing up (morning sickness)

With regards to plaque - everyones levels of it are completely different again depending on hygiene and also their saliva content. I have almost no calcium deposits in my saliva and i have NEVER had to have my teeth cleaned in my life however I have seen patients over the years who are back every 6 months for a cleam and every time it is caked on. People who have dry mouths tend to get more plaque build up coz salivas job is to clean your teeth and without it your food etc stays put, also some people have really sticky saliva and these people tend to have moreplaque and calculus than most!

I just noticed that i have pretty much said what had already been said by the other dental girls on here! Sorry for the double up

Did you go to the dentist Danni? You can't escape BB interrogation y'know LOL