Dental Plaque?

[Danni]

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

[Danni]

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

[Olive]

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?

[Danni]

nope, no heart problems

[Danni]

haha ok im going. wish me luck!

[expat]

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

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




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.

[Danni]

happy gas? hehe

ivanhoe is way too far from here, sorry

[Janie]

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 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.

[Danni]

sez is a dental nurse! lol

[Janie]

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!

[Olive]

i'm a nurse too!!

[Janie]

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

[Olive]

sez just PM ed you

[cindyb]

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!

[cindyb]

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

[Bathsheba]

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